Sunflower Seeds is a bi-weekly series where I detail my transition from mid-western Chicago over to Southern California. The initial move led me to bloom.

2 degrees to 92 degrees. I’m talking about the magnificent city of Chicago. I’m a 20-year-old curious girl who picked a school 2,000 miles away from my beloved home. Chicago, Illinois had been all I knew for 18 years, but I desperately needed change. I couldn’t take the negative 11 degrees anymore, and quite frankly I was just bored with the whole Midwest thing. I needed to bloom! I wanted exhilaration, for California is the land of hopes and dreams after all. Now don’t get me wrong, I was scared out of my damn mind, but I’d like to think I’m making something notable of myself.

When I first came to San Diego I literally felt culture shock. I wasn’t necessarily home sick, but everything here was so unfamiliar. It blew my mind how people dressed since it’s pretty much 70 degrees year-round, everyone and their mother seems to have a tattoo, and I had no clue what the word açaí even meant. San Diegans seemed to be so liberated compared to sedulous Chicagoans; they did what they wanted when they wanted. I’m not saying this is good or bad, but it was a lot to digest at once.

San Diego has a life of it’s own. That’s why I chose to start the next chapter of my life here. Moving to San Diego has taught me so much about myself – it’s weird to look at old photos and see the type of person I was just a moment ago. I do miss Chicago at times, for it will be one of the best cities you’ve ever bean to, but I’m very satisfied with where I am at today. I took on many challenges and struggled a tremendous amount with school/figuring out what my soul purpose is, but I am happily solving these mysteries one sunset at a time.

If you’re still reading this, you have probably noticed that this blog is called Sunflower Seeds. I named it this with the help of a great friend of mine who is actually a Chicagoan too, so shout out to you Kyle for experiencing these odd but exciting years with me at SDSU. The sunflower thing came up because I like to live my life freely, for sunflowers are the freest and happiest flowers of them all. I plan to give my insight on being a city girl in a beach town on a wide range of affairs that you hopefully find alluring. I hope you all continue to follow my thrilling escapades with me, for I shall see you next seed.