Featured Column: Frank meets west
Tales from a domestic study abroad student
Danielle Frank
Issue date: 2/18/10 Section: Opinion
9:30 p.m.: Superbowl Sunday.
I arrived at LAX with Miley Cyrus' hit song, "Party in the USA" stuck in my head; but sadly, when I looked to the right, I did not see the Hollywood Sign. All I saw were the lights from the City of Angels which would be my home for the next three and a half months.
On Monday, my aunt who lives in Valley Village, California, drove me to Whittier. I think I grew two gray hairs while driving on the freeway for the first time. When we arrived at Whittier College, I could not believe I would be spending a semester at such a beautiful school.
If you have not seen or met me by now (I am the girl riding the red scooter around campus), my name is Danielle Frank. I am a domestic exchange student and a sophomore at Arcadia University in Philadelphia. My college is avid on study abroad and wants their students to go outside their comfort zone. I did not think I would have the guts to go abroad to London or Australia for a semester, so when I saw we had a new program in California; I jumped for the opportunity to spend a semester at Whittier. My friend Heather decided to enroll in the same program as well, and so far we are glad we did.
As soon as I heard about the semester away in the LA area, stereotypical images of Southern California immediately popped in my head: Laguna Beach, Hollywood, Disneyland, surfers, valley girls, etc. Slowly though, reality sunk in and I realized I was not coming here with stars in my head, but to attend school in a different environment and grow as a student. I would be leaving the comforts I have always known of my East Coast lifestyle for the West Coast. No more reliable transportation systems, Philly cheesesteaks, heavy jackets or blizzards. Before I left cold Philadelphia, I created one goal for myself:
Do not have any expectations while at Whittier and just have fun!
I look forward to experiencing as much as possible while at Whittier by exploring as much of California as I can. Over the course of this coming semester, I will be the East Coast girl who's living a West Coast lifestyle. People around me continually discuss East Coast versus West Coast, and I cannot wait to experience and share my perspectives on the two. Within the next three months you will find me at one of the many beaches, a Dodgers game (even though I am an avid Phillies fan), Downtown LA, Orange County, Uptown Whittier and exploring local neighborhoods as well as the cultures. See you soon!
I arrived at LAX with Miley Cyrus' hit song, "Party in the USA" stuck in my head; but sadly, when I looked to the right, I did not see the Hollywood Sign. All I saw were the lights from the City of Angels which would be my home for the next three and a half months.
On Monday, my aunt who lives in Valley Village, California, drove me to Whittier. I think I grew two gray hairs while driving on the freeway for the first time. When we arrived at Whittier College, I could not believe I would be spending a semester at such a beautiful school.
If you have not seen or met me by now (I am the girl riding the red scooter around campus), my name is Danielle Frank. I am a domestic exchange student and a sophomore at Arcadia University in Philadelphia. My college is avid on study abroad and wants their students to go outside their comfort zone. I did not think I would have the guts to go abroad to London or Australia for a semester, so when I saw we had a new program in California; I jumped for the opportunity to spend a semester at Whittier. My friend Heather decided to enroll in the same program as well, and so far we are glad we did.
As soon as I heard about the semester away in the LA area, stereotypical images of Southern California immediately popped in my head: Laguna Beach, Hollywood, Disneyland, surfers, valley girls, etc. Slowly though, reality sunk in and I realized I was not coming here with stars in my head, but to attend school in a different environment and grow as a student. I would be leaving the comforts I have always known of my East Coast lifestyle for the West Coast. No more reliable transportation systems, Philly cheesesteaks, heavy jackets or blizzards. Before I left cold Philadelphia, I created one goal for myself:
Do not have any expectations while at Whittier and just have fun!
I look forward to experiencing as much as possible while at Whittier by exploring as much of California as I can. Over the course of this coming semester, I will be the East Coast girl who's living a West Coast lifestyle. People around me continually discuss East Coast versus West Coast, and I cannot wait to experience and share my perspectives on the two. Within the next three months you will find me at one of the many beaches, a Dodgers game (even though I am an avid Phillies fan), Downtown LA, Orange County, Uptown Whittier and exploring local neighborhoods as well as the cultures. See you soon!
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