I appreciate UCLA’s high degree of school spirit. Joe Bruin is plastered on my coffee mugs and bumper stickers, and the University of California seal looms over my academic gear. But, some of my best Bruin moments, ironically, had nothing to do with the Blue and Gold.
UCLA, with its academics and sports, is absolutely intoxicating. Anyone who walks from Westwood onto UCLA’s campus can absorb the enormous amount of Bruin pride. Anyone who attends a football game ““ even someone who doesn’t understand the rules of the game, like yours truly ““ can soak in the zealous subculture of UCLA athletics.
But, at some point, the 8-clap produces a drowned-out buzzing in the ears, and one UCLA sweatshirt blurs into another. In the mix of all the sports paraphernalia and constant hikes past Powell Library, one begins to question what exactly “being a Bruin” means.
In my case, I had to get away from UCLA’s pristinely manicured bubble in order to answer that question.
My first getaway was during my sophomore year when I visited my friend Anna at Willamette University in Salem, Ore. It was there that I first realized that being a Bruin meant being open to new experiences, even unexpected ones.
Having lived in Los Angeles my entire life, I knew it was time for a much-needed change of pace. But I didn’t realize that change required me to hop on a plane and venture outside of my sunny Southern California bubble.
Salem’s small-town vibe, fully equipped with antique stores, hearty chai lattes and perfect pre-Thanksgiving weather was exactly what I needed. It was there that I could escape from the hustle and bustle of Wilshire Boulevard and soak in the experience of a college that was nothing like my own.
I returned to school refreshed and ready to re-enter UCLA’s grassy hills and beautiful brick buildings.
It wasn’t long, however, before I needed another escape. And that opportunity arose when my friend Michelle invited me to see her band at UC Santa Barbara.
The UCs, despite being sister schools, have each inherited their own individual stereotypes ““ some good, some bad. Even with these stereotypes, the schools still have similarities. Isla Vista’s warm smoothie-and-flip-flops weather, delicious Indian food and dried fruit, and a night spent listening to friendly folk music showed me that being a student at UCLA was not that much different than being a student at UCSB or any other UC campus.
Perhaps it was the level of comfort and ease I encountered upon my visits to Salem and Isla Vista that encouraged me to get even farther away ““ all the way to Rome for a semester-long UC Education Abroad Program.
There were so many elements that were working against me upon my arrival to Rome ““ the fact that I did not speak a lick of Italian, the Roman rain (and my lack of proper weatherproof clothing), and the fact that I had never lived outside of Los Angeles ““ but all of those obstacles would eventually fizzle out as the months passed by.
I realized that a huge part of my Bruin experience would be intertwined with my Roman experience. Thus, what I took away from my time abroad was a lot more than a list of favorite restaurants and enough photographs to cause a server failure on Facebook.
I learned the trials and delights of having to start over again ““ new people, new classmates, new food, new place and, hey, even a new language.
After it all, I was happy to return to Westwood and UCLA’s sun-drenched campus. I would no longer feel lost among the varying shades of Bruin blue, and the sound of Powell’s afternoon bells was a signal that I was finally home.
Sure, I’ll always value my adventures ““ local and abroad ““ but, at the end of the day, you always return to the places and faces you love the most. Rest assured: At UCLA, you are home.
E-mail Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.