Oregon Trip (10/11/2008)

UCLA played the University of Oregon on their home field in Eugene, Oregon this year. I was fortunate enough to travel to this away game and being my first traveling trip as a member of the UCLA Spirit Squad, I have to say it was an amazing experience. The flight was enjoyable while playing games and talking about how excited we were for the upcoming weekend. Once we arrived we got a taste of just how cold it is in Oregon. We were all still in our shorts and California sandals when we arrived and knew we had a cold game ahead of us; but it still did not hinder our enthusiasm. We had to rush to perform for fan travel which was a little frantic but the fans were really welcoming and excited that we were there so it turned out great! We returned to the hotel and we stayed up pretty late just talking, bundled up in front of the fire in the lobby. The next day we all went out to lunch and stopped by the mall. It was a nice bonding day before the game. Then we got ready and went to Bruin Bash to perform and mingle with the fans. The alumni were so happy to see us that it made the performance really fun and run extremely smooth. We took a lot of pictures and all in all I think we as well as the fans had a great time preparing for the game. The game itself was nothing like we were used to; with the extremely involved and outspoken Oregon fans and the forty degree weather. Our joints were so stiff from the cold that we had to keep moving in order to be able to perform! The UCLA fans were extremely involved which we really fed off to give a better performance. There were a few scares during the game like a player of our own getting hurt and not moving for about ten minutes. Also there was a fan from the opposing team who fell out of the stands and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher! Besides those few unfortunate events, overall it was a high-energy game and the trip itself was an unforgettable experience.

-Katie