A Parentless Parent’s Weekend

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”4/5″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://viterbivoices.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0463-3-e1508217096995.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][cs_text]This past weekend was Trojan Family weekend, so the tailgates and stadium seats were filled with just as many parents as students. Everywhere you turned, you could see students excitedly introducing their parents to their friends, taking family photos, and brainwashing parents to “fight on”. However, I didn’t do any of these things because my parents weren’t able to make it out to LA this weekend.

My hometown of Santa Barbara is only two hours away, so pretty much every weekend has the potential to be “parents weekend”. As a result, it wasn’t a top priority to make the trip this weekend since they both had commitments at home, and I saw them about two weeks ago.

Since I couldn’t partake in all the family festivities, I found friends that were also orphans for the weekend and spent my game-day with them. We wandered around, met parents and took pictures with each other. That’s the beauty of game-days: it’s easy to entertain yourself no matter where you are.

We committed to staying the ENTIRE game (a first for all of us), and by the end of the day, I realized that I really didn’t need my parents here to feel at home. Screaming after every play, surrounded by enthusiastic Trojans, and being with my best friends- I could not have been more content.

Game days are incredible, and having friends to spend them with when my parents are out of town make them all the better.
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