Reminiscing Charlottesville (already)

After finishing my masters degree in May, I moved back to LA. In the two years that I lived in Charlottesville I never thought I would miss it. Whenever people asked me if I liked living there, I would always reply with a halfhearted mumble "it's fine. " I think they expected me to say that moving to the South was a cultural shock, but I always thought of it as moving from one suburb to another. The differences were that I had to drive farther to get to Target (I irrationally loathe Walmart which was but a few miles closer) and Charlottesville has far fewer Chinese restaurants and markets. But, I did come to appreciate certain things.

Much of what I miss has to do with what Charlottesville meant to me as a place for my studies. I had my own apartment, shared with one roommate, and for the most part it was my happy refuge. I rarely felt like I needed to escape elsewhere "to get away from it all" as I sometimes feel at my home in LA. Charlottesville is a relatively quiet town, so fewer distractions. Yet there was enough around so that I could enjoy exploring the new whenever I needed a break. I didn't know many people outside of my classmates, but for the first time I felt I belonged because we had a similar interest in studying our built environment despite our differing personalities and divergent paths. The program has its pluses and minuses, but it provided a nurturing environment in which to develop. A large university with a small town feel and population. As I prepare to transition to a larger school and program, I can already see the lack of personal touch and unfortunately necessary bureaucratic bulk. Of course, the new school, the new program, and the new classmates will work out somehow, and I'll learn to stop dreading living in West Los Angeles.