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3.11.17 a cozy friday that consisted of deep talks with friends, class, assisting a photoshoot & a short trip to the modern art museum 📸🖤💫

15.10.17

Life as of late has been a bit lackluster. I knew this period of transitioning to my new life would come - a time when i’m feeling somewhat alone and drowning in confusion and schoolwork. I promised the ups and downs, and mentally it’s been a good week of feeling down. I’m feeling a lack of inspiration and drive, something that is truly a little scary seeing as many important essays are going to be turned in within the next month. That’s my update: i’m nowhere near defeated, but I hit a natural low in life, i’ll be alright.

As for some good news - I booked the rest of my first little trip! A while back I bought tickets to a concert in London and today decided to make a weekend of it. Additionally, I decided to travel solo. I figured that since in the future I will be travelling solo, I might as well start now! I’m very excited, if anyone has any tips on how to explore London on a budget please send them my way!

Cheers!

19.9.2017

“This too shall pass.”

In my first week or so in Edinburgh, I made mistakes. Many of them. It is hard to take ownership of all of my shortcomings, but in a way I feel less of a weight on my shoulders. Being as honest as I can, I had trouble with money management this first week. Saying this on the internet is not something I was initially comfortable with, but I say it as a reminder to my future self of how important it is to continually take ownership of my actions. Welcome Week was expensive, but the continuous eating out and non-university-sponsored events really took a toll on my wallet - and because of this - a very important level of trust with a dear friend. Since the end of Welcome Week I have felt more comfortable in my spending habits, and this is something that will come to me over time. For the sake of this blog I need to be honest, and I am doing so by pointing out how incredibly important it is to keep careful watch of how much you are spending on food / drinks out. Lesson learned.

This morning after my lecture I finally got money from an international transfer, received a new student ID card, finished off my immigration and made plans tomorrow to register with a GP and get a SIM card. This morning was full of productivity, and I finally felt for the first time here that I was getting on track. Who knows, maybe I will get all of my readings done early tomorrow? Wednesdays are my day-off.

In the pictures included, you can see one of the highlights of my week; a small group of other SD students and I all hiked up Arthurs Seat, which looks out over Edinburgh and offers a breathtaking view. It was uniquely amazing for me because I realized that I could name many of the streets and point out specific buildings. It was then that I realized how well I was adjusting to my new home - I now can find my way around Edinburgh without constantly looking at Google Maps (although it takes a bit longer, the statement remains true).

Now that my schedule is finalized, I can mention (in not great detail due to security) what courses I am taking! I am officially a student in the Sustainable Development programme with a pathway in Social Anthropology. I am able to take an extra course that interests me, and I have chosen a night lecture series entitled “Our Changing World”. I’m pretty excited. Please contact me if you have any questions about specific parts of my life here, writing this blog is serving as a sort of contemplative therapy for me and I would always like a reason to write more.

20.9.2017

Here are photos of my finalized dorm room! I attempted to make it as cozy as I could with plants, little art posters, and lots of comfort snacks/tea. Not pictured is the small sink in my room, but seeing as it is just a sink, I decided to not include a photo. Mementos from my old room in the U.S.A are scattered about the room, as well as loads of clothing that I’ve managed to keep out of sight in order to avoid clutter. Unfortunately my room has little to offer for a view, so I left out the photos of the dorms entrance where all of the students smoke. Side note: SO many students smoke here, which I find completely strange.

22.9.2017

Seeing as it is only the first week - my tutorials that would be on Fridays haven’t started yet so I found myself with a day completely free of university! Not to worry - I did a fair amount of reading and notes this morning. School comes first!

Before I moved to Scotland, I had recently read a post about Edinburgh’s significance to the Harry Potter series. The Elephant House is where JK Rowling sipped some coffee while actually writing the book series. A fair amount of the magic and joy I remember from my childhood revolved around my love for Harry, Hogwarts, and wizardry, so realizing that my new city was the birthplace of such a beloved story really had me excited. Today, with my beautiful friend Joré (who has yet to read the books or see the movies??????), we went to The Elephant House and to Greyfriar’s Kirkyard to visit the gravestone of Thomas Riddell - the name inspiration for young Tom Riddle. Thank you to Joré for putting up with my fangirling!

Little by little I begin to see the sights of Edinburgh. Tomorrow will probably bring another post - I am going to see my first rugby game! Uni of Edinburgh vs. St. Andrews, it will be loads of fun!

13.9.17 (look I now have to put the day in front of the month!)

As of this morning - I have been living in Scotland for 5 days now. My room is sorted and all my clothes unpacked, I enroll in my courses in a couple of hours, and every day is an exhilarating combination of heading to events put on by the uni, meeting new friends, and getting a little lost. However, I can say with confidence that I can now find my way to central campus without a map. How exciting! This city is incredibly beautiful and the people here are courteous, imaginative, and very keen on making a difference in the world. Another interesting and fun thing - since i’ve gotten here a majority of my meals have been vegan! I am considering switching over to Veganism in the future.

My degree (back home being known as a major) has not yet begun, but I am really eager to enroll in my modules (back home being known as classes). The list of options that I have seems to be never-ending which is both thrilling and overwhelming. For my course I am to choose a pathway, and I (surprisingly) have chosen Social Anthropology. The courses in this field seem enlightening and profound, as well as helpful towards broadening my understanding the world around me and how it succeeds and fails. I cannot wait to update more about what I am learning at university, i’m quite certain a future post will be all about my courses!

In these past very full days, there have been quite a few firsts! Some include:

trying Irn Bru

clubbing (yes the drinking age is 18 yes I have drank yes in not necessarily small amounts yes I am being careful yes I am safe constantly and yes my friends are very protective and supportive)

using ‘bin’ instead of ‘trashcan’ and ‘till’ instead of ‘checkout counter/register’

trying Jaffa Cakes

getting lost in a city without data or a map

going to Ikea

buying cleaning supplies and wine for entertainment

deciding to take more Spanish classes

Today I plan on taking a bus tour - so more photos will arrive from that excursion. Additionally, look out for photos of my bedroom once everything is finally bought and stored away. Thank you for the support you have given me by reading this post, I am doing fantastic and I truly love my life in Edinburgh.

9.7.17

The Night Before College

Tomorrow is the day I leave for Edinburgh, Scotland. There are quite a few words that could describe my emotions in this moment: elation, pride, hopefulness, anxiousness, positivity, and countless others. But most of all I feel this sweeping feeling of contentment through my body, mainly because I am confident in my choice to move 3000 miles away from home. When I made the decision in February, there were so many questions and logistics that I had to tackle. From meal plans to visas to weighing suitcases, I feel as though the last few months of my life I have been asking the question “How am I going to live in Scotland????” But now, the night before my new life begins, I am content. Maybe once I lose sight of my family at the airport the nerves of leaving will kick in, but that is for another post at another time. I aim to capture and write about my times in Edinburgh and all the other places I travel, and, with the right support, continue to document my academic and adventurous life on Tumblr!

I think now is as good of a time as any to link this blog to my Facebook, so if you clicked on this link - hello! Please inspire me to continue this, I want to be honest, clear, and inspiring. Or, at least i’ll give it a good try.

The next time I sit down to write a post may very well be when I am in the comforts of my new room at college, how exciting!!! I simply cannot wait to arrive in my new home. Bon Voyage!

28.9.2017

It is at this point in my time here that life is beginning to feel normal. I have a routine, friends, classwork (that consists of more reading than I ever thought I would have to do, ever), and lots of really good food. The one thing that i’m learning to love more and more about Edinburgh is how great and diverse the food culture is here. That being said, the photos above are of one of my new favorites - chips and curry at a rugby match! My friends and I joined with thousands of other Edinburgh students to watch the Ancient Rivalry rugby match between the University of Edinburgh and University of St. Andrews, played at Murrayfield Stadium. Before going I genuinely had no idea how a rugby match was played, so it was quite a learning experience for me. First thing I learned - it is SO violent. I was honestly surprised by the level of force and tackling used by all players without the protection of padding or helmets. Both the girls and boys team were victorious (in usual Edinburgh fashion)! Overall, I really enjoyed the whole experience and plan to go to more matches.

As the workload becomes heavier I imagine that I won’t have as much time to blog - but I am making it a priority to write once a week. I’ll finish by saying that right now, I am really happy. I am in love with my courses and what I am learning, and while I am still learning to balance, I feel that I am on a good path right now. Cheers!

PS: I found my wallet at the nightclub I had gone to! It only had a small fraction of the cash that was originally in it, but what matters most is that I now have my driving license back. A huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders!