Have you ever wondered how people perceive your city? Well, in my eyes, LA is known for Crumbl Cookies, movie-worthy accents and the Kardashians. Ever since I started watching TV, I knew that one day I would go to Hollywood and live my “Victorious” dreams. Although my fantasies may have been altered quite a bit, I am so grateful for all the people I have met and the places I have visited in this beautiful city. This experience has made me realise that no matter where you are, you just have to be open to adapt because you will find that anything is possible.

Starting off, I moved to America for two simple reasons: the weather and my step-dad’s job - but mostly the weather. England has probably one of the worst forecasts ever. It's constantly grey with a dabble here and there of rain. Once in a while, rain is nice, but when you have to carry an umbrella in your hand persistently - it becomes a liability. Therefore, you can imagine how ecstatic I was to find out that I was moving to the West coast under the bright sun. The only thing that kept me back was leaving my family, friends and habits because how do you start your life from scratch at sixteen? Well, if I could give anyone advice on moving, I would say that it will take time, everything needs to settle before the dream fully plays out. 

On my first day at Louisville, I was ready to see whether the American high school movies were true or not. Was I truly going to get shoved into a locker? As I stepped into the long hallway filled with students, I tried to look as confident as possible. I walked towards my locker and I encountered my first problem - there was simply no way to open it. No matter how many times I spinned that six digit code, it refused to budge. The choice was simple - either ask someone to open it for me and look like an ammature, or stand there, trying until the end of the day. I was still debating this when the person next to me took me out of my reverie and asked if I needed help - she opened it effortlessly. 

Onto my first class in room 13 with Mr. Batch, I walked in, put my new Jansport backpack on the floor and took out my book, when all of the sudden in the speakers above, I heard a voice. Simultaneously everyone around me stood up and put their right hand over their heart (they did not mention this in the American movies). I know that this is called the Pledge of Allegiance now, but I can still vividly remember how utterly confused I was at that moment. In England, we don’t have that, nor do we have morning announcements. As the day went on, I was slowly getting used to the American accents and the constant questioning of where my accent was from. 

Let me walk you through my first American football game at Crespi. You may think it’s a regular Friday evening watching teenage boys throw around a ball - but for me it was like walking into an American Exhibition with the smell of hotdogs and popcorn taking over my senses as the taiko drums vibrated in a synchronized pattern. The lights were shining brightly onto the 120 yard football field with the tall bleachers, filled with students and parents talking and cheering loudly. Of course, my eyes immediately fell onto the coordinated sparkly cheerleaders with their tailored outfits and bows. Watching them perform their stunts and spins was like being under a hypnotic trance, where all I could see was the glimmering pompoms reflecting in the lights from above. It felt surreal. 

Right before the game I tried Chick-Fil-A for the first time and got the most recommended order: nuggets, fries and a lemonade. However, I’m sorry to inform you that I ended up having a stomach ache. Since then, my body has been able to adapt to the highly processed foods, however, it required long and intense training on Crumbl cookies, Menchies and of course Starbucks.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this experience and am very excited for more “that’s so American” moments. Additionally, I am so thankful to everyone who has helped make this Americana experience worthwhile - don’t forget you are living the American dream!