Some places stay with you long after you leave, shaping how you see the world. For me, Chapel Hill, North Carolina - where I went to college - is one of those places. I spent my most transformative years there, from 18 to 40, learning, exploring, creating, and building lifelong connections. It’s where I grew into the person I am today.
I didn’t just go to school there – after graduating I stayed for 18 more years and loved every moment. No matter what age I was, its creative, intellectual, and youthful energy kept me inspired and engaged.
So, when I arrived in Cambridge, England, it felt instantly familiar, like slipping on a favorite pair of worn-in jeans. The atmosphere, the energy, the curiosity in the air - all of it reminded me of what I loved about Chapel Hill. In many ways, it felt like coming home.
Yes, Cambridge is world-famous for its university, and for good reason. For over 800 years, it has shaped some of the world’s greatest minds - think Newton, Darwin, Oppenheimer, and Hawking. But Cambridge is so much more than an academic powerhouse. It’s a city bursting with history, charm, and culture.
Before it became a center of learning, Cambridge was already thriving. It began as a Roman settlement and grew into a bustling medieval market town, thanks in part to the River Cam, which shaped the city’s layout and growth. Today, its cobbled streets, ancient churches, and beautifully preserved buildings make history feel alive.
At the heart of the city is the university, with its 31 colleges, each with its own unique character and stunning architecture. King’s College Chapel, with its breathtaking vaulted ceiling, is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Trinity College, once home to Sir Isaac Newton, boasts the largest courtyard in Europe. And St. John’s College, with its elegant bridges and fairytale-like courtyards, feels like stepping into another world.
But Cambridge isn’t just about academia - it’s a city alive with culture. The Fitzwilliam Museum, often called a “mini British Museum,” holds treasures ranging from Egyptian mummies to works by Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet. The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology dives deep into human history, while the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences is a dream for fossil lovers.
Yet, what stood out to me most wasn’t the history or the architecture - it was the way Cambridge felt. There’s a unique energy here, a sense that ideas are always in motion, waiting to be explored.
Cambridge buzzes with youthful spirit - not just in age, but in attitude. Students fill the streets, heading to lectures, cafes, and libraries. Their conversations spill out into the air, filled with debate, curiosity, and ambition. They believe their ideas can change the world. And honestly? That energy is contagious.
You don’t have to be a student to feel it. Walk through Cambridge, and you can’t help but get swept up in its rhythm. The books displayed in shop windows, the steady hum of bicycles, the chatter from bustling cafes - it all sparks something inside you. It reminds you to stay curious, dream big, and revisit those ideas you may have set aside.
Before leaving Cambridge, Carla and I stopped at a tearoom for a late-afternoon drink and ended up next to a young woman who had just finished her Ph.D. She was equal parts excited and nervous as she talked about her next chapter. Her career was just beginning, and while my own career years are behind me, I couldn’t help but be swept up in her enthusiasm. That’s Cambridge for you - moments like that happen every day. It’s a place where people are always moving forward, chasing their dreams with purpose.
I’ll be 71 next week, but walking through Cambridge, I don’t feel my age. The city’s energy whispers that anything is possible. Here, age feels irrelevant. No one is stuck in the past; everyone is looking ahead, asking, “What’s Next?” Cambridge doesn’t make you feel like time is slipping away - it inspires you to keep moving forward.
Cambridge has a rare kind of magic - the kind that makes you believe the best is yet to come. And no matter your age, it leaves you wondering, What’s Next?
