Trailer Parks in the O.C.

Today, we got to see Orange County in the daylight. It has the feel of a mashed up series of suburbs. The weather is so constantly and ridiculously perfect that the locals get nervous when a little rain comes down and 5 degrees Celsius means its time to go inside and turn the heat on. So, to summarize, Orange County is an idyllic suburbia provided you don't mind a million plus people living on top of one another.

While I visited UCI, Lindsey and my dad took a ride up the coast to Santa Monica (a pretty impressive distance). I think Lindsey likes the area as the thoughts of the nearby beaches and apartments with a beach feel are everywhere. After they picked me up, we went down to Newport Beach. It is very picturesque and rich. We went out to see the beach near one of the piers. The beach stretches a great distance in both directions. Ultimately, Newport is a beach town that has been almost overdeveloped.

Interestingly enough, my image of the OC is tarnished. There are trailer parks in the OC! Knowing the OC, I bet there are BMWs in the driveways of these trailers. When I see these parks, I can't help but think about a Trailer Park Boys special were Julian, Bubbles, and Ricky go to visit there fourth cousin on their Mother's Sister's Uncle's side. We could call it Trailer Park OC.

On to UCI. UCI has been gaining national recognition over the past few years with its progressive curriculum utilizing the newest technology. They also benefit from the fact that the Orange County region is growing at a rapid pace. Everyone wants to live in paradise. Of all the schools except Stanford (which is a different type of beast), UCI is the program that appears to be most run like a business bent on delivering a high level of customer service to its applicants and students. When I visit them, I get the impression that they are on the right track.

My visit was hosted by two students named Pong and Tiffany. Pong is an accountant from the Philippines and Tiffany and her husband own a moving and storage company. Both were great hosts and were obviously talented individuals. Tiffany had quite a vibrant presence and we exchanged frequent jokes. After my visit, Lindsey and I returned to UCI for their "happy hour" for free beer and a second opportunity to meet the students. Overall, UCI has good student body.

Well, the visits are over and Lindsey and I will have some deep thinking to do. No location came out as an obvious winner. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. The decision will likely come down to the wire. Maybe I will only get accepted at one school and make my decision easy.