Time Flies...

Well folks,

That's it. After 105 days, my study abroad experience is over, I can't believe what I've managed to do in that time. As cliche as it sounds I feel like it was only a few days ago when I first met Savannah and then the roommate I didn't know I was going to have, Anjali.

For the last week there, I worked on an 8-hour essay exam, and turned in a semester's worth of lab reports. The school aspect of me study abroad was a little too real with having to write final essays and work on projects. Anyway, I made it out more than alive :) 

The morning I left was quite an experience in itself, as I (idiotically) boarded the bus to take me to the airport I realized I didn't have enough money for both that ride, and the transfer so as I'm in tears from saying goodbye, the nice bus driver just waved me through. Then the bus, being just a little later than it should have, wasn't going to get me to the connecting bus in time. So I frantically asked the bus driver what his suggestion was, he kindly told me he would let me know which was the right one. When he indicated such, he got off of his seat and slipped the next bus' fare into my hands and wish me Merry Christmas, I could have cried! What a generous man :)

So I got through airport security and made it to London Heathrow without a hitch. I even had time to be offered a dessert wine sampling and a chance to try on as many perfumes as my nose would muster. Knowing my previous experience in Heathrow, where I missed my flight and lost my luggage back in September, I didn't have high expectations. The time was approaching 20 minutes until we were scheduled to depart the as I sat in the terminal waiting. Then the PA came on announcing some technical issues that the plane was having and finally after an hour of waiting, we boarded the plane. When I arrived in Chicago, I had missed my flight, but thank goodness for one last one that they had flying out that night. I befriended a girl going to Minneapolis and we figured that whole situation out together, which was a relief after being awake for 23 hours at that point.

All in all, at 11:50 PM I was lovingly welcomed by my family into the lovely state of Minnesota :) And since then I've begun to be reacquainted with those I missed the most, so much happiness at such a wonderful time of the year!

I just wanted to give a big shout out to all of the people who have supported me throughout this awesome experience, and to the lot of you who actually kept up with my blog, thank you. It's a great feeling knowing there's people who stand behind you.

As for now, I'm signing off. I might throw in another blog about readmission into the States, but we'll get to that later.

Thanks so much,
Emily :)

Last night in Aberdeen

Slumber Party!!!!

Last Weekend Trip: Edinburgh

Good Monday everyone!

Seeing as I have a paper to write, lab write ups to do, and an exam to study for within the next 7 days I thought the most important would be writing this blog- obviously.

We began our trip late on Friday night by train- in tow with me were my favorites, Anjali and Savannah, as well as my Mac in attempt to write my paper due at noon on Monday. Once I was able to tune out the drunk middle age women singing 'Blurred Lines', I actually got something accomplished.

For about a month I had tried to find people to Couchsurf with in Edinburgh, but it seems like the bigger the city, the less likely people are to respond, interesting huh? So basically we ended up in front of a hostel asking if they had room in their inn- thank goodness they did :) The bed I slept in there was a million times more comfortable than the one in my flat so that alone was worth the money!

The next day we got an early start and meandered around the city- walking through cemeteries, churches, and the castle like it was our business. By 10 that morning we had already gotten asked on two different occasions to be in people's photos haha!

I'm fairly certain we stopped in every tourist shop in hopes of finding those stereotypical gifts everyone seems to want. It was almost overwhelming how many shops had the same things, but my favorite item I kept seeing time and time again was the full length dress- clad with a kilt-like pattern and corset to match in classiness. If only I had 100 quid to dole out for that gem!

As we made our way down the Royal Mile we came across the Mercat Cross, which we found had a nasty history of blood and gore. Directly across from it was St. Giles Cathedral, a gorgeous place, it even had a thistle chapel, how cute :) On that road we hit Holyrood Palace, the Queen's residence for a week or so and then we began the trek to Arthur's Seat-which is basically a lovely view of the city from atop a hill. It had rained earlier that morning so we saw a number of people eat it including one man who I swear managed to keep his balance for 15 seconds until finally succumbing to gravity. The view from the top was marvelous, you could see in all directions. The only issue was the bloody wind. On multiple occasions I thought my mittens were gone for good, but my agility outperformed Mother Nature's evil ways haha!

Then we headed back to see the Christmas market, what a happy place! We all got a brat and it was absolutely delicious. There was soooo many people and vendors there, and mulled wine and hot toddies were literally everywhere- if only drinking was free... There was even a ferris wheel (which they call the big wheel), an ice rink, and a carousal.

We then headed over to The Elephant House- the place where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book. On that note, did you guys know that in the UK the first book is titled: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone? I thought that was crazy! Anyway, we had some lovely coffee there and the bathrooms were superb- they were filled with notes to J.K. about how much people love her books and of course there was just some funny themed comments :)

Miss Savannah had heard that it was a must to go on a ghost tour so we did entitled Ghost and Ghouls. It even took us down into some catacombs five stories underneath Edinburgh where body snatchers and illegal drinking occurred. If anyone knows how easily it is to scare me, let's just say that I was scared poopless at one point and I SWEAR that there was something tugging on the hood of my jacket. Good thing I have friends to scare me when there aren't ghosts to do such….

At that point our feet were practically numb so to dethaw we hit up The Elephant House again, but this time for dinner. I had a very Scottish dish of chili nachos, super delicious. And we even got talking with an old guy who told us a bit about his life- it's always neat to hear how people end up where they do.

We wandered some more and came across the Greyfriars Kirk- the grave yard where the famous puppy spent the last 14 years of his life sitting beside his master's grave. At this point it was quite dark and as we walked through the first gate to the cemetery some guy thought it would be a great idea to startle one of his friends- well he scared me instead!!! For the rest of the dark graveyard venture, I held my umbrella in hand just in case, but I'm pretty sure the only things I had to worry about were the two goons with me who thought it was HYSTERICAL to frighten me…figures.

Late that night we were wandering around when we stumbled across a jazz bar. There was a live funk band playing all night long and it was just great. Everyone was dancing around and the beat was just so catchy that you didn't want it to stop :)

The next day we were pretty beat so we did a bit of shopping and stumbled across 'The American Candy Shop'. I didn't think it would be that interesting to go inside to see candy I can see every day back home, but ohh my goodness, the prices they were charging for things was outrageous! My favorite was the Froot Loops for eight pounds, which transfers to $13- incredible! After looking at all of those candies it reminded me of this things I hadn't seen for a few months- funny how you don't often notice when something is gone until it reappears like that!

We went to go check out a group of monuments (or statues as Savannah calls them) and then took off to a pie shop to get some fine grub in our tummies. After consuming too many of those and getting crumbs EVERYWHERE we headed off to the National Museum of Scotland where, instead of actually looking at the museum itself, we played dress up with all of the mock clothes they had everywhere :) We got some pretty strange looks, but let's be honest, they were just jealous!

After having walked more miles than I care to determine, we headed back to the hostel to chill out until we had to take the bus home. On the way back to Aberdeen, a guy started talking to us because he realized we didn't have the typical Scottish accent. We explained our situation and he told us he was from Canada and was making a surprise visit to see his girlfriend. We finally arrived at Union Square at 3 AM he ended up walking back with us most of the way as we were trying to give him directions to his girlfriend's flat. You just never know who you'll meet in the world.

So that about sums it up. There were so many things we did that I'm sure I missed something, but I guess you'll have to talk about it with me if you want more details- you probably don't considering I'm the worst story teller on the planet, but anyway I'll be home in a week so start preparing your questions now ;)

Christmas Market!

Only in Scotland...

Edinburgh Castle

Playing Dress Up :)

Highland Games

Hello there!

Well see as I said I would write this last Sunday, it looks like I'm finally starting to get a bit lazy with these, good thing I only have 12 more days left here! Actually that's super sad just thinking about leaving- it seriously feels like I just got here...

Anyway, I've got to say, this past weekend was quite lovely! I was able to spend it with some of my favorite Scotland peeps in a cute lil bothy in the Highlands. A bothy is pretty much a hut where you can stay while mountaineering and whatnot so you don't have to drive in and out of civilization, which would be a huge pain because the drive is rough (more to come on that!) It was surprisingly cozy and even had a stove top, bathroom, and running water (although it needed to be boiled), and a seating area fit with a wood burning stove.

We began our journey on Saturday morning, and after two of the most carsick hours ever, we stammered out- a good third of our party looked pretty grim after that drive, thanks Charlie :S After settling in we took to the trail for a small hike before it got dark. Walking through the Highlands is just one of those experience you have to have for yourself- the landscape is absolutely breathtaking :) As we reached the point in which we were to turn around, the woodland opened up into a glacial valley, fit with a running waterfall directly across from us. I could have stayed there all day, it was just so majestic.

When we got back we kickstarted our Highland Games with a drink, McEwan's Scottish beer, very fitting for a visit in the Highlands! We split into two teams, the Sap Sucking Caber Tossers (that was my team) and The Scrumps. The night was a wonderful time filled with friendly rivalry consisting of lard tossing, wellie tossing, fitness test, a potato peeling content, and food competitions. Following that we had to, of course, have haggis and potatoes- a staple on all adventures. I definitely can't say that I was thinking I would have that much of it over here, but then again, things never cease to amaze me :)

Such a good time, and another one to come tonight for me, Edinburgh tonight woo hoo!!!! Until next time!

Me and the team :)

The gorgeous valley

I would kill to have a house here...

A Scotland Thanksgiving

Happy Belated Thanksgiving ya'll! Well, I'd say I have a lot to be thankful for, being able to live in Scotland for a few months, having a family who supports me in all I do, friends who are always there for me, a pretty neat boyfriend, and of course, my lovely readers (that's you :D)

I got real sad when the grand day approached, Thanksgiving is literally my favorite holiday because it isn't clouded by gifts and the true focus is togetherness. In a way, I was definitely lacking the togetherness piece over here: I mean the vast majority of my friends and family were back home, and it just doesn't feel right to miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and hear my family complain about not seeing enough of the floats ;) In a way though, it was really funny- I was messaging a friend from back home and she said it was better to celebrate Thanksgiving in Scotland because, 'At least they hate the English as much as the Pilgrams did!' How true indeed :D

So instead of doing anything traditional during the day, I got up at 8 to go to class and then I finished and turned in a paper. I thought I would treat myself and buy a mocha so I used my reusable mug, bought a small, and then received a large! Now that's the Thanksgiving spirit and they didn't even know it :)

Anyway, in preparation the six of us in our flat (all American except the lone Canadian- she celebrates Thanksgiving too, just in October!) gathered together what we saw most fitting for the occasion, and my oh my it twas a spread! Turkey breast loaf (our oven was too ghetto and probably too small to fit a whole turkey), gravy, vegetarian stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, mulled wine, and of course pumpkin pie.

We made the pumpkin pie the previous night, and in lieu in Crisco (because they don't have any over here…) we used lard. As repulsive as it was to deal with it at the time, it was probably the best pie crust I've ever eaten :)

The battle on Thursday was trying to time everything correctly. To give you a picture we have two small ovens, definitely inappropriate for making a classy meal like Thanksgiving. An added difficulty was the fact that we had class to work around- a couple of tutorials might have been skipped to make a grocery trip for crispy onions, but it was totally worth it! We had another individual, *cough* Anjali *cough* who found out while she was in class at 4 that it would be going until 6…the problem being that our food was all done at 5, whoops! With a little bit of rehydrating the food, and warming it up in the handy dandy microwave, I'd say we were all a force to be reckoned with (none of us had ever prepared such a feast!) I didn't even ruin the turkey- probably one of my proudest moments :)

In between checking the turkey and mashing the potatoes I was able to Skype with the fam for quite some time. It was an absolute day maker to be able to see them all- I don't remember the last time that happened all at once! Anjali came in for a while to talk with them too and it was fun to hear them joke back and forth- it was like they had known each other for years! I was lucky enough to talk to her family as well, they're great. As much of a bummer as it was to not spend Thanksgiving with my family, I wouldn't have had the experience of talking to both of our families on the same day if I had been back home.

As strange as it was to be celebrating with non-family members, it was really neat to see how we could all bring it together like that, and celebrate together in a country where such a holiday doesn't exist (side note: If you were wondering they have Christmas decorations and music up pretty much after Halloween, I even saw advertisements for reserving Christmas dinner in early October!)We were able to experience dealing with we had: bringing in mismatching chairs, attempting to find enough silver wear, and washing the dishes to reuse before eating pie. Anyway, we shared our traditions and appropriately finished the night singing both the Canadian and American National Anthems- so fun!

So until Sunday, I'll leave you with this!

Love you all,
Emily

This is what we cook on…somehow...

The Flats-giving :)

Life.

Hey everyone! You've succeeded in taking the views on my blog to over 1000- it's like I'm famous or something :D But seriously, thanks for reading, it means that someone beside me is getting something out of it!

This past week has been a fairly chill one. Seeing as papers are coming up, I thought maybe I should spend some time actually doing what I came here for. The stakes are a lot higher for individual projects, such as the essay I'm writing for 60% of my grade right now- I'm really glad we don't have that back home. Also, this is embarrassing, but it took me weeks to realize that when they say class starts at 10, it's actually 10:05. Good think I was thinking 5 minutes earlier, because I would have been late A LOT if that wasn't the case! Also, the first class in the morning is at 9, and everyone over here complains like the daylights about it. You people are wusses, just get up...

It amazes me that every day there is something new that I didn't know about the culture around here. Initially when getting here, I thought the UK was going to be the spitting image of the US, but I've been proven wrong many a times. Friday night Savannah and I ventured to the grocery store to pick up some things to make pumpkin rolls, one being shortening (we already had the pumpkin covered thanks to the lovely gift from mum- canned pumpkin is non-existent over here). We searched all over and finally tracked someone down to ask if they had any. He said he'd never heard of it before and he said how he thought it was crazy that there's an American food section in Tesco when our foods are so similar. Honestly, they're necessary. Needless to say, the only thing they have in comparison is lard…makes me cringe a little just typing that word, but it was worth getting :) After our trip there we headed to a place that I had been dying to get take-away from (that's right, not take-out). I got a doner kebab (basically a spicier and saltier gyro with a sweet chili sauce), which I heard is a staple in Scotland- although it appears to have Turkish origins. It was quite delish! The last bit of the night was a completely different cultural experience. Anjali's mum sent her henna (natural temporary dye for the skin) from India so we did some of that, I absolutely love that stuff!

Saturday was a filled with pumpkin pancakes and a trip to Union in attempt to hash out some essays. Since they don't have Caribou Coffee over here (I'm honestly going through withdrawals…), the next option was Starbucks. When I ordered a mocha they asked whether or not I wanted coffee in it, isn't that what a mocha is? So strange, oh, and they also sell minced pies- something one of the employees thought we must have back in America. Following that, Anjali, Savannah, and I went to go see Catching Fire in the cinema (not movie theatre, and it's a film not a movie tee hee). I thought that would be just like home, but I was wrong there as well. There was assigned seating as well as alcohol served in the theaters. The strangest thing though, were their adverts (not ads). Instead of starting 30 minutes before the movie showed it started when it said it said the movie would, and took up 30 minutes extra of our time. AND most of them were just commercials, not movie previews. It was even amazing how different the adverts are over here. I kept looking at the other two to try and figure out what it was trying to sell, but we couldn't figure it out. The movie was wonderful though! We rounded the night off in at our good friend Jess's birthday party. It was lovely time filled with mulled wine and cider, birthday cake, and amazing company. There I was surrounded by Germans, Scottish, English, Canadian, American, Irish, Welsh, and Italians (maybe even more cultures), it was amazing to have so much heritage in one small living room. I've really treasured my whole experience here, but that night was one where I really realized how fortunate I am to have a study abroad experience. You realize that everyone isn't as different from you as they may seem, and at the end of the day, people are just as curious about your culture as you are theirs.

Here's a few more things that are different between the cultures that I've noticed
- sledges instead of sleds
- splinter not sliver
- nobody (as in Americans and the rest of the world) understood the term 'flurry' in relation to snow
- porridge instead of oatmeal (also they have a 'honey' that resembles our syrup that they put over it)
- wellies not rainboots
- people from England pronounce plaid, 'played'…for real.
- 'oregano' is pronounced 'ore ah ghan oh'
- egg plant is aubergine
- candy is called sweets
- they don't say 'sidewalk', they just call it pavement
- paying for ketchup is common in fish and chip shops
- eggs are never refrigerated in stores (or homes for that matter)
- you pay more to sit down to eat/drink at a cafe than if you have it to-go
- sneezing into your arm doesn't exist here, they just go for the all disturbing hand sneeze
- also, nobody says 'bless you' if you sneeze and if you do say it they don't say 'thank you'
- speaking of 'bless': I forgot that there's an actual national church here, it's the Church of Scotland (or the Kirks)
- bars are only open here until midnight and clubs until 3 AM
- most people here smoke
- additionally, it's more common than not to roll your own cigarettes
- Westies are one of the most popular dogs to own around here- I'm not opposed :)
- 'Sorry' is the word to use when asking someone to repeat themselves
- instead of 'Salvation Army' or 'Goodwill' they call them 'Charity Shops' which often helps fund cancer related things
- there's only one fashion style here: classy (but then again you do have the few guys who walk around in all grey sweatsuits like it's their job…)
- I'm fairly certain I've consumed over my body weight in bread over here…whoops
- the UK (and probably others) think that it's cult-like to make kids recite the 'Pledge of Allegiance' in school
- I've gotten more comments on how awful my driver's license picture is over here by complete strangers than I wish to admit
- Minnesota has the same population as Scotland- I love this fact. Home sweet home.

I think that's about all I can think of for now. I hope you enjoyed the list, because I sure enjoyed discovering each and every one of them :)

Since I didn't have any specific pictures to include I thought I'd share one of the most Scottish foods I've bought. It literally makes me smile every time I grab the box :)

Canoeing Time!

Welcome back!

So a great adventure came up for me this weekend: camping and canoeing on the River Dee. We set out for an hour and a half trip south of Aberdeen to a site along the Cambus O' May suspension bridge late on Friday night. I seriously can't get over how great the names of towns and attractions are over here. Many of them are derived from the Gaelic (pronounced Gahlic to denote the Scottish version seeing as the typical pronunciation is Irish) word for them. For example the town where we ended our canoe trip was called Strathdee (Srath Dhé in Gaelic) means 'Deeside'-how clever! Sorry for the tangent, but anyway we ended up staying within the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park. We got a surprise visit as we were setting up out tent- across the river two people in high visibility jackets started shining their flashlights at us. Thinking we were for sure going to get kicked out, we packed up our tent and waited to be told that it wasn't a proper camping ground (it wasn't- a sign in the parking lot read 'No Overnight Parking'), but they never came. So…we pitched the tent again anyway and had a more than marvelous evening of potatoes and haggis on the stove. 

The next morning cocoa was made and put in a thermos, right before we set off, we thought we'd have some. All of us had been poured a cup, when someone decided to shake the thermos. Only then did we realize that it had broken and that shards of glass had been poured (and partially drank) in everyone's cups- and that marked the beginning of the trip haha. After that fiasco, we unloaded the canoes and proceeded to be given a lifejacket, helmet, and wetsuit. I literally thought they were crazy. Only about two hours later did I realize how vital all of that equipment was. We weren't taking just any casual trip down a river- we were whitewater canoeing (or I guess they call it Canadian canoeing). Savannah and I hit some rapids and began taking on water, then the big one hit- and the canoe capsized. As we both toppled in, our breaths were literally taken away by the cold. Gosh, it's a pretty weird feeling being numb while being pushed by the current. That combined with attempting to move a sixty pound canoe filled with water when you can't even touch the river bottom makes for an interesting time. Eventually, after the other canoe tipped and all four of us were in the water, we recovered the waterproof camera from the perilous current, we set out again. Mind you the wind after this point became unbearable, I'm not sure I've ever been that cold and numb in my entire life- whoops! The entire landscape was beautiful though. I don't think I could have picked a better way to witness the changing leaves across the expansive rolling hills!

All in all we paddled about fourteen miles that day. We waited for about two hours to be picked up and driven to our take-off point that morning. In the mean time, I took laps around the park to stay warm. I can only imagine how ridiculous a girl in a wetsuit and lifejacket looked running around a rural park. After it had become dark a lady came up to us who had parked in front of a local hotel. Hoping she was stopping over to bring us tea- she asked instead if we could help her carry barrels into her car. We obliged and after being questioned on our attire we told the lady our story of the day. When she came back for round two of the barrel transporting, she came with four beers and water and offered to make us food and tea to warm us up and thank us for our efforts. We declined the second portion, but the beer was mighty tasty. People can be so nice :)

After being picked up, we began traveling back to our site and soon found out a tire had gone flat on the car. So while the car was being fixed we walked toward our destination and came across a village. This village had made an old church interior into a garden- it was a beautiful idea. Finally, we ended up back in Aberdeen- safe, warm, and able to tell the tale!

Such a good time, talk to you all soon!

Me and my three mates before setting out for the day

Suspension bridge-I couldn't get enough of it!

Part of the scenery...

St. Andrews and Other Shenanigans

Hey there,

I've gotten a bit detained this week (or finally a little lazy in relation to blogging-I'm surprised it didn't happen before now!) But never fear, here's another one for your enjoyment…

About a week before the 5th of November I found out about this crazy holiday they have here in the UK: it's called Guy Fawkes Night. It celebrates the fact that Guy Fawkes, a man who attempted to blow up Parliament in the 1600s, failed to do such! Some traditions that come along with the holiday are a fireworks show and having a bonfire with an effigy of Guy Fawkes within it…a little cruel I'd say- even for a traitor! From the stories I've heard from my friends from the UK, it sounds like a lot of times they just burn a paper face of whomever they hate most at the time; to me it just sounds like a national holiday to be openly angry, which is okay I guess! The only part we celebrated that night was the fireworks, especially seeing as I come from Minnesota, we're too nice to hate on anyone ;) Anyway, the fireworks were beautiful, it was right on the beach and the rain even decided to hold off for us. We were able to get so close that we could see the firework sparks falling in front of us, a little bit different than the US restrictions I believe :) It was great to see all of the buzz around the city center after that- it really reminded me of the Holidazzle back home and instantly a cup of Caribou's coffee sounded so good.

This past weekend was filled with yet another trip, this time to the ever beautiful town of St. Andrews. We arrived there Friday night at the bus station and we decided we'd make a quick stop at the Tesco. On our way we saw three guys in suits and enough women adorning non-Primark wear to be able to see that our level of class was a bit below par here (get it- it's a golf reference…being in St. Andrews and all :D) Anyway, we met up with our Couchsurfing host and then pretty much called it a night. The following morning was an early start to see the sites (and tastes) of the town. We stopped in a bakery where we tried the popular UK treat: butteries. Needless to say, it tasted just like butter- so similar to a croissant, but even worse for you.

We headed off to venture around the town, really we had no idea where we were going- I have literally said that in every place I've visited in the last three months. It's a really liberating feeling, for all of my life I've had someone to guide me in the right direction- but here I've had no idea what I'm doing while I'm doing it. Mama, I'm growing up!

 …Anyway, we walked toward the cathedral ruins and although the 900 years of its existence really didn't preserve it well. We headed off toward the castle, which had less to see, but when you turned around the neighborhood was a delight! It was the old portion of the university and my oh my, what I would do to live in those dorms. It's crazy to think that Will and Kate met there- then again it was not too hard because my fellow travelers reminded me quite frequently of the royalty that St. Andrews had recently seen! Next up was visiting the Old Course- one of the most famous courses in the world. Little did I know that one of the weirdest pictures I took during the entire trip was on the stone bridge there- which I later realized was quite famous as well. Shows how much I know about the history of golf! Next to the course we came across a rugby game, something I hadn't had the chance to witness yet in Scotland. It was definitely worth seeing- especially after witnessing the two spectators wearing kilts and bearing pints in front of us- I don't think that situation could have gotten more stereotypical if it had been planned! Any way, we cut back and hit up a free whiskey tasting. Although we were sampling quality whiskies aged 10-12 years, I wouldn't have been able to tell if my life had depended upon it. The employees were explaining the tastes and delicacies of each one and all I could do was pucker up and nod- I don't think that's a taste I'll ever get used to!

That night we treated ourselves to a nice dinner, which marked my 4th taste of haggis- it's actually quite good when you don't think about what's in it :) And then we went out for a drink- and they even had a local cider on tap, it honestly tasted JUST like apple juice. I think that hard cider should definitely become a thing back in the states!

Sunday was the day of remembrance in Scotland and the three of us happened to stumble upon a memorial service. It was such a unique experience because we were able to see it through the eyes of the Scots. The processional itself was so traditional- about 20 men with bagpipes were playing, it was really powerful. We moved on to check out the East Sands and spent a good chunk of the morning and afternoon walking along the coastline. The beach is where you see the best of people- humans and puppies, young and old simply enjoying the creations of the Earth, I love it! After the sun went down around 4 (yes 4…it's ridiculous) we traveled to a little coffee shop and spent the remainder of our stay in St. Andrews playing, 'Never Have I Ever'. With most people I would get bored of such a game, but with the two lovelies I was far from sick of it (or them for that matter)!

We got home without too much of an issue- beside for the hour train delay! Thank goodness for train waiting areas and the British version of Harry Potter.

That's all for now. My traveling is about to get a lot less extensive now that essays are rolling up- like now I actually have to do what I came here for, yuck!

Toodles :)

Some fireworks from Guy Fawkes Night!

Here's what the Old Course bridge is supposed to look like...

Here's me on the bridge- whoops!

The Bagpipers at the Memorial Service