If you are an out of state person coming to live in the Golden State, things are a bit more different than you might think. In fact, unless you already live on the west coast or in a big city, life over here is much different than anywhere else. In most cases, this is a good thing; after all, nothing beats our beaches, seafood, incredible entertainment, and amazing locales. However, there are a few things that you need to ready yourself for, so you don’t end up getting caught by surprise. This article is about those things. Keep these in mind when you finally make it over here, so you can be prepared for the wild change of scenery you’re about to undergo!
4. Be Ready for Traffic
This is one of those things that are always floating around the myth-o-sphere, and it might be cheating because of that. But, the reason I include this is not because most of you don’t already know this is a thing; it’s because you don’t know the extent of it. Seriously, I cannot overstate this fact whatsoever; California—LA especially—is traffic hell. Our non-peak periods are worse than your peak periods, and our peak periods—aka rush hour—can literally leave you stranded for hours at a time, particularly if you are anywhere near the downtown intersections or the I-5 between the periods of 4 and 6. If you can, try and avoid the freeways during this time—you’ll add a few years to your life because of it. But, obviously, if you have a 9-5 job, you won’t have much of a chance. So, all you can do is grin and bear it—you don’t have much of a choice.
3. Life is Faster
They always say that life goes fast in the city, but you’ll never understand that sentiment until you get here (unless you drive during traffic, of course). In all seriousness though, whether you are driving the freeway during non-peak periods (everyone will drive 90 in a 65 zone) or you’re in the workplace (managers simply won’t accept slow workers. They really won’t) or just life in general, things are going to be going at a much faster pace than anywhere else. LA, and the major cities overall, are like that, and you’re going to have to get used to it.
2. It’s Expensive
When it comes to coastal cities, like Oceanside or San Diego, you know you’re in for a higher price type of life. And, unfortunately, LA embodies this more than almost any other city. You’ll see this the moment you have to pay 1,200 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment in a crappy location.
1. It’s Complicated
LA is an old town, and it’s exceedingly hard to get pretty much anywhere. The streets don’t seem to go in any understandable pattern, and freeways can—and will—pop out of nowhere. For newcomers, this can get confusing, and finding your way around is so hard that, by the time you read this sentence, you probably already missed your exit.
Overall, LA is a great place, and California in general is pretty amazing; but, like any other location, it has its foibles. On the whole, though, if you can overlook these minor details, you will have a blast here, and you’ll soon find how great it can be to be a Californian.
