Sadie on the big move from CO to CA

Sadie Hine moved 1,280 miles from Golden, Colorado, to Los Altos, California… this summer, during the pandemic.

She did note that it was a choice between here or New Jersey, so all things considered, it could be a lot worse.

But for the high school junior, the move has still been difficult, and the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped that; it’s real hard to make friends in a virtual classroom.

“The closest thing we get to being in the classroom is the Zoom breakout rooms,” she said. “You rarely ever talk to the same person more than once.”

Luckily, Sadie has interests in activities beyond schoolwork — primarily the bass, guitar and photography — that have helped her find some friends at Los Altos.

“If I didn’t have any interest in stuff I wouldn’t meet anybody,” she remarked.

But despite limited interactions with her peers at Los Altos High, she’s already noticed cultural differences from her old rural town.

Primarily, she said, those differences include the demographics and political climate, but also the culture surrounding academics and school work.

“Most of the people here make an effort to participate in school,” she said. “That probably wouldn’t have been the case where I used to live — it does seem more competitive.”