Everything out-of-state students feel about being home for the holidays

‘So, how’s California?’

It’s that time of year again! Time to embrace the joy of the holidays, where we brave the cold, hectic malls, and awkward relatives with our family. And for out-of-state students, this season gives a whole new meaning to the term “home for the holidays”. Since we can’t exactly pop home on the weekends, we have a lot to look forward to.

“So, how’s California?”

For some, SoCal is a distant fairyland, a magical place where it never rains and celebrities can be spotted just about anywhere. Though this isn’t far from the truth, we’re prepared to describe exactly what our home-away-from-home is like. Los Angeles is a truly iconic city – it’s easy to forget that when we’re caught up in the magic. Relatives might add, “I went to California once” in efforts to connect, but this season, we’re going to feel like a world traveler.

It's not uncommon to feel starstruck here

It’s not uncommon to feel starstruck here.

Adjusting to the time difference

Time zones make it hard to coordinate FaceTime dates with our friends and family back home. But once we return, we will finally be able to chat at a decent hour. In fact, we’ll have to be mindful of our college friends in California or other states who are at different times. And you know we made a list of all the differences come New Years, where we can wish all our friends a happy new year at the right time.

Bringing back everything we forgot

There is no “I’ll just get it when I’m home this weekend” for us. If we forgot something, we’re either holding out until winter break or buying a second one on Amazon. And trust us, you’re not the only one who forgot to pack sweaters. We’re definitely going to have to explain why we’re bringing our sweater collection to California, where there’s currently a drought. It gets cold at night in Westwood, okay?

Those days where it casually rains in California

Facing the weather

When we ventured to UCLA, a lot of us were leaving rain, snow and the concept of “seasons” behind. Coming home reminds us that we definitely took our weather for granted. Although you can’t beat the sweet California sun, there’s something so comforting about bundling up in a parka just to get the mail. Plus, a little snow makes the holidays seem extra festive.

Using foreign UCLA lingo

Phrases like “I’m headed to B-Caf for late night” and “third-year MCDB and poli-sci double major” are pretty typical at school, but not wherever we’re from. A lot of our families don’t know the ins and outs of UCLA, so it’s going to be hard to remember that we sound like we’re speaking a different language. Let’s just hope no one asks us about Club Jamba.

Admit it, you know you’re gonna miss this place a little bit

Seeing our friends again

It seems like the majority of people at UCLA are from California, and they know at least 6 other people from their high school who joined them. For us, our high school has become a distant past, remembered through iMessage with our besties and being tagged in Facebook memories. The Instagram countdowns until we see our friends again can’t come fast enough, and our breaks are going to be back-to-back nights of catching up.

Reunited with the crew

Returning to local food

Let’s face it – no matter how good the dining halls are, there’s nothing like that classic diner down the street from your house that serves all of your favorite local delicacies. Or the food truck that serves Korean-Mexican fusion in the most hipster district. Or the 24-hour pancake house that’s the #1 hangout for you and your friends. Our states are unique, and coming home to our favorite restaurants is definitely going to be a highlight.

Santa bread is totally a thing

Participating in those iconic home activities

California definitely has its defining leisure activities, such as going to a live TV show taping or surfing in Santa Monica. But our home states have the same traditions. We like to go skiing, check out Broadway productions, hike through a forest, and more. When we come back for winter quarter, be prepared for the stories of all our foreign adventures.

Portland does the holidays like no other.

Lower sales tax

California has the highest rate of sales tax in the entire nation. So no matter where we’re from, chances are that prices are cheaper. As broke college students, this can be truly something to look forward to; especially for those of us who are lucky enough to pay no sales tax at all (we’re looking at you, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon kids). Time to hit our local bookstores and thrift stores to stock up before we leave again!

 

Realizing just how much you miss your family

When we left for college, we were ready to ditch our hometowns and explore the real world. But there’s nothing like coming home to the familiar faces of our loved ones. We’ve called our parents nearly every day with existential crises, and it’s really great to see them all again. Plus, home cooked meals are the absolute best.

It's okay, we know you're also going to miss your UCLA fam!

It’s okay, we know you’re also going to miss your UCLA fam!

No matter what makes our hometown special, we know that we can’t take it for granted. It’s not very often we get to reconnect with our family, friends, and favorite hotspots: so during winter break, we’re going to make it count.

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