The LA Lifestyle: Adjustment


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Last year, when I first began my chapter of life at USC, everything was new and exciting. Coming from Seattle, I was especially excited about the constant sunny days and the opportunity to develop a never-ending tan. I remember making a bucket list of everything that I wanted to accomplish during my freshman year. Items on this list included places I wanted to visit, such as: Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach, Universal Studios and Beverly Hills. It included trendy restaurants that I wanted to eat at because celebrities were often spotted there and nightclubs that I wanted to go to, again due to the possibility of spotting a celebrity. Every event that I attended and place that I was able to check off of my bucket list gave me a high. I wanted to keep exploring and keep this high. Los Angeles was my place. As freshman year drew to a close, I realized that I did not want to return to Seattle. I did not want to leave this magical place for the entire summer.

Fast forward to winter break of this year. I spent the entire month in Seattle with my family, friends and the rain. Break was a time for me to relax and catch up on sleep. It was a time to destress and reflect on my previous semester.

My Seattle friends couldn’t contain their excitement and jealousy as I told them about all of the fun things I had done during fall semester this year. They wanted to hear all about the people that I had met, the places I had explored and the outings I had done. My friends expressed to me that I was living a life right out of a TV show, a dream life. It was this exact conversation that caused me to recognize the now very evident ways in which I had changed as a person since summer break. After one and a half years of living here, Los Angeles had finally become a reality to me. It was no longer a fantasy. I realized that I take the weather for granted, the beaches for granted, USC for granted and the events that I attend for granted. I have adjusted to the LA lifestyle.

Writing this blog has given me the opportunity to take a step back and realize how fortunate I am. Instead of taking Los Angeles and all that it has for granted, I want to truly appreciate this city for what it is. I may feel adjusted to my lifestyle here, but that does not mean that I should ever stop exploring.