There are two types of people: those who enjoy winter wonderlands, and those who enjoy desert wonderlands.
After being on both sides, I’ve come to a conclusion — they both kinda suck.
Right now, in Pullman, Washington, the highs are around 28 degrees, and the lows are around 20 degrees. In Tempe, Arizona (my hometown) the highs are 76 with lows of 45. As I sit in my cold room with a hoodie, leggings and fuzzy socks on, I think of the T-shirt and shorts I would be wearing in Arizona.
The only time I like when it’s this cold in Washington is when there’s snow to make up for it, and so far, we’ve gotten barely any snow. And the only time I like when it’s warmer than it should be in Arizona is when I can actually tan and swim. It’s a lose-lose situation.
Noticing such discrepancies in the weather makes me think of trend differences between the Pacific North West and the Southwest.
1. Birkenstocks vs. Rainbows
This one was a trend I was surprised about. If you don’t know what Rainbows are, they are a sandal company based out of California, made for comfort and durability. If you don’t know what those are, you’re most likely from the PNW. Just like I hadn’t really heard of what Birkenstocks were before I came to Washington! I had seen some of them around my school, but they didn’t really catch on as a trend there like Rainbows had. However, when I came to Washington State University, almost every girl and some guys I knew owned “Birks.”
2. Jackets vs. “Puffers”
I think I used my jackets in Arizona more as a waist accessory than ever as an actual jacket. Sure, it gets cold at night and you throw it on, but even then, our coats and jackets aren’t made to be super warm. And then I came here. Everyone seems to have what some people call their “puffers.” Puffy, warm, mid-length coats that are super comfy to sport around campus.
They’re usually North Face or Patagonia, but I’ve even seen some good ones from Costco. So rather than layering up multiple thin coats/long sleeves like me, they just put on one layer and their puffer and go!
3. Vests
Being in Arizona, we didn’t use vests all that much. The only times I saw people wear them was if it was a crotchet vest or something light and decorative. Here, it’s (shockingly) another way to keep people warm. The reason I say shockingly is that I always saw people who went through the snow wear vests and wondered how it even kept them warm without sleeves.
Now, being here and owning one of my own vests, I know they’re so comfy, warm, and a good fashion statement in the cold.
4. Hunters
Rainboots? What are those? Arizona only averages 8.04 inches of precipitation per year, while Washington averages around 38.15 a year. So why would we ever need rainboots like Hunters? I was definitely out of my element when I came here and didn’t have “waterproof” shoes to wear.
When it rains in Arizona, we never expect much out of it, so it’s still really common for people to wear flip-flops in the rain. I remember one time my outdoor high school’s campus got flooded because we had an unusual amount of rain, and people were walking in it barefoot trying to save their shoes from getting ruined.
Gross, but hilarious to watch.
5. Yakima...is real?
And lastly, realizing that Yakima is a real city, and not just some made up town from iCarly.
That’s right, I admit it.
When I watched iCarly when I was younger, there was a scene about her grandfather making her move to a city called Yakima. And if you don’t know, the show was based out of Seattle, Washington. Well, it sounded like such a weird and unreal name for a city, I never gave two thoughts about its real existence!
Until I moved here and talked to people from there. And let me tell you, I was very confused at first.
Well, there you have it, some trends and weird findings that I’ve learned from living in both Washington and Arizona.