It may have been raining cats and dogs, and I may have only been in Cambridge for a couple of hours, but one thing was for certain, I was already in love with my new home. My semester abroad in England was already off to a smashing start, as my new friends here would say.

My fears of living in an entirely new country were overshadowed by the excitement and thrill of being in such a beautiful place. As I rode on the bus from Heathrow Airport to Cambridge, I was in awe of the vast countryside on each side of the highway. After arriving in Cambridge and hauling all my luggage into a taxi, I couldn’t help but stare in amazement at all the beautiful buildings and cathedrals as we drove towards the Valparaiso University Study Abroad Center – my home for the next four and a half months. I had been told Cambridge was a gorgeous city, but I couldn’t have even imagined it being this nice.

I’ve now been in Cambridge for a week and a half. Since then, I’ve managed to get a good feel for the city and learn my way around a good percentage of the area. With the Sir Isaac Newton’s pub just down the street from our house, I’m only a two minute walk away from being able to go buy a meal or a drink while conversing with the locals, or even being able to watch a football (or soccer as it’s known on our side of the pond) match in an enjoyable setting. Cambridge is host to countless other historic pubs, as well. And with the biggest grocery store in the area – Tesco’s – only being a ten minute bus ride away, it’s easy to find food and other necessities for reasonable prices. Also, our class schedule provides us with plenty of time to explore the city and travel around Europe on weekends. Classes start at around 9:15 every day and run until noon on Tuesday through Thursday, and 3:00 on Monday’s. I couldn’t pick a better schedule if I tried.

I wouldn’t have guessed that I would already feel so at home here just a week and a half into my stay, but so far I love it. I’ve already been around the city center of Cambridge countless times and even been to London for a weekend, all this is in just nine days. I can’t wait to see what I can do in four months!

Cheers!