The Beauty of a New Place

Change, both big and small, is uncomfortable. Not because people are incapable but because people are unsure. Fear is the conditioned response to being “unsure” or in other words, “unprepared.” For lots of cases, that response is good. If you don’t study, you’re screwed on that test. If you don’t research, you’re not acing that interview. But the application of this idea has spread too far. Some things you can not prepare for, or ever be sure of.

Copper Mountain

Morro Bay

I started college in September at Cal Poly, 1167 miles away from where I grew up in Denver. I tried to prepare by visiting SLO my senior year of high school and watching “What to Bring to College” videos in the summer. That got me a cheap, durable pair of shower shoes and not much else.

I thought it would have got me more. I knew where the dining hall was and that there was a farmer’s market every Thursday night downtown. But knowing “of” is different than knowing “about.” When I got here, I found myself absolutely lost in the middle of that Farmer’s Market, confused about how one street could seem so long. The streets in Downtown Denver had busses and angry bikers. That’s the type of downtown I knew about.

Farmers Market Downtown Slo

Being a Little Lost

Above Sierra Madre Tower 1

The unsure, unprepared feeling hit me when I had nothing to do or too much to do. Usually in my small, unfamiliar dorm room. So I started getting out of there when it happened. First it was just up the stairs that were directly behind my building. Those stairs winded past a volleyball court I didn’t know was there, and to the base of a giant green hill that seemed very far away when looking from my window. It was actually close, and sat perfectly angled towards the sun. I brought my guitar up there the next day, finally feeling at peace—and it was so very peaceful. Which was weird because it was more unfamiliar than playing in my dorm room would have been. At home, I played crisscross apple sauce on my living room couch right after breakfast with no sun in sight. Being somewhere new felt different on that hill because I let the “newness” wash over me.

More, More, and More

The more I explored Slo, the more beauty I saw in it. Beauty I had never been able to see just knowing “of.” For example, I knew of the fact that horses were on campus. I thought that was cool and a little weird. Then I had a horrible day, and using Instagram geotag, I found a pack of them behind the second year housing. My favorite one had a collar that said Ziggy and a big white spot on his forehead. I gave him a pet as the sun started to fall and thought about how this could never happen in Denver.

Ziggy the horse

New places all have secrets. And just like secrets, they don’t just come right out. It is funny how people expect transitions to be so seamless, as if it isn’t against the nature of the word.

There are not many chances in life to start over. When we are babies, discovering the world for the first time means chewing on everything and learning about object permanence. As an adult, discovering the world for the first time is just as trial and error. Seeing what leaves good or bad tastes in your mouth. Learning that just because comfort isn’t visible, doesn’t mean it’s not there.

All this learning takes a great deal of time. The more you give, the more you get in return.

Slo’s Best, According to a Newbie

These are some of the gems I’ve found in the time I’ve spent getting to know San Luis Obispo. Coming here plopped me into a situation I thought only happened once—making somewhere home. Don’t get me wrong, on winter break I still sat perfectly content on my couch with my guitar out of the sun. So it’s not that I’ve replaced my home, more so grew my definition of it.

My roommate described it best. She just got back from visiting her home for the weekend and was unpacking her small tote.

“It’s weird. When I got there, it was like I never left. And now I’m back here, and it feels like I never left.” - Laurel Perkin

This idea of being able to flow from one place to another, and fit into both, is what I mean by making another home.

To Stay or To Go

Once you put all this effort into getting to know a place, it seems silly to get up and leave. Many people settle into locations because of this. The roots they put down are just too deep. While a completely valid argument, it leaves the “what if.” VeryWellMind writer Kendra Cherry explains that idea as “people are often more likely to regret inaction than action.” Without action, the only thing there is to do is imagine—to know “of.” People know “of” so much without a clue.

While grammatically confusing, it’s quite simple. Without personal experience and discovery, truly grasping something. is tricky. Immersing yourself in a new place allows you to do more than grasp. It creates a whole new mental set; be that people, cuisine, or fashion; both Friday nights and Sunday mornings.

So if you have the opportunity to discover a new place, I’d say pack your bags. There is so much to learn waiting behind the walls of what you know. Homes are always able to expand, it’s just something you can’t prepare for.