dream without fear, love without limits

ladies and gentlemen, this is your brain at course selection time:

(i did not take this picture, btw. the boy did, while i was complaining about something as usual. he is a wonderful man of infinite patience, that one)

there is a part of me that h.a.t.e.s course selection. it is annoying and stressful and it is making me realise that I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE (capslock neccessary).
at the same time, i have to love course selection too, because it is stressful and i thrive on stress, and sadly this is the most important decision i've had to make in a while. i l.o.v.e. important decisions.

figuring out the details might just kill me now that I've decided to pick up a second minor (environmental studies). so now i will be an international relations major with a double minor in politics and environmental studies. important sounding, isn't it? SO worth it though! the fall semester, hopefully, won't be like the last, but if it is that's okay too. i'm looking into doing a research project that is very promising with my environmental professor. with any luck, this could be a foot in a couple prospective doorways that i'm keeping my fingers crossed for.

i wish i had more things to talk about but there is NO TIME because other than course selection i'm completely preoccupied with packing - because tomorrow i leave for the spring holiday! london overnight, paris for a few days, venice for a few more, then the last couple in la spezia on the sea. after that michelle and i will probably be exploring scotland a bit before i head up to the isle of skye with the butler programme (see that british spelling there?)

so here's the question, what does one take for such a holiday?

Arthurs Seat

According to the internet brainchild that is Wikipedia:

"Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, a wild piece of highland landscape in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 251 m (823 ft), provides excellent panoramic views of the city, is relatively easy to climb, and is a popular walk. Though it can be climbed from almost any direction, the easiest and simplest ascent is from the East, where a grassy slope rises above Dunsapie Loch."

that's it all the way on the left. And yesterday we climbed it.



The view from the top is amazing: the full 360 degree panoramic view of Edinburgh, with the Firth of Forth on one side, the sea on the other, and miles of city and farmlands on the other two.

the climb isn't nearly as easy as they make it sound, though.

I guess the people who wrote the article never did it themselves.

Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again. - James R. Cook

two hours in the sun yesterday and my freckles have made a return appearance.

TWO.

on a more positive note, though, tell me I don't live in the most beautiful city in the world. go on, I dare you.

that's what I thought. 

the 2 part blog entry (part 2)

scenes from the weekend

Edinburgh Farmer's Market at Castle Terrace

trying out jams

it's rough being a dog at a market. all sorts of things to eat, and nobody wants to share

delicious? i'm sure. well named? eh ...

just the castle again, no big deal

where from you buy a sandwhich that is carved directly off the poor dead body of the hog who is lying on display right behind that glass window. audrey had one and pronounced it "amazing." potentially comes with a side of haggis. why wouldn't you want one?

The Big Cheese



There were a lot of dressed up kids this week. Like the group of guys in shorts and red capes with plastic swords who ran around yelling "THIS IS SPARTA!" and generally making nuisances out of themselves. It was kind of awesome.

Overall it's been a really good week, and this one promises to be just as good (with the exception of course, of not having my Juliefriend here). Incidentally, it's also the last week of classes for me until September, because in Scotland classes end before spring break (also called Easter Holiday), and at the end of the "official" holiday exams begin. Mine aren't until the second half of May, however, so while I will (of course) be studying, there will also be plenty of time for exploring (AND RIDING THE HARRY POTTER TRAIN OMG) and other fun things.

Also, look, it might actually be spring for real this time!



"To discover in ourselves what makes life worth living is risky business, for it means that once we know it we must seek it. It also means that without it life would be valueless."

- Marsha Sinetar

the 2 part blog entry (part 1)

JULIE!!!!

my juliefriend came to visit me on her spring break trip to Britain, and even though i only got to see her for two-ish days we still had an absolutely fantastic time meandering around Edinburgh and drinking lots of tea and doing a billion things that we do best together.

leaving that wonderful girl at waverly station was one of the saddest days ever - but! there is much to look forward to this summer :)

in which i continue to avoid my celtic civilisations paper

this weekend I ...

- had multiple paper-writing parties with Molly in the library, which were (slightly) unproductive

- watched the Ireland vs Wales game, then part of the Manchester vs Arsenal game (thats rugby and then football, for those of you not in the know) / procrastinated

- ate some pretty delish food covered in Heinz BBQ sauce while watching the aforementioned game at The Doctor's pub (actually, pretty much everything on the menu came with BBQ sauce. I love that place)

- went dancing at the Big Cheese and was reminded of why i really shouldn't dance in public

- proscrastinated some more

- went grocery shopping / procrastinated

- watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / procrastinated

- updated the blog / procrastinated

... the lives of the rich and famous, letmetellyou.

However, I think I should probably finally finish that paper. The Celts and Romans can't just write it themselves, you know (too bad)

let me tell you something ...

about Edinburgh weather. You can wake up at 8 am with the sun pouring in the (one sad) window and feel really good about the day coming up and get ready and go to class, and then the second you walk out the door it will start raining. Then it will be sunny all through class and on your walk home, but while you're making lunch and talking to your flatmate about her upcoming job interview, it will look like this:

which is to say, rainy with a bit of hail.

and another ten minutes later, it will look like this:

which is to say, obviously not rainy with a bit of hail. this city drives me nuts.

pancake night part two occured last night, with much more success this time.

we were pretty happy.



fifty and sunny

.... And I am in a serious dilemma.

D.I.L.E.M.M.A.

Because that's what grown up people do - they get themselves into dilemmas and then they have to make big important decisions. And since I've been living on my own and feeding / providing for myself for two whole months now and I am still alive, and not broke, I consider myself an adult. Sometimes though, even adults need a little help. That's why counselors will always have a job. So here is my dilemma.

Do I want to eat this week? Or do I want spring dresses?

Like I said, dilemma.

I've been managing to live on about 10 - 15 pounds a week. Which is pretty good if you ask me, considering how much I like food. One of the things I miss the most about home is shopping (sad but true) because everything here is pretty expensive. So since it's getting warmer, and all I have are winter things, it's decision time. It's not going to be pretty. But dresses are, and they last a whole lot longer than food - so that's the responsible decision, right? I mean, look at them!

... so pretty.

BUT! in other, amazing, incredible news! One of my most dear friends in the whole.wide.world is coming to see me next week! I'm so excited that I can't even deal with it. This next week needs to flyyyyy, because next week Julie and I are doing Edinburgh Pennsylvania-style!

Also, the Argyll Forest trip was awesome, so pictures of that next time!

xxxx

"Even after all this time,

The Sun never says to the Earth,

'You owe me.'

Look what happens with

A love like that.

It lights the whole sky"

We had a really good time at the Highland Annual Ceilidh. All the girls accomplished one of the items on their bucket lists: dancing with men in kilts. In Scotland, it seems to be important that guys are able to dance as well (if not better) than the girls - so there were multiple men in complete traditional regalia, complete with leather lace-up dancing shoes. It was a late night (there've been a lot of those lately) but a lot of fun.

Then last night, we went to a headphone party, which is exactly what it sounds like - everyone gets a pair instead of listening to music on speakers. there is a choice of two songs, and the DJ bases his song choices based on what the majority of the audience is listening to. It was great towards the beginning, with room to dance and lots of music everyone grew up with.

(pamela, megan, and molly)

(claire, audrey, me)

... but then it got super crowded and the DJ started playing a lot of British music that none of us had ever heard. Our pained expressions are either from the music or the hundreds of people jumping like crazy all around us. So we ended up leaving relatively early, which was jsut fine with me because with all the essays I've been writing lately sleep has been pretty elusive.

This weekend though, Butler is taking all of us American on an "adventure weekend" to the Argyll Forest, with two selected "adventure activities" of our choice, and a night hike, and a stay in this formal baronial mansion.

Being tired and hormonal has been making me a little homesick, round two, but I'm working past it pretty well (I think). There are some things changing that I'm terrified about, and since I'm over here I can't deal with them the same as I could if I were home, and that makes things a lot worse.

Growing up sucks a lot of the time, that's the conclusion I've come to this week.