Ever since October 30, 2008, I have never felt as though I belonged. That was the day I left California behind and moved to the foreign land of Colorado. It was very difficult for me to leave all my family and friends in the Golden State and just move away. I packed up my entire life into boxes and we were off. It was heartbreaking.
I knew no one in Colorado. Not a single breathing soul. I was alone. Terrified does not even begin to describe how I felt. There was this feeling in my stomach… the sort of feeling you get before going on a roller coaster. Deep down I knew I would survive and that everything would be perfectly fine. Yet I was so uncertain. It nearly felt as though I was just on a vacation or that I was dreaming and would wake at any moment.
For the first time I saw a range of mountains instead of endless water. In so many words, it was somewhat of a culture shock.
To understand the stark contrast between my old and new life, there are a few things you must hear:
The San Francisco Bay Area is no pocketful of sunshine. It's a rough place to grow up and in reality I am very lucky I was able to move away. Sure the food, weather, climate, and cities don't get much better than in the Golden State. I would never replace my family or forget my childhood friends. Yet, it was not an idyllic place.
It was crowded, dirty, full of tension, and a lot of places were quite poor and uneducated. To me, of course, it was perfect. To my young self, it was full of love and happiness. It was all I ever knew.
Now, I live in one of the richest counties in the entire United States and attend a high school that is in the top 2% in all of America. That is pretty wild. I am so, so lucky. As expected, being lucky comes with a price tag.
I live in a place considered "The Bubble" because everyone here is So. Damn. Sheltered. I met a girl once who said, "Compton is a real place?? I thought it was just something sketchy they made up for movies and stuff." Sketchy is a word used to describe concerts or… or Downtown Denver. They aren't going to inner-city schools in Chicago, or living off of food stamps.
Their parents work their 9-5 jobs in an office. Some people have maids. The mothers get their hair and nails done weekly. Teenagers throw fits if they don't have the newest iPhone in their hand and next year's car model in their driveway. Vacations? Hawaii every summer or they just take their boats to the lakes. The day's biggest tragedy consists of a 5th grader breaking his iPad. Speaking of 5th grade, as soon as I moved here a girl jumped to tell me that she never wore the same outfit twice. And she never did.
Of course, not everyone in "The Bubble," lives a lavish life. The majority, yes. But many live average, steady lives. I live an average life. I am more fortunate than a lot of people in the US and the world. In this town though, I am normal.
My friends back in California laugh when I tell them of the ridiculous things that happen here. It can be pretty unbelievable. The kids are bored and rich, and that equation is not one I'm up for solving.
It is pompous here, but at least it is not dangerous. It is so safe and manicured. Crime is practically unheard of. It is vastly different from where I am from. Everyone else in Colorado hates and pokes fun at "The Bubble." It is just full of a bunch of "snobby, rich, white people."
That is what I am labeled as. People think we all have money pouring out of our ears. I am not even as white as the majority of people living here! Yes, I have my clothes, jewelry, and purses, but I try my best not to flaunt them. My house, while bigger than what I grew up in, is just "average size" for "The Bubble."
I consider myself to be a normal teenager, but living here as branded me. I now fit into a stereotype. It is a stereotype people back where I was born sneer at.
Then again, people in Colorado have stereotyped California. "Oh, you're from California? Did you see famous people everywhere you went? Go to the beach everyday? Shop in Beverly Hills? Tan everyday??" No. No that is not it at all.
That is why you can not stereotype anything or anyone. People will continue to stereotype things until the world ends, of course. What I say won't ever change that. That is the way it is and the way it shall be. Yet, I try a little more not to categorize people and things. I know I am lucky. I am lucky to have grown up in California around so many people who love me. I am now lucky to live in an incredibly safe and wonderful place in Colorado. I am lucky, but being lucky does not mean life is always easy.
Being lucky comes with a price tag, but it is a price I am willing to pay.
Until next time xxx.
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