It is highly embarrassing that I have lived in Cambridge for over a year and have hardly ventured beyond the long main road to the train station. I have no doubt that Cambridge is an excellent place to live, but, once the eight weeks of term that are burdened with supervisions, essays and tears are over, all I want to do is go home. Being sucked into this bubble unarguably causes you not to see Cambridge for what it is: a city of beautiful old buildings and slow-walking tourists. So, both this year and last year, I took up the chance to help with the interviews over the Christmas vacation, in hopes of exploring Cambridge more (the money was definitely not my main reason).

“I’ve heard the UL is terrifying”

Last year was a Marmite situation. I hated being one of the only freshers still at college whilst all my friends either went home or were away having the time of their lives skiing. But, at the same time, I loved having the time to do what I wanted. I spent time perusing the market, finally appreciating the stalls I walk past nearly every day. I went Christmas shopping and made the most of all the sales. I tried Knoops for the first time (and have yet to try again, since my ‘hot’ chocolate was rather cold). I took myself out on solo dates, exploring food spots like Yori, which I had walked past many a time with my mouth watering. It was an excellent few days, except for the winter weather. This year, however, my plans were larger.

Now, this is shocking to say, and I am sure it will be equally as appalling to read, but in my time at Cambridge I have never been to 1) Kettle’s Yard, 2) The Fitzwilliam Museum, or 3) The University Library (gasp) – although, I’m not sure I’m missing out on much with the UL, I’ve heard it’s terrifying. But this was the perfect time to redeem myself! I spent a few hours exploring the UL’s exhibition on knowledge and translation, as well as venturing into the highly praised tea room. I also had a little browse of the books, but nothing too academic. My second stop was the Fitzwilliam Museum. Now, this did require me carving out at least half a day so I could enjoy the exhibitions in their full glory. It was difficult to work around my interview shifts, but I persevered. I must admit, my desire to visit the Fitz was brought on by their new exhibition on Davidsz de Heem, one of my favourite artists, rather than the museum itself, but I still think this counts! When I left the Fitz, feeling slightly hungry from the food on display in the ‘Picturing Excess’ exhibition, I realised my proximity to Hot Numbers, another yet-to-try spot, and thought it would be rude not to try. After guzzling a mighty stack of apple and gingerbread pancakes, I had an overwhelming sense of Christmas spirit, and felt more like a Cambridge tourist than a student who had lived here for over a year.

“There is an incomparable bliss that comes with getting to explore a bookshop without the feeling of an essay deadline looming over you”

The last destination to tackle was Kettle’s Yard. From friends who have engaged themselves more with what Cambridge has to offer than I have, I’ve heard Kettle’s Yard is relatively small, making it an easy one to tick off whilst battling the daunting task of packing up my room. Between the Fitz and Kettle’s Yard, I managed to see everything from illuminated medieval manuscripts all the way to modern art – talk about cultural immersion! As a cheeky stop on my way back to college for the last time this year, I treated myself to some time in Heffers. There is an incomparable bliss that comes with getting to explore a bookshop without the feeling of an essay deadline looming over you. Not only did I get to browse until my heart was content, but I even bought a book without an ounce of criticism in it – pure fiction was a sight I had hardly seen for eight weeks!

Although I was unable to escape the Cambridge bubble completely, (given the fact that I willingly chose to spend my extra weeks here surrounded by stressed-out Year 13s) my extra time exploring the city showed me that there is so much more to life here than just the University. Who knows, maybe I’ll carry this exploration into Lent and beyond, and by the time graduation comes around I'll be a seasoned professional in making the most of what Cambridge has to offer.