As someone who doesn’t want to make my customized avatar an NPC (non-playable character), I go on many quests. My main storyline quest right now is spending 4 years as an undergraduate at the California Institute of Technology, where fellow students and I get trained in the art of understanding and manipulating physics, concocting potions in chemistry labs, and scribing spells written in otherworldly (programming) languages on our metal slates. But even the greatest scholars need a break, and this is where SIDE QUESTS come in. Follow me, aspiring scholars, as I adventure across one school year on various side quests that costed me a wonderfully low, low price of FREE!!!
Caltech has an impressive 4-floor library (Sherman Fairchild Library, or SFL) on campus, but it does not tickle my fancy neither to read a hardcopy of Sigmund Freud’s experiences with a mind-altering substance nor read aggressively intimidating textbooks in general. There are unfortunately no leisure reading materials within the official Caltech library system, but worry not! There is a branch of the Pasadena Public Library (PPL) a mere 10 minutes walk away to the north of campus. One day in fall 2024 on a walk to get lunch with my friends, we decided to pop in and got library cards for the fantastic price of 10 additional minutes and FREE.99!!! All you need for your very own PPL card is your ID and proof that you are a resident of Pasadena. As a Caltech student, your on-campus housing document (with the address) is accepted as proof.
If you want to own your own books, there’s Vroman’s Bookstore, which prides itself as “Southern California’s Largest & Oldest Independent Bookstore”. Though the books are obviously not free (it’s a bookstore), I sometimes go just to go through the books, take in the smell of new paper, and then beeline straight for the stationery section. They have an amazing selection of pens and ink, and I love looking at the pretty bottles in the display case. Sometimes, guest speakers visit Vroman’s and even hold signing events, which draws in the community to this precious “third space” within Pasadena.
My next side quest story is actually not about books. One day, my good friend Thang and I decided to do something completely out of our gamer CS-major comfort zone: we went hiking. (Yeah, okay, I know CS majors hike, but let me have this win 😭) We drove out to Runyon Canyon, and after fighting half of LA for a parking spot, we decided to set off. After a 350 feet elevation experience, we decided that we are champions whether or not we did the full 3.5 mile hike or the shorter 1.8 mile hike. You will never guess what option we chose to complete (we chose the 1.8 mile route). Crazy side quest, but I had a good time regardless. (One month later, I headed out on a group backpacking trip on Catalina Island, in which I traversed more than 20 miles in total in three days as a first-time backpacker, so I’d like to say I’m a little crazy when it comes to hiking.)
Finally, my last side quest I’ll share is one that takes advantage of the Caltech campus itself: music rooms!!! As a member of Avery House, I have access to the house’s music room, which has a variety of equipment and instruments such as a piano, music stands, and most importantly for me, a full drum kit! One hobby I’ve committed myself to is to learn the drums, and I use the music room to practice when I’m not playing air drums with my headphones in and looking deranged. It’s going great! (One drumstick is missing so I compensated by using a set of disposable bamboo chopsticks to practice instead.)
