I’ve always felt independent. Traveling from New York to California for college didn’t seem like a big deal – but I didn’t realize how different California’s culture and lifestyle would be compared to what I am used to.

I’m from a small town in Long Island, New York, just a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Even though I learned to drive in high school, I didn’t have my own car – it wasn’t necessary. Public transport was simple – all I had to do was hop on and take the train to the beach, the city and neighboring towns.

Where I’m from, train times are frequent, usually arriving every half hour, day and the night. When I moved to California, the realization that there was almost no reliable public transportation. I wanted to explore Los Angeles comedy clubs and theaters at night, but the last train back to Orange on a Saturday is at 4:40 p.m. At home, direct trains run from New York City to my town every hour until 4 a.m., even on weekends.

I wanted to visit California’s beaches, but I soon realized that, without a car, I would have to transfer between multiple different buses, meaning a beach day would take three times longer than it should.

When I first visited California to tour colleges, I was genuinely shocked at how nice the people are. In New York, we’re not unfriendly, we’re just very fast-paced – and if you can’t keep up, too bad. We have a straightforward, cut-to-the-point, no B.S. attitude. By contrast, people in California tend to have a more laid-back, “no worries,” easygoing attitude. I’ve found a happy medium, but it took almost a year for me to find it.

Last year, during my freshman year at Chapman, I felt like I had to change because I stood out too much. People would stare at me when I crossed the street when it was clear to go instead of when the the sign said “walk,” which could be considered jaywalking here, but is completely normal in New York City.

I thought I had to assimilate. I learned what the culture was over here, and then going back to New York reminded me of qualities that I gave up and missed, like being straightforward, fast-paced walking and my accent. I decided that my sophomore year, I would only adopt the California traits I wanted to. That way, I could stay true to my roots.

When I first told people I missed New York pizza, they would recommend places like the Orange Plaza’s Pizza Press and Blaze Pizza. To a native New Yorker, that’s like suggesting a taco place in Ireland — an insult to the real thing. The stores don’t make the dough, the pizza has no crust and it’s just not good. I missed the neighbourhood pizzarias, bagel stores, delis and family-owned diners that I grew up around.

But, I felt reinvigorated when I first tasted some of California’s specialties – acai smoothie bowls, bubble tea – also known as boba – authentic Mexican and Asian food and fresh produce from local markets. In New York, a lot of our fruits and vegetables are shipped in from California, but here, many stores stock produce that is grown nearby.

Although I miss the skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of New York City, I’ve fallen in love with the California mountains and the hiking trails near beautiful beaches like Laguna Beach in Orange County and Torrey Pines and Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, where the water is so clear that I can see my feet on the ocean floor. It still amazes me that I can count on beautiful weather almost every day.

I think I will always be a New Yorker, but California has found a special place in my heart.