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Leaving home for the first time is never easy, but it’s particularly difficult when you’re lugging a futon across state lines and saying goodbye to your parents till Christmas. \u00a0I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and went to school in New York City, two cities that are as far apart culturally as they are geographically\u2014and I’m here to tell you that if I can do it, you can do it too.<\/p>\n
First things first: it was overwhelming. But also, it was incredible. It made me appreciate my hometown more. Hearing “What’s it like being from Alaska?” again and again, however, made me realize that a lot of the details I took for granted are actually interesting and beautiful. Not everyone got to grow up near natural hot springs and a reindeer farm with the northern lights overhead. I’ve even begun to value the time I spent as a child and teen with absolutely nothing to do. That boredom pushed me to read more and to come up with other ways to keep myself entertained, like telling jokes and making up stories.<\/span><\/p>\n I learned a lot. I also learned that it’s okay not to “fit in” anywhere. I grew up thinking I wasn’t laid-back enough for Alaska, and that I’d fit in better on the East Coast. Once I went away to college, I figured I’d find people who were more like me. What I actually found was even better: a bunch of friends whose personalities and life stories were \u00a0very different from mine, who supported my every endeavor 100%. \u00a0<\/span>Moving 3,000 miles away for college was difficult and terrifying, but I’ve never regretted it<\/span>\u2014not even for one second. <\/span><\/p>\n Besides, now that I’ve lived in both the far-flung land of Fairbanks, Alaska and the sprawling metropolis of New York City, I can say with confidence that I can handle pretty much anything life throws my way.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leaving home for the first time is never easy, but it’s particularly difficult when you’re lugging a futon across state lines and saying goodbye to your parents till Christmas. \u00a0I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, continue reading<\/span>
\n<\/b>I spent my first semester hiding in my room when I wasn’t in class or at work. After all, I’d just moved from a borough with 6 people per square mile to one with 60,000. I was experiencing major culture shock, coupled with the FOMO that comes \u00a0from hunkering down while everyone else seems \u00a0to be out enjoying the city. My first few weeks were very stressful. I was jealous of friends who could visit their parents on the weekends, because I missed my family and my dogs intensely, <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> I was mad at myself for not taking advantage of all that New York had to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Slowly but surely, I got used to the size and energy of New York City, and I started branching out. I tried different things, like participating in Escape the Room (basically a real-life video game) and watching comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade. On campus, I broke out of my bubble by joining a literary society, a volunteer tutoring agency, an online publication, and a gardening club. I realized that most of the other first-year students wanted to make friends just as much as I did, so I was able to get to know a lot of cool people once I worked up the nerve to smile and introduce myself.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>At times when I was a teenager, it seemed like my entire hometown was just a Walmart and a few decommissioned goldmines. I couldn’t wait to get out and broaden my horizons, because I thought there was nothing of interest in Fairbanks. It seemed like New York was the place where things were happening.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Like, a lot<\/em> a lot. \u00a0I learned about other people and places by meeting peers from all around the world. I learned about myself, too<\/span>\u2014like the fact that \u00a0I could push past my shyness and persevere.<\/span><\/p>\n