Hello, and welcome to Exposure! My name is Margaret and I have lived in San Francisco for over four years now. Before moving to California, I lived in Texas for the first 12 years of my life, and when I moved to San Francisco it was a huge culture shock. But, despite the move being overwhelmingly scary at first, I now call San Francisco my home.

In Texas, I was super shy and quiet. I would never try new things or step out of my comfort zone because I never needed to. Everything was comfortable. I was terrified to move to San Francisco, but despite that, I was also excited. My sister often described it as “nervited”: nervous but excited. When I moved here I had to go to a new school with people who seemed nothing like me, and where the mascot was a demon. I had to make new friends and had to live in a much more “out there” environment. Because of all of this, I became a much more open and outgoing person. I am now comfortable meeting new people and talking to them. I am comfortable with trying new things. I am excited to step out of my comfort zone.

I plan to use this column to interview two of my best friends: Grace, who has grown up in Texas, and Cassidy, who has grown up in San Francisco. Through the use of photography and observations, I plan to determine how much where they live contributes to who they have become as a person today and to also show how because of them, I am able to live between two worlds.