If you like to be updated about my life, you are probably aware that I just spent a week in Southern California. From the In-N-Out Snapchats to beach-cliff hiking, I guess it’s pretty safe to say that I had a good time.
Though this is probably the fifth-ish time I’ve trekked over to the west coast, this is the first time that I have actually stayed for more than three days and was able to really explore this area. Yes, I went to Universal… No, I did not go to Disney… But yes I did enjoy the weather ten times more than East coast weather.
But with every state comes its weird and interesting quirks. Here is a small listicle of things that I found to be quite interesting about the Golden State:
1. An “animal style” burger comes with extra pickles.
I was told by a couple of people to get “Animal Style,” except I didn’t know if they meant the fries or the burgers. And being the idiot I am, I ordered the animal style burger. So an animal style burger comes with extra mustard, extra spread, extra onions, and … wait for it... Extra pickles. Gawd, I’m really not a fan of pickles, so I think it’s kinda weird that a fast food chain would add something thats usually 50/50 with customers (I grew up with my friends always taking off the pickles, so I guess that was normal for me). But nevertheless, I ate it in all its glory. It was awesome. It was beautiful.
2. Honking your horn is an “East Coast thing.”
Seriously? Is it really? So I googled it because It was quite a baffling thing to me. Apparently California has written it it’s drivers hand book when is it appropriate to honk your horn. Word for word, the handbook states “NOTE: Honking your horn may startle other drivers. It is safer to slow down or stop instead of honking your horn.” So, that being said, honking your horn can be considered “rude”. I can definitely tell you in New Jersey, this is not the case… and if it was, we would have a sticky situation on the road. The car has a horn, so why don't you use it?
3. Like it really doesn’t rain here… and nothing is green…
I knew there was a drought, but wow… not feeling a tip of moisture feels glorious on my skin! The lack of humidity calls for not many mosquitoes and cool evenings. But with lack of rain comes lack of green scenery. The east coast is full of trees, trees, and more trees. California has this weird red/brownish tint to it since all the plants are… well… super dry, if not dead. There was barely a cloud in the sky and everyone’s lawn seemed to be in need of a sprinkle. I asked my relatives how many times it rains in Simi Valley (right outside LA) and they said they could count how many times it rains per year on their hand. Crazy!
4. Oh… There are mountains.
There are mountains in California… and though this really shouldn't be a shocker, I never really realized how mountainous this region was. This may not seem like a big thing to you, but for someone who lives surrounded by trees, it’s awesome. The scenery is gorgeous! Especially when the sun sets behind the mountains… oh my it feels like I won a big stuffed animal on the boardwalk… it’s to die for!
5. So I figured out the freeway vs. highway.
The freeway is actually a huge highway, not necessarily an interstate highway. The freeway is also free because apparently there are highways that you have to pay for, except I did not come across them (I still believe they don't exist). But what baffled me most about the freeway was how large they get. My goodness, these highways are like 5 lanes wide with the carpool lane! And the traffic is still terrible! Kudos to you California… I thought the Garden State Parkway sucked.
Anything else I'm missing about the Golden State? Let me know! Comment them below!
