By: Kelly Kinas ‘16

I know what you’re thinking. Disney movies are for kids! The character’s struggles can’t be related to my personal struggles! Lucky for you all, you have me, a creative thinking, Disneyland annual pass holding, USC student who can come up with connections when you can’t.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

When you’re adjusting to a new city, of course you need to give yourself some time to figure out how everything works. Waiting to feel comfortable and for some semblance of confidence is frustrating to say the least, especially when you can’t help making comparisons to how things work “so smoothly” back home.

By: Carolina Canseco ‘16

If someone told me I would spend my spring break with 18 strangers in a foreign country and love every second of it, I would have been skeptical. But now that spring break is over, I can’t believe how lucky I was to go on this amazing trip. Hours of volunteer work, late nights playing Mafia, and tours of the city left me more exhausted than any midterm season ever could. However, every long day made the trip an unforgettable experience.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Adventure is all around us, you just have to watch….TV? Yes, my most recent adventure destination came from a television episode of the new series “Lucifer” on Fox which is filmed in Southern California. During the episode, the main character Lucifer interrupts this couple that was about to get married in beautiful glass covered chapel overlooking the ocean, pictured above. Curious, I Googled, “glass church by the ocean in Southern California.” Wayfarers Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes.

By: Megha Gupta ‘18

We land in Baltimore one early, early Saturday morning, and what do we see first but a Trump family? This trip did not get off to a favorable start. After flying for 6 hours from chilly, windy California the first day of freedom after two and a half grueling months of school, I don’t think anybody was ready for what was to come our way in the next week.

By: Judy Lee ‘17

Happy National Puppy Day! Who doesn’t love puppies? Furthermore, who doesn’t like USC? What a better combination than to have both exist at the same time?! To celebrate this joyous occasion, here are 7 Trojan puppies that are killing the fashion game.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

In my experience, the most difficult times abroad, whether for the culture shock or the homesickness, are during holidays back home. If you would like anecdotal proof, last Thanksgiving I was probably going on hour ten or so working in front of my laptop and a fan on my ISP in Nicaragua when I FaceTimed by family during Thanksgiving dinner. Eating a bag of peanuts and raisins from the pulpería while everyone I missed dearly passed the phone around mid-feast, including my new “brother” Kevin (who’s from Nicaragua studying in my home town), was a less than festive experience.

By: Samantha Romero ‘16

If you’re looking to de-stress and find your inner balance then this is the studio for you. I love Radha Yoga because it’s proximity to USC and it’s location next to Nature’s Brew, one of my favorite local cafes. The studio is also a place of tranquility with natural lighting from the multiple windows that allows fresh air to breeze on through the studio. It’s a definitely must-try experience even if you are new to yoga…

By: Judy Lee ‘17

We’ve all been there–top ramen and water. If not, are you even in college good for you! However, it’d be nice to save more here and there when budgeting becomes a burden. Personally, I get the drawbacks of that: cutting stuff out of the ads that get shoved into your mailbox just feels a little stodgy, and it becomes too much of a process. Luckily, there are online versions that work perfectly well–if not better! Here are seven:

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

What does Los Angles California and Venice Italy have in common? They both have canals. You can save your money and a very long plane flight by just visiting the canals right here in sunny Los Angeles, Ca.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last Thursday, I did what any productive exchange student would do in between classes- checked my instagram and ate yesterday’s dinner leftovers from my new tupperware. Such multi-tasking was dangerous and nearly caused me to choke on a spoonful of lentils because within the first few photos alone, I realized my fellow Trojans were with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last week I went to my first asado, which is essentially what in the U.S. we would call a barbecue. After speaking with the Argentinian students present, apparently this wasn’t a “real asado” because it was more of a meet and greet (or meat and greet if you catch my drift) for the international students than the extensive sit-down affair that asados normally are. Still, I’m counting it as an asado because it had all the makings of one (chorripan, which is sausage on a toasted bun, a parilla, which is the big open-fire grill, and lots of sides and ensaladas, thank goodness.)