Next stop, Cambridge

After little sleep and a difficult morning, all of us had checked out of our hotel and were loading our belongings onto the “Marshall” bus. We were to be dropped off at the appropriate train station after a brief detour to the U.S. Embassy.
 

At the embassy we were treated to American security measures, including no photographs or electronic devices, so again… no photos! Tea and coffee were provided, I opted for tea this time, and we had a nice reception with members of the embassy before hearing a speech from the U.S. ambassador to Britain. He gave us advice on living in Britain and our role as American representatives. A few more speakers spoke about the U.S. and their important relationship with Britain.
 

Leaving the embassy we were all very excited to get along to our universities, and for Cambridge students (the 7 of us) that meant being dropped off at King’s Cross station. I would hesitate to call myself the biggest fan of Harry Potter, and it took a reminder from a member of our group before I realized that King’s Cross is the station Harry Potter goes to when he leaves for school. This explained the numbers of tourists taking photos around the station. Since several aspects of Harry Potter were adapted from scenery and tradition at Cambridge, it seemed appropriate we were boarding a train to Cambridge from Platform 9 at King’s Cross (Harry boarded from Platform 9 and 3/4).
 

Upon arrival into Cambridge, a 2010 Marshall Scholar greeted us and helped us work our way into a Taxi to get to our respective colleges. I was temporarily staying at Fitzwilliam College for the week, because King’s College did not have my accommodation ready for me to move in. After moving into my temporary room, I set off to find the center of Cambridge. Instead, quickly found Fitzwilliam is very far from the Cambridge center, but around an hour of walking later I arrived outside of my college, King’s College.
 

King’s is undoubtedly the most iconic college at Cambridge. If you have ever seen a photo of “Cambridge” you are very likely looking at an aspect of King’s College. The college certainly lived up to the hype. As you can see from my photo (more will come later), the entrance alone is stunning. After 7 days of orientation events and travel I had finally arrived at Cambridge and could begin to relax, catch my breath, and explore my new home.
 

King's College entrance, chapel in the background