I have lived in the Bay Area, specifically in the San Mateo area, ever since I was born, which is a huge reason why I decided I wanted to go to a college on the East Coast and experience a new environment. Initially, when I arrived in Western Massachusetts for the first time at the tail-end of an extremely hot summer, the change in weather didn’t seem so obvious. However, as the fall semester progressed and the leaves changed, I began to notice the differences between Western Mass and the Bay Area.
In terms of weather, it’s no surprise that Amherst is much colder than the Bay Area. People often say that the weather remains about the same in the Bay Area throughout all the seasons, but on the East Coast, you get the opportunity to really experience all four seasons. In the winter, the weather in the Bay Area is usually around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the weather in Amherst hovers around 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. And of course, there’s snow in Amherst. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much snow during the fall semester, but getting to live somewhere with snow for the first time has been a cool experience. A lot of my East Coast friends found it hilarious that the Californians were so wonderstruck by the snow that they were used to seeing every year, but I could tell that there was a little bit of wonder in their eyes when the first full day of snow left the town covered in fresh snow. Thankfully, I had prepared for the snowy weather by getting gloves, a scarf, a warm jacket, and boots. Plus, the heating is great inside the college buildings and the dorm buildings.
In terms of scenery, the natural scenery at Amherst is a welcome departure from the urbanized, concrete landscape of the Bay Area. Every day, whenever I walk past Memorial Hill, I can hardly believe that I’m lucky enough to go to a college with such a gorgeous view of the mountains right on campus. The scenery on campus during fall is especially beautiful when the leaves on the trees turn from green into golden yellow or warm orange. It’s a shame that the color of these leaves only lasts for a few weeks before the trees shed and are left with bare branches. The wildlife on the Amherst campus has also been entertaining to take note of. There are tons of squirrels around campus that enjoy stealing dropped food and tend to engage in one-sided staring contests with students.
The buildings at Amherst are also much older than those on the West Coast, and it amazes me how there are so many historical buildings built around the 1800s in Amherst that are still around today. Another feature I learned about Western Mass is that the roads for cars are narrower compared to roads on the West Coast because the roads were originally built for horses and people before industrialization. The states on the East Coast are a lot closer together and smaller than California – in California, you can drive for 10 hours and still be in the state. On the East Coast, you can get from Amherst to New York in about 4 hours. For all these reasons, moving from the Bay Area to Amherst is a decision I’m very glad that I made, and I hope to see more people from the Bay Area consider coming to Amherst!