Georgetown is dope: Life as a California kid on the East Coast

All aboard the winter struggle bus

Whether it’s for college, a job, or some other turn of events, we Californians may find ourselves living on the other side of the country. It isn’t until this transition happens that you start to realize how different our two coasts really are.

Here are some discoveries I’ve made along the way:

There are bugs literally everywhere

So yes there are bugs in California but near the coast they are very minimal. Upon arriving in the East Coast an unsuspecting Californian may find themselves slowly becoming one giant mosquito bite as they get eaten alive. Either you get really good at slapping mosquitos off yourself or you accept the fact that you might spend a few months looking like you just had an allergic reaction to something.

A jacket is no longer just a hoodie

Coming from sunny California to somewhere with actual weather calls for a doubling of your wardrobe. Jeans and a tshirt won’t cut it on a daily basis here. Your thickest jackets may last you until early October, but after that you’re in uncharted jacket territory. I’d recommend at least one full body sleeping bag coat unless you’re trying to be a sad, hypothermic west coaster all winter.

Visiting home is like traveling to another country

If you’re lucky and have the cash laying around to book a direct flight it’s actually not that bad (only 5ish hours). However if you don’t go the direct flight route your got a good day of traveling ahead of you. This typically means that you’re moping around on all those three day weekends while your east coast friends get to go home to sleep in a real bed and eat home cooked meals.

 

What even are East Coast beaches?

They’re cold, windy, and cloudy, but mostly cold. If you’re used to the warm and cozy coasts of home, east coast beaches do not sound appealing at all. It’s basically impossible to go in the water, so at most you can tan, but not very effectively. The effort is there but it’s just not the same.

Girls get a full season now where you don’t have to shave every day

Since actual winter makes it practically impossible to expose any body parts, it’s very easy to go a few weeks, or months if you’re feeling crazy, without shaving your legs. This is a huge relief if you’re a hairy person like me and have to shave every two minutes just to look acceptable at the beach.

You have a love-hate relationship with snow

The first snow day is awesome. Looking out your window is like being hit with a sudden throwback to watching Narnia as a child. Suddenly you feel the need to go purchase some pine scented candles and stock up on fuzzy socks. After this first day the snow starts to get slightly less awesome as you realize you can’t do anything outside. Sports? No. Picnics? No. Running? No. Walking? Barely.

Public transportation takes some getting used to

Buses and subways are still a big mystery to the majority of us West Coasters. If we’re not struggling to figure out how those weird subway cards work then we’re definitely lost in some sketchy part of the city that we didn’t mean to go to. It takes a while to get used to all the crazy people that use public transportation. In fact it can be a little scary starting off.

The majority of your friends are still on the West Coast

Only crazy people actually leave the West Coast. This means that the majority of people you know are back in California (or may Oregon or Washington) living it up in the sun. You may feel massive FOMO while they post pictures of them all visiting each other because everything is a few hours drive apart. On the other hand, it’s always fun to visit them when you can, and at least you’re out here on the other side of the country trying new things.

More
Georgetown University