This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCLA chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Welcome to my new home! Coming back from a quarter away from the UCLA campus, I was stepping into my apartment for the first time! Through this mini tour of my 2-bed, 2-bath, 2-story apartment in Westwood, I will walk you through my thrills of scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, cooking in my own kitchen, hosting friends, and customizing the space to make this little house my home. We were lucky enough to find a little house with a unique stair handrail, colorful kitchen tiles, arch doorways, and a covered chimney; it’s a special place, and with time, we will make it our own.
My lovely roommates are my three close friends, and the best people I could sign a lease with! We have an amazing dynamic and a similar aesthetic that makes the apartment vibe cohesive. Every day, I wake up in a house with my cool besties, absolute peace, and the ability to walk downstairs to prepare my iced latte. It feels so freeing to have this space fully belong to us. For starters, we are locking in on Facebook Marketplace to find cute furniture pieces (so far, we have the simple foundation), and exploring through thrift stores for antique glassware and artwork. Additionally, I would love to take pictures of guests and us at events we have to create a wall that represents the moments we lived.
One of the best things about apartment life is waking up without the worry of having to share communal restrooms in the dorms. I love keeping my belongings in their respective space without having to carry a caddy around with all my toiletries. Having your own home also brings many social opportunities, like hosting friends for dinner, having a movie night, baking a pizza, and throwing little functions! I’ve been able to enjoy all of these already, and I can’t wait to see what else we live through in this apartment. Coming soon, we are planning our official housewarming where we will invite our closest friends to enjoy our special space!
More than having a house off campus, living in an apartment next to UCLA brings on a whole new experience of being a student. It is such a liberating experience as well as a moment of growth as we learn to take on more responsibilities of keeping a household. We have only lived together for two weeks, but I can’t wait to see the many adventures we experience living here until graduation, and the way it will reflect on the walls of our home. This quintessential moment in my life, although it seems routine on the surface, represents a piece of my dreams that still feels unbelievable to me. The dreams of living an independent life in LA. When I look back on my UCLA career, renting an apartment with my girls will be one of the best memories I will remember.