What I’ve noticed as a Midwest Transplant to the West Coast
Hey Y’all! (See, the Austin really did wear off on me)
I’m so excited to do this entry because I really think it’s so interesting to psychoanalyze different cities and see how they’re different. Not that I’m the expert on this, but Seattle is the third city I’ve lived in in the last year. Culture shock is real, as is reverse-culture shock, a term I made up to qualify coming back to a place after calling another one “home” for a time. For example, when I returned from studying abroad in the UK, I feel like I was hyper aware of both the positive and negative qualities of the states. How ambitious and driven people are here, but also how quick to complain and blame. The way people here put themselves out there and aren't afraid to have scary conversations, but sometimes at the cost of being cruel and unforgiving (as opposed to the UK, where everybody incessantly says sorry and shies away from conflict). And the amount of flags we hang everywhere in the states.... which is definitely a red (white, and blue) flag. ~I'm such a dad~`
So I've been waiting for this entry, where I analyze the surprises and expectations I had for Seattle and where they've fallen against reality, in yet ANOTHER top five list. Let's take a ride up the the PNW, here we go.
Thawing the "Seattle Freeze"
Maybe not all of you have heard of this stereotype, but there's definitely a mentality about Seattle that the people here are like the weather - grim, unpredictable, closed-off, and cold. Not only has the weather so far defied the odds (and I do not want to hear from you all that it's just a waiting game until seasonal depression hits in October), but the people here have too.
Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not saying I think that the people here are all warm and friendly, but in a lot of ways, they do remind me loads of the folks I met in London. [Hi, Ellen, if you're reading this - I obviously don't mean you mate]. People here are super kind and almost confusingly smiley, it's just that this warmth does not translate to openness and friendship necessarily. From the friends I have here that are mostly people from Illinois, we can really agree that people on the West Coast are much, MUCH nicer than our friends in the Midwest and the East Coast. As soon as you land in Seattle, you'll find people will tell you when your backpack is unzipped, they will let you cut in line at all times without saying anything (not that I do this), and they will ALWAYS strike up street conversations with you. They even let you merge into their lane without honking, putting their middle finger up, and/or yelling swear words at you. Big change from Champaign and Chicago, let's just say that.
I still haven't gotten used to it, to the point where when people compliment me when I walk into my favorite coffee shop or ask me how my day is at the grocery store, I probably stare back like I've seen a ghost. That being said, it is much harder than in Illinois to actually form friendships; people here are very closed off to outsiders. My theory for this is that Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., and I think the locals are nostalgic for the city that ten years ago was still a quaint treasure, not a booming tech metropolis. So the Seattle freeze IS real, but it's just a matter of building small interactions into lasting friendships and striking up random conversations enough times that one goes somewhere cool. Or at least, that's what I think it is, but I'll post an update in a few months.
2.) Hitting rock bottom and navigating the hills
You THINK I'm talking about some kind of emotional rollercoaster I've been on these past few weeks, but actually this one is very literally about the hills, mountains, roads, and hills I've encountered while I've been here. Did I mention that there's hills?
Seattle being a nature's paradise was very much on my radar prior to moving here but it's surprised me with how much this is a part of the culture here. Driving is very similar to the part of a rollercoaster where you can see a huge hill going up but have zero idea how you're getting down. You feel a few beads of sweat drop and your heart skips exactly two beats before you see that there isn't that bad a drop and your heart beat resumes regular pace. Except that Seattle is more of a death drop and thank GOD I didn't have to learn uphill/downhill parking here. I really never realized how flat Illinois is until I came here. It seriously reminds me of the Princess Diaries scene in San Francisco, which I was definitely not expecting from Seattle, but have found challenging and riveting all at the same time. I went to transfer my out-of-state license a few days ago, and I swear to god I saw so many 16 year-olds enter the building with sweat stains and clammy hands....and exit the building with tears in their eyes. Not where I'd want to take a drivers' test to be sure, so washingtonians, you are truly in my heart.
3.) Hippies and Hikers?
Rolling down from number 2, we have probably the biggest misconception I had when arriving in Seattle- that every part of this state is meant for hiking, smoking, and nature, nature, nature. For those of you who know me well, you know the thought of ME moving to such a state is quite laughable, and I previously thought this as well. In fact, I recently bought a "happy glamper" hat that I now sport on most of my hikes, and I think nothing could possibly fit my personality more.
Along with this preconception, I also remember looking up Seattle's culture and finding that to enjoy it you had to 1.) like coffee 2.) like driving and 3.) like the open wilderness. I promptly jotted down that according to my calculations, me and Seattle had absolutely zero things in common. Unless you counted white chocolate mochas with extra ice, extra milk, and extra whipped cream, there wasn't much waiting for me.
Are these three things a huge part of the Seattle culture? Absolutely. But there is so much more that Seattle brings to the table- beautiful sunsets, fast paced nightlife, glittering lights, aromatic farmers markets, energetic music, fascinating people, stunning architecture, and so much more. I've discovered that while I didn't like hiking ever before in my life, maybe that's because there was nothing to SEE in Illinois. I'm fully convinced that the worst form of torture that exists is hiking for the sake of hiking. If there's a beautiful view or cold river to jump in at the end of a trail, then that makes it...mostly....worth it. So I've enjoyed the hiking, I've enjoyed the driving (minus the everyone driving at 25 miles per hour), and I've even found myself enjoying the coffee....but nothing comes close to an iced tea at the end of the day.
4.) Us Midwesterners need to Se(a)ttle Down
Unlike some of the other things on this list, this one is a confirmation of a stereotype, the belief that people in the midwest and East Coast are always in a rush and taking the rest of the world with them, while the West Coast has an appreciation for people, patience, and putting in time. I never realized before how much us on the East coast of the country always are checking things off of a list. I really feel like here, I've gotten a chance to put on the blinkers for a minute and actually pace myself. Maybe it's because of how big the beautiful outdoors is here, but people like to relax and even unplug here in a way that I never thought possible before. A major contradiction to the cities I've lived and visited before, Seattle is content at the pace it's at. It never tries to be something it's not, and the people here don't either. Things are simple, life is simple, and people settle into enjoying things one moment at a time. This is one I'm really excited about because I think I could learn a lot from this. Instead of checking boxes, I'm excited to try random things that sound fun, like taking a road trip to Canada, going backpacking, visiting a city known for its connection to Hallmark movies, and even going skydiving. I think it's okay to also just have a picnic at my nearby park after work and even to lounge around and watch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" sometimes too. There's no pressure that Seattle puts on to force you into one singular routine, and that is for sure something that I am taking away wherever life takes me when I leave this city.
5.) TECHnically, Seattle's doing just fine
I hope you're appreciating the abundance of puns this entry is working with, but last but not least, we're giving a special shout out to all our tech bros who call Seattle home. I guess it took getting here to realize that what finance boys call Chicago, our tech bros call Seattle. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple - the list of technical roots is never ending here. From the Amazon spheres to the fancy headquarter buildings stationed all over the city, there is more connections to the tech world here than connections to Twilight in Forks, WA. So if you're packing your bags and coming here, brace yourself for the world which I currently live in, one where computer science majors have taken over and the world is coded a million times over.
There's been plenty of small lessons I've also learned, like to arrive early to Seatac airport, order a box fan asap, buy a reusable bag, and get a window seat on the left when flying into the city- but these are the basics that you'd notice as a midwesterner or east-coaster in what I just googled is called the "Emerald City". I guess there's no place like home though, so we'll see if this intersection of expresso, rain, and markets grows on me.
As a sneak peek, next week's entry will be the long awaited : "what is wrong with sorority recruitment" entry. Please feel free to message me questions or testimonials on what you think I should bring up and until next time, stay safe out there kids:)