I’m from the City of Angels, which is (I think) arguably one of the most beautiful and sunny places in the world. While I am absolutely in love with my hometown and love to go back and visit, I’ve come to terms with being in school somewhere it snows by remembering what we have in Boston that I won’t find back in my star-studded home.
1. Biddies
Yes, we do have skinny girls trying who are ‘actresses’ all over town, but we don’t have the typical “BU-Biddie” anywhere. Mostly because we lack the knee-length coats and Hunter boots that characterize the BU Biddie.
2. Public transportation
I admit, when I first showed up here, I was that girl who brought hand sanitizer on the T with me and used it religiously. I had no idea what a ticket was, how to use it, or if I could even pay cash when I got on the train (Fare? What?). Coming from a city where EVERYONE drives EVERYWHERE, kids aspire to get their licenses by the ripe age of 16, and people are fashionably late on a regular basis, it was a rude awakening to me to have to go places on other people’s time.
3. Insane sports fans
When the Kings won the Stanley Cup last year, it seemed like “Go Kings Go!” bumper stickers popped up all over the city almost overnight. We have a ton of pride in our city (Hello, NorCal- SoCal rivalry) but not so much in our sports teams, unless you enjoy drinking beer at a Dodger game. Coming to Boston, a city where the streets run red and green whenever there is a Red Sox or Celtics game, was a new and welcome experience.
4. A signature accent
When I went home for my first Winter Break from Boston, it seemed like everyone was asking me if I liked to “Pahk the cah in the yahd,” (No, I don’t). I love being able to tell who is from here and who is a foreigner, like myself, simply by hearing them call something ‘bizzah’, a real change from Los Angeles and the valley, where people are, like, from all over the like, world, you know??
5. Really old stuff
So, as much as I love Cali, we just don’t have the same history that Boston does. I can walk the Freedom Trail and actually see and be in some of the most influential places in my country’s history. In California, I can see Missions from when the Spanish tried to force their religion up on the natives, which is slightly more morbid and slightly less exciting.
6. Seasons
This is one difference I can definitely do without. Definitely. Winter is not the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I’m still getting used to the seasonal depression that inevitably hits every winter (my mom even bought my a ‘happy light’ to combat that). Coming from somewhere where 60 degrees is cold but 90 is too hot, having to learn to cope with extremes like -7 (why is that even a thing??) was not a pleasant experience.
7. Dunkin Donuts
But really. There are 11 Starbucks’ in my hometown, and not one Dunkin Donuts (I checked). Coming here and a) seeing the onslaught of orange that inevitably accompanies a Dunkin Donuts, and b) seeing people who will wait in line for Dunkin Donuts coffee absolutely blew my mind; while people who willingly will wait in said line instead of going to a Starbucks was absolute blasphemy.
Adjusting to life in Baaahston hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been worth it. I’ve learned to love this new city and while it will never replace home, it’s made for a damn good comparison.