We Are Where We Are
I was raised in the last house on a cul-de-sac in the middle of the Floridian suburbs. The cookie-cutter structures were identical to the next, so similar that I could walk into my friends' homes and find their garlic salt. Suburban sameness never suited me; I was the classic I-hate-this-town teenager, and I couldn’t wait to leave.
And then came college. I graduated in May and wasted no time in getting the hell out, moving to Gainesville in a matter of weeks.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
It took no time at all for me to fall in love with this weird-ass town, and after two years, my love has only deepened. I was drawn to the University of Florida, the prestigious fusion of Public Ivy and SEC Party School. But it was Gainesville itself that truly captured me.
Some Sunday mornings, as members of the collegiate world sleep off their Saturday hangovers, I wake up and go for a drive. (Of course, I am also hungover. I just wake up early.) My drives are aimless but purposeful, traipsing through Gainesville side streets admiring the houses. They’re so different from the recycled designs of my hometown. Some have circular windows, others are an obscure mixture of brick and metal sheets. Victorian homes sit next to amalgamated shipping container stacks, and I marvel at the personality reflected in the roads.
Image Courtesy: The McKenzie House
It’s reflected in me, too. My hometown was a wonderful place to develop, but I’ve found that Gainesville has been the best place for me to truly live. Suburban sameness stifled me, but college set me free. If my high-school self could see me now, she’d be in awe of the energetic extrovert I’ve become.
I believe in the power of environment, that we are where we are. Your situation plays a massive role in the traits you’re willing to display, and location guides expression. There’s a reason we’re drawn to certain cities and certain energies. Humans are migratory creatures, drawn to a quiet call to grow and change.
I’m fortunate that Gainesville answered this call. I love it here. I love the Midtown Balloon Hat guy, Opus Coffee, and Tenders (the cat, obviously. And the chicken version too I guess). I love Fratlix, Satchel’s Pizza, and 3rd quarter Tom Petty. Hell, I even love that we literally live in The Swamp.
There’s a lot of life in our little town, and there’s a lot of soul too. Sure, it’s no urban metropolis. But it’s unique and colorful, and there’s so much personality if you know where to look. Too often I meet people that hate it here, and I can’t help but feel like they’re missing out. From local live music and farmers markets to a bustling bar scene and Honey Bee Labs, there really is something for everyone.
On the off chance that nothing piques your fancy, consider this: college is a stepping stone, the bridge from one life to the next. So listen to yourself, to that quiet hum from a place you’ve yet to go. Be present and learn, but know that your future is yours.
Strike Out,
Writer: Hailey Indigo
Editor: Olivia Hansen
Hailey Indigo is a copy editor for Strike Magazine GNV. She loves Pinterest and Free People and will never turn down sushi. You can find her on the first floor of Lib West, and if she’s not there it’s possible she’s booked a trip to a different country. Slide into her DMs @haileyindigo
