Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Looking back on our trip, I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience unlike any other I ever expect to have. Scotland turned out to be a country not only of adventure, but of unbelievable beauty. I had the time of my life, and I'm actually surprised that since I had so much fun, I learned a lot as well! (Yesterday I was talking to my dad about our trip, and just started rattling off historical facts. Go me!)

And the people that joined me on this trip were priceless. I think that with a different group, it could have been so much different, but we all bonded almost immediately, and we all found about thirteen new friends that will hopefully last.

All in all, I can barely find the words to express how much this trip means to me. Dr. Rushing and Dr. Bender were absolute saints for making this trip available to us, and I can't thank Maggie from CCSA enough for letting us go.


A few pictures of our group:

I'm finally home! After one final celebration and some teary goodbyes, I'm back in my home, ready to sleep for what, I hope, will feel like years.

Our plane left at 12:30 from Edinburgh. I have to admit, I was dead asleep before we even took off. After leanding in Amsterdam, we had a few moments of confusion when it seemed our next flight was leaving in a mere twenty minutes, but it turned out that we had two hours. Our flight from Amsterdam was nine hours, I think. There was a German family sitting in front of me that was awful. They kept turning around to stare and Anne and I, but they wouldn't look away if you caught them, they'd just keep staring. It was weird. And the son, who was probably around twelve or thirteen, had some anger issues. He'd get up randomly and hit his mom, or stare his dad in the face, like it was funny. ..it wasn't. I was glad when we landed in Atlanta.

I was prepared for customs to be a nightmare, but it was alright. After we got all the way through the airport, we took a van to Chattanooga, where my parents picked me up, and we went to a hotel a few minutes away.


Monday, July 5, 2010

Our last few days in Scotland have been great. The last thing on my bucket list to do while I was here? Have a kebab. No, it's not an American kebab, but more like a wrap, with some sort of chili sauce and some sort of garlic sauce.. I'm still trying to figure those out.

And I succeeded! Although it wasn't exactly appetizing, I can understand why the kebab stands are the only things still open at 2 A.M.; they're definite last night snacks. I'm not really that mad it didn't taste good. It's just something I had to check off my list.

Taking a step away from the main focus of my journeys, which has been what I'm doing on a day to day basis, and what I think of it, I have a question: Why in the world doesn't the US have a train system?!


Really. Trains play a huge part in commuting for a lot of countries, including the one I'm in now. I understand that America is larger than most of these, but it's terribly efficient, and I bet it's cutting down in the use of fuel, too.


Someone in our government, please look into this.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Inverness was really wonderful, even if the weather was crazy. I guess to most Scots that's normal weather, hot one minute, pouring the next, rainy for an hour, and back to beautiful. I do love the weather, even though I complain about it quite a bit. When you're somewhere this beautiful, it doesn't matter if it's cloudy.

While there, we went to the Culloden Battlefield and took a tour of Loch Ness(although none of us quite spotted Nessy). Loch Ness was beautiful, and huge, which I wasn't expecting. Our tour guide said that every person alive today could fit into Loch Ness, three times over. Plus, it's freshwater- the largest quantity in England and Wales combined. Impressive, yeah?

I'm glad to be back in Edinburgh, though. I was hoping Inverness would be smaller, like St. Andrews or Fort William, and I was surprised when it turned out to be such a large, and rather new looking, city. It didn't hold as much history as Edinburgh seems to, but in the end, that was fine.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

I'm in Inverness! Rather than tell all my stories in our entry, however, I'd rather give a few warnings to those who travel abroad.


1. Don't always listen to your bus driver.. especially if you notice that he can't drive well. He's probably new.


2. DON'T rely on the internet for Hostels. Instead, ask the travel info center for ideas, and look for a close, inexpensive, and safe hostel. (Turns out ours is about a thirty minute walk, when the internet said ten.)


3. Make plans! Don't think you can just arrive and decide what to do once you get there. Arrange beforehand for everything you want to do.


4. Bring snacks, everywhere you go. It'll save money, and time.


5. And a few things to think about in Scotland: Don't mimic their accent, you'll get stares. Never say "fannypack".. it's bum bag. Prepare for wind and rain, but also have lighter clothes; the weather is often crazy. Don't try to dress cute. For one, their don't have the same fashion sense as we Americans, and two, you'll regret it after walking four miles a day.


Cheers..?

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Although the rest of the group said climbing up Arthur's seat would be easy, it wasn't! But the views from the top were spectacular, and I was excited when we found the ruins of an old abbey, and a lake practically bursting at the seams with swans. It was rather beautiful, but I should expect this of Scotland by now, shouldn't I?

And I have finally found a Scot worth writing about. I swear, our waiter at Garfunkel's restaurant is just adorable. He's so happy and peppy, I've been back twice just to see him! I'm quite smitten.
Today's our lat day in Edinburgh before we head into our final weekend, which I, and most of the class, will be spending in Inverness. It's much farther north, and I'm very excited to be in the Highlands again! And for the first time since we've been here, we're experiencing real Scottish weather- cold, rain, and wind. Even in the rain, I still love being here.

As our trip winds down, the list of things I want to do grows longer. I'm not homesick, or even remotely ready to go home(although I'd definitely have to get a job in order to stay..) and I'm pretty sure that if I could live in St. Andrews or Fort William, I would, in a heart beat.

Today we're having a final class session, and this morning I've already shipped a few things back home, visited the Surgeon's Museum, and made a real Scottish friend! Her name is Mary, and she's a 72 year old women that grew up in Oban, but now lives in Edinburgh with her son. We rode the bus together.. and I'm pretty sure she told me her whole life story(but I only understand about 60%..).

Hopefully this afternoon I'll be able to hike up Arthur's Seat, despite the rain.