To me, moving from Michigan to California simply meant 2,000 miles out west, a hefty out-of-state tuition bill, and an amazing change in weather.
This move brought many new friends, with the majority from California. It soon felt like everyone was from the Bay Area, Orange County, or San something. My response when asked where I was from was met with equal amounts of interest and surprise.
After a few weeks I noticed a trend that people from California seemed to forget that there is actually a whole world outside of the Golden State. Even though this theory does not apply to all West Coasters, I can't help but share some of my finest California moments to hopefully make my out of state friends smile.
The debate over dayger (day rager) versus darty (day party) was one of my first hints to the California superiority attitude.
Little did I know the simple text notification about a Saturday afternoon foam party would spark a passionate feud between all its guests. Anyone out of state called it a darty, however all Californians called it a dayger. Even though more people from many different states called it a darty, us out of staters were somehow the ones who were wrong. The instagram polls, captions, and votes were endless, but the debate continued. All I have to say: you simply cannot rage during the day, it's a darty. The end.
pc https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/the-wo...
Another great moment came from getting dinner at a dining hall with my friend, who just happened to have lived in California all her life. As we sat eating our chipotle chicken bowls and gossiping about boys, she innocently uttered the words "do you even have Mexican food in Michigan?" I was floored to say the least. While on the subject of food in Michigan, during my coding lab I was also asked, "So how do you like even get burgers since you don't have In and Out?" What entertained me the most about these questions is the fact that there are so many restaurants and fast food chains in Michigan, that actually don't exist in California.
Ever heard of Bagger Daves?
Another good one is the time my friend from school decided to stalk my instagram and leave funny comments. However, these funny comments soon embodied the California only mindset, as she repeatedly commented that she was confused about how I could have pictures in front of such a large body of water since there are no oceans by Michigan. Three words: The Great Lakes.
pc https://www.michiganradio.org/post/how-are-great-l...
Finally, in hopes to not deeply offend all my new friends from California, I'll end my story with a reverse situation. When back in Michigan over break, I was constantly teased for meeting famous people, going to the beach every day, not studying ever, and so on. In reality, I've met one youtuber, gone to the beach once, and studied for hours every day; going to school in California does not actually mean that I have zero responsibilities.
While these assumptions are light-hearted and fun to tease about, they show how easy it is to be narrow minded and make assumptions about one another. What matters is that I am fortunate enough to have the support and means to move across the country to attend school in what truly is the Golden State. The shocked reactions to discovery I'm from Michigan has only built my pride in my hometown, as Michigan is usually thought of as a cold forgotten state.
Going to school here, you won't meet too many others from Michigan, which means that the little things I grew up doing, like going up north or boating on the lakes, is an intriguing story. In the end, the memories and experiences cultivated from the endless opportunities here outweigh the fact that you may have only had burgers at In and Out and I've never heard of the term dayger.
