Last week’s weather had people either hiding or dancing, likely as a result of where they grew up.
Recently, Southern California has been faced with multiple days of downpours. Streets have been flooded with large amounts of water, puddles are everywhere and socks have been nothing but soaked.
While many people come to SoCal to experience the sunshine and warmth, this is anything but that. I have asked a few different people, both from LA and out of state about how they feel about this rather wet week.
To start out, here is my opinion: I come from Oregon and love the weather there, experiencing all the seasons and having every type of weather. A few weeks ago, it was in the 70’s here in Azusa and I was in shorts. I cannot explain how wrong that felt, to be in shorts in January. It was crazy!
Dealing with the rain the past few days was actually nice to bring me a piece of home, have a taste of winter and have a reason to wear jackets and sweaters. Plus I absolutely love the smell of rain. Did I expect to have to swim through University Village to get to class? No, but it was par for the course. So for me, this was a great thing to have happened.
The fact that class was canceled last Monday was understandable, but ultimately confused me because no amount of rain would cancel class back in Oregon. Instead, we would say “It’s just a little rain, make a run for it.” The number of times I was asked if I had an umbrella was funny, because no I do not, I rarely ever, if not never, use one in Oregon.
Sophomore Nathaniel Faux told me about his opinion about the recent downpours. He has lived in Southern California his whole life and he has not seen a storm like this in quite a while. However, he loves the rain so much. He doesn’t even like using an umbrella because of how much he loves walking in the rain. As long as he has a rain jacket, he does not mind the downpour. He also loves staying inside and making a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and putting a movie on with his window open. Watching the raindrops trickle down his window brings him so much joy and it’s honestly anxiety-reducing, he shared.
Junior James Shields is from Anaheim, California. He does not like being wet from the rain, not just that, he does not own an umbrella. His opinion on Monday classes being canceled was that he didn’t like not being able to go to class and the lack of dining options on campus. He likes the overcast, just not the actual rain part and having to walk through the rain. He also doesn’t like it being bright and sunny.
Meanwhile, Junior Rachel Harris is from Costa Rica. She likes the rainy day vibes when she’s inside but being out in the rain is not totally her favorite because she especially hates having wet socks. When she isn’t out in the rain, she likes to have a cozy day in, watching movies and baking. The rain makes her happy but if it goes on for a long period of time, it starts to get a little sad.
Then, Grad student Libby Catuara is from Washington and lived in Oregon for a little bit which explains why she has been loving the rain lately. She thinks that this is how a winter should be.
She likes the gray skies, she likes the rain and being cozy inside. She thinks that it’s good to have a reason to be inside and it just makes being inside more fun when it’s raining outside.
The Pacific Northwest native also shared that however, she doesn’t love that there have been downpours because rain is so uncommon here at least like pouring down and raining for multiple days is so uncommon here the ground is not capable of absorbing it, the same way that it would be back home. She would not mind if we had some more rain, but at the same time, it feels like home to her.
From those I talked to, the overall consensus was that while the rain has been lovely, it is more enjoyable from the inside, curled up underneath a warm blanket. These students have enjoyed a different experience than the hot sun, but the rain did put some sort of damper on their spirits.
They all come from different places and have different experiences because of it, but the thing that brings everyone together is being part of the APU community. Everyone has their own opinion about the rain but going through these very rainy days has brought everyone together in a shared experience.