Been here about a year now. There were things I expected — the heat, the big trucks, the BBQ obsession. All true.
But nobody warned me about the toll roads everywhere, the fact that allergies here would ruin my life, or that "winter" means 70 degrees on Tuesday and ice on Wednesday.
What caught you off guard when you first moved here?
Allergies. Cedar fever in winter is not a joke. I never had allergies anywhere else. Moved here and now I want to die every December through February.
How big everything is. Nothing is close. Even the grocery store is a 15 minute drive. Coming from a walkable city this took serious adjustment.
Hail. Nobody told me about the hail. First spring here my car got destroyed. Get comprehensive insurance immediately.
How genuinely friendly people are. I was suspicious at first. Turns out people just wave and hold doors open here. It's not weird, it's normal.
The electricity thing. I had no idea you have to CHOOSE your electric provider. Signed up for a variable rate plan my first month and got a $380 bill in August.