Heading to UCLA

After fighting with this choice, I finally decided to attend UCLA for graduate school. I really did enjoy my visits to the other schools I (UCSD and UT Austin), but I am happy with my choice. At first, I has my doubts about living in either L.A. or Austin and finding research that I am interested in anywhere, so I am really glad that I decided to visit these schools. However, when it cames down to it, UCLA was a better fit for me.

It surprises me to say it, but I really like L.A. (aside from the traffic) and the UCLA is beautiful. Westwood is a really nice city and far different then what I expected for L.A. The downside to being really nice is that it is also really expensive. OK... it is ridiculously expensive. Luckily for me, I received a couple of fellowships and I'm not a big spender. I even believe that I can save money throughout grad school.

Being in L.A., I thought that UCLA would be all concrete and asphalt, but it was really green. There are a lot of different types of trees on campus. I kind of think that a couple of landscaper decided to have a contest to see who could plant the larger variety of tree. Oh yeah, they also added the rule that there couldn't be any logical pattern in the placement of different types of trees. It's kind of funny, but there really isn't any discernible pattern in the trees' placement. Nevertheless, it still looks nice.

Another thing that is nice about UCLA is that my family is close by. I spent a day down in Long Beach with my cousin Ray. It had been about eight years since I last saw him, which is too long. My aunt had a barbecue and I was able to see a lot of family member I hadn't seen in many years. I love my family, but to be honest I was unsure how I would be received. I thought that I might be treated as and outsider, but I don't things could have been better or more fun. I am looking forward to hanging out with Ray and my other cousin more often.

I know that I'll hate the moving process and I don't want to leaving all of my friends behind, but I am excited about starting grad school at UCLA.