What it’s really like coming to Colorado from the East Coast
When people say their favorite pizza is Papa John’s, you know you’re in trouble
Coming from the suburbs of a big city, where the bars outnumber the libraries 40 to 1 and everyone in town knows each other, to a state where it’s normal for professors to have dreadlocks and everyone is from California, things are definitely different…
Everyone walks so slowly. Passing almost every person on my way to class is a norm for me.
Putting on my shoes and putting my laptop back in my schoolbag in airport security is no longer an extremely stressful procedure. People don’t care if you take more than 30 seconds.
People care about the environment. There’s recycling bins and trash cans everywhere.
People don’t know Philly, only Philadelphia.
Everyone is from California.
Everyone knows and has a collective idea of what “the bay” is. For me, “the bay” was an extension of the Delaware River.
When people say their favorite pizza is Papa John’s, you know you’re in trouble. I can not find a quality slice of pizza, bagel, or soft pretzel anywhere around here.
In fact, it is hard to find pizza by the slice at all. But Mexican food? Yes.
People do not know what water ice is.
Food service takes forever. On the East Coast, if the hostess takes more than three minutes to greet you, you better bet you aren’t eating there.
It’s okay to be a little bit late to things. People don’t really care.
You can drink outside without having to worry about running from the cops.
You can really do anything outside – hiking, cliff jumping, skiing, rock climbing, and you’ll be able to find people who want to do it with you.
Teachers know better than to schedule exams on 4/20.
There are bike lanes EVERYWHERE!
Not stopping for pedestrians is frowned upon. Illegal, even.
Pedestrians actually walk in crosswalks.
Rivalries are taken lightly. CU vs. CSU is all in good fun, we are even friends with some of those rams down in the Fort Collins. Nothing compared to East Coast rivalries, like Duke vs. UNC.
People are interesting. Talented street performers, hippies and drifters dwelling among some of the most tech-savvy young nerds around.
People are friendly. Asking someone for directions or help parking your car is always reciprocated with the upmost sincerity and respect for one another.