Growing up in sunny Southern California was all I had known. My life revolved around sports, school, Disney Land, and the idea that the beach was thirty minutes from my house. This life was comfortable and I enjoyed it. This was until my family decided to pack up our entire lives and move to Arkansas. Living in two different states can make someone feel like they have lived two different lives, let alone twenty four hours away in a different state. Due to this life shift, I have been able to experience first hand how the setting of one’s life completely affects one’s beliefs, daily routines and opportunities. Each state of Arkansas and California have things to offer, unique to them individually, but living in each I noticed these things first hand. My experience of living in California and Arkansas has shown that the lifestyles and way of living in each state is significantly different, even down to the architecture.
A big reason as to why my family decided to move across the country was due to the pace of life we were experiencing. In California life feels non stop and rushed. “A rat race,” one might say, to which I agree. This lifestyle revolves around completing multiple tasks continually. It is a lifestyle full of searching and seeking the next big thing, which requires one to continually work toward that thing. There is always something going on, a new thing coming in, and a task to be completed. In Arkansas, this is a culture shock. The quality of life is much better in Arkansas, as people have more time to sit and smell the roses. People are fine with running a few minutes late, taking their time to put effort into the things that matter in a different way. A big contributor to this difference in pace of life is traffic. California is overpopulated and everyone is trying to rush around with the 80mph speed limits. Arkansas freeways are 60mph. It is not overpopulated in Arkansas and people take their time driving places. There are less people on the road, so there is less traffic. Due to the speed difference, people are less reckless which results in less accidents. This cycle goes round and round and ultimately results in a calmer atmosphere in Arkansas.
One of the biggest things I noticed when moving to Arkansas in comparison to California, is the difference in the architecture. In California houses are made of stucco and often have spanish and modern themes. In Arkansas, every house in every surrounding neighborhood is built with brick. Most of these bricks are red, but some are white. All are brick though. This also applies to the business buildings and churches in the area. As a result of most buildings being made of brick in Arkansas, this adds a nice homey feel to the city. The area of Arkansas I am in is also growing and ‘booming’ which results in the buildings being very nice and taken care of. In Southern California, due to the ocean, heat, and age of the towns, many buildings need TLC. These buildings that were once painted nice colors have faded and now need new paint. This need for a retouch of life on the buildings seems to reflect the rest of this area of Southern California. Everyone is too busy running around to notice the need for new fresh paint in their lives.
Another very strange culture shock moving from California to Arkansas was the difference in the culture of the communities. In California everyone is unique in their style, race, and ways of life. I was always surrounded by these different inspirations of people finding themselves and expressing this in their own ways. Arkansas is full of white people who wear the same clothes, want to drive the same jeeps, and think the same way. I still remember being asked why I was so ‘dressed up’ at school when I had a skirt on. Most girls wear leggings and what looks to be their dad’s shirt every day to school. This is an aspect of Arkansas that I do not like. It is personality suppressing. Everyone is similar and looks down on those who are different. In California, different is encouraged. There are still cliques in each, but in Arkansas they seem to be more condensed.
As with everything, there are positives and negatives that come with living in each Arkansas and California. To say one is better than the other cannot fully be agreed upon as each offers various positive things. My experience of living in each leaves me in the place of not having a favorite. Especially because each is different when visiting in comparison to living. I am very grateful for each of my experiences in these lifestyles.