“Asking Stanford” is a series of small stories from Stanford students that comes together to highlight the diversity of experiences and perspectives on campus.

The Trader Joe’s at Town & Country. Trader Joe’s has locations around the country, so it’s no surprise there’s one by Stanford. But the first time I went to the Trader Joe’s here, I told my dad that I missed my best friend. She’s worked at my hometown location since sophomore year of high school, and every time I walked in, she’d walk and talk with me, then give me a discount at the register. It’s the weirdest feeling to get a random memory as I’m grocery shopping with new college friends, but it’s nice to be reminded of home in even the most mundane moments. — Hannah Zingapan ’29

Squirrels. They are everywhere where I come from, but strictly the fat, grey variety. I am routinely surprised to see black squirrels here, which I have never seen before. — Lily Zou ’29

The pine trees. I grew up with a half-acre of untouched evergreen forests as a backyard. Stanford is certainly more developed, but sometimes at night, I’ll bike to the outskirts of campus where small paths meander through the pines, reminding me of my childhood home. — Iris Hwang, MS ’27

Cloud9 Coffee. I’m from a suburb in LA County — where the pace of life is slower, very SoCal coded—and enjoy spending my hometown time in cafes near the beach. Cloud9 is next to a nature preserve, not a beach, but it’s Korean-owned, cozy, cloaked in warm light… and mercifully free of the corporate vibe that most cafes in Palo Alto possess. It’s off the beaten path (drive there and you’ll see what I mean) but so, so worth it. — Audrey Kim ’26

The bikers. At home, they were just a part of the Bulldog morning and after-school rush — the familiar whir of wheels on the sidewalk and the daily ritual of untangling bike racks. Yet, here, I find that the bikers have ascended beyond. They move like electrons approaching light speed, one turn away from launching themselves into the stratosphere. — Mia Jong ’29

In-N-Out Burger. It feels a bit blasphemous to say that a fast food place reminds me of home, but every time I find myself immersed in the red-and-white fluorescence In-N-Out Burger, nothing feels truer. Late nights at the drive-in at the back of my mother’s car have turned into late nights with friends during our precious few weekends off-campus, trading stories at the sterile side tables while sharing animal fries. I may be a few hours north of everything I used to know, but the local In-N-Out is a reminder that I haven’t escaped California just yet. — Kaylee Chan ’27

Laundry machines. The laundry machines are the same. In the apartment system I live in, we also use Speed Queen washers and dryers. While there is so much that separates Stanford from my hometown, such as the nearly daily presence of tech leaders and national changemakers on campus, I find it oddly special that something as mundane as the brand of laundry machines I use are a shared trait. At home, the routine monotony of laundry helps ground me and my thoughts. Doing laundry at home, I feel more clear and comforted in myself. The same is true when I do it at Stanford. — Sebastian Strawser ’29