Living in a small town means knowing everybody, no public transportation and driving hours to shop. Growing up in Northwest Montana, my childhood was filled with camping, hiking, rafting, skiing and everything else outdoors. I loved the mountains, but I yearned to travel and I always knew I wanted to live in a city. I was Rory Gilmore, but I wanted to be Serena Van Der Woodsen. The idea of living somewhere urban, with endless seas of people and buildings higher than two stories, sounded so glamorous. The first time I visited San Francisco, I fell in love. It was the perfect city, filled with culture and language. I was shocked that you could walk from the shopping in Union Square to the lanterns of Chinatown to the pizza and gelato of Little Italy. The city was iconic yet modern. The bay and the Marin headlands met the cable cars and highrises to create the perfect blend of urban and nature. I knew I had to live there. So I chose to go to Berkeley, just a short Bart ride from the city, and a small town girl was dropped into the middle of a bustling metropolis. Of the many thoughts that crossed my mind when I came to the Bay Area, these ten stood out.

So. Many. People.

There are people everywhere! All the time! The energy that provides is intoxicating. Everywhere you turn, different people are doing different, amazing things. And there is so much diversity. Everyday, I hear people speaking different languages, some that I can’t even identify. I’ve learned more about different cultures from simply living in a big city than I have from any history class. This was the biggest shock of moving to the Bay Area, and by far the most incredible part.

You probably won’t see someone you know every time you leave the house.

If you go into the city for the day, the odds that you see someone you know are slim. You don’t have to do your hair or put real pants on because you probably won’t run into anyone unexpectedly. That is not how it works in a small town. I leave the house, my neighbors wave to me as I drive away. I go to the grocery store, I know three people there and the bag boy. I climb up a mountain, I know at least two other people on the trail. I have to look somewhat decent when I go anywhere, just in case my crush is also getting a vanilla latte at the local coffee shop.

Tax.

There is no sales tax in Montana. The sales tax in the Bay Area is 8.75%. I still forget about this when I go shopping or go out to dinner. A $15 shirt isn’t actually $15; this is definitely something I miss about home.

For that matter, everything is expensive.

Five dollars for a cup of coffee?! That’s crazy. At Super 1 in my hometown, I can get a soft serve ice cream cone for 25 cents.

There's uber! And public transportation!

When I moved to the Bay, nothing made me feel more grown up than calling my own Uber or taking the Bart into the city. Riding the subway is still the coolest thing there is. You’re surrounded by people who have completely different lives than you, but for one moment in time you are all going to the same place. Also, you don’t have to drive everywhere or pay for gas, which is fantastic. We just got our first bus in my home town. It was a big deal.

Shopping. So much shopping.

At home, I have to drive four hours (to another state) to get to the closest Nordstrom and Forever 21. There isn’t an Urban Outfitters in Montana. In Berkeley, there’s a Urban Outfitters right next to campus and Nordstrom is a short Bart ride away. Going into the city is like going to shopping heaven. There’s every store I could ever want and more. This has not been good for my bank account, but my closet looks fab.

There's cell service everywhere.

The day when I no longer had to walk to the top of a hill or run around holding my phone up in the air to send a text was the best day ever.

Going out.

There are clubs! I thought clubs only existed in Gossip Girl, but no, they’re real! And people actually dress up and dance in them! This is a dream come true.

Museums! Things to do!

At home when I don’t know what to do, I climb a mountain, go to the lake, sled or ski. If the weather is terrible (or you’re sore from hiking every single day), there isn’t a lot to do. In the city, you can go to the de Young Museum and spend hours looking at art or you go across the street to the California Academy of Sciences.

Food.

This is the best part of living in a city. Instead of only have four restaurants that all serve burgers and pizza, there are hundreds and they serve every kind of food you can imagine. You can get amazing Mexican food in the Mission, dimsum in Chinatown, pasta in Little Italy, sushi in Japantown and fresh fish by the Marina. The food allows you to escape to different countries and explore new cultures without ever getting on a plane.

Small town Montana will always be my home and I’ll never get tired of the endless mountains and the local shops. But, San Francisco has captured my heart in a way I never thought it could. A year ago, I didn’t think it was possible to love a city the way you love a person, but now I know it is. Living in a big city is more than just glamorous and grown up. It’s an education that I could never get from books or classes. I’ve learned as much about who I want to be on the subway as I have in the library. I am now brave and independent, and I owe that to the city.