Bloom Where You're Planted

One of the quotes that I have heard numerous times in my life is "Bloom where you are planted." The idea behind this statement is that we should dig our roots deep and thrive wherever we are, regardless of our environment. An interesting thought, and I definitely believe that there is some merit to it. After all, a large part of our success and happiness stems from a conscious decision to make the most out of every situation and to be the best the we can be, regardless of circumstances. I do think that who we are as a person is enormously up to us to decide. However, I think that it would be dishonest and, frankly, wrong to assume that our environment does not have a significant bearing on our outcome. We do not live in a vacuum. Our lives are framed in context of the specific geography, point in history, cultural setting, etc that compose life as we know it.

This reality has been brought to my attention as of late in my search to discover who I am, who I want to be and where I want to be. Having grown up in Southern California and now living in Philadelphia, I have experienced almost polar opposite environments, particularly referencing the cultural dissimilarities. California is sunny, both literally and figuratively speaking. It is relaxed, it's open to anything, it's creative. Philadelphia, despite what FX may have you believe, is not always sunny. In fact, it is rarely sunny. It is more academic than creative, and more rigorous than relaxed. Recently, I have really begun to realize that I am a different person in California than I am in Pennsylvania. No, I don't grow a foot or assume a male persona. But I do notice a difference in my personality, the way I express myself, and even the way I feel about life.

And this brings me back to the idea that we are significantly influenced by our environment. One of the things that I've been struggling with most about being in Philadelphia, other than being physically separated from my best friends and my family, is the lack of creativity and openness. Life is so much more rigid out here. Work is more competitive. There are always people to impress. But it's so much more than that. It's the entire culture, the way people interact, the lingo. I feel less inspired when I am out here, or perhaps I'm inspired in a different kind of way.

I recently returned from a 2 1/2 week trip to California, where I had the pleasure of being in two of my best friends' weddings, as well as catching up with a lot of high school friends and some of my family. I had a wonderful time and really let loose. I partied and acted a bit crazy at times, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I guess the best part about my experience on this trip was that I was able to express a side of me that I don't usually have the opportunity to express on the east coast, or at least don't feel comfortable expressing. So it was a bit of a release for me. And I knew that no one was judging me, because they associate with this side of me. We have that connection.

The transition back to the east coast after such a long trip was especially difficult for me this time. There were a number of factors that contributed to the difficulty, but I think the hardest thing for me was letting go of west coast Anna and facing east coast reality head on. Having been back for 2 weeks now, things are back to normal, and I'm feeling pretty good about life in Philly. I'm beginning to realize that there are things here on the east coast that inspire me. They're just different things. Rather than being inspired by sandy beaches rainbow sandals and California burritos, I now find beauty in the changing colors and crisp fall days.

So perhaps my earlier argument of significant environmental and circumstantial impact on our lives is null and void. Well, not quite. I still believe that, to a certain extent, external factors play a determining role in our outcome. However, it is up to us to decide how to act on those factors- whether to let them get the best of us, or whether to make the most of them. And therein lies the beauty of "blooming where we are planted."