Life After Neverland

Firstly, a selfish plug. I've finished my journey at Cambridge, but I'm still wandering down my own path... and a new blog! Check it out. Rate, subscribe, comment!!

One day, I got on a plane. I sat down next to a nice British lady who was headed to Wimbledon, and a student from the University of Michigan. We chatted, made small talk, all excited to begin our journey. The next day, I got off the plane, in a new culture. London Heathrow Airport. The world's largest. And so it began. The trip of a lifetime.

2 months later, I had to get on a plane. I had to travel back to Chicago, sit in an airport for 7 hours, and then fly home to Cleveland.

Whenever people ask me about my summer spent studying abroad, all I can ever say is that "there isn't a day that I don't wish I could go back."

I guess that's the hard part about study abroad. You go to a new culture, you travel the world, you see places you only dreamt of seeing. You learn new things, about the world, but mostly about yourself.

So I always say that I constantly wish I could go back. Back to Pembroke College, to walk in the gardens, or punting on the River Cam, or running through the countryside. I wish I could go back to the formal dinners, plenary lectures from people with more genius than I could ever dream of, and back to my solid group of friends whom I love.

Yesterday, particularly frustrated with chemistry, and exhausted from the grueling life that is University as an American student, I gazed longingly through my pictures of this summer. My next thought was that rather than complaining about how frustrated/sad I was on my facebook, that I would post a nastalgic travel quote.

So I googled travel quotes. The first one I found?

"To arrive at a destination is never to arrive at a place, but a new state of mind"

How appropriate for my current predicament.

So here's to living in the present. Here's to making my daily life as fulfilling as my Cambridge life. Here's to confronting problems with a "Keep calm and carry on" attitude. Here's to spending quality time with friends over cream tea, and chatting with family as if I am in another country, missing them longingly. Here's to a new state of mind.

Holiday in Spain

I'm going to keep this one short, because I have to get ready for my final Cambridge formal. Yesterday and the day before I spent in Barcelona, Spain. It was two of the most incredible days I have ever had.

Firstly, putting my Spanish to practice was amazing. It all came so naturally... much more so than I expected. I conversed with all of the waiters/hotel people, etc. in Spanish. As well as a few of the locals in random situations. I was pretty proud of myself, and didn't feel like too much of a gringo.

I loved everything about Barcelona. Let's just say that it is definetly a place I could see myself living. I fit right in with the culture (laid back, beach style) and the people and food are amazing. Also, a siesta is built into every single day... perfect for my everyday nap. There are too many things for me to say about Barcelona, so here are some of the hi-lights:

#1 La Mar: For those of you who don't know, Barcelona is situated on the northeast side of Spain, right on the coast. It borders the Mediterranean Sea. One of the most beautiful oceans I have ever seen! The water was as blue as could be... Seriously the kind of things you only see in magazines. Keith and I took a siesta on the beach, and it was amazing. I also went swimming in my dress... the fish in me just couldn't resist. It was absolutely beautiful. Also, it was my first experience with a European topless beach! Which is hysterical. There were also many, many beautiful Spanish men. Let's just say that we enjoyed the scenery... all of it. We went to the beach both days, because we just couldn't resist! We explored the whole area. It was amazing.

#2 La Sagrada Familia: In high school, we had a cultural unit in Spanish 4. We had to learn about all the different painters and architects in Spain for part of it. In this unit, we learned about Antoni Gaudi. Here is where the beauty of a study abroad experience intersects: I got to see a lot of Gaudi's architecture. Now, back during my senior year of high school, I couldn't have cared less about this Gaudi-guy and his buildings. Now? It took my breath away. We spent 2 hours looking at la Sagrada Familia. It is the most beautiful church I have ever been in. I will never, ever forget it. The architecture on the outside was gothic and beautiful, but then when you go inside, it opens up into a huge cathedral. Everything is light, and it's one of those places where you can truly feel God all around you. This was definitely a mountain-top experience for me.

#3 The City itself: I felt completely myself in Barcelona. I fit in so well with the people in the culture. Seriously, if I had a city (other than Cambridge) in Europe to describe me, it would be Barcelona. It's such an eclectic mix of beautiful culture, street art, parks, flowers, and beach. So it is absolutely perfect. The food, the people, all of it. I just absolutely loved loved loved Barcelona. Here are a few pictures of the city.

I'm finishing this blog on my last day in Cambridge. My next blog will be my last of the European adventure-- a summary of all I've learned, how I've grown and changed, and the overall experience. I'm really not prepared emotionally to reflect yet, because I'm not even prepared emotionally to leave. So to give myself more time to dwell in Cambridge-mindset, I'm going to write the last passage back in the States. xx.

More later, love for now, Tess

Journeys.

This weekend, my main task was to read "Radical Hope: Ethics in the face of Cultural devastation" and write papers on ethics and Winston Churchill (A man who is an incredible demonstration of the human personality)

As I do all of this, I find myself in a state of introspection. The question for my philosophy paper I had to answer, "What ought I to do" is one that philosophers have been trying to answer since the time of Aristotle. And while I like the answer I have composed to my paper, it left me thinking about how much a product of my family's culture I am.

Which made me think about the things that really are important in life. And they aren't this computer I'm typing on, or the clothes I'm wearing, or even this paper I am writing. It's the conversations. The moments spent with people I love. The experiences.

This trip has opened my eyes to the reality of my own personal situation. It has opened my eyes to the idea that there are very different ways of living, outside of the one I pursue in Columbus, OH.

Take, for instance, life here in Cambridge. It's a quaint life. We don't have wireless, there isn't a television, you walk wherever you need to go, and moments of stress are handled through conversation and a cup of tea. And this is spectacular.

Wireless isn't a necessity because everything you can do with it you can do with an ethernet cord. Televisions aren't necessary because you spend time with friends deep in conversation, running outside, enjoying the sun or reading books. And the conversation I was talking about? Incredible. There is a standard of respect here that doesn't exist in the states. You listen to what other have to say. You articulate your words. You aren't so hurried ever that there isn't time for a proper cup of tea or coffee.

I have eliminated the rush in my life. There is an endless amount of time simply because I am no longer wasting it. I don't sit for hours on facebook or twitter, and I'm not wasting time on hulu. I'm reading books, I'm opening my eyes to the beauty all around me. Beauty that is existent outside of the UK, it's all over the world. As long as I am looking for it.

I have new passions. New loves. New desires. New friendships. The UK has been a life-changing process. I've altered my routines. I've changed the way I think about time, and I'm better for it.

Americans live to work. Europeans work to live. It's a truth that I learned about in sociology last winter, but I don't think I ever really believed. Here's to hoping I live as a European for the rest of my life.

Ask questions. Expect answers. Have conversation. Turn the television off, completely off just for one day. Go a day without access to a computer. Forget unlimited texting, and have real conversations. These are goals I'm setting for myself when I return to the States, and I hope that the laid-back lifestyle I currently inhabit is one that I live forever. Try it yourself. You  might just be surprised.

I'm glad that my journey here in Cambridge hasn't come to an end yet, but I would be lying if I said I weren't dreading that day, 13 days from now, when I will be on an 11 hour journey home. But the truth is, that isn't the end of the journey. There are no endings in life. There are no new beginnings. There is just life. There are days, there are journeys. And from here on, I want to keep my eyes open to these journeys, and thankful for every single moment.

More later, love for now, Tess.

Political Action... my thoughts on the UK riots

In response to the many riots going on throughout the UK right now:

First: To anyone back home who is worried. The main riots were contained to London, and they brought in over 16,000 police officers from surrounding cities and counties to help with the situation. Last night the riots in London calmed down, at the expense of violence spreading to cities across the UK. So far, riots have been reported in Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham suburbs of London, and even here at Cambridge. Cambridge has only experienced one minor incident, in which 30-40 people protested; only 5 of whom became violent and were promptly arrested. Advice from the University is to use vigilance and travel in groups by night. During the day there aren't riots in any of the cities. Parliament, who was on summer holiday, was recalled yesterday by the Prime Minister, and the government has devised a plan to fight back against the rioters.

 "This continued violence is simply not acceptable, and it will be stopped. We will not put up with this in our country. We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets." --David Cameron

For those who haven't paid much attention, the riots started in response to a man being murdered by the police in one of the worst parts of London, Tottenham. The protest began peacefully, with around 300 people gathering outside of the police station to demand justice on the part of the deceased. They were protesting, because he was shot after an apparent exchange of fire.

A note: Guns are completely illegal in the UK. You cannot own a gun. You cannot carry pepper spray. You just can't do it. And there isn't a need, because the statistics of violent assaults are incredibly low. The biggest crime risk you face here is most often a pickpocket. This isn't to say that there aren't pockets and incidences of violence, but overall, the rates of violent crime in the UK are much lower than in the US (which says something for gun control laws, I'm just saying). Typical police officers don't even carry guns. So the fact that this man was killed in an exchange of gunfire is a serious matter.

Moving on. After about three hours of peaceful protest Saturday night, the violence that has encompassed the country for days began with the throwing of bottles at the police. Then the lighting of a patrol car. Then a bus. Looting begins that very night.

The next night? Same thing. Minus the peaceful protest. Looting. Rioting. Fires. All across London. To me, it seems as if the original goal of obtaining justice for the man who died has disseminated into a battle between mindless, looting citizens and the police trying to attain some level of control.

Which brings me to my main point. I believe that we each have a right to speak out and say when we think something in the political or governmental processes is injust. I will fight to the end for each person's civil right to freedom of speech. To freedom to gather peacefully. In the UK, they have similar rights. The police allowed the peaceful protest, and only stepped in once it became violent.

It's the violence and mindless looting I take issue with. At this point, I feel like the point has been lost, and it's nothing more than robbery.

Those seeking desperately for a "reason" behind the riots have cited a desire for equality in government programs. So seek that out. Protest. Make signs. Write members of parliament. I am flat out embarrassed to be part of a generation that uses violence and fires to make a "point," a point that is lost among 100 million Pounds (170 mill USD) worth of damage across a country.

Political action is important. Decisions are made by those who show up. Rioting, fires, and violent protests don't allow you to speak your mind, they simply get you thrown in jail. They cause monetary damage, damage to the spirits of cities and their citizens, and sadly, injury and loss of life.

That's the most shocking part to me. People are injured, People are dying. Houses and shops, entire livelihoods are being destroyed. And to what end?

My heart goes out the British Police, the parliament, and the country. Hoping the UK can get through this soon.

Paris and Brussels

Freshly back from the LONGEST travel week of my life. Note to self: Just because you have time for two trips to two countries during the same week does not mean that you should. Reason? I am EXHAUSTED~ hence the delayed blogging. Though I am sure you will all forgive me. Because, as you can imagine, the trips were both phenomenal.

Paris... where to begin? Should I tell you how much I love the city? The people? The atmosphere? Or maybe some anecdotal stories, like drinking wine from baby bottles, wading in the pool in downtown Paris, or sitting outside our bus because the driver left. There is so much to write, so here are the highlights.

Our trip started off much better travelling wise. With only one slight moment of panic, we all got on the bus, and we all made our overnight coach out of Victoria. Now it was time for an 8 hour bus ride. 8 hours. The exciting part? Halfway through the trip you get to cross the English Channel via Ferry Boat! Then into France, where you get new stamps on your passport!!!

So finally, we arrive at Paris. We get off the bus station, and into the metro. I have never smelled anything so awful in my life. I legitimately thought that I was going to vomit. As you can imagine, Paris, a huge city does not have the best smelling metro to begin with... and then add on the fact that it was summer. But, pretty soon the smell dissipated (or I became sensitized) and we were off the metro, on the way to our hotel. We got breakfast at an adorable cafe, and discovered the language barrier might be a little more difficult than we first anticipated. From here it was 2 straight days of go, go, go.

We did everything there is to do in Paris. Versailles, the louvre, tour Eiffel (night and day), Notre Dame, Moulin Rouge. It was all incredible. To spare you the reading of a enormous blog, I'll simply tell you about my favorite tourist attraction we saw:oh wait... I can't pick just one.

Versailles was beautiful. The palace is incredible, and thanks to Louis XIV for building it (even if his country was in complete revolution when he did). Keith and I toured the inside, while everyone else saw the inside and gardens. It was simply spectacular.


Next, on to the Eiffel Tower. We saw if by day, we saw it by night. AND, we went up inside of it!!! Which was really cool, and completely terrifying. If it weren't Paris, I probably would have kissed the ground I was so happy. The tower is beautiful as you can imagine (though more industrial looking than it looks from far away). It was absolutely stunning, and so gigantic. After we went up to the top, we waded through the wading pool nearby. A great relaxing experience for our very tired feet. Overall, the Tower was absolutely incredible. Seeing cities from the air provides an interesting view on society. You can see the beautiful Cathedrals (A sign of the Church's dominance in Europe throughout time) to mid evil and modern architecture, the suburbs, the slums, the posh neighborhoods. An aerial view provided me with an overwhelming feeling of just how blessed my life is, and just how small it is. Absolutely phenomenal.

Also: A note on the World Expo. I really want to go to one. Many of the structures that we see as tourists (the atomium I'll show below, the eiffel tower, the London Eye, the Seattle space needle). Anyway seeing them in their prime for what they were actually made for would be cool. World Fair is now added to the bucket list.

More of Paris. So we had to experience some true Parisian culture, right? Outside of tourism. So we headed down to Moulin Rouge (which is really cool and I now need to see the movie). And we went to a restaurant that Sally's sister recommended. This was perhaps the coolest eating experience of my life, and I suggest that anyone who goes to Paris goes to Chez Les Fondus. It's this tiny little whole in the wall restaurant that serves cheese and meat fondue. We chose "Le fromage." And it was delicious. Bread, cheese, what more could I want? Oh, that's right, wine!! Which is served out of... get this... Baby Bottles!!! Incredible. Hilarious. Delicious. I can't even put it into words.

                      

So after the wine and the fondue, we ended up going home to the hotel to get started for the next day early. It was a GREAT day. We started early, at the Louvre. It was beautiful. Paintings I've never thought of seeing I got to see! Beautiful, beautiful stuff. And some stautes, like the ones below of Aphrodite, Cupid and Psyche. I loved the Louvre. Then, we went to Notre Dame. I think it's the most beautiful Cathedral I have seen yet. The architecture was stunning, and so many people were there! They were also giving service, and hearing the priest speak was wonderful.


Overall, I loved Paris. I loved the food, I loved the culture, I loved the people. It was amazing. So my new goal, well at least one of them in my quest to become more cultured, is to learn fFrench. I love Spanish, but the thing about French is how elegant it is. It's absolutely beautiful, and I really really want to learn it.





Now, onto Brussels. I didn't have class this week, and so my friend Keith and I decided to go to Brussels, Belgium. We took another overnight bus, and got there by 8:30 in the morning. Brussels is a beautiful small city where they speak: Dutch, French, and (ready) English!! People asked us for directions like 11 times. Apparently we just look like locals wherever we go.

The people in Brussels are SO kind. And they have a lot of French fries. Main tourist attraction? The Mannekin Pis. It's a statue of a little boy peeing. The legend goes that the mayor of the city tried to blow it up. He lined the whole block with dynamite, and then it was supposed to, you know, go KABOOM. Well, the wind changed, and the Mannekin Pis statue peed on the gun powder, saving the city. So, there are magnets, snow globes, fake statues, all the you could want.

Also in Belgium: Belgian Waffles. Ice Cream. Chocolat. Basically, I was in food heaven. SO great!!! I think what I loved most about Belgium was just the small-town atmosphere, even though Brussels is actually a pretty big city. It's also the home to the European Parliament. Which is gorgeous. I have a newfound respect for the European Union because of my History course on Modern Europe. What most impresses me is that they were able to take a continent that has been fighting for centuries (particularly horribly during the first half of the 20th century) and the leaders have created a society where the countries have been living in relative peace for over 60 years. I think that was the higlight of the trip for me.

We also went up into the Atomium, which is a giant structure of the Iron molecule. Humongous. You can go up inside of it and see the whole city of Brussels, and further out into Belgium. So gorgeous. We also went and saw a statue of Winston Churchill (my homeboy/favorite history figure). And we ate at Chi-Chi's! The former American Tex/Mex restaurant. It was SO good!!!! Overall, a great trip. I would love to go back some time, just because the atmosphere and people were so great.

Which brings me to my last point, which is really an overall thinking about Europe. The atmosphere, culture, and people.


Taking things slow. Breathing in the atmosphere, the cool wind from outside my window. Taking time to read books, look at the River Cam, walk through centuries-old buildings. Taking time to feel blessed, to be where I am and who I am. Taking time to remember that experiences like these are once in a lifetime, my lifetime. Taking time to remember to bring this attitude home with me, and live the simplistic life of Cambridge, England, for the rest of my life.

More later, love for now, Tess.

Trains are not adequate forms of travel

Hello World!

It's kind of a funny story. And I would, should you permit me, like to share it with you. Yesterday morning, at 7:30 AM, six of us PKP-ers ventured out into the world of Great Britain. Our mission was simple: Go and meet Jane Austen in Bath, and then see the aliens at Stonehenge. We purchased our tickets on Tuesday, and were completely ready to see the beautiful countryside of England. Cut to last night: It was 4 am, I was sitting in my room, finally ready to sleep after a long journey, and I see the sun starting to rise. Needless to say, it was an incrtedible day. One that I'm sure none of us will not soon forget.

The beginning of our travels was quite successful. I somehow managed to wake up at 7:00 am (it's a complete mystery how I did it) and stumbled over to 1 Fitzwilliam Street, before boarding a train to London. Which was fantastic, because I got a nap in. Now I'm ready to face the day. We get to London with 1 hour to get from King's Cross Station to Paddington. Normally this would not be an issue, however the Circle line on the Tube was closed. Thanks to our savvy knowledge of the London Underground, we knew to take the Picadilly line to Picadilly Circus, and then transfer to the Bakerloo line to get to Paddington Station. Well, 6 people walking through a train terminal to buy tube tickets equates to a lot of fumbling and slow moving. And this roundabout way to get to the station means that we missed our first train. By 30 seconds. Which is fine, because we do some quick problem solving, and find tickets to Bath on the next train, leaving us an hour to get some delicious sandwiches (Toasted Baguette with tomato and cheese) and bagels for everyone else.

We board the train. An hour and half, two sudokus, and the ending to one book later, we arrive in Bath.

Immediately we are so thrilled to be there. It is strikingly beautiful, and there are so many great sights. Bath was home to Jane Austen, the Northanger Abbey, and the Roman Baths (Natural springs where the Romans used to retreat to to rest and relax). We explore the city some, take some incredible photos. We are loving Bath. Even I, who had previously no interest in the city, was so happy to be there. I never realized how gorgeus English towns could be.

We have around 2 hours, so everyone gets as many sights in as we can. I cared mostly of the abbey, and really nothing else. We went in, and it was incredible. It was constructed in 1634, but it stands on soil occupied by a church the Romans built around 634 AD. Shockingly, it still stands today even though it was hit by a bomb during WWII. It wasn't reconstructed until 1991, but after it was it continued to be an operating Chapel and tourist attraction.

After the abbey, we went to Sally Lunn's. Sally Lunn's is a Tea House, the oldest in all of Bath. Sally Lunn was a french baker, and when she would serve cream tea (one of GB's greatest contributions to modern society) she would serve it with her own type of pastry: the Sally Lunn bun. We enjoyed cream tea (mine of course with coffee) and then found the bus to go to Stonehenge.

Short story of Stonehenge: It is absolutely gorgeous. Constructed WAY back in the day, we're talking King Arthur's time, the monumental rocks still stand today. From my limited understanding, they built the place as a worshipping ground to their Gods. It could also have served a scientific purpose to help find out when the seasons were changing. Some people may think it was aliens, considering the abnormally large amounts of crop circles in the area, but I think that our Ancestors were smart enough to build a temple from rocks, and be able to identify when the shortest day of the year was (Skeptics don't think too highly of the intellectual capabilities of the early Brits). Either way check out this site. It will help you form your own opinions.

Back to Bath: Dinner at an adorable pub to fortify our journey. Which is a good thing because it was an epic journey. I was thrilled because I finally got salad. Salad does not exist in this country, they simply don't eat it. So it was with jubilee that I ate my feta cheese salad and garlic bread.

Now I feel incredibly blessed that every travel I have taken so far has been a safe one. Travelling across Europe is never safe, particularly when you consider recent events in Norway. So I am so glad that we are all safe. And if you're going to be stuck on a train, I did it with the right people. Here's how it went. We were supposed to get on a train at 8:45 that would take us to London, where we would board a train at 11:00 to take us home to Cambridge by midnight. Well, we got on the train. We headed towards London. About half an hour in, we got stopped. Communications failures and power outages up the tracks that meant that everyone was stopped. After 1.5 hours of sitting here, just outside of Bath, we start moving. Back towards Bath. Past Bath. All the way to Bristol, which is on the far west side of England, almost all the way to Wales. When we arrive at Bristol, we transfer trains (grab some first class seats) and the train starts moving. Back to Bath. at 11:30, we get to Bath. Where we started. We spent three hours on a train and got exactly no where. But, to our surprise, we leave Bath, and start towards London. Now this was an experience.

We played MASH, ate cookies, told stories, and had, in my opinion, a very nice time. As you can see, in my MASH life, I got a few of my choices. Queen of England, a Voltzwagon Bug, living in Seattle, with my dog in a mansion. Not all were so lucky with their futures. But it provided a lot of laughs and made the best of a rough situation. At 1:30 AM, we finally arrive at London. We complain to the train operator, because we have no where to stay in London and were supposed to be warm in our beds in Cambridge, and they pay for the 6 of us plus one old man, Tony, to get back to Cambridge via taxi.

Now Cambridge is not close to London. It is actually another 2 hours away. This meant that upon our arrival at 3:30 AM in Cambridge, each taxi cost 250 pounds (this is more than $800 total for anyone keeping track). This was definite vindication to the train company. And it is how I witnessed my first british sunrise, at 4:45 AM after uploading photos to facebook and skyping my mom. Needless to say I didn't make it to London this morning at 8, which is mostly sad because now I don't get to eat Chipotle. All in all, I loved Bath, Stonehenge, and had an incredible train ride home. Times like these, I'm glad I find laughter to deal with my frustration in travelling.

And this morning, after reading CNN's article on 2 Bullet trains that collided because one was stopped because of a power outage, I feel particularly blessed to have woken up. Thankfullness from me, and prayers to the victims of the train wreck and Norwegian bombings.

More later, love for now, Tess.

Lazy Saturday. Translation: Catch up on Blogging.

Hello lovely followers!

It's a rainy day here in Cambridge, which means I slept in, got some delicious food with Keith, and am ready to blog!

First thing's first: Harry Potter was absolutely phenomenal. I saw it in 3D, and so I was expecting to really dread it, (not the plot, but the 3D) but it was incredible. They didn't try to make every single thing 3D, so it made it so the effects were really cool (my favorite, when Voldemort blew up at the end and Sally and I tried to catch the pieces).

Family photo on quiz night. Left to right: Keith, our squib, Alexa, our slytherin, Myself as Luna Lovegood, Sally as Ginny Weasley, Katie as Hermione, and Emily as I can't remember who!

Also: I am so glad that i found Harry Potter soulmates for this trip. We took the family photo above at quiz night! It's a really cool tradition here in GB. People go to pubs on quiz nights, create teams of 6, and compete for trivia. There's also a competition for the name, which is supposed to be punny and as sexual as possible. An example they gave us was: Quizzedinmypants, which I just thought was hilarious. We decided to make it HP themed though, so we went for "Quizzengamot." And we did excellently! For the most part. They told us it would all be about Harry Potter. And it was, until we got to the "Muggle Studies" category. Now the problem with this was that we were not prepared to answer questions on muggles! And considering we went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we didn't get any of the Muggle Studies questions right. So we ended up in 4th place (But we didn't miss a single HP question). So we got ice cream to eat our feelings.

Family photo on the hallowed grass: Sally, Alexa, Emily, Katie, Travis, Me.

On to Friday, another great night. We had our second formal dinner, this time at King's College. The dining hall is phenomenal. So beautiful, in fact, that it was the 1st choice as the Great Hall for HP. Cambridge turned them down, so the Great Hall in the movies is at Oxford. But ours is absolutely beautiful. The dinner was fabulous (my first time I've ever had risotto) and we got to walk on the grass at King's College!!! Now this may not seem like a big deal, but believe me, it is. The only people who get to walk on this grass are fellows of the University (or if you can convince a Fellow to walk with you). But our drinks were served on the grass! This equates to free wine and standing on holy ground. It was awesome.


After that, we went to Cambridge's most famous pub. The great thing about GB is that I can say my trip to a pub last night was educational and historical in nature! The pub was a favorite of European and American soldiers during WWII. The airmen took lighters, and made grafitti on the ceiling! It's still standing today. It's just yet another example of the intrinsic beauty in all of GB.

This leads nicely into my thoughtful points for today's blog: I am in love with Cambridge. I honestly have never felt like I fit in better in my life than here. I truely feel a sense of belonging. Now I know this is cliche, American girl travels and finds herself fitting in on the road and a sense of belonging in different cities across the nations, but it really is true. I like being what I've decided is a citizen of the world. Confining myself to one place would be a shame, simply because of all the cool things there are to learn and see outside of Mid-western Ohio. Just being in Cambridge places me amongst the top academically in the world, and it has been an institution of higher education since 1209. That's over 800 years, and almost 4 times as long as America has been around. Which I have to say is a pretty excellent opportunity. You can walk around town, not experiencing anything. You can go day to day not seeing the beauty and opportunities around you. Or you can take it in. You can open your eyes, ears, and yourself to learn from the environment, and every single person you run into.

"Where your treasure is, there also your heart will be" -JK Rowling.

More later, love for now, Tess