There will always be a difference in word choice and culture when traveling to different regions of the country, but there are a few that will catch you by surprise. The East Coast and the Midwest differ in almost every aspect, all the way from weather to athletic shoes. As an East Coaster looking in, there are some great differences, along with a plethora of things I will never budge on.
1. "Tennis shoes" vs. "sneakers"
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If you’re from the East Coast. you know and have always remembered your athletic shoes as "sneakers." At some point during your stay in the Midwest, someone will say, “did you mean tennis shoes?” This will leave you in utter shock because, um, no? I use my tennis shoes to play tennis, just like I’d use my cleats to play soccer. The debate goes on and on!
2. "Grocery store" vs. "supermarket"
Though both are correct, people refer to the store where you buy your food for the week as both a grocery store and supermarket. The difference is if you’re from the East Coast, you likely use these interchangeably, while Midwesterners call a place like Costco a supermarket and Marsh a grocery store.
3. "You’re fine" vs. "it’s OK"
Shout out to my girl Justine Ress for pointing this out to me! Once you read this you will notice it EVERYWHERE. Have you ever accidentally bumped into someone, or maybe stepped on their foot on the bus to then apologize for your actions and have the person respond with a “you’re fine?" If so, you definitely are in the Midwest. Most people from the East Coast would simply respond with, "it’s OK" or "it’s fine." When you think about it, "you’re fine" sounds like you’re either complimenting someone on their looks or telling them how they feel.
4. The weather
This is a minor but still noticeable difference. The weather is slightly more sporadic in the Midwest. It can be a beautiful sunny day and within 30 minutes become grey and windy with a wild card of rain or snow. On the East Coast, it’s always pretty clear what the weather will be like day to day.
5. Pace of life
Maybe this is obvious, but it must be said. The pace of life is significantly faster on the East Coast. Everything from walking to driving is tragically slow in the Midwest. The difference is if you have a Midwestern student and an East Coast student walking to class, and both get stuck behind a few slow walkers, the East Coast student would likely get genuinely annoyed and try to zip around in a way that lets the Midwesterner know they were slow, while the Midwestern student suffers through it.
6. Politeness
I will admit, the people are generally more polite in the Midwest than on the East Coast. This is most noticeable in the urban areas. Sometimes I have to catch myself and realize that it’s not weird for a random person to strike up a conversation with you - but in somewhere like New York, one might try to flee the scene ASAP.
7. Prices
The prices of anything from gas to food are drastically lower in the Midwest. Don’t get me wrong, this is great for my college days, but eventually I will return to the land of $10-$15 sandwiches. The gas prices are probably what I’ll miss the most. When gas was at its lowest, I filled up my Sahara Wrangler Jeep for a total of $30. I called my mom to share the news! On the East Coast, I would have spent a minimum $50-$70.
