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Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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I've noticed that there are many people from the eastcoast wanting to move to the westcoast, and those from the westcoast wanting to move to the midwest, and midwesterners moving to the east or west, and people moving from those places to the south and vice versa. Feel free to categorize the regions in the way you are familiar -- I'm sure there are overlaps, but you get the idea. My goodness, so many places!!
I am from the eastcoast, originally, and when I moved out west....now decades ago....I found it difficult to "slow" down and adapt to the slower westcoast lifestyle. I still find myself a bit out of water here, although I do feel like I've blended better now.
How have you who have moved to an entirely different place (especially east vs. west and vice versa) adapted? Did you find it particularly difficult to adjust, did people respond to you differently because of from where you moved? Moving to the South is quite different, too, so your viewpoints on that are very much appreciated.
I'm just curious because many of my friends who moved from the eastcoast to the westcoast seemed to have encountered culture shock and found the slower pace of life hard to adjust to. And often (especially New Yorkers) have been shunned because of their more direct and often "louder" approach to things. Many actually returned to the eastcoast, although some, like me, have remained in the west.
I know that people are people are people regardless of where we are, however, there do seem to be regional differences, and I'm wondering how people have felt when they may have been surprised by those differences.
What is your experience? Thanks!
Last edited by Wisteria; 09-08-2007 at 07:45 PM..
Reason: clarification
Wait, are we defining the midwest as the midwest (MO, IL, MI, IN, OH, WI, IA, MN), or are we trying to say everything in between the east and west coast. Because states in between the east coast have HIGHLY different values and can be further divided.
The only actual difference I've had to 'adjust' to are dealing with Southerners.
I've lived in the midwest and the east coast, and while there are obvious differences it's basically the same culture. Harried, rushed, stressed, "get the **** out of my way"... We can all understand that in both of these regions. Large cities surrounded by giant rural areas... yeah.
The west coast isn't different by all that much either. The only difference is the pressure to be alike. It's really a virtue "out there"
Only when going from any one of these regions to the South do you suddenly have major adjustments to make, and until you've had to deal with the south you don't know what a slower lifestyle really is. Maybe it's the heat, I don't know, but "slow" to me has taken on a whole new meaning. I truly mean no offense by this, but the pace of life I've lived by in the northeast/midwest is like a super fast-forward compared to anything found in GA or the like.
The only actual difference I've had to 'adjust' to are dealing with Southerners.
I've lived in the midwest and the east coast, and while there are obvious differences it's basically the same culture. Harried, rushed, stressed, "get the **** out of my way"... We can all understand that in both of these regions. Large cities surrounded by giant rural areas... yeah.
The west coast isn't different by all that much either. The only difference is the pressure to be alike. It's really a virtue "out there"
Only when going from any one of these regions to the South do you suddenly have major adjustments to make, and until you've had to deal with the south you don't know what a slower lifestyle really is. Maybe it's the heat, I don't know, but "slow" to me has taken on a whole new meaning. I truly mean no offense by this, but the pace of life I've lived by in the northeast/midwest is like a super fast-forward compared to anything found in GA or the like.
I moved from New Jersey to Missouri 5 weeks ago and I expected it to be a big culture shock...and it hasn't been. Am I still in some sort of "honeymoon" phase? lol Life is a little slower here, but it's not that big of a difference. I have family in southern Virginia and it is MUCH slower there. I am wondering if it wasn't as much of a culture shock as I expected because we are just outside of Kansas City...probably if we were in a more rural area, there might be bigger differences. People here are definitely much more friendly but that has been a pleasure, I have no problem getting use to it.
I had trouble adjusting from the midwest to the more impersonal, faster-paced west coast. The culture is different- I can't put my finger on what it is. Everything moves faster and it takes more effort to get to know people.
The upside is that there is more tolerance for new things and varied opinions.
why does it have to be regional?? Try moving from So Cal to Utah....I've been here 9 months and I'm still adjusting!!!! It takes forever to get anything accomplished out here....customer service is so slow....it seems as if no one is in a hurry, and they really don't care if you are. And, what's with everyone driving so slow??? They general rule seems to be that everyone does at least 5 mph under the speed limit, but ore often than not, it's usually 10! The road I travel to work and home, the speed limit is 55....for some reason these people only drive 40 or 45!!! The weather is good....not a lot of traffic...nicely paved road.....what gives???
The only actual difference I've had to 'adjust' to are dealing with Southerners.
I've lived in the midwest and the east coast, and while there are obvious differences it's basically the same culture. Harried, rushed, stressed, "get the **** out of my way"... We can all understand that in both of these regions. Large cities surrounded by giant rural areas... yeah.
The west coast isn't different by all that much either. The only difference is the pressure to be alike. It's really a virtue "out there"
Only when going from any one of these regions to the South do you suddenly have major adjustments to make, and until you've had to deal with the south you don't know what a slower lifestyle really is. Maybe it's the heat, I don't know, but "slow" to me has taken on a whole new meaning. I truly mean no offense by this, but the pace of life I've lived by in the northeast/midwest is like a super fast-forward compared to anything found in GA or the like.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Georgia on the East Coast?
Georgia is considered in the south when one talks about regions of the US. While from a mapmakers standpoint, part of Georgia touches the eastern coast of the US, surely will all of your posts and discussions on regional differences is the US, you understand that the "east coast" is commonly understood as the northern east coast of the US while the southern part of the US east coast is usually understood as the "south".
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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Quote:
j33 Georgia is considered in the south when one talks about regions of the US. While from a mapmakers standpoint, part of Georgia touches the eastern coast of the US, surely will all of your posts and discussions on regional differences is the US, you understand that the "east coast" is commonly understood as the northern east coast of the US while the southern part of the US east coast is usually understood as the "south".
Good point. I did try to get into change the heading, but once I had submitted it, I couldn't change it -- just the main text. So, yes, I think there is a general agreement of the "South" being the southern portion of the U.S., although it extends east and west.
Come on guys, the whole point was to see how people managed and are managing to adapt in new places that seem really different. I know not all places are similar once you actually move to them. Visiting and living in a place are quite different. That's all.
Thanks!
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