As a born-and-raised California girl, being thrown into Boston during one of the coldest winters felt like a slap in the face with a snow shovel.
I was accepted into Boston University as a College of General Studies student, so that meant I started in the spring semester. Needless to say, I was wildly unprepared for my first semester of college in Boston. After being here for a few months, I’ve learned how to navigate this new city, and I hope to share some helpful tips for incoming West Coast girlies—and anyone else thinking about moving to Boston!
- Buy the Boston Necessities
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The first thing I noticed upon arriving here is that everyone and their mom has the Aritzia Superpuff. At the time, I didn’t understand the hype and thought my $30 Macy’s coat would keep me warm enough. To no one’s surprise, it didn’t. Trust me—put the down payment on the Aritzia Superpuff and you’ll never have to feel like a frozen snowman waiting for the T (a lesson I had to learn the hard way).
Some other important clothing items to have in Boston are a fashionable scarf, well-fitted sweatpants, cute gloves, and a knit beanie. It may have been winter, but Commonwealth Avenue sometimes felt like a runway; the fashion girlies don’t rest even when it’s four degrees out.
My biggest tip—don’t waste your money on snow boots. I bought a pair and they’re still sitting in the back of my closet, unused. Also, embrace the weather change, but know that Boston winds will humble you.
- Find Your New “Spot”
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In California, it was a coffee shop with string lights and oat milk lattes. In Boston, it might be a bench by the Charles River or the corner of a cozy bookstore. You don’t have to recreate home—you just have to find a place that makes you feel okay for a while. Then keep going back to it. Before you know it, that “spot” will feel like yours.
/ Unsplash - Call Your People, But Also Let New People In
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There’s comfort in texting your high school best friend every night, but also let someone from your dorm walk you to class. Sit next to someone new in lecture. Homesickness can make you want to close off, but connection is what softens it. Let people in Boston surprise you.
- What You Can Leave Behind
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I am a chronic overpacker, and I wish I had left some things behind in California. First, you don’t need 20 pairs of jeans—two to three will do just fine.
I also brought way too many tank tops and crop tops, thinking I could wear them underneath some outfits, but in the end, I just wore short or long-sleeved tops. So, leave those at home! Trust me, you won’t need so many.
I also brought a pair of flip-flops, thinking I would wear them around the dorm or for quick errands. They have not been used once. My Uggs have been my saving grace in those cases.
- Look Forward to the Joy of Spring in Boston
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Everyone talks about fall in New England: the leaves, the charm, the sweaters. But spring? Spring is messy. It’s snow one day, sun the next—but that’s just the Boston way. Last week, it was 65 degrees one day and 35 degrees and raining the next.
But the glimpse of happiness you feel on a sunny day in Boston is like no other. People gather on the quad. Music plays from open windows. You realize the city is waking up—and you are too.
- Let California Live Inside You, Even as You Root Yourself Here
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You don’t have to become a different person to fit in. Keep the little California rituals: morning yoga, weird juice combinations, calling everything “chill” even when it’s not.
Let those things anchor you while you build new rituals: the library nook you study in, the dorm late-night talks, the first time someone calls you “wicked smart.” You’re not replacing home. You’re adding to it.
Being a California girl in Boston means learning to hold two homes in your heart. You don’t have to lose who you are to make this place yours. You just have to show up—cold fingers, confused by the T, iced coffee in hand—and keep trying.
Still a California girl—just one who can handle Boston now!
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