Living in Cambridge this past month has been incredible. I’ve fallen in love with England and dread heading back home in a week. Like most students who study abroad, I resent the quick passage of time.
I’ve decided to compile a list of everything I will miss about Cambridge, England.
1. Cute, adorable accents. British people say words like “queue,” “cheerio” and “fancy.”
2. The most amazing crepes ever. I swear, Nutella is different in Europe.
3. The croissants may be even better.
4. Tea. Every flavor of tea imaginable.
5. Healthy to-go lunch places. Picture Panera, but cheaper and more plentiful. And these are available on every street corner.
6. My dorm has maid service. A woman gives me new towels every single day, takes out my trash and changes my sheets every Friday.
7. All Cambridge dorm rooms are singles. Step up your game, William and Mary.
8. Every night of the week is an acceptable night to go out. Clubs have themed nights every single day. It is going to be a rough adjustment to nightlife at the College.
9. You’re not really expected to tip in England. In fact, most waitresses and waiters admit that most of the tipping they receive is from American tourists who do not know any better. This saves a lot of money when eating out!
10. The beautiful architecture. Everything is old and beautiful and filled with so much history. It’s like Williamsburg on steroids.
But let’s be honest; I do miss home. While my time here has been perfect, there are a few “luxuries” I miss about the United States.
1. Ice. Surprisingly, ice isn’t a big thing here. Coming across ice is like winning the lottery. All the drinks are just “cold” which really means “lukewarm.” While you may believe I am being dramatic, I really miss ice.
2. Garbage cans on every corner. It’s still so shocking and puzzling to me that for such a clean country, there are barely any garbage cans. It’s surprising that America has garbage cans on every corner and yet there is still so much trash and litter in many metropolitan areas.
3. Air conditioning and/or screens for the windows. My dorm has neither, and it’s been a long month of moths flying into my room and my cries for help in the hallway.
4. Chipotle. The Mexican fast food here is so disappointing.
5. Wearing work out clothes around town and not feeling inappropriate in comparison to all of the well-dressed British people.
6. Starbucks has a different menu here. There are no iced chai teas, green tea frappuccinos, cake pops, apple fritters, sweetened ice green teas or passion tea lemonades. To me, England’s Starbucks are irrelevant.
7. Brits love their potatoes, and while they are delicious, I miss dinner sides which aren’t a version of cooked potatoes. I’m craving some variety.
8. McDonalds is only open until 11 p.m. in Cambridge — except on Fridays and Saturdays when it’s open 24 hours. If people are going clubbing on Monday nights, McDonalds should be smart enough to cater to the demands of drunk eaters. Including me.
9. Most salads here don’t come with salad dressing. It’s truly one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever come across. I miss you, salad dressing.
10. WiFi. Oh, it’s been a struggle having to wait 4 hours until I get WiFi to post that Instagram photo. I miss you more than salad dressing, unlimited cellular data.
