From the days spent in the sun to the chilling nights in the frost, moving to different states was- oddly enough- not as hard as expected. I moved from South Carolina to Green, Ohio one year ago, and started attending Green High School shortly after. Living in five different states growing up, and now being a senior in high school, I realize just how much each place has shaped me to be the person I am today.
I lived in Alaska for four years, and no I did not live in an igloo surprisingly, but Alaska was a big change in weather and culture. I met many people who spent their weekends “huntin and fishin” and riding on their four wheelers. During recess in the winter we would all ride down the hills with sleds and have competitions. Alaska’s bigger attractions are typically the bears or the moose that you find in your neighborhood. I also annually visited the Iditarod, which was a tradition that they continued to carry on the Alaskan and husky culture. I partook in the activities before and after the race. Living in Alaska taught me that you don’t have to have a culture to embrace someone else’s and enjoy it.
I lived in Florida for five years, and as many people know Florida is a very diverse state and also happens to be a big vacation state. There is a blend of many different ethnicities, religion, and culture all over the state. Growing up, my moms best friend was Filipino and I grew up with her son and even played t-ball with him, so we were with them for most of our time there. We hung out with her family, ate their delicious Filipino food all the time, and partook in their traditions. In Florida there are plenty of festivals and concerts. In fact I saw my first concert, Billy Ray Cyrus, at a mullet festival. Growing up in Florida was a culturally indulging experience that showed me at a young age how trying new things isn’t always that bad.
Living in North Dakota was a colder change from Florida, because it is a plain state and therefore it gets much more windy. North Dakota is a very boring state, so we typically had to entertain ourselves. I lived on a military base and went to school on the base as well. Moving there was the easiest because everyone had experienced the same thing so we all became friends quickly. I would have to go to after and before school care because of the hours my parents worked; I basically lived there. I did however, do multiple sports such as dance, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, volleyball, and flag football. I also got very crafty and I kept myself entertained with duct tape wallets and I even started the idea for a podcast. On the weekends, we would play on the playground in our neighborhood and go to hockey games in the winter. North Dakota helped me realize how easy it is to make friends and you just have to talk until you find some common ground.
South Carolina was the state where I learned the most about myself. I went to a public school so most of the people already had friend groups. It was harder to fit in, but I remembered that you have to be outgoing to meet people. Luckily people from South Carolina have Southern manners and are very friendly, so I quickly made friends and conversed. I became a very talkative person after I adapted to Southern friendliness. I would get yelled at so much for talking that they would have to move me in class. Southern culture is different because they value different things and have different things to do. At my old school there was a Southern Belle Pageant once a year and everyone did their hair up real high and dressed in a nice fancy dress with lots of makeup. Also, there were different ways to insult people and different names to call them. I found out the hard way. Saying “bless your heart, I’ll pray for you”, is not them actually praying for you it’s in fact an insult, or referring to every person older than you as “ma’am” or “ sir” and even calling children “sweetheart or darling.”
Living In these different states showed me that culture is fun. When learning why and how other people value and experience things, it is always important to be open. From each state I’ve lived in and every experience I’ve had, South Carolina was my favorite. I’ve learned to always keep an open mind and give everyone a chance even to the new girl who moved here from South Carolina.