Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung in Cambridge! At least it has for the past two days (hope I don't jinx it). The sun has been shining, the birds chirping, and of course the tourists have taken over the city centre. It is because of that very reason that i decided to accept my friend Borja's offer and joined him at his London flat for a Spanish themed brunch with plenty of paella and sangria to go around!

The train station was flocked with people coming in from London. I had to push and shove my way down the platform to catch my fairly empty train into London. The only downside with going to London on the weekends is that is when they do all the construction work on the Underground so it took me a bit longer than usual to make my way to Surrey Quays. It didn't even bother me that I had to walk further than usual because the closest stop was closed. I soaked up the sun as I slowly walked along the bank, admiring all the boats out on the water.

Spring is not only a glorious shift in the weather, but a daunting shift in the academic calendar. My remaining months here will be spent in the University Library. I had been to the UL before, but I had never actually checked out any books or attempted to study. Today I did just that, and let me tell you, I wouldn't have survived on my own. Luckily my friend Micah who is doing the same course as me is a UL expert so she showed me the basic ropes. You aren't allowed to take any bookbags or backpacks into the library (only the see-through grocery-type UL bags are allowed), so you have to store your belongings in the locker room. Since it was early in the morning there were plenty of spots in the Reading Room so I put my stuff down and then ventured to find the books I needed. I can't explain to you how the books are organized because it made absolutely no sense to me. I had to get three books that were written by the same author, on the same topic, yet they were not next to each other. One was in the North Wing while the other two were in the North Front. There aren't any lights in the stacks and the AC is on full blast to preserve the old books, so it creates an eerie feel as you wonder around trying to find what you need. Needless to say, I made it out alive though I am convinced that the UL is the perfect place for a murder because with all the dark nooks and corners, a body wouldn't be discovered for days.