Going From Nowhere To Somewhere
I grew up differently than most of my peers in college. Many of them didn't ride four-wheelers with their dads as a form of bonding or understand the thrill of sledding through the cornfields of your neighborhood. I guess I always figured these were things people didn't all experience but I was not ready for the number of crazy differences between the way people spoke and thought.
I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA to anyone who's heard the acronym), which basically means the area north of Allentown and west of Penn State University. It's known for the Poconos and deep backwoods. I grew up near the New York/Pennsylvania border, near Binghamton, NY. My parents both grew up and still work in the Binghamton area. My house, though, sat on the PA side, where many of my neighbors were related and my school district got an opening day of deer season off.
I decided to go away to college. Not many people in my area do that; most go to a trade school or just enter the workforce immediately after graduating. I wanted to leave the state and not really associate myself with this backwoods life. I wanted something new.
I found Montclair State University on accident when looking for schools with communication and media programs. It was a great fit. I knew I wanted to be close to New York City. New Jersey is literally the next state over. How different can it actually be?
Well, my first week of school, someone used the term "brick" and I was lost. New Jersey has its own language and its own style. They have different ways of life and a different outlook on every day. I had to adapt and adapt quickly.
But I loved it. I loved seeing the diversity I didn't see back home. I loved meeting new people who all had a story. I loved trying new foods I didn't get the chance to back home. I loved to share with people some of the weird differences.
One of my favorite times was explaining hunting culture to friends. My dad is from a family of avid hunters. He waits all year long for opening day in October and hunts from dawn to mid-afternoon several times a week. He used to take the entire month off just to celebrate. It's his favorite pastime. I found it hilarious having to explain what a tree stand was to a friend. I showed them my dad's trophy room, a small room in my basement filled with about 50 taxidermy animals. There's everything from deer to raccoons, from a bear to a fox.
My dad has stories for everything. I had to explain how we actually eat the meat from deer. I even brought some to school to have my friends try. This was met with comical faces from my friends as I cooked venison in the community kitchen of my freshman residence hall.
It had never even occurred to me the differences in ways of life. For example, one of my friends complained because Walmart was 25 minutes away. They thought it was way too far to drive. Now, back home, my high school was a half-hour away on a good day (Not too rainy, no snow). Driving a half-hour was the norm. My family would drive an hour and think nothing of it. The weirdest thing someone did once (in my opinion, this was totally normal for them) was going out four times in the same day.
We went out for Dunkin, then came home, then went to the pet store, then came home, we went to Costco (my first time actually), then went home. This was insane to me. In my family, once we're out, we're out for the day. We don’t just go back home and come back.
My family also would never go out just to get coffee or breakfast. It was just too far to drive. I have friends who wake up and think nothing of driving to get coffee and a bagel every morning. Trying to get it through my head that everything is ten minutes away still sits weird with me.
Food is such a culture shock, too. People here really love bagels. Milk was another thing that shocked me. I never met so many people that don’t drink milk until I got here. Someone actually looked at me like I was drinking gasoline when I drank a glass of milk for breakfast. Water was a big one as well. Growing up, we drank from the faucet. We would just grab a glass and put it under the faucet and drink it, no second thought. So many of my friends think that's so weird.
Food delivery was the best thing ever. Up until I was about ten years old, I really thought pizza delivery guys were a movie trope, same with ice cream trucks. When I got to college and realized people regularly ordered food? Best day ever. I remember the excitement of getting my dumplings delivered via Grubhub for the first time.
There isn't much I would change about my college experience. I've learned a lot and I really love it. The experiences I've had versus those of my little sisters are insane. I just hope she can go away to school and see how awesome different places are. I always say there's a lot to see out there and it cant be more true.
Opinions and Perspectives
Your experience demonstrates why exposure to different lifestyles is so valuable for personal growth.
The way you describe adapting to new customs while maintaining your identity is really powerful.
This article perfectly captures the experience of discovering how diverse American life really is.
I really appreciate how you've shared both the challenges and joys of bridging different cultures.
It's fascinating how something as basic as transportation can shape our entire way of life.
The contrasts you describe between rural and urban life are eye-opening.
Your experience shows that stepping out of our comfort zones can lead to amazing personal growth.
This makes me think about all the little cultural differences we don't even notice until we leave home.
I love how you shared your background with your college friends instead of hiding it.
The details about hunting season really paint a picture of your community's values.
Your story really emphasizes how much we can learn from experiencing different ways of life.
It's amazing how something as simple as getting coffee can highlight such big cultural differences.
The way you describe the cultural differences makes them feel relatable even to those who haven't experienced them.
I appreciate how you embraced the differences instead of resisting them.
The hunting traditions you describe are completely foreign to me, but I appreciate learning about them.
Your experience shows why it's so valuable to step outside our comfort zones.
It's interesting how distance perception varies based on where you're from.
The contrast in shopping habits between rural and urban areas is fascinating.
Reading this makes me realize how much of our behavior is influenced by where we grow up.
I hadn't considered how something as simple as drinking tap water could be a cultural difference.
The part about everyone being related in your neighborhood is classic small-town life!
I love that you're encouraging your sister to have similar experiences. It's so important to broaden our horizons.
The food delivery revelation is such a great example of how technology is changing rural life.
Your story about multiple shopping trips versus one big outing perfectly illustrates the urban-rural divide.
I'm curious about how your perspective on your hometown changed after experiencing college life.
The detail about your dad's trophy room really brings home how different our experiences can be.
This article makes me appreciate both rural and urban lifestyles in different ways.
I can relate to the driving distances. People really don't understand rural life until they experience it.
The hunting culture sounds fascinating. It's more than just a hobby, it's a way of life.
Never realized how privileged we are in cities with easy access to everything.
Your story makes me want to explore more of rural America. There's so much we city folks don't understand.
I think it's great that you brought venison to share. Food is such a great way to share culture.
The contrast between your upbringing and college life really highlights America's diversity.
It's refreshing to read about someone embracing these cultural differences instead of judging them.
Your description of the Poconos region really paints a picture of small-town life.
The language differences between regions are so interesting. I had to look up what 'brick' meant in New Jersey slang.
Fascinating how delivery services have changed the game for rural areas too.
Sledding through cornfields sounds way more fun than sledding down regular hills.
I've never understood why some people are so shocked by drinking regular milk. It's perfectly normal!
The four-wheeler bonding time with your dad sounds awesome. We didn't have anything like that in the suburbs.
Your story about cooking venison in the dorm kitchen made me laugh. I can just picture your friends' reactions!
I wonder how many other cultural differences you discovered that weren't mentioned in the article.
The part about relatives being neighbors is so relatable. In small towns, everyone seems to be connected somehow.
This reminds me of my college experience, except I went from the city to a rural area. Talk about culture shock!
Coming from a hunting family myself, I totally get the excitement around opening day. It's like a holiday!
I find it interesting how food preferences and habits vary so much between regions.
The whole concept of a tree stand was new to me too. Had to google it after reading this.
Never thought about ice cream trucks being a city thing. We definitely didn't have those where I grew up either!
I actually prefer the rural lifestyle you described. Cities are too fast-paced for me.
Your experience shows why it's so important to get out of your comfort zone and experience different ways of life.
The bagel culture shock is real! I moved from the midwest to the east coast and people here are serious about their bagels.
I had no idea NEPA was such a distinct cultural region. Learning something new every day!
This makes me think about how many experiences I take for granted living in an urban area.
The fact that everything was an hour away and that was normal is mind-blowing to me. I get annoyed if my commute is longer than 15 minutes.
Totally get the multiple trips thing. I grew up in a city and never thought twice about running out for coffee multiple times a day.
Wait, you guys got a day off school for deer season? That would never happen where I'm from!
I love how you brought venison to share with your friends! That's such a great way to bridge cultural differences.
The contrast between rural and urban perspectives on distance is fascinating. What's considered far really depends on where you grew up.
Tap water drinking definitely varies by region. Where I'm from, nobody would drink from the faucet because of the water quality.
Your dad taking an entire month off for hunting season shows how deeply ingrained it is in the culture. That's really interesting.
I actually disagree about the driving thing. Making multiple trips in a day is way more efficient than trying to bundle everything together.
The food delivery revelation is so pure! I take it for granted that I can get anything delivered at any time where I live.
Growing up in NYC, I honestly thought hunting was something people only did in movies. It's eye-opening to read about these different ways of life.
The part about the trophy room with 50 taxidermy animals is fascinating. I've never seen anything like that in real life.
I can't imagine having to drive 30 minutes just to get to high school. That's wild! In my city, everything is literally within a 10-minute radius.
This really resonates with me! I also grew up in a rural area and the culture shock when I went to college was real. The whole milk drinking thing made me laugh because I got the same reactions!