On Saturday a group of friends and I made a trip to Cambridge; we didn’t really have a set plan or itinerary for the day which was nice because we could just explore the city without feeling rushed.
Getting to Cambridge was fairly easy and cheap; we took the train, so a group of four was able to get a deal for £7.60 round trip. When we arrived in Cambridge we met up with a bunch of other international students who planned to go punting (boating) in the river by Cambridge University. Because there were so many of us, we were able to get another deal for this activity and only paid £8.00.
Punting in the river that day was my favorite thing we did. We had a lovely tour guide named Joseph who told us all about the history of the architecture and fun facts about Cambridge University. The weather was perfect during our 45-minute tour and we were able to take loads of pictures and videos of the university. I would definitely recommend this activity if you’re ever in Cambridge because it was easy, relaxing and fun, and you learn new things about the city and university.
After we went punting, the big group of international students all separated and did their own thing for the rest of the day. My friends Jessica and Holly and I immediately stopped at the nearest place to eat lunch and we stuffed our faces. We went to Bill’s, a restaurant with a quirky, fun and warm atmosphere that serves great food for a reasonable price. Once we ate we spent the rest of the day walking around the city, admiring the architecture of the old buildings and looking at different shops and cafes. They had a small market in the middle of the city with several tents selling different kinds of food, jewelry and souvenirs. The three of us even bought Cambridge University sweatshirts because we just couldn’t resist.
We even had time to go inside St. Bene’t’s Church, the oldest building in Cambridge, to light a candle and say a little prayer. I loved spending the day in Cambridge with Jessica and Holly because it was so fun and relaxed. Having one main activity to do and using the rest of our time to explore at our own pace was really nice. The atmosphere was so peaceful and welcoming, so I would definitely recommend visiting Cambridge if you ever come to England.
When we decided to go home we walked back to the station and got on a train. However, the train we got on was the wrong one. We needed to get on a train that was going from Cambridge to King’s Cross, but had several stops along the way, one of them being in Hatfield, where we needed to get off. But we unknowingly got on a direct, nonstop train from Cambridge to King’s Cross, so we ended up in London by mistake. We then had to take another train from London to Hatfield, but this worked out in the end because, since the direct train was so quick, we ended up getting back home about 20 minutes earlier than we would have if we took the other train.
Although it was a little stressful, lesson learned: Use the National Rail app and make sure you get on the right train!
Daryn Codi Seeckts is studying public health, psychology and English under the interdisciplinary studies major. She is spending Fall semester at the University of Hertfordshire, England.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 
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