An American Cambridge

by sarahcoggrave

Winter’s cold embrace continued to stifle Boston on my second day in the city. With the ever-present threat of rain, a long walk to see Harvard University was not appealing. Instead I relented and bought a metro ticket to Cambridge.

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I imagine that this part of Boston looks enchanting in the summer.

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There was a certain charm even in winter, but the dull sky and dirty snow dampened things somewhat.

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All was very quiet – an occasional solitary student and/or dog walker aside, I was alone in exploring the grand university buildings. Certainly reminded me of my own university experience back in the original, British Cambridge – a sense of being overwhelmed by a towering history of academic excellence….and, as a result, feeling rather out of place.

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Not everyone who attends a top university becomes placque material. I’m proof of that! Moving on…

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There is certainly a magic in being surrounded by old, grand buildings; imagining seeking refuge in immense libraries – top academic institutions invariably have spectacular libraries.

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And bookshops. I wish I’d sought out more bookshops and libraries on my trip.

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Still, unlike Cambridge back home, its American namesake lacked the same Harry Potter-esque wonder. It’s a ‘newer’ university (although still ‘old’ compared to most) for one thing.

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Finding little reason to stay any longer in snowy Cambridge, I returned to the subway station. From there I made for Bunker Hill, getting rather disoriented after alighting at a rather grim stop near a huge bridge.

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Ironically the biggest highlight of my morning involved finding a supermarket and buying food. After surviving on mainly bread, cheese, yoghurt and chocolate throughout the trip (and sometimes stranger things in Japan), it was wonderful to finally have some choice and familiar staples to eat.

Boston was quickly aligning itself with Chicago in my mind. Both places, with their freezing temperatures and truly rotten weather, were making it challenging to enjoy the end of my travelling experience.

After visiting so many spectacular, inspiring places, and experiencing moments of true bliss and contentment, it seemed a pity to approach the end of the journey on such a cold note. On the other hand, this made the prospect of going home much more appealing than it had been earlier on. After all, travel can’t all be glossy Instagram-able glory – some of it is just a lot of trudging around in the rain, trying to figure out what to do. In this sense I’m glad I never spent too long in one place…

See also:

Boston’s Icy Welcome

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum And Other Adventures In Boston

America

Europe

Japan