In a station of the metro: UCI edition

I leave Saturday. How can two months be almost gone? It feels like I just started classes at Cambridge. I don’t want my time in Europe and the Travel-Study program  to end, but part of me knows that to fully enjoy the opportunity, it has be finite. So I am sad that it is coming to an end, but happy that I was able to have this opportunity. For anybody thinking of doing one of the many UCI Travel-Study Program, please do. They don’t only go to Cambridge, and you do not have to be a student at UCI. I, for one, am not, and I have met many other students on the program both from other UCs and other universities. The Cambridge Travel-Study has been a fantastic experience.

I thought it would be appropriate to list everything that I have had the opportunity to participate in while on the program to a give an overview of how great of a time I have had:

·      Live on the medieval campus of Pembroke College, Cambridge to get the full experience of living in the United Kingdom.

·      Take classes at Pembroke College, Cambridge from professors from throughout the University of Cambridge.

·      Take a 5-day trip to the capitol of Scotland, Edinburgh. Along the way we stopped at one of the oldest castles in England—Richmond Castle—and on the way back we explored the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey. In Edinburgh we went on the Saints and Sinners Tower and to a traditional Scottish Kalee dance.

·      Hike the beautiful Scottish landscape—twice. I climbed Arthur’s Seat that overlooks all of Edinburgh, and hiked the legendary Scottish Highlands at Trossachs National Park.

·      Spend a weekend in London. The highlight of this was going to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater to see Hamlet. Other great things I did in London include seeing The British Museum, Sherlock Holmes “house”, The Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and strolling through beautiful Hyde Park.

·      A trip to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare’s hometown and a production of Macbeth at the famous Royal Shakespeare Company.

·      A trip with my Secret Intelligence class to The American World War 2 Cemetery, and Bletchley Park to see how Signals Intelligence helped shorten the Second World War.

·      A visit to all of the major colleges of Cambridge, including the famous Trinity, St. John, and Christ.

·      A walking tour with my class on Darwin to all of the Darwin sights in Cambridge.

·      Visits to the Zoological, Geological, Fitzwilliam, and Anthropology Museums.

·      Pool almost every night in the Junior Parlor.

·      Being shown around the great town of Cambridge by our Program Assistants.

·      Meeting some great new people and making friendships that will continue into the future.