10 Things You’ll Experience As A Former Northeasterner Living In California

Is the West Coast the best coast?

1. You’ll want to be outside all day, every day.

UC Davis / Via ucdavis.edu

Growing up in the Northeast, you have to savor the sun at every possible opportunity. Unfortunately, this “I must be outdoors all day today because there could be a blizzard tomorrow” mentality doesn’t quite work on the West Coast. You’ll have to get used to the idea of spending time indoors even on the sunniest of days.

2. You'll make fast friends with fellow Northeast transplants without even knowing it.

It’s highly likely that you’ll gravitate toward people who are blunt, loud, and expressive… all pretty common traits of people in the tri-state area.

3. You'll miss the Atlantic Ocean.

Cape Cod Times / Via capecodtimes.com

Remember what it was like to swim in the ocean for more than 2.5 seconds without freezing? Ahhh, the bliss of the (debatably gross) Long Island Sound.

4. You’ll actually need to moisturize, even if you never did before.

Say goodbye to oily skin and greasy hair. During California summers, you’ll need to lotion up multiple times a day to avoid shedding dry skin all over the place.

5. You’ll get good views for the entire hike, not just at the top.

Trail Run Project / Via trailrunproject.com

Hiking in the West is totally different than Northeast hiking. In the White or Green Mountains, all views are totally obscured by trees until you get to the top (and even then, it’ll probably be foggy). In California, you’ll probably be looking out over breathtaking landscapes the whole time.

6. You’ll learn about U.S. history that was completely left out of your high school textbooks.

Michelle Ganley / Via ksat.com

Yep, the U.S. has more history than just the 13 colonies. Move aside, Lexington and Concord — hello, Spanish colonization, Mexican rule, and Gold Rush.

7. Thanksgiving and Christmas in California will be WEIRD.

Pumpkin spice lattes are now better iced, and Santa should really be wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

8. You’ll be appalled by the way people drive around pedestrians.

Outside of the big cities in California, there are stretches of highway with absolutely no pedestrians (or other cars) for miles and miles. Maybe this explains the fact that many Californians don’t look out for people or bikers crossing the street. This isn’t New York City anymore, folks.

9. You’ll have access to totally different types of cuisine.

Wonho Frank Lee / Via la.eater.com

Yeah, you have WAY better Mexican and Korean food, but you’ll also try Burmese, Filipino, and tons of fusion cuisines (Italian-Japanese, anyone?).

10. You’ll feel pressure to either be a “transplant” or “go back.”

People will either label you as having moved out West to start over, or they’ll constantly ask you when you’re moving back to the East Coast. Whatever you end up doing, it’s your decision — regardless of what anyone else thinks.