Moving to Los Angeles as an Oregonian

by Donal Buckley ‘26

One of the most unique things about USC is its ability to draw in students not just from California but from the rest of the United States and beyond. I happen to be one of those individuals. Aside from spending a few formative years in the Netherlands, I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Although it seems just a hop, a skip, and a jump away from Los Angeles, moving to an entirely different environment has made it feel like I’m living a thousand miles away.

But moving to Los Angeles was exactly what I wanted – something different. Throughout high school, I dreamed of doing my undergrad in Southern California. Whether it was Los Angeles, San Diego, or some other city here, I was determined to live my Californian dream for at least four years.

Oregon

Truthfully, though, I was just sick of Oregon. I ran out of things to do. I was tired of all the pine and evergreen trees, and I needed something fresh. But I didn’t want to live somewhere extremely far away, just somewhere that felt far enough to create the guise of something entirely new. Hence, Los Angeles. Call me crazy, but I didn’t need four seasons anymore. I needed sunshine and palm trees year-round.

When I first got here last August, though, I didn’t anticipate how unsuited I was for LA weather. In an unprecedented heat wave, I was walking to class in 100 degree weather every day for the first month. Even after that, however, the temperature still being in the 80s and 90s throughout October was unheard of for me. By that time, the trees were supposed to turn orange with a crisp chill in the air. And the sun was brutal — I went through sunscreen bottles faster than sweat dripped down my back.

Even though I wasn’t used to the heat, I soaked it up. Once I became acclimated to the constant sunshine and warm weather, I enjoyed it more. In Portland, sunny days outside of the summer are rare, and you have to make the most of them. But, here, sunny days are the norm, and most of the time, the weather is perfect to do almost anything. (Well, as long as you didn’t get caught in those random torrential downpours last semester.)

Aside from the weather, I was pleasantly surprised by the people I met here. It feels like everyone has a unique story to tell, and while that’s more likely a product of going to a large university, it still says a lot about what kinds of people Los Angeles attracts. I recently went to the Natural History Museum across from campus, and one of the exhibits showcases the cultural diversity of Los Angeles, which I not only found extremely fascinating but also reflective of USC as a whole. I guess it helps that there aren’t a lot of Oregonians here either.

It’s safe to say that going to school in Los Angeles has definitely satisfied my craving for something new, but one of the things I didn’t expect is how it made me appreciate my home state a little more. Whenever I mention that I’m from Oregon, so many people tell me that they want to visit. I realized that I took the sheer beauty of Oregon for granted; when trees and greenery become your norm, it’s hard to find anything special about them. But once I visited home after spending a few months in LA, I started to realize how beautiful my home state truly is. Maybe one state doesn’t have to overpower the other — they can each shine in their own, unique ways.

I love it here, but I also love Oregon as well. It’s taken me over a year away from home to appreciate where I came from, but distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Regardless, adjusting to living in Los Angeles has been a welcome challenge, and I look forward to the next few years I’ll be here. Who knows, maybe I’ll love it so much that I want to live here post-grad as well.

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