Having spent my whole life living in Hong Kong, and attending a boarding school in Southern California for the past four years, moving to Boston was a big jump for me. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to adapt to the icy cold Boston fall and winters, and I truly just wasn’t sure if I was going to like Boston at all. Sure, I visited Boston several times prior, but I didn’t know if this city was the right fit for me. Los Angeles and Boston are like Yin and Yang: complete opposites. Los Angeles is usually blazing hot almost 10 out of the 12 months, with the exception of a month or two of light breezes, in which people here in the East coast would consider “hot weather,” while everyone in LA is dressed for a blizzard.
On the other hand, here in the East it is almost freezing cold every day (my friends make fun of me for calling 80 degrees “freezing”), and you can identify an East coaster and West coaster easily on campus just by the way they dress. Not only is the weather polar opposites, but the structure of both cities are completely different too. It takes at most half an hour to get from destination to destination here in Boston, but it takes almost an hour (if you’re lucky) or two to get anywhere in Los Angeles with the infamous “LA traffic.”
Despite some of these differences between Los Angeles and Boston, I have slowly learned to love the East coast weather. Unlike Los Angeles, the four seasons are prominent here in Boston. The leaves actually change colors from a myriad of green shades to bright, vibrant, orange hues. In addition, my wardrobe used to only consist of shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, and sneakers. But now, it has slowly made its transition to parkas, sweaters, big coats, boots, and warm scarves. My roommate, having lived in cold weather her whole life, has taught me how to master the art of layering. She’s taught me how to dress for the perfect Boston fall afternoon, to the frosty, icy mornings. From being obsessed with cold iced coffee only, my friends have convinced me that hot coffees are the only way to go for chilly mornings. I am now obsessed with the cold morning air, warm fuzzy socks, blanket-like scarves, and the late afternoon breeze. When I look back now, I wonder why I was so worried about living in the East Coast. Having lived in Boston for these past two months, I have learned that nothing beats witnessing the leaves diffuse from color to color, walking around Boston commons with a cup of hot English breakfast tea, and staring at the beautiful scenery in every corner.