More Reflections, St John's College, & a Relaxing Sunday
I'm unsure what to do with my extra time. I've mentioned this before, but I feel like every day I should be doing or seeing something here in Cambridge. I do think this is really important because I don't want to look back on my time here and feel like all I did was sit in my room. And it seems like I've been doing that a lot lately and it bums me out. At the same time, though, I've also done a lot in the short time I've been here. Right now I'm just feeling... bored, but also lazy. I think there a few reasons for this. 1) I'm missing home and feeling lonely. 2) I don't have anyone to do these things with and I'm tired of doing things alone. 3) The weather has been depressing lately--cold, cloudy, rainy, and generally unsummer-like, and I'm so wanting and really needing an 80 degree cloudless, sunshiny day. And yes, I know that it's England I should've been expecting this!
So the next step would be to see things outside of Cambridge. This is more of a challenge because it means I have to do a lot more planning ahead and travel in ways that I'm unfamiliar (i.e. trains and buses). Carrie said I should get to Ely, Bury St. Edmund's, Birmingham, and Felixstowe (which is on the coast) and all of these places are really within a short ride from Cambridge and easily done--it's just a matter of me taking the initiative to do it. Ian is also continually telling me that I need to go to London and I will get there and to all of these places! Yesterday Carrie also mentioned that I should go to Paris and I know I should. Again, it's one of those things that I know I'll regret if I don't do it. Ya know, "Oh, I was right there... Why didn't I go?!" It's so close and I would love to see what I saw before while in Paris, but appreciate it this time around. I feel like I have time to think about it, but I'm also really aware that I literally only have 5 more weekends to really do something like that.
The good news is that on Thursday John and I are traveling to Oxford to talk to the person who is his equivalent there. I'm hoping it works out that I can stay for a little while and explore and then venture home on my own via train or bus. Perhaps that'll warm me up to the transportation issue. I think Carrie's right that I just need to write in my planner what I'm going to do each weekend so that it's there in front of me, otherwise I'm afraid the time will pass me by.
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| St John's College |
So after my disaster of a day on Saturday, Sunday was better. I stopped by Patisserie Valerie (a French-inspired bakery) and picked out a delicious piece of double chocolate cake. I took the cake with me into St. John's College and spent some time in there. I wasn't sure if you could sit on the grounds by the river, but I did and no one told me not to. I watched people punting.
After I felt as though I had watched my fair share of punts pass by, I went to Jesus Green and sat for probably four hours reading Pillars of the Earth. The sun was out sporadically and when it was, it was lovely. I people watched there and deeply appreciated the game of football (soccer) being played, the kites flying above me, and the couples making out around me. I was planning on going to Evensong at St. John's, but I forgot my phone and had no idea what time it was.
Yesterday (Bank Holiday/Memorial Day) mostly involved the aforementioned boredom in my bedroom and general laziness. The plan was to go to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, but they aren't open on Sundays and Mondays. At about 4:30 I had the brilliant and appropriate idea of going to the American Cemetery, which is right outside of Cambridge. Unfortunately they closed at 5:00 and I was very sad that I didn't think of it earlier, because Carrie said they probably had a service since it was Memorial Day. It would've been a great day to go. It's now on my list of places to get to.
So I guess that's it for now. I need to motivate myself better and have a more positive outlook. I guess the homesickness is hitting me; I've actually even said out loud that I'm ready to be home, which I think is only partly true. Maybe it's just a slump that I'll get out of. I better!
Yesterday (Bank Holiday/Memorial Day) mostly involved the aforementioned boredom in my bedroom and general laziness. The plan was to go to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, but they aren't open on Sundays and Mondays. At about 4:30 I had the brilliant and appropriate idea of going to the American Cemetery, which is right outside of Cambridge. Unfortunately they closed at 5:00 and I was very sad that I didn't think of it earlier, because Carrie said they probably had a service since it was Memorial Day. It would've been a great day to go. It's now on my list of places to get to.
So I guess that's it for now. I need to motivate myself better and have a more positive outlook. I guess the homesickness is hitting me; I've actually even said out loud that I'm ready to be home, which I think is only partly true. Maybe it's just a slump that I'll get out of. I better!