The end of my first week in Columbia is coming to a close, and I must say that I believe these next four years here are definitely going to be an adventure! Before I came, I was terrified of living in a big city but now that I’m here I realize the city is whatever you make it. Just like I felt in St. Joe, there is a definite Mid-America country feel with an urban edge.
On the country side of things, my residence floor is predominately ag majors and so I’m surrounded by people with similar interests, goals, and priorities. It seems like we’re all in the same boat. We are intrigued by the city and all Columbia and Mizzou has to offer, yet we miss seeing grass and open fields. Some have already planned and executed trips home.
Of course Columbia is a city, and just a walk across campus into the downtown area makes you realize that you’re not at home anymore. Yesterday, some of us walked downtown and that was an experience!
The diversity in this city is overwhelmingly evident. Different clothing and hairstyles, different ethnicities and cultures, different modes of travel, different hobbies and activities, and even different foods are everywhere. For someone growing up in a place where pretty much everyone looks, acts, and thinks similarly, it was both refreshing and intimidating. I’m reminded that different isn’t always bad, and while I will never disregard my own roots I’m interested in understanding other views so that I can strengthen my own, and being able to connect with “different” people in the future.
A couple of my friends decided to get their hair cut, so we were on a mission to find a hair salon. Something about walking in downtown Columbia is that it’s widespread. There are so many shops along all the different streets, and it’s not like there’s a directory. So, we meandered up and down streets taking in the views, wandering into shops, and keeping our eyes peeled for a hair salon. Finally, we thought we’d caught wind of one and proceeded towards it, but what we found was overpriced, and as poor college students we left. We did eventually find a place, and my friends got their hair done while I read the Missouri Conservationist magazine, so we were all happy.
Our adventure reminded me that the speed of life here is different, and we’re going to have to try and make that work. Fortunately though, many of us are in the same situation and we can figure it out together. Of course, the way we tried to understand why prices were so high and why people had different attitudes may be a tad different from the way a non-farm girl tries to figure it out: we analyzed and discussed the economic situation in a logical and common sense manner. Yep, I’m in the right place!
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