Higher Education in a Vacation Destination
By Grace Carballo ‘17
With consistently ideal weather and plenty of events and adventures available every single day, it is easy to forget the responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with higher education. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with the unlimited swipes meal plan freshman year, life was basically an all-inclusive resort. Until of course, midterms roll around and reality rears its ugly head.
This weekend, USC is quite literally serving as a vacation destination for two of my dearest friends from home. Brittany, who attends the other USC (there’s another one?) and Katie, who attends George Washington University in D.C., will hop of the plane at LAX (and undoubtedly listen to Party in the USA) in just a few short hours.
While it will be hard to be in a sprang-break mindset on their behalf and also a hollah-at-the-scholah mindset to prepare for my midterms next week, with enough coffee and a stellar study playlist, I am prepared to do both, make some beautiful memories, and live to tell the tales for years to come. (probably to our disinterested grandkids someday and definitely to whoever sits next to them on the flight home).
So here it is, folks: Where to Take Your Friends Who Visit for Spring Break
1) DOHENY
The first thing to do is obviously show your friends our beautiful campus. I am also going to use this opportunity to check out a few books from the stacks for my paper due next week. Multi-tasking! But seriously, Doheny is beautiful and if your friends like Harry Potter, they will appreciate its Hogwarts-esque vibes. If not, consider getting new friends with better taste in the finer things in life.
2) GRAMMY MUSEUM
In all of life, it is important to know your audience. I know my friends who are visiting like the back of my hand and if we have time, I am pretty confident they would be interested in the “Taylor Swift Experience” exhibit at the Grammy Museum. Plus, it is just $11.95 per ticket and the LA Live shuttle on weekends is free as an undomesticated bird.
3) SANTA MONICA PIER
The beauty of Santa Monica is iconic! Plus, if your friends are coming from colder weather, they’re going to have their hearts set on a beach day.
4) VENICE BEACH
Venice is less than 10 miles from Santa Monica so you could do both in one jam-packed day. Perhaps because I value shock value above almost anything else, however, I think Venice is worth devoting a whole day to, if only to see your friends’ reactions. The vendors, the performers, the fellow beach-goers- there really is no better place for people-watching.
Plus, you can workout together while you’re there at Muscle Beach!
5) GRAUMAN’S CHINESE THEATER
If your friends are movie buffs like mine they are going to probably shed a few tears and take more than a few pictures, but it is worth being touristy for the people you love.
5) HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
It is easy to get to Hollywood by public transportation and how many places can you say that about? The Walk of Fame is always cool to see and you can use this as an opportunity to stake out prime real estate for a star of your own.
6) IGUANA VINTAGE
Right along the Walk of Fame is this awesome two-story resale store with unrivaled costume potential. As I often say, “Always dress to the theme. It’s the only thing that separates us from the animals.” With virtually every party at USC having some sort of complicated dress code, this is an ideal place to take your friends but also supplement your own costume box. It’s never too early to start prepping for Halloween 2K15.
7) AMOEBA MUSIC
It is walking distance from the two destinations above and I “would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more” to get to this record store- it is just that cool. Luckily the walk is not nearly that far because Brittany and Katie’s visit is too short to account for that kind of mileage. We will definitely make strides to check out the amazing supply of music, movies, and posters available here for pretty great prices and you should, too.
8) ARTS DISTRICT
The Arts District is a short drive away and is worth checking out if you have time. Your friends will appreciate you providing them with such great Instagram potential and at the end of the day, isn’t that all friends are really for? Plus, you’re just a stone’s throw away (if you have a good arm like we do as former softball teammates- Go Slammers!), from Urth Caffé (will you 'gram twice in one day or do a #latergram?), Wurstküche (if your friends eat meat), and Pie Hole.
9) GRAND CENTRAL MARKET
Also nearby campus and perfect for groups of friends with vastly different food preferences (I am the high-maintenance, picky friend) is Grand Central Market - lots and lots of different cuisines for all different tastes. Perfect for breakfast (people get a kick out of EggSlut), lunch, dinner, or dessert (ice cream)!
10) EAT, EAT MORE, AND BE MERRY
Two of my USC friends, Evan and Kathleen, just tackled the list below and completed a portion of it. Be sure to introduce your visiting friends to some of L.A.’s finest junk food, especially ones they might not have access to at home. In-N-Out is loved by all but there are a lot of tempting options.
Whatever you choose to do, it is sure to be an amazing time simply because you’re amongst friends. Plus, it is always good to see how your college friends interact with your childhood friends for purposes of determining if you have changed profoundly and/or to see how fun your future life events - bachelor/bachelorette party, wedding, etc. will be when they all come together again.
- Grace
