First off, congratulations on getting into grad school! Welcome to MBKU!
Going to graduate school is a daunting feat for anyone, particularly when there is a move involved. For me, moving to California was especially scary since I had only been to the mainland twice before — I had never even been away from the islands for much longer than 2 weeks either. Such a big move is life changing for anyone moving from a small town.
I was born and raised in Haiku, Hawai‘i on the island of Maui, where everyone knows everyone, the locals exude aloha, and the speed limit is no more than 50 mph on the major highways (that’s right, no freeways!). Driving here was especially difficult for me to grasp since everyone drives so much faster, but I quickly learned to just stay in those granny lanes! My undergrad journey started at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College then I transferred to and graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. At this point in my life, I was deeply immersed in the small-town mentality and absolutely did not want to leave. With more research, I realized that I would eventually need to make the move as Hawai‘i does not have any optometry schools. It was not an option for me to abandon my goals just because I was comfortable with the life that I had.
I am also the first in my family to go to graduate school. Needless to say, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and I almost let this limit me upon my move to California. That was until I moved here and realized that no one really knows what they’re doing! It is so easy to feel alienated by convincing yourself that everyone around you knows what they are doing and has their life in order. As I met more people though, I realized that despite the varied experiences that everyone else had before arriving to grad school, we all equally don’t know what we’re doing. I found comfort in this and decided to embrace this time in my life where it is okay to improvise and know that it will turn out okay in the end.
The culture shock was pretty substantial and surprising as well. Hawai‘i is a melting pot of so many different cultures and the people, food, and language reflects this. Family and friends brought back horrible stories from their experiences on the mainland which convinced me that I wouldn’t meet any decent people. This was an extremely limiting mindset to have and I recognize that it was a belief that restricted me. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong, and I have met some pretty great people thus far. These new friends have also introduced me to some amazing food places that I wouldn’t have ever thought to try before either. Although these aspects are definitely different from where I’m from, I have found to be equally as enriching and just as special.
If you are moving from a small town, you may be doubting yourself and/or are feeling the intimidation or worry begin to creep in. Keep an open mind and you may be surprised by what you learn about yourself along the way. Although I’ve only been away from home for a year, there’s no doubt in my mind that when I come back home in 3 years, I will feel so grateful for the experiences that I would not have otherwise had if I hadn’t made this move. Feel the discomfort and do it anyway.