Technically, I’m a California native. I was born in the Bay Area, and was raised as a California Gurl until eight, when I was uprooted from my sunny home to the freezing tundra commonly known as Minnesota. I quickly adapted to the midwestern lifestyle, embracing tater tot casserole and believing that 45 degrees is warm compared to -10. I never really thought about life after high school until senior year came and I had to actually apply to schools and decided what to do.
I knew I wasn’t going to stay in Minnesota; the past winter was just too cold and miserable and I needed a change. So I toured around the Midwest, hitting Mizzou and Miami of Ohio and multiple Universities of Wisconsin. But then it hit me— why don’t I go back to my roots and apply to some schools in California?
And now here I am, a lone Minnesotan soul in the midst of SoCal surfers and NorCal natives. I’m Midwestern to the core; I say the word “bag” weird, apparently, I love a bit of hot dish and I don’t wear a coat unless it’s below freezing. Coming to California, I knew it would be different from home, but I don’t think I expected how much. My roommates beg us to turn on the heat when it hits 50 degrees outside, which is just odd to me. I explain how the past two years I’ve had snow days in April and people just stare at me like “where the heck do you come from????”
As much as I love the weather in SLO (who wouldn’t want to go to the beach in November when your friends at home are buried in snow?), deciding to attend a school away from home is more than just acclimating to the temperature. The biggest thing I’ve had to learn over fall quarter is how to be independent. Unlike some of my roommates, I can’t decide on Wednesday that I want to go home on Friday. In some ways I’m stuck in SLO until a designated break, because it’s definitely not easy, and certainly not cheap, to just book a flight home. Because of this, I’ve needed to learn how to stay in touch with my friends and family. I’ve found texting throughout the week and calling once or twice is the best for me. I can catch up on life in Minnesota and explain to my parents about how classes are going and how the weather is. It’s not easy to be so far away from home, but I think it’s ultimately made me a better person. I now know that I am able to sustain myself for long lengths of time without help from my family, which makes me more confident and secure in the fact that I’m becoming an adult.
Everyone in San Luis Obispo has made the transition into becoming a Californian easy as pie— the vibe is friendly and no matter where you are, someone will strike up conversation. Without this close-knit neighborhood feel, I think coming so far away would’ve been a lot harder. In the end, I think coming to Cal Poly from Minnesota was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m able to make friends from all over the country, experience a new way of life and do things I could never do at home.