November 24: First Snow

Today was the first snow!!!!! YAY! Let me stop the stereotypes right now. Even though I am from the desert of California I have, in fact, seen snow before. I was asked a few times when I mentioned my excitement for the snow if I had actually seen snow before. Yes. California does have mountains and I have been there plenty of times. I just have never lived in a place where it snows during the winter. Like really snows. It used to snow in winters when we lived in Texas, but it was only about an inch or two. Not what I really call snow. Well, today it snowed about as much as it did back in Texas. This is very exciting for me.

One bad thing, I will admit, is the ice. They salt the sidewalks and streets and all that, but there are some places (in front of my building being one of them) that doesn't get a lot of salt. So, Erin did almost slip once or twice. I didn't fall, but I almost did. A few times. It's still very exciting! It's snowing!!! :)

Why Scotland?

So, I'm asked all the time; "Why Scotland?" This is usually said in a state of shock or awe and the person saying it is generally a little impressed. Well, for quite I while I had a lot of trouble answering this. I'm "from" Scotland. My mother's family is MacGregor and my father is part Campbell (if any of you know Scottish history you will realize that my parents marriage was doomed from the moment they met because of this little fact and it is also, I suspect, why my brother and I have both gone through multiple "Identity crises"). You can't get much more Scottish than that. So, there was a pull to get back to my roots and learn more about my ancient culture. It's also gorgeous and I was tired of 100+ days back home. And there's history here. You can see it in the sidewalk. It's majorly cool. But, I don't think you can quite grasp this idea without pictures. So, here is my picture show of "Why Scotland?"

Because this is my town...

The yellow one is my building...I know, it's ugly.
This made me miss my mini, Jude. :(

Because this is my school and the street that runs through it...

Yes, this is one of my buildings.

Because there is a tomb on campus...

Because this is a run down apartment but I still want to live there...

Because I was sitting in a pile of leaves at this beginning of October...

Because the "Keep Out" signs are funnier...

Because I can buy Sherbet Lemons and feel like a real Harry Potter nerd...
There's quite a few more reasons, but this is pretty much it. It's gorgeous here. There are old buildings left and right and I LOVE old buildings. The weather is nicer. Yes, I'm aware it rains a lot here, trust me. But it's a lot more fun to walk in the rain that to walk in 115 degree Fahrenheit weather. Everything is just so green and cool here. I've never really been around this much water at once. You have to remember that I lived in the desert that in it's like billionth year of a drought. So having it rain almost everyday in September and October is weird for me (though I hear back home there has actually been rain). Leaves falling off the trees this early is weird for me. The fact that I can't find plastic baggies for my sandwiches is weird. The fact that people say "cheers" instead of "thank you", that the stove is the hub, that a jumper is a sweater, and that people complain of the heat when it's 80 outside is just weird. But I love it.

One Week

Alright guys! Here we are on Saturday! I've been here for exactly one week today. Pretty amazing if you ask me.

Things I have accomplished this week:

1. I have basically all my furnishing for my flatroom. Sheets, towels, trash bags, laundry things, cleaning solution...ect.
2. I have pretty much figured out the the building I'm living in.
3. I know my way around town sort of. It'll take a while before I comfortable with it, but I know how to get to 3 different grocery stores and I know how to get into town.
4. Took my first bus ride here and I'm slowly learning the schedules for different buses.
5. Met all of my flatmates. 2 of which I really like, 1 of which I haven't really gotten to talk to but I like her, and the other I'm not so crazy about, but some rain must fall into every life I suppose.
6. Registered for classes and met with professors.
7. Learned the campus. I rarely get lost anymore though I do always carry a map.
8. Met people outside of campus at different Society Meetings.
9. Signed up for Societies. I am going to be a part of 4 if not 5 this semestre.
10. UK phone number, Registered with the GP, set up a bank account and learned where to get my clan kilt made. (Clan MacGregor baby!)

Things I still need to do:

1. *MOST IMPORTANT* Get my timetable. My student portal is being stupid and not showing me my teaching timetable. So as of right now I have no idea when or where my classes are. I'm dealing with that today.
2. Make my room a little more cozy. It's nice now with my GDB stuff and my flowers and different pictures, but it still needs a little something more.
3. Really learn the Bus Schedule
4. Figure out where to get my mail (only thing I really haven't figured out yet)
5. Learn how to miss Ryan less so I can focus on my studies (that's going to be the hardest I reckon)
6. Make solid Friends. There a few people who I think I can make solid Friends with here. One of them is my flatmate (I didn't get her name this morning, but I like her and it would be nice to have a friend so close by) another two are in my Improv Society, another one is in the Roleplaying Society, and one I met at the airport.
7. Find a Damn post office so I can mail the many letters I have.
8. Go to a pub with friends...it has to happen at least once right?
9. Get a pair of gloves
10. Find a hair drier!

So that's what I still need to do. I also should take more pictures of the town. I promise you I will. For now, off to the Edward Right Building to get my stupid timetable so I can actually go to class!

I'm here!

Alright guys! I am here in Scotland. After I left Alabama the trip was rather boring. Except in London Heathrow. You see, they sent me to the wrong terminal. So I waited and went through security again and all that good stuff and then I'm told, "you came to the wrong gate." I'm sorry, I came to the wrong gate. No, no, no, no, no. None of you people would answer my gosh darn question when I asked which terminal should I go to and then finally stuck me in a line for terminal 3. The long and the short of it is that I had to run around that airport to get to terminal 5 in time to catch my plane which I did almost miss. I didn't, but the possibility was still there. Oh! So frustrating!

Did I tell you guys that instead of living in the "dorm" rooms I was offered a place at an off campus flat. I really like it. I have my own bathroom and room, but my kitchen space is shared with 4 other people. I actually haven't met any of my flat mates because I've been running around trying to get sheets and pillows and towels and all the stuff like that. I still need a hair drier. But those things will come in time. Possibly tomorrow when I'm not suffering from lack of sleep.

Right now what I'm (FINALLY) going to do is take a shower and wash off all 15 1/2 hours of travel. I feel so gross, but what could I do without towels first? Am I right? Anyway, I'll post some pictures of my flat room later.

Scotland! Really!?

I was asked by one of you readers how I chose Scotland. I get asked this a lot when people find out that I'm going to Scotland for college. It's always the same thing. "Scotland! Really!? Now, why Scotland?" I generally make a little joke first. It's usually something along the lines of, "Well, I wanted to get as far away from home as possible and Scotland accepted me." That's only part of the reason. It will be nice to be completely independent and not have to worry about going to see my parents on weekends when all I really want to do is create my own life and hang with my friends. Assuming that I make friends. :) The other reason is that I am mostly Scottish. My mother is MacGregor and my dad is Campbell (no wonder why that marriage didn't last right). I've always been interested in where I came from and I don't mean the childish question of "where do babies come from?" I'm just fascinated by my heritage and since I'm more than 1/2 Scottish it made since for me to go there to learn more about my family. There's also the fact that I love history. I've been learning American history for years and after years of "George Washington was the first president, but he didn't want to be..." and "...in 1692 Columbus sailed the ocean blue..." you get bored. That's why I'm doing Celtic Studies. I not only get to learn more about me (I'm sure there is going to be a little section on the MacGregors), but I get to learn new history as well.

That's the basic reason why I chose Scotland. How did I find out about it? Well, I really only had one school where I really wanted to apply so she told me to get a Fiske College Guide. It lists colleges, what majors are most common there, how much they cost, and so on. I flipped to UK colleges quite by accident and it fell open to Scotland. I knew that if I had a chance of going to Scotland for college I would do it. So, that's how this adventure started.