Last week signaled the halfway point of my abroad experience. Only six weeks remain before I go home to California. It’s been an absolute whirlwind and the time is absolutely flying back. But truth be told, I’m a little homesick—and it doesn’t help to receive Snapchats of the school and campus that I love.
I’m a proud Santa Clara Bronco, through and through. My campus is, without a doubt, the most beautiful campus in America. That famous California weather doesn’t hurt, and neither does the fact that our student body was voted one of the top 10 most attractive student bodies in the United States. But, all of that aside, I just miss my school.
Abroad is incredible and I’ve loved every moment of my experience. There are a few things, however, that you can’t get anywhere else than Santa Clara University. Here’s a list of the top 20 things Santa Clara University students miss when they’re abroad:
1. The Bronco
Nothing quite compares to a steaming plate of mozzarella sticks or chicken fingers from the Bronco after a long night out. At least in London, there isn't a huge variety of late night eats for the inebriated student and the Bronco is a luxury sorely missed.
2. Darties
Let's be real here: no one does day parties, or darties, like Santa Clara, and especially not in Europe. From Cal Phi Oktoberfest to Pike Safari, each and every Saturday of fall quarter starts with cheap beer poured into red cups and ends with students pouring out of Taco Bell, and it's a spectacle those abroad hate to miss.
3. The campus
Santa Clara University's campus is truly unbelievably beautiful. From consistently perfect landscaping to the Spanish-style architecture, there is nothing like walking to class on a sunny California day. We're lucky enough to travel and see some of the most incredible sights the world has to offer, but that familiarity that comes with walking from Benson to O'Connor on a sunny day is a feeling hard rivaled.
4. The library/Greek row
The library, at any other time than finals week, is more for socializing than anything else. Sure, you can go and get some work done--but that's before your best friend, your little, your ex-flame, and every other person you know comes to "study." Especially on the second floor, which is more often known as Greek Row, you'd be hard pressed to actually be productive.
5. Café Rosalena
Anyone from California loves their burritos, but Rosalina's does burritos right--or breakfast burritos, that is. On a rough morning after a wild night, there's nothing in the world quite like sinking your teeth into that melty cheese and those seasoned potatoes, drenched in orange sauce.
6. Beer die
I cannot tell you how much I miss the satisfying pop of a die as it bounces off of a shoddily built wooden table. Beer die is a classic Santa Clara game and an afternoon without drunken, shirtless frat boys yelling "Die high!" is a dark one.
7. Santana Row
A hotspot for date nights, visiting parents, or birthdays, Santana Row is a haven for memorable nights out. Pizza Antica, El Bistec, and Yard House are just a few of the wide selection of good eats available on Santana Row. Sure, the food abroad is amazing, but there's nothing quite like a night on Santana Row.
8. The good old professors
By junior year, you're well established in your major and have probably had a slew of professors within your department. Going abroad means a whole ten weeks away from your tried and true professors and their familiarity and guaranteed lecture style.
9. Ike’s/Zanotto’s
Sandwiches are, far and away, my favorite food group and I'm lucky enough to go to school in a place where there's an abundance. Ike's and Zanotto's are just two places to pick up a delectable bite when you need a sandwich fix.
10. The Target on Coleman Road
I swear I have spent more hours in the Target on Coleman Road than I have in my own house. Words cannot express how much I miss the familiar aisles and layout of this Target. The convenience of being able to drive 10 minutes over to Target and find exactly what I need in a matter of minutes is a luxury sorely missed.
11. The bars
Though Santa Clara students recently received the devastating news that our beloved Hut would be closing its doors, not all hope is lost: we've always got the Claron. Sure, it gets so hot in there on Thursday nights that you might as well have just stepped into a sweat lodge, but there's nothing quite like being handed an AMF from our beloved Mike Dasilva.
12. The Mission Church at night
At night, the Mission Church lights up and becomes one of the most beautiful marvels you could ever hope to see. The Mission itself is beautiful, but when its all lit up at night, it's striking. Sure, Europe is chock full of incredible churches, but that inherit familiarity about the Mission Church hearkens notes of nostalgia for all.
13. The Mission Gardens
So many sunny afternoons have been spent by students laying out on blankets in the Mission Gardens, soaking up those California rays. There's a beautiful ambience and aesthetic associated with those lazy hours that can be recreated in famous gardens around the world, but never matched.
14. The CalTrain
Europe has made me appreciate the power of the train, but only made me miss the CalTrain all the more. Whether going to spend a day romping around the San Francisco piers or enjoy garlic fries and a Gordon Biersch beer at a Giants game, days spent in the city are the best and the CalTrain makes them all the more accessible with its direct hour-long trip to the heart of it all.
15. Safeway
A trip to Safeway means that, in one fell swoop, you can get a twelve pack of a beer and a dozen eggs in under five minutes without really leaving campus. There's seemingly no streamlined grocery shopping experience quite like there is at Safeway in the whole of Europe, and it's a convenience so underrated by all.
16. Malley Fitness Center
Listen: we all know that studying abroad isn't exactly conducive with conditioning your ideal beach bod. Working out doesn't seem to be as much of a fad in Europe as it is in the United States and most college students don't have the abroad budget for a gym membership. I never thought the day would come when I'd miss the sweaty, smelly interior of Malley, but yet, here we are.
17. Santa Cruz beaches
The second the sun and relatively warm temperatures return to the Bay Area, Santa Clara students flock to Carmel, Capitola-by-the-Sea, and Panther Beach to begin work on their bronzed glow. The beaches in Santa Cruz are just a car ride away and an Instagram waiting to happen. Sure, they might not compare to the beaches in Barcelona or Lisbon, but at Santa Clara, it's just a matter on taking the freeway south to those sunny, familiar shores.
18. The hiking in the Bay
Santa Clara is surrounded by a number of hiking trails with a wide range of difficulty levels. No matter what kind of hiker you are, you're sure to find a hike well suited for you in the Bay. Abroad, depending on where you're studying, you've got a wide selection of peaks to conquer, but for many, weekends spent hiking and camping in Yosemite are undervalued until they're 8,000 miles away.
19. Silicon Valley
Santa Clara University students are lucky enough to go to school in the heart of Silicon Valley. Major tech companies like Facebook and Google regularly offer students internships or even just a tour around the offices. Being in the center of such as business minded hub helps to mold students well-equipped to tackle the pressure of the working world and when you're 8,000 miles away, you realize how lucky we are to go to school where we do.
20. The students
A lot of us left behind dear friends when we elected to take a semester abroad. They send up Snapchats and FaceTime us and text us, but it just isn't the same. I know I miss walking to class and running into, minimum, ten good friends. I miss going to parties with the frat boys I know and love. I miss the barista at Peet's who knows my order by heart. Studying abroad is an experience that everyone needs, but there's nothing quite like that Go Broncos environment.
