I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. This means I grew up on sweet tea and bean and cheese taco’s. Winters in my youth meant 70 degree weather and barge rides down the San Antonio downtown river walk. I was expected to know an adequate amount of Spanish (this never happened). I was brought up to be friendly and to smile at strangers. Growing up I was surrounded by my big, loving, Catholic Mexican family.
I was always grateful for the life I was given, but even as a child I was sure I wanted to get out of the Lone Star State. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a dancer on Broadway in the Big Apple. By the time I reached middle school, I was sure I was meant to be writing for a living in Chicago. In high school I was 100% certain that I wanted to go to a big school in sunny California. And when I stayed in San Antonio my first year in college, I dreamed of going to a prestigious New England school.
And now, here I am. I am a junior at Boston University, studying Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. As far as academics goes, this experience has been more than I ever hoped or dreamed it would be. I have learned more in my two years of classes at BU than I imagined I could learn in a lifetime. But beyond the lessons I have learned in the classroom, living in Boston has taught me lessons left and right. I always knew the Boston experience would not resemble the San Antonio one, but I did not realize how vastly different two regions in the same country could be. My first week living in Boston – more than a year ago now – I was chased by a homeless man on my way home from a Red Sox game. That may have been the moment I knew that my life was about to completely change. That was definitely when I realized that I wasn’t in Texas anymore.
The differences between Boston and Texas run deeper than a contrast in climate. The people, the food, the education system, and the overall lifestyle of these two places are so different that at times I feel as if I have lived in two different world’s. Trust me, the change has taken some getting used to. And to be honest, sometimes I still feel like a foreigner. But I have to say, moving from the South to New England may just be the best thing I ever did for myself and my education. I am pleasantly (well, mostly pleasantly), surprised every day with new findings and discoveries. It is great to be in a place where I am constantly learning something new. Boston keeps me on my toes. That’s how I like it.
Life in New England 