After being away from Caltech last fall for study abroad at the University of Cambridge, recently, I was clearing my notes app and came across a gem of a note – a comparison list I made once I came back to Caltech (adapted for clarity):

A Caltech/California appreciation list:

• Sunshine that’s so strong, you feel the heat while sitting at your desk even through a darkened window
• Unexpected random chats with people at Red Door – you never have to eat dinner alone if you don’t want to
• Grocery store checkout clerks making small talk with you (Trader Joe’s iykyk)
• Seeing people you know around campus and getting a wave 
• Spontaneous activities with people you run into in the hallways — weekend hikes!
• The beach and surfing on Saturdays – waves less than 45 minutes away

In retrospect, though, there are some things that I miss from studying abroad:

• Not clapping at the end of lecture: as the Notes screenshot shows, at the end of each lecture, they clap without fail (it was definitely strange at first, but I got used to it!).

• Cycling to my lectures: though sometimes I arrived at lectures a little damp, there was something so peaceful and routine about cycling from the center of the town to the science hub about 15 minutes away.
• Rowing! Typical Cambridge activity – the bustle of the River Cam at 5 A.M. can’t be replicated.
• The women’s ultimate frisbee team! Caltech’s Aftermath (ultimate frisbee team) is amazing, but it was so nice to be part of a women’s team and the larger ultimate frisbee community in Cambridge. From weekend scrimmages on the public grass area in Cambridge to early morning practices at the gym, getting to meet and play frisbee with so many people almost everyday of the week was so much fun. 
• The old buildings and fancy dining halls! You can’t compete with a 800 year old history!

Caltech and Cambridge are worlds apart, but at the core, it’s always about the people. In both places, I’ve been fortunate to meet incredible individuals who truly bring joy to my days.