I called home the other night, and everyone was asking what it's like in Canterbury.

Walking through City Centre is like walking into a fairytale. It reminds me of the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast (my favorite because it's a princess who reads!). I recalled that early scene when Belle is walking through town to the bookstore. Canterbury is a  beautiful blend of history and modernity. It has thrived through the centuries, so it has a quaint, traditional air without feeling decayed or outdated. It feels like you're visiting the past but not stepping back into it. There are old, brick shoppes and modern office buildings. The streets and sidewalks are cobblestoned but bustle with cars and buses.

It's actually a lot like Columbia as a small, student city. Because it has so many schools and universities (University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, King's School - to name a few), it imitates the large city vibe with lots of pedestrians walking everywhere, buses and taxis always transporting, and two trains going in and out all day. Most of the inhabitants are students or families.

As a university city, a large portion of the population is international. It's England, but there are many visitors from all over the world. Some study for just a few weeks, some for years, and some to live here permanently. People ask me about hearing the British accent, but I hear foreign tongues and global accents just as much. There are shops and cafes advertising cultural shops advertising British paraphernalia and cuisine, but there are also Thai groceries, American candies, and French boutiques.

Walking through City Centre is like the "little town" Belle sings about, but they also have Westgate Gardens, which feel like a fairytale in a very different way. There are large willow trees, a river, bridges, outlooks, and rock walls. It's a little oasis from city life with the fresh feeling of autumn as school begins