I am a born-and-raised small town girl. Growing up, my family's idea of a day trip was up to Portland which included browsing shops, getting turned around, and lots of traffic. At the end of the day, though we always had fun together, it was almost a relief to return to our quiet homestead.
When the time rolled around for me to go to college, I knew I had to leave town if I ever wanted to get out of my comfort zone and see the world. When I arrived at UO, I remember carrying my phone with Google Maps running everywhere I went around campus. Now that I've lived in a college town for a little over a year, I can proudly say that I still have no idea where I'm going half the time and I'm still not entirely used to my new environment.
1. Forget about finding a parking space
Cars. Cars EVERYWHERE.
2. Get used to walking most places
If the place is close enough, you're better off walking so you don't have to deal with traffic or parking.
3. Be prepared to climb lots of hills
Walking to class means walking up and down inclines. Believe me, when you're carrying a heavy backpack and you've had a long day, those hills are merciless.
4. You're in for a long ride (literally) if you're a terrible navigator
I know my way around campus, I know how to get to and from work, and I know how to get to the interstate. That's it. Once I stray from my usual path, I need to have my phone mounted on my windshield with GPS ready to go if I ever want to arrive at my destination.
5. The amount of things you can do around town can be overwhelming
There's not a lot of options back home. You should expect to be saying "IDK, where do you want to go?" back and forth with your friends for quite some time.
6. If you want to dine out, you'll need plenty of time to decide between all the food options.
Thai? Mexican? Vietnamese? Italian? Chinese? American? What do I want to eat??
7. Drivers can be wild
My most common phrases while driving include "use your signal," "slow down there, speedy; it's not a race," and "that's not a turn lane, but OK."
