The mental images Hamilton, N.Y., and Los Angeles, Calif., conjure are worlds apart: fall foliage and ankle-length winter jackets define one place, while palm trees and sunshine define the other. However, for Colgate University students originally from Los Angeles, both environments can feel like home, though in drastically different ways.
For Los Angeles native and junior Mikayla Chan, the convenience of her hometown trumps that of Hamilton. She said it provides more opportunities to travel and socialize with her friends.
“I’m more appreciative of [Los Angeles] when I’m here,” Chan said. “There’s just more access, like with airports, events and concerts. You can walk around and go wherever and find cool situations.”
The warm weather and metropolitan culture of Los Angeles stand in contrast to the varied seasons and small-town spirit of Hamilton, but for Chan this makes for the ideal college setting.
“I’m able to focus more on the academic and career side of things and not get as distracted as I would at home,” Chan said.
Junior Talia Broder shared similar sentiments, saying Colgate’s location has helped her build a consistent routine and form close relationships.
“Being in Hamilton, I think it makes me more motivated because there’s less to do and I’ve been able to get super close with certain people,” Broder said. “Unlike Los Angeles where there’s something new all the time, I know what I like here … and I’m able to get the same order from places like Hamilton Whole Foods or [Flour & Salt].”
However, Broder still misses the range of options she has back home, especially in places like Malibu and Venice Beach.
“I love being able to go to new restaurants, and because I’m a vegetarian there’s a lot of options for me,” Broder said. “There’s just something new opening up all the time which is super exciting.”
Native to Santa Monica, junior Daisy Moini shared her love for the beach, in addition to the convenience and fast-paced nature of Los Angeles.
“I love being so close to the beach and [love] how nice the weather is. It’s just so perfect, and with the mountain ranges, it’s just so beautiful,” Moini said. “There’s so much going on, and there’s also just so much to do.”
Moini and Chan noted the stark contrast between LA’s diversity and Colgate’s predominantly white population, which contributed to their culture shock when they first arrived at.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a huge Persian population [for instance],” Moini said. “There’s a lot more people of color and culture.”
For those unfamiliar with Los Angeles, Moini and Chan recommended checking out the Griffith Observatory and the famous filming location of the 2016 film “La La Land”, while Broder suggested Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
“It’s a unique part of Los Angeles,” Broder said. “[Los Angeles] is more on the commercial scale, [but the stores] there are more boutique-esque, and there’s amazing restaurants [and] cute little shops.”
In spite of the cold temperatures and more than a six-hour flight home, what has kept all three of them at Colgate is their friends and the close-knit campus that emulates the feeling of home.
“When I’m home, what I miss most about Colgate is the people,” Moini said.