Hello hello!
It’s hard to believe this, but today marks my last week in Cambridge as a visiting student. A week from today, I will have taken my philosophy of mind exam, written up dissertation, and packed my bags. This term has flown by, and I don’t want to think about how soon next week will come.
But, anyway, this past week and a half has been extremely busy! My brother came to visit me for Thanksgiving, and we spent four lovely days exploring Cambridge/London (including watching Phantom of the Opera on West End), stuffing our faces with all the Indian food we could find, and spending quality time together. I even was able to take him to a formal hall, which was great fun!! On top of all this, London is magical this time of year, and it’s extra special to be with people you love.
London showing how the holiday season should be done!
Phantom of the Opera!
I’ve also had a busy week in terms of rowing. Last Saturday, our crew had our first novices regatta! We raced alongside crews from other colleges, and we ended up making it made it to the quarter-finals!
An early morning on the River Cam
And finally, yesterday was the final race of term. Called the Fairbairns Cup, it’s hosted by Jesus College at the University of Cambridge. It was a total distance of 2700 m, and as a coxswain, before the race, I came up with a race plan to split the course into five sections. My boat was incredible. We ended up placing fourth in our division, and words cannot describe how proud I am of them. We’ve come so far – from early morning practices, all the hard work and dedication has paid off. On the way back from the race (the final time we were all together as a boat), we sang Christmas songs and selections from the Sound of Music. I’m smiling thinking about it now. It was just good vibes and good rowing. I’m going to miss the sunrises over the River Cam and my teammates. They made my Cambridge experience as magical as it was.
My beautiful team and coach (whose shoulders I’m on) in front of the Pembroke College Boat House.
Now that my activities are winding down, I’ve shifted my focus solely to academics. As mentioned earlier, my exam is next week and my dissertation is also due then! I’ve been progressing steadily.
This week has been one full of lasts. Last rowing practice, last formal hall (which was Christmas themed!), last time seeing some of my British friends. It’s been extremely bittersweet, and I’m already dreading the day I have to say goodbye to Cambridge (and Pembroke College specifically). I wouldn’t trade my experience studying abroad for anything in the world. I’ve learned so much about myself, grown tremendously, and overall, become a more confident person (as cliche as this sounds, it’s true). I’ve made friendships that I know will last a lifetime, and I am so grateful. I’m getting quite sentimental, but I promise I’ll save that for my post next week – the last week of Cambridge, 2019.
I need time to slow down,
Shreya