Over spring break I had the pleasure of bringing three of my friends from Wake Forest home to Los Angeles with me. During that week of long adventures and planning beforehand, I discovered some of the many misconceptions people have about California.
image courtesy of: https://burritojustice.com/2013/02/01/california-for-beginners/
1. The size
When I say I’m from Los Angeles people sometimes respond with, “Oh, I’ve been to San Francisco.” Yeah… I’ve been there only once. It’s about an 8 hour drive or an hour plane ride away. People don’t seem to grasp the concept that while the East Coast is made up of a conglomerate of states, the West Coast has only three. Three. California, Oregon, and Washington. California is huge and when someone says, “Oh I have an aunt that lives in (random city),” I smile and say oh yeah I know where that is, I am 100% lying.
2. Nope I don’t know famous people
Yes, I live in LA county, an hour from Beverly Hills and Hollywood, does that mean I know where the Kardashians live… no, no it does not. Does that mean I know famous people? No, no it does not. Do I run into famous people on the daily? NO. Somehow people think that I just casually have coffee with Kim and Kanye every morning before work, but trust me even if they were out getting their own coffee it is definitely not at the Starbucks I go to.
3. We are not all surfers
As a person who has never gone surfing nor has any desire to; this just confuses me. Yes, I live relatively near the ocean and could drive there whenever, but California is not made up of hot shirtless guys saying “dude” and carrying surfboards everywhere.
4. Yes, it’s far away but really it’s not that far
Maybe it is because people in the South tend to stay near their hometown more, but people here tend to believe that California is this entirely different world. At one point in my application process here at Wake, I was talking to someone on the phone and they said that they would be sending some papers to me, but since I was so far away in California it might take a long time to get there. I mean yes, it is on the other side of the country, but people planes were invented for a reason.
5. It really is normal
While it may seem like an alien world to the rest of you, California and specifically Los Angeles to me are just home. I understand that I am extremely lucky to live in such an amazing place, but at the same time it is just where my family decided to settle down and live, just like wherever you are from.
image courtesy of: https://giphy.com/