Well hello!
Long time, no talk. I've been really busy and have had no time to keep up with my blog, unfortunately. But everything is over now! It's so insane to me... I feel like this semester lasted forever and flew by at the same time. So weird how time can do that. Julia described this feeling in the best way, "Bitter Sweet". I never really understood that oxymoron until this moment... I was walking around Edinburgh thinking that there is still lots to see and do, then I realized how MUCH I have seen and done over the last 5 months. It is really incredible to think about.. Instead of think what I didn't get done or missed out on I am going to think about the amazing memories I've made. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I hope every human being can see a different part of the world and experience a different culture at least once in their life (close or far away!). I have learned so much about myself, goals and aspirations from this trip. I have developed passions and had conversations with interesting people that opened my mind to new ideas and possibilities. Everyone needs to be open to new experiences because it truly makes you a more well-rounded person. Also, it is one of the most rewarding feelings to accomplish one of your lifetime goals. I always knew I wanted to study abroad, and chose Stetson because of its options but I never knew that it would really happen...and now its over. But no fear, I will continue to take adventures and set more goals to achieve. 11 countries down, who knows how many more to go!
Now, let me just say how excited I am to be going home! I'm so glad that I chose to come this semester instead of the Spring, because it is so thrilling to know that I am going home to my entire family and all of my friends will be in town. I will be celebrating the holidays and eating great food in a few short days with my grandpa, Laurie, cousins, aunts, grandma, parents, and brothers. I get to see my friends back home, in Louisiana who I haven't seen in a whole year! Then I get to go to Florida and throw a New Years Eve party with my friends I haven't seen in 6 months. It's positively perfect! Even though I feel I don't want to put this experience to come to an end, I know great things await over break and for my last 3 semesters at Stetson. This is a time of transition and growth. I've had my 21st birthday since I last wrote, which means I am now an adult (sorta), and it is time to start getting things lined up and looking into my future. Will Edinburgh be in my future? I don't know just yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.
Thanks so much for reading. Hope you've found it interesting and inspiring. Get out there and see/do something you've always had on your Bucket List. You deserve it.
Until the next adventure,
Alyssa
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Top 10s
Hey everyone! Here are just some lists I've made of my top 10s while being over here.
Top 10 things to do in Edinburgh:
1) Arthur's Seat. Great views of the city, exercise, fun, would be a fun picnic.
2) Royal Mile (from top to bottom). Just a fun walk, great gift shops, castle and Holyrood palace are phenomenal experiences. Edinburgh Castle. The 15 pounds are totally worth it to see this place. It includes a very interesting/informative guided tour and the rooms are set up really nicely. You can spend a couple of hours there easily. Don't miss the prisons! They are a little out of the way but very interesting to peek at.
3) Stand on South Bridge and look over Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill.
4) Have a conversation with your taxi driver
5) Explore! There are so many things to see and do, you just gotta get out there and find them.
6) Go to a show at the Playhouse. Tickets are fairly cheap (25-40 pounds) and it was fun! but I'm obsessed with musicals and Broadway soo may be biased.
7) Drink a Ghostbuster.. This is a cocktail/pitcher at the Black Rose on Rose Street that is heavenly. It includes Baileys, Amaretto, Vodka, Kahlua, milk, and chocolate syrup. yummyyyy.
8) Go out to a pub with live music. My favorites are actually 'Irish' pubs, Malones and Dropkick Murphys both near Greyfriar's Bobby. (There is a pub crawl that starts at Bank Bar for 12 pounds. Totally worth it if you want a fun night on the town!)
9) Try on a kilt. Whether you want to buy one or not, they are fun to see yourself in!
10) Camera Obscura. Seems kinda childish, but I was 20 years old and had the best time there. Just a good, family-friendly fun time!
(Christmas Market in Princes St. Gardens is in my top 10 but felt I didn't want to limit it to a particular holiday, so keep that in mind if you're around in December!)
Top 10 places to go in Scotland:
1) Edinburgh, of course!
2) Rosslyn Chapel...you can only imagine. It is superb!
3) St. Andrews. Great day trip, absolutely beautiful.
4) Inverness. Walk the path along the river across the islands and finish off at Gellions Bar/Pub.
5) Linlithgow Palace. Medieval castle with amazing views, interesting to think about people living there. Lovely walking path around a loch with swans!
6) Melrose Abbey. Ruins of the abbey that was once there. Breathtaking, invokes curiosity.
7) Stirling. Lovely city, cool to think about William Wallace and hear the true story. Probably the best castle in Scotland here, was the most strategic and sought after castle.
8) Loch Lomond. Lovely scenery. wish I had more time here.
9) Aberdour. Perfect city on the sea that you can walk around in one hour. Cliffs, a castle, beach..perfection.
10) Loch Ness. We did this 30 minute river cruise...wasn't that great but was fun to say I was on Loch Ness.
Top 10 things about University of Edinburgh:
1) Old College. Stunning and the Talbot Rice Gallery was interesting (Darwin used to study there when it was a Natural Museum of History). Supposedly Playfair Library is beautiful but I could never get in.
2) Societies. Tons of societies to join or go to events of.
3) Promoters. You'll always know whats going on or where to be because there is always someone handing out flyers! Can be annoying the first week, but I liked it.
4) Modern Scottish History. Seriously one of the coolest classes I've ever had the pleasure of taking.
5) Architectural History 1A. If you have electives to burn this course is interesting! The exams are hard but worth it to learn all about the varying periods and reasons for architectural design.
6) Tutorials. Definitely help with the large classroom setting. Can seem tedious but great.
7) Teviot. Coolest student union ever. Wish I would've hung out there more.
8) Potterrow Dome. Love going in there and having a coffee or lunch. Great atmosphere.
9) Feel accomplished at the end of the semester because of the essays and super tough exams.
10) Anytime you tell someone you're studying there they say "you must be a bright girl!"
Top 10 countries that I would visit again and recommend based off sites and people (just happens to be the number of countries I've visited over the past 5 months):
1) Scotland- stunning, all around great experience no matter where you go.
2) Austria- not a country you think about often, but it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited and there is lots to do!
3) Ireland- only saw Dublin, but met the nicest people and it just gives off this vibe that is so inviting. Ireland is my number 1 place to go back to and experience more of.
4) Germany- The power of German Engineering is so true! Munich was efficient, holds history, is beautiful and includes some cool stuff, like the 1972 Olympic Park.
5) Norway- Gorgeous scenery, not tons to do. Def would like to go back and try to catch the Aurora again though..our 3 minutes wasn't enough.
6) Spain- I love Madrid. This was the best place to go to welcome us to Europe. The city is easy to navigate and has some beautiful sites. Need go back and refresh my memory of it and see more of the countryside.
7) Czech- Getting here by train from Spain was a pain (sorry for the rhyming)..but Prague is an incredible city. Probably my most favorite city because it is so vast and so beautiful nestled around a river. The countryside was beautiful too. I doubt I will ever canoe in a more beautiful place.
8) Italy- Venice was great, but definitely touristy. I think I heard more English than Italian. However, it was super cool to see that there can be a large city with no cars! It is such a picturesque place. I still prefer Florence though ;)
9) England- I love London, but didn't really do much in the area this trip around which is why it is towards the bottom. However, my friend Madelyn went to Oxford and her pictures and stories sounds wonderful!
10) France- ehhh Paris is Paris for me.. Has some incredibly beautiful sites and architecture but just doesn't really fit into my ideal place to visit. Don't get that personal connection with it like you do in Ireland or Austria.
Note: Study abroad students, I suggest buying the Annual Membership Pass which includes Edinburgh Castle and 77 other sites around Scotland. I think it will pay off if you want to go see and do things. I only had it for a month and used it 5 times, I think it saved me at least 10 pounds. May not use it a full year, but worth it.
Top 10 things to do in Edinburgh:
1) Arthur's Seat. Great views of the city, exercise, fun, would be a fun picnic.
2) Royal Mile (from top to bottom). Just a fun walk, great gift shops, castle and Holyrood palace are phenomenal experiences. Edinburgh Castle. The 15 pounds are totally worth it to see this place. It includes a very interesting/informative guided tour and the rooms are set up really nicely. You can spend a couple of hours there easily. Don't miss the prisons! They are a little out of the way but very interesting to peek at.
3) Stand on South Bridge and look over Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill.
4) Have a conversation with your taxi driver
5) Explore! There are so many things to see and do, you just gotta get out there and find them.
6) Go to a show at the Playhouse. Tickets are fairly cheap (25-40 pounds) and it was fun! but I'm obsessed with musicals and Broadway soo may be biased.
7) Drink a Ghostbuster.. This is a cocktail/pitcher at the Black Rose on Rose Street that is heavenly. It includes Baileys, Amaretto, Vodka, Kahlua, milk, and chocolate syrup. yummyyyy.
8) Go out to a pub with live music. My favorites are actually 'Irish' pubs, Malones and Dropkick Murphys both near Greyfriar's Bobby. (There is a pub crawl that starts at Bank Bar for 12 pounds. Totally worth it if you want a fun night on the town!)
9) Try on a kilt. Whether you want to buy one or not, they are fun to see yourself in!
10) Camera Obscura. Seems kinda childish, but I was 20 years old and had the best time there. Just a good, family-friendly fun time!
(Christmas Market in Princes St. Gardens is in my top 10 but felt I didn't want to limit it to a particular holiday, so keep that in mind if you're around in December!)
Top 10 places to go in Scotland:
1) Edinburgh, of course!
2) Rosslyn Chapel...you can only imagine. It is superb!
3) St. Andrews. Great day trip, absolutely beautiful.
4) Inverness. Walk the path along the river across the islands and finish off at Gellions Bar/Pub.
5) Linlithgow Palace. Medieval castle with amazing views, interesting to think about people living there. Lovely walking path around a loch with swans!
6) Melrose Abbey. Ruins of the abbey that was once there. Breathtaking, invokes curiosity.
7) Stirling. Lovely city, cool to think about William Wallace and hear the true story. Probably the best castle in Scotland here, was the most strategic and sought after castle.
8) Loch Lomond. Lovely scenery. wish I had more time here.
9) Aberdour. Perfect city on the sea that you can walk around in one hour. Cliffs, a castle, beach..perfection.
10) Loch Ness. We did this 30 minute river cruise...wasn't that great but was fun to say I was on Loch Ness.
Top 10 things about University of Edinburgh:
1) Old College. Stunning and the Talbot Rice Gallery was interesting (Darwin used to study there when it was a Natural Museum of History). Supposedly Playfair Library is beautiful but I could never get in.
2) Societies. Tons of societies to join or go to events of.
3) Promoters. You'll always know whats going on or where to be because there is always someone handing out flyers! Can be annoying the first week, but I liked it.
4) Modern Scottish History. Seriously one of the coolest classes I've ever had the pleasure of taking.
5) Architectural History 1A. If you have electives to burn this course is interesting! The exams are hard but worth it to learn all about the varying periods and reasons for architectural design.
6) Tutorials. Definitely help with the large classroom setting. Can seem tedious but great.
7) Teviot. Coolest student union ever. Wish I would've hung out there more.
8) Potterrow Dome. Love going in there and having a coffee or lunch. Great atmosphere.
9) Feel accomplished at the end of the semester because of the essays and super tough exams.
10) Anytime you tell someone you're studying there they say "you must be a bright girl!"
Top 10 countries that I would visit again and recommend based off sites and people (just happens to be the number of countries I've visited over the past 5 months):
1) Scotland- stunning, all around great experience no matter where you go.
2) Austria- not a country you think about often, but it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited and there is lots to do!
3) Ireland- only saw Dublin, but met the nicest people and it just gives off this vibe that is so inviting. Ireland is my number 1 place to go back to and experience more of.
4) Germany- The power of German Engineering is so true! Munich was efficient, holds history, is beautiful and includes some cool stuff, like the 1972 Olympic Park.
5) Norway- Gorgeous scenery, not tons to do. Def would like to go back and try to catch the Aurora again though..our 3 minutes wasn't enough.
6) Spain- I love Madrid. This was the best place to go to welcome us to Europe. The city is easy to navigate and has some beautiful sites. Need go back and refresh my memory of it and see more of the countryside.
7) Czech- Getting here by train from Spain was a pain (sorry for the rhyming)..but Prague is an incredible city. Probably my most favorite city because it is so vast and so beautiful nestled around a river. The countryside was beautiful too. I doubt I will ever canoe in a more beautiful place.
8) Italy- Venice was great, but definitely touristy. I think I heard more English than Italian. However, it was super cool to see that there can be a large city with no cars! It is such a picturesque place. I still prefer Florence though ;)
9) England- I love London, but didn't really do much in the area this trip around which is why it is towards the bottom. However, my friend Madelyn went to Oxford and her pictures and stories sounds wonderful!
10) France- ehhh Paris is Paris for me.. Has some incredibly beautiful sites and architecture but just doesn't really fit into my ideal place to visit. Don't get that personal connection with it like you do in Ireland or Austria.
Note: Study abroad students, I suggest buying the Annual Membership Pass which includes Edinburgh Castle and 77 other sites around Scotland. I think it will pay off if you want to go see and do things. I only had it for a month and used it 5 times, I think it saved me at least 10 pounds. May not use it a full year, but worth it.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Edinburgh with Mom and Gram
Greetings,
A couple weeks ago my Mom and Grammy came to town. I am going to break all the stuff that we did into a couple of blogs just so that I can cover each wonderful place we went.
When they arrived we started the bus tours immediately. There is a grand bus pass that allows you to ride 3 buses that tell different histories. These are only 15 pounds and totally worth it. We stopped and spent an hour at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The gardens are so lovely! Its 5 pounds to go into the greenhouses unless you get there after 3 then you can go in for free. There is a large range of plants from different types of environments.Then we ate at this restaurant that looked good but really wasn't that great, Belushi's. Gram declared that the next 11 days would be a big birthday celebration for me. I do believe this is the best birthday I've ever had, and it hasn't even came yet!
The next day we ended up sleeping until 12:30 p.m.! So we walked Nicholson and found mom a new jacket. Then went on our last bus tour, walked Princes Street, and did a little shopping at Primark, which is one of the best department stores I've been to. I got my birthday dress for only 5 pounds! They had the cutest stuff for reasonable prices. To finish off the evening we walked along Rose Street. We discovered the best drink in the entire world at the Black Rose Tavern: A Ghostbuster. It has Amaretto, Kahlua,Vodka, Baileys, milk and chocolate syrup. Talk about YUMMMYYYY!!! Then we had some dinner at the Mussel Inn which was really yummy as well. It was such a nice way to see the city and enjoy each others company.
Edinburgh is a great city by itself but especially when you have people there to enjoy it with you. Our next adventure takes us to Inverness, so be on the look out for that post.
Until then,
Alyssa
A couple weeks ago my Mom and Grammy came to town. I am going to break all the stuff that we did into a couple of blogs just so that I can cover each wonderful place we went.
When they arrived we started the bus tours immediately. There is a grand bus pass that allows you to ride 3 buses that tell different histories. These are only 15 pounds and totally worth it. We stopped and spent an hour at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The gardens are so lovely! Its 5 pounds to go into the greenhouses unless you get there after 3 then you can go in for free. There is a large range of plants from different types of environments.Then we ate at this restaurant that looked good but really wasn't that great, Belushi's. Gram declared that the next 11 days would be a big birthday celebration for me. I do believe this is the best birthday I've ever had, and it hasn't even came yet!
The next day we ended up sleeping until 12:30 p.m.! So we walked Nicholson and found mom a new jacket. Then went on our last bus tour, walked Princes Street, and did a little shopping at Primark, which is one of the best department stores I've been to. I got my birthday dress for only 5 pounds! They had the cutest stuff for reasonable prices. To finish off the evening we walked along Rose Street. We discovered the best drink in the entire world at the Black Rose Tavern: A Ghostbuster. It has Amaretto, Kahlua,Vodka, Baileys, milk and chocolate syrup. Talk about YUMMMYYYY!!! Then we had some dinner at the Mussel Inn which was really yummy as well. It was such a nice way to see the city and enjoy each others company.
Edinburgh is a great city by itself but especially when you have people there to enjoy it with you. Our next adventure takes us to Inverness, so be on the look out for that post.
Until then,
Alyssa
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Northern Lights
Good day everyone,
I've been feeling a bit of writers block so have gotten totally behind on all of my adventures. Things have really been super busy and great the past month though. I have been very fortunate to have spent time with my family and traveled to some beautiful places. I'm just going to do several posts with my different trips so that this isn't one huge post.
My visit with Pa and Laurie was absolutely perfect. We had a lot of good chats and laughs and made lots of memories. Since I last posted about our travels around Edinburgh we went to Tromso, Norway. It is a beautiful little city nestled between some mountains in the Arctic Circle. We stayed at the Viking Hotel which had the nicest people working there. It included a traditional Norwegian breakfast of muesli, salmon, meat, cheese, bread, jams, and caviar in a tube. At first I didn't think I would really enjoy the breakfast, but it turned out to be really filling and tasty. Some of the best strawberry jam I've ever had.
Retail prices in Norway were about the same as in the states, but the food was ridiculously expensive in US dollars. The Norway Kroner was 5x great than the dollar, so when the menu had main courses for 300 Kroner, that meant it was $60. We arrived in the evening so after we got checked in we walked to a restaurant. It was pretty fancy and had this special, small menu. Laurie and I went ahead and ordered a main course and Pa just ordered the mushroom soup. He was expecting it to be creamy and a nice big bowl like we would have in the states. Well... the meek little waiter came over and set a bowl down that had what looked like dried mushrooms and chicken on the bottom, then told him that he ordered the soup, and poured a dark broth on top from a tea pot thingy! You should've seen Pa's face. Goodness it was funny. Definitely not what we were expecting. The story is much better in person, but this is something I never want to forget.
Our other food experiences were about normal so nothing exciting to tell about that.
The main purpose of our trip was to go see the Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights. Apparently while we were having the delightful dining experience detailed above the Aurora was so bright they could see it in the city, but we had no idea it was going on. So we went on a 6 hour Lights tour with a company that takes you to the best places on the island to see it. Unfortunately we had a not super active night. Solar flares cause the particles to bounce around and create the light and it goes in cycles. When it was showing in the city it was because there had just been a flare, so it had calmed down a bit 2 days later when we went looking for it. However, we did get to see it appear 3 times. The last time was the best, it was moving really fast and lasted about a min (sounds short, but it was good). It was bright green and changing forms.. it was the coolest thing. Can't imagine what its like to see it for longer. 2 minutes of Northern Lights over a period of 6 hours really isn't that great... BUT, when that last wave occurred and we could really see it, I got this great feeling..its really hard to explain. It was like a calming sensation, and inspirational. Afterwards it made me realize that Earth is the greatest artist, humans can't begin to capture the beauty Earth holds. I'm sure everyone has different feelings and experiences with the Aurora, but I can tell you, it is totally worth seeing, even if only for a minute. Put it on your bucket list.
The rest of the trip consisted of going to the Planetarium and acting like kids, Polaria aquarium and watching the seals, walking on lots of ice, going to a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral, and playing cards. It was such a lovely weekend.
I just don't know how I got so lucky to have such amazing and inspiring people in my life. I am truly blessed and so grateful for all they have done for me. I could relive this trip and their time in Edinburgh over and over. Definitely will be going back to Norway--when I get lots of money to cover the food bill--to see more areas cause it was stunning.
Take it easy, and let me know if you ever make it to see the Northern Lights and what kind of feeling you got!
With thoughts of Norway,
Alyssa
I've been feeling a bit of writers block so have gotten totally behind on all of my adventures. Things have really been super busy and great the past month though. I have been very fortunate to have spent time with my family and traveled to some beautiful places. I'm just going to do several posts with my different trips so that this isn't one huge post.
My visit with Pa and Laurie was absolutely perfect. We had a lot of good chats and laughs and made lots of memories. Since I last posted about our travels around Edinburgh we went to Tromso, Norway. It is a beautiful little city nestled between some mountains in the Arctic Circle. We stayed at the Viking Hotel which had the nicest people working there. It included a traditional Norwegian breakfast of muesli, salmon, meat, cheese, bread, jams, and caviar in a tube. At first I didn't think I would really enjoy the breakfast, but it turned out to be really filling and tasty. Some of the best strawberry jam I've ever had.
Retail prices in Norway were about the same as in the states, but the food was ridiculously expensive in US dollars. The Norway Kroner was 5x great than the dollar, so when the menu had main courses for 300 Kroner, that meant it was $60. We arrived in the evening so after we got checked in we walked to a restaurant. It was pretty fancy and had this special, small menu. Laurie and I went ahead and ordered a main course and Pa just ordered the mushroom soup. He was expecting it to be creamy and a nice big bowl like we would have in the states. Well... the meek little waiter came over and set a bowl down that had what looked like dried mushrooms and chicken on the bottom, then told him that he ordered the soup, and poured a dark broth on top from a tea pot thingy! You should've seen Pa's face. Goodness it was funny. Definitely not what we were expecting. The story is much better in person, but this is something I never want to forget.
Our other food experiences were about normal so nothing exciting to tell about that.
The main purpose of our trip was to go see the Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights. Apparently while we were having the delightful dining experience detailed above the Aurora was so bright they could see it in the city, but we had no idea it was going on. So we went on a 6 hour Lights tour with a company that takes you to the best places on the island to see it. Unfortunately we had a not super active night. Solar flares cause the particles to bounce around and create the light and it goes in cycles. When it was showing in the city it was because there had just been a flare, so it had calmed down a bit 2 days later when we went looking for it. However, we did get to see it appear 3 times. The last time was the best, it was moving really fast and lasted about a min (sounds short, but it was good). It was bright green and changing forms.. it was the coolest thing. Can't imagine what its like to see it for longer. 2 minutes of Northern Lights over a period of 6 hours really isn't that great... BUT, when that last wave occurred and we could really see it, I got this great feeling..its really hard to explain. It was like a calming sensation, and inspirational. Afterwards it made me realize that Earth is the greatest artist, humans can't begin to capture the beauty Earth holds. I'm sure everyone has different feelings and experiences with the Aurora, but I can tell you, it is totally worth seeing, even if only for a minute. Put it on your bucket list.
The rest of the trip consisted of going to the Planetarium and acting like kids, Polaria aquarium and watching the seals, walking on lots of ice, going to a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral, and playing cards. It was such a lovely weekend.
I just don't know how I got so lucky to have such amazing and inspiring people in my life. I am truly blessed and so grateful for all they have done for me. I could relive this trip and their time in Edinburgh over and over. Definitely will be going back to Norway--when I get lots of money to cover the food bill--to see more areas cause it was stunning.
Take it easy, and let me know if you ever make it to see the Northern Lights and what kind of feeling you got!
With thoughts of Norway,
Alyssa
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
True Friends
Hey Hey,
It is so endearing to me that I can be thousands of miles away from my friends and know that I can still count on them and that they count on me. Several times I have had friends pop in on Skype and ask me to talk to them because they had an issue or were having a bad day. By the end of the conversation they are saying "thank you so much!" and yet they don't know that they are actually helping me. It makes me feel so good to know my friends trust me to this extent. Especially when they could talk to their other friends who are right beside them. I've been let down by many people in my short life, and it is just such a secure feeling to know I actually have best friends, who are and will be there for. If any of you are reading this, thank you so much for relying on me and know that I love talking to you no matter the situation! Find true friends that bring out the good in you... makes life so much better.
Have a fantastic day!
Sincerely,
Alyssa
It is so endearing to me that I can be thousands of miles away from my friends and know that I can still count on them and that they count on me. Several times I have had friends pop in on Skype and ask me to talk to them because they had an issue or were having a bad day. By the end of the conversation they are saying "thank you so much!" and yet they don't know that they are actually helping me. It makes me feel so good to know my friends trust me to this extent. Especially when they could talk to their other friends who are right beside them. I've been let down by many people in my short life, and it is just such a secure feeling to know I actually have best friends, who are and will be there for. If any of you are reading this, thank you so much for relying on me and know that I love talking to you no matter the situation! Find true friends that bring out the good in you... makes life so much better.
Have a fantastic day!
Sincerely,
Alyssa
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
US Election 2012
Happy end of campaigning day!
I watched the election results on BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) which was a really interesting experience. It was so neat to see both sides presented in a non-biased way and to hear what other countries think when they look at the USA. They had some American political analysts in the room to talk about the key states for each party and where they thought it would go. They had reporters in all of the swing states talking to the locals to try to get an idea of how many were voting Romney or Obama.
The most interesting part of watching this was hearing how the perceive the politics in the US. They kept saying how 'polarized' we are and how divided. How it was going to be such a close race because you just didn't know who was going to pull through and get the voters out in the key swing states. They even categorized the voters based on party politics. Said that Obama was going to pull the vote from the African Americans, Hispanics, and young people and Romney was going to pull the white, predominately male vote. So it just depended on who would go out and vote as to who would win this election. I think it is so sad that not only are our politics so divided but that we are now segmenting the beliefs of each party into race. I know the issues of the Civil Rights movement are still at work in some peoples minds but over all I feel that we have overcome that ignorant mentality and have moved on toward acceptance of ALL people. So the fact that our politics are seen as holding sway in particular races just makes me re-think where we stand as a country. We are divided into the rich and the poor. The majority and the minority. Male and Female. Young and Old. Nothing in between. I think it's so sad. There should be more to "The greatest nation on Earth" than a huge divide among its politics and citizens. We definitely shouldn't let race get thrown into the divide of politics, even if there is a pattern among those voters. It will just add more borders and barriers for people to cross when they disagree about something. We do not need any more of these barriers, we need to break barriers and see that everyone is human and has multiple things in common. If the people who are leading our country would realize this then we would probably actually move 'forward' as a country instead of remain stagnant.
All I have to say is we need a stronger 3rd party. I know there are supporters out there, we just haven't mobilized. The strong parties and media make us feel like our vote doesn't count unless its Democratic or Republican and that is certainly not the case. The only reason they are big and strong is because they get funding. This was the most expensive campaign in history, and Gary Johnson couldn't get enough money to make his views known like Obama and Romney could. So lets throw all of that aside and just talk to one another about the issues and educate on what is really going on in Congress. Look at what each party stands for so that we can have an educated vote. Perhaps people will see that we need someone who is in the middle of this battlefield is what is best for this country. If we were all to rally together and show there is huge section of the population that prefers a Libertarian view then they will have to listen. Particularly college students! If we start now showing that we are the future voters and we don't like all this party politics then we will see real change in future elections.I hope in 4 years people will be more educated on philosophies like those of Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. If people open their ears they might find they like what they hear. America was founded on reform...why have we become complacent and forgotten the citizens are the ones that change things?
Well this wasn't supposed to be a political rant, but seems I got ahead of myself a bit. Overall I just wanted to make the point that Europe as a whole sees America as a highly polarized country. Also, a majority of people in a variety of European countries prefer Obama. I know, why should they care? Well because the president controls foreign policy. So if other countries respect us more as a country for having Obama as President then that is a plus. And for those of you upset about Obama winning just remember the House remains Republican to oppose his propositions. Soooo here is to another 4 years of turmoil and no compromise. And on a final side note, if the Republicans would've voted for Ron Paul to be the presidential candidate, then maybe we would have a Republican president. Can't wait to see what 2016 has in store! Also, I suggest to get your news from BBC every now and then, an outside perspective is good.
Again, I apologize for the rant, thought about deleting it, but I'm going to leave and hope it inspires some people. =)
Be proud to be an American and hope that bi-partisanship will come out during the next 4 years.
United we stand, Divided we fall,
Alyssa
I watched the election results on BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) which was a really interesting experience. It was so neat to see both sides presented in a non-biased way and to hear what other countries think when they look at the USA. They had some American political analysts in the room to talk about the key states for each party and where they thought it would go. They had reporters in all of the swing states talking to the locals to try to get an idea of how many were voting Romney or Obama.
The most interesting part of watching this was hearing how the perceive the politics in the US. They kept saying how 'polarized' we are and how divided. How it was going to be such a close race because you just didn't know who was going to pull through and get the voters out in the key swing states. They even categorized the voters based on party politics. Said that Obama was going to pull the vote from the African Americans, Hispanics, and young people and Romney was going to pull the white, predominately male vote. So it just depended on who would go out and vote as to who would win this election. I think it is so sad that not only are our politics so divided but that we are now segmenting the beliefs of each party into race. I know the issues of the Civil Rights movement are still at work in some peoples minds but over all I feel that we have overcome that ignorant mentality and have moved on toward acceptance of ALL people. So the fact that our politics are seen as holding sway in particular races just makes me re-think where we stand as a country. We are divided into the rich and the poor. The majority and the minority. Male and Female. Young and Old. Nothing in between. I think it's so sad. There should be more to "The greatest nation on Earth" than a huge divide among its politics and citizens. We definitely shouldn't let race get thrown into the divide of politics, even if there is a pattern among those voters. It will just add more borders and barriers for people to cross when they disagree about something. We do not need any more of these barriers, we need to break barriers and see that everyone is human and has multiple things in common. If the people who are leading our country would realize this then we would probably actually move 'forward' as a country instead of remain stagnant.
All I have to say is we need a stronger 3rd party. I know there are supporters out there, we just haven't mobilized. The strong parties and media make us feel like our vote doesn't count unless its Democratic or Republican and that is certainly not the case. The only reason they are big and strong is because they get funding. This was the most expensive campaign in history, and Gary Johnson couldn't get enough money to make his views known like Obama and Romney could. So lets throw all of that aside and just talk to one another about the issues and educate on what is really going on in Congress. Look at what each party stands for so that we can have an educated vote. Perhaps people will see that we need someone who is in the middle of this battlefield is what is best for this country. If we were all to rally together and show there is huge section of the population that prefers a Libertarian view then they will have to listen. Particularly college students! If we start now showing that we are the future voters and we don't like all this party politics then we will see real change in future elections.I hope in 4 years people will be more educated on philosophies like those of Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. If people open their ears they might find they like what they hear. America was founded on reform...why have we become complacent and forgotten the citizens are the ones that change things?
Well this wasn't supposed to be a political rant, but seems I got ahead of myself a bit. Overall I just wanted to make the point that Europe as a whole sees America as a highly polarized country. Also, a majority of people in a variety of European countries prefer Obama. I know, why should they care? Well because the president controls foreign policy. So if other countries respect us more as a country for having Obama as President then that is a plus. And for those of you upset about Obama winning just remember the House remains Republican to oppose his propositions. Soooo here is to another 4 years of turmoil and no compromise. And on a final side note, if the Republicans would've voted for Ron Paul to be the presidential candidate, then maybe we would have a Republican president. Can't wait to see what 2016 has in store! Also, I suggest to get your news from BBC every now and then, an outside perspective is good.
Again, I apologize for the rant, thought about deleting it, but I'm going to leave and hope it inspires some people. =)
Be proud to be an American and hope that bi-partisanship will come out during the next 4 years.
United we stand, Divided we fall,
Alyssa
Monday, 29 October 2012
Class Update
Hello friends,
I figured I would update you on my classes thus far. Overall I am feeling good about them and enjoying them. I really love Modern Scottish History (MoSH) and Architectural History...but I'm not liking Celt Civ. very much.
MoSH is so enlightening. Which is interesting because Thursday we learned about the Enlightenment period that occurred in Scotland in the 18th Century. Dr. T. M. Devine lectured us, and he is the man who wrote the book we had to purchase for the class, "The Scottish Nation A Modern History". He is quite brilliant and it is an absolute pleasure to listen to him speak. I highly recommend his book if you are interested in history of any kind or Scotland. I kinda want to ask him to sign my copy after his last lecture but I don't want to look tacky and he usually storms out after each class.. probably because he knows there are students like me out there. =) We have covered a large variety of subjects in the class but this is my favorite. Brilliant men and mindsets emerged from Scotland during this period and I just had no idea. Schools back home are so centered on American History that you never learn cool things like this. Wish there was more variety in our high schools instead of teaching the same old mundane stuff that puts America on a pedestal starting in the 4th grade. Anyways, another topic of great interest to me was the Highland Clearances. I have a paper due in a few weeks and I think I'll do it on one of these subjects. Definitely worth looking up, even if it's just on wikipedia.
Archit. Hist. is a great class, just a lot to keep up with. There 30 or so pages for each lecture so that's 90 pages a week to read. Needless to say, I'm behind a bit. We move from period to period very quickly. My favorite lecturer just presented for the last time last week, his name is Ian Campbell and has published some interesting work on the Renaissance and it's origins in Scotland. There is another very energetic lecturer we have that covered Mannerism and Baroque architecture. He gives a ton of information very quickly so it was hard for me to follow him at times, but still his content was intriguing. We have covered Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Gothic, Renaissance in Italy and UK, Pre-Columbian in the Americas, and today we covered the French Renaissance. I have a paper due on Wednesday where I have to describe 3 chateaux that were built during the 16th century French Renaissance. It's interesting stuff, but it's 50% of my grade so I'm a little bit of a nervous wreck about it. Just trying to keep calm and carry on with my work.
I have this giant textbook here as my guide. It really is a fantastic text book. Very easy to read, and well laid out. Friends/Family from back home if you are interested in a particular period of architecture and want some great info I'll lend you this big ole book. It's great.
Uhhh what can I say about Celt Civ... it's just been kinda boring.. and I don't really understand what the purpose of the lectures are besides to inform us that there is a debate about Celtic identity.. which I just can't get into. But today we had a new lecturer, the course organizer I told you about in the first class blog post. I think I said I was excited for her to come back. Well I was right! She talked on Pan-Celticism today and that was really interesting and relevant. Maybe because it was based in the 20th century, I don't know. But hopefully these last 4 weeks will be great. Can you believe that?! This is week 7 and there are only 11 teaching weeks. Then a week to study, and 2 weeks of exams. It'll be done before I know it.
Well I just registered for the Spring semester! Got into all the classes I wanted which made me really excited. I will have all business classes, looks like it'll be a good semester with a variety of courses. I can't wait to catch up with all of my family, friends, and professors. I'm hoping next semester will be one of the best ones yet.
We are off to Norway on Thursday so expect an update from me next week! Things will be really busy because I have an essay due on the 12th and 14th, then also on the 14th I have a presentation for my tutorial and a 750 word essay due with the presentation. So I'll be swamped for the next 2 weeks but will try to post a bit.
Happy Halloween! Get lots of candy and scare lots of people. Muwahahahaha.
Spooky dreams,
Alyssa
I figured I would update you on my classes thus far. Overall I am feeling good about them and enjoying them. I really love Modern Scottish History (MoSH) and Architectural History...but I'm not liking Celt Civ. very much.
MoSH is so enlightening. Which is interesting because Thursday we learned about the Enlightenment period that occurred in Scotland in the 18th Century. Dr. T. M. Devine lectured us, and he is the man who wrote the book we had to purchase for the class, "The Scottish Nation A Modern History". He is quite brilliant and it is an absolute pleasure to listen to him speak. I highly recommend his book if you are interested in history of any kind or Scotland. I kinda want to ask him to sign my copy after his last lecture but I don't want to look tacky and he usually storms out after each class.. probably because he knows there are students like me out there. =) We have covered a large variety of subjects in the class but this is my favorite. Brilliant men and mindsets emerged from Scotland during this period and I just had no idea. Schools back home are so centered on American History that you never learn cool things like this. Wish there was more variety in our high schools instead of teaching the same old mundane stuff that puts America on a pedestal starting in the 4th grade. Anyways, another topic of great interest to me was the Highland Clearances. I have a paper due in a few weeks and I think I'll do it on one of these subjects. Definitely worth looking up, even if it's just on wikipedia.
Archit. Hist. is a great class, just a lot to keep up with. There 30 or so pages for each lecture so that's 90 pages a week to read. Needless to say, I'm behind a bit. We move from period to period very quickly. My favorite lecturer just presented for the last time last week, his name is Ian Campbell and has published some interesting work on the Renaissance and it's origins in Scotland. There is another very energetic lecturer we have that covered Mannerism and Baroque architecture. He gives a ton of information very quickly so it was hard for me to follow him at times, but still his content was intriguing. We have covered Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Gothic, Renaissance in Italy and UK, Pre-Columbian in the Americas, and today we covered the French Renaissance. I have a paper due on Wednesday where I have to describe 3 chateaux that were built during the 16th century French Renaissance. It's interesting stuff, but it's 50% of my grade so I'm a little bit of a nervous wreck about it. Just trying to keep calm and carry on with my work.
I have this giant textbook here as my guide. It really is a fantastic text book. Very easy to read, and well laid out. Friends/Family from back home if you are interested in a particular period of architecture and want some great info I'll lend you this big ole book. It's great.
Uhhh what can I say about Celt Civ... it's just been kinda boring.. and I don't really understand what the purpose of the lectures are besides to inform us that there is a debate about Celtic identity.. which I just can't get into. But today we had a new lecturer, the course organizer I told you about in the first class blog post. I think I said I was excited for her to come back. Well I was right! She talked on Pan-Celticism today and that was really interesting and relevant. Maybe because it was based in the 20th century, I don't know. But hopefully these last 4 weeks will be great. Can you believe that?! This is week 7 and there are only 11 teaching weeks. Then a week to study, and 2 weeks of exams. It'll be done before I know it.
Well I just registered for the Spring semester! Got into all the classes I wanted which made me really excited. I will have all business classes, looks like it'll be a good semester with a variety of courses. I can't wait to catch up with all of my family, friends, and professors. I'm hoping next semester will be one of the best ones yet.
We are off to Norway on Thursday so expect an update from me next week! Things will be really busy because I have an essay due on the 12th and 14th, then also on the 14th I have a presentation for my tutorial and a 750 word essay due with the presentation. So I'll be swamped for the next 2 weeks but will try to post a bit.
Happy Halloween! Get lots of candy and scare lots of people. Muwahahahaha.
Spooky dreams,
Alyssa
Friday, 19 October 2012
A lovely day in Edinburgh
Hello all,
Today I took Pa (pronounced 'paw', like the end of grandpa(w)) and Laurie around Edinburgh. We did quite a bit of walking but the beauty of this city is that you can walk everywhere!
First I gave them a tour of the school. We had a cup of coffee and pastry then walked around the Student Union. They were as shocked as I was to find it has 4 or so bars located in it. Pa made the comment that students get good grades here because of the Library Bar. Good times.
We then saw Greyfriars kirk which is home to Bobby the terrier (I think he was a terrier). He stood on his masters grave for 14 years back in the 1800s. Very loyal that Bobby was.
Next was a walk on the Royal Mile where I gave them a tour of St. Giles. I felt smart because we toured the cathedral for my architecture tutorial so I had a lot of information to share. It is such a beautiful church.. It took centuries to make it into the current state but I am glad it is as it is.
From here we went up to the castle and toured it. The Great Hall and Crown Jewels were really spectacular. The castle is really large and has a fantastic view of the city. Well worth the 15 pounds I thought.
Our last stop was the National Museum of Scotland. You talk about big! That place is 7 stories filled with stuff. We got there close to closing but what we saw was awesome. There was this chronolage time thingy that was really neat. We also saw a peoples of the world exhibit and animal exhibit. The building was incredible so I'm excited to go back and explore. I see why it's so talked about and why they put millions of pounds into it.
To finish the day we ate Indian food at Mother India Cafe and walked back home. I've eaten there once before and once again it was superb. Didn't disappoint! When we got home we talked some, skyped my parents and little brother which was a joy. My little brother showed off his skill on stilts and what he's been learning from violin lessons. We played some Go Fish and an epic battle of Battle then said good night.
I cannot tell you how great it is to have them here. Tomorrow we are going to do one of the double decker bus tours, see the Botanical Gardens, and maybe the National Portrait Museum. It will be a great time like always. I'm sad they are leaving Sunday but when they come back we are heading to Norway to see the Northern Lights!! Plus, it's probably best that I focus on school, got my first real essay due Oct. 31st, and I haven't even started.. tsk tsk.
Well I better head to bed.. got a big day ahead of me!
With hopes of sweet dreams and rested feet,
Alyssa
Today I took Pa (pronounced 'paw', like the end of grandpa(w)) and Laurie around Edinburgh. We did quite a bit of walking but the beauty of this city is that you can walk everywhere!
First I gave them a tour of the school. We had a cup of coffee and pastry then walked around the Student Union. They were as shocked as I was to find it has 4 or so bars located in it. Pa made the comment that students get good grades here because of the Library Bar. Good times.
We then saw Greyfriars kirk which is home to Bobby the terrier (I think he was a terrier). He stood on his masters grave for 14 years back in the 1800s. Very loyal that Bobby was.
Next was a walk on the Royal Mile where I gave them a tour of St. Giles. I felt smart because we toured the cathedral for my architecture tutorial so I had a lot of information to share. It is such a beautiful church.. It took centuries to make it into the current state but I am glad it is as it is.
From here we went up to the castle and toured it. The Great Hall and Crown Jewels were really spectacular. The castle is really large and has a fantastic view of the city. Well worth the 15 pounds I thought.
Our last stop was the National Museum of Scotland. You talk about big! That place is 7 stories filled with stuff. We got there close to closing but what we saw was awesome. There was this chronolage time thingy that was really neat. We also saw a peoples of the world exhibit and animal exhibit. The building was incredible so I'm excited to go back and explore. I see why it's so talked about and why they put millions of pounds into it.
To finish the day we ate Indian food at Mother India Cafe and walked back home. I've eaten there once before and once again it was superb. Didn't disappoint! When we got home we talked some, skyped my parents and little brother which was a joy. My little brother showed off his skill on stilts and what he's been learning from violin lessons. We played some Go Fish and an epic battle of Battle then said good night.
I cannot tell you how great it is to have them here. Tomorrow we are going to do one of the double decker bus tours, see the Botanical Gardens, and maybe the National Portrait Museum. It will be a great time like always. I'm sad they are leaving Sunday but when they come back we are heading to Norway to see the Northern Lights!! Plus, it's probably best that I focus on school, got my first real essay due Oct. 31st, and I haven't even started.. tsk tsk.
Well I better head to bed.. got a big day ahead of me!
With hopes of sweet dreams and rested feet,
Alyssa
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Guess who's coming to Edinburgh?!
WOOOO!! My mom just booked a flight for she and my grandma to come visit November 15-26th. I am Sooooo excited! My grandpa and Laurie will be here on Thursday, then in 1 month my mom will be here. I'm the luckiest girl in the world, 4 visitors. I have a list of great things to do and places to visit so I have to start making itineraries.
I just wanted to let everyone know. =) I must get back to my essay that is due tomorrow now.. only 300 words, and editing to go!
Good morning, good day, and good night.
-Alyssa
I just wanted to let everyone know. =) I must get back to my essay that is due tomorrow now.. only 300 words, and editing to go!
Good morning, good day, and good night.
-Alyssa
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Thanks Deutschland
Dear readers,
I just looked at my audience statistics and it turns out I have 6 readers from the U.S (my homeland), 6 from the UK (where this blog is about) and 7 from Germany. I think that is so interesting! Just so you know I love Deutschland. I have 2 friends from there who are awesome and who will be visiting here in December. Whoop whoop. Anyways, thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read my posts. It is greatly appreciated! I hope you find it entertaining/helpful/funny/etc.
Have a fantastic day and there should be another post soonish. =)
Bye for now!
Alyssa
I just looked at my audience statistics and it turns out I have 6 readers from the U.S (my homeland), 6 from the UK (where this blog is about) and 7 from Germany. I think that is so interesting! Just so you know I love Deutschland. I have 2 friends from there who are awesome and who will be visiting here in December. Whoop whoop. Anyways, thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read my posts. It is greatly appreciated! I hope you find it entertaining/helpful/funny/etc.
Have a fantastic day and there should be another post soonish. =)
Bye for now!
Alyssa
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Homesick...ish
Happy Sunday everyone!
I should be having a productive day of reading and writing but I can't seem to find my motivation. I just want to sit here on the computer and stalk Facebook pictures and wait for someone to log onto Skype. Technology is great at connecting people but it is also a great tool to disconnect from reality. I read posts and see pictures about the fun people are having at Stetson and it really makes me miss it. On one hand I love it here, and feel like I am having a once in a lifetime experience that I wish my other friends could have. Then on the other hand I just want to be home. Last semester I got down and out because I was way too busy and felt like I had too much going on in organizations, and now I feel like I need more to do to keep busy! It's hard to find the right balance.
I really like the friend group I have here. We have fun when we hang out and are a great mixture of personalities. Like today Julia and AJ baked blueberry muffins that were absolutely delicious. Then we had a great time climbing Arthur's Seat together on Wednesday. So I'm not homesick because I'm alone.. I mean my 3 best friends here are American. How much more homey can it get?
I think I just miss interacting and doing stuff on campus. That makes all the difference in the world. Stetson is a community.. so I don't just walk to class or walk to the cafeteria. I run into my friends and have an unexpected lunch date. Whereas here everyone just goes about their business. That is the main difference and adjustment I have to make.. Last year I would leave class and go to work in the SGA Office to find some of my best friends already there hanging out so it was like walking into my home. Or when I'd go in the Pi Phi house and find someone in their room to hang out with during my 1 hour break between class. I miss that and am really looking forward to getting it back.
This has already been a great experience just to get me out of my comfort zone and to make me appreciate what I have. In Florida I can drive home on the weekend to see my family when I am missing them, I have several support systems that are always there if I need a laugh or someone to eat with. I am a really lucky girl.. and I'm glad I can step back and realize that instead of be stuck in my ways and on a tight schedule that doesn't let me enjoy the little things. Plus, I will be graduating college in 1 1/2 years and who knows where I'll go after that.. so this a good opportunity for me to see what it's like away for a long period of time.. I am missing my little brother something fierce so it gives me something to think about for graduation and where I'll be located..
Anyways, this is boring talk. Know that I'm going to keep enjoying my time here, because it is really beautiful, I love my classes, and I like the societies I've gotten involved in. But those of you back home know that I cannot wait to see you in December/January and will tackle you with a big ole hug.
And don't worry about the homesickness because my grandpa and Laurie will be here in 11 days! That will definitely make me feel better about everything. I'm so excited! =D WOOOO! Now back to reading....
See you next time,
Alyssa
I should be having a productive day of reading and writing but I can't seem to find my motivation. I just want to sit here on the computer and stalk Facebook pictures and wait for someone to log onto Skype. Technology is great at connecting people but it is also a great tool to disconnect from reality. I read posts and see pictures about the fun people are having at Stetson and it really makes me miss it. On one hand I love it here, and feel like I am having a once in a lifetime experience that I wish my other friends could have. Then on the other hand I just want to be home. Last semester I got down and out because I was way too busy and felt like I had too much going on in organizations, and now I feel like I need more to do to keep busy! It's hard to find the right balance.
I really like the friend group I have here. We have fun when we hang out and are a great mixture of personalities. Like today Julia and AJ baked blueberry muffins that were absolutely delicious. Then we had a great time climbing Arthur's Seat together on Wednesday. So I'm not homesick because I'm alone.. I mean my 3 best friends here are American. How much more homey can it get?
I think I just miss interacting and doing stuff on campus. That makes all the difference in the world. Stetson is a community.. so I don't just walk to class or walk to the cafeteria. I run into my friends and have an unexpected lunch date. Whereas here everyone just goes about their business. That is the main difference and adjustment I have to make.. Last year I would leave class and go to work in the SGA Office to find some of my best friends already there hanging out so it was like walking into my home. Or when I'd go in the Pi Phi house and find someone in their room to hang out with during my 1 hour break between class. I miss that and am really looking forward to getting it back.
This has already been a great experience just to get me out of my comfort zone and to make me appreciate what I have. In Florida I can drive home on the weekend to see my family when I am missing them, I have several support systems that are always there if I need a laugh or someone to eat with. I am a really lucky girl.. and I'm glad I can step back and realize that instead of be stuck in my ways and on a tight schedule that doesn't let me enjoy the little things. Plus, I will be graduating college in 1 1/2 years and who knows where I'll go after that.. so this a good opportunity for me to see what it's like away for a long period of time.. I am missing my little brother something fierce so it gives me something to think about for graduation and where I'll be located..
Anyways, this is boring talk. Know that I'm going to keep enjoying my time here, because it is really beautiful, I love my classes, and I like the societies I've gotten involved in. But those of you back home know that I cannot wait to see you in December/January and will tackle you with a big ole hug.
And don't worry about the homesickness because my grandpa and Laurie will be here in 11 days! That will definitely make me feel better about everything. I'm so excited! =D WOOOO! Now back to reading....
See you next time,
Alyssa
Friday, 5 October 2012
North Queensferry and Arthur's Seat
My travel dreams came true this past week! The PhotoSoc trip to North Queensferry was so much fun. We rode the train to get there which only took about 30 minutes. When we got off the train you looked down and there was just this picturesque little seaside town.. The bridges there were a beautiful site to see.. It was chilly, so Ashleigh and I went inside a cute little hotel lounge and enjoyed a nice cup of hot cocoa to warm up. 'Sea' how adorable the town is??
Then on Wednesday, Julia, AJ, Santina and I climbed Arthur's Seat. It really does give you a beautiful view of the city. It was a little challenging getting up there..not going to lie.. but worth it. It was a perfect little get away for a few hours. And saw some nice wildlife. If you are in Edinburgh definitely go up Arthur's Seat. You won't be disappointed.
Enjoy the view!
Then on Wednesday, Julia, AJ, Santina and I climbed Arthur's Seat. It really does give you a beautiful view of the city. It was a little challenging getting up there..not going to lie.. but worth it. It was a perfect little get away for a few hours. And saw some nice wildlife. If you are in Edinburgh definitely go up Arthur's Seat. You won't be disappointed.
Enjoy the view!
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Travel Dreams and Societies
Hi there,
Hope this post finds you doing fantastic today. Things are good on my end. Just been going to classes and hanging out.. I'm getting a little anxious and wanting to travel. There was a day trip to the Highlands that my accommodation set up that we could pay to go on, but I decided not to do it. Julia and AJ couldn't go so I figured it'd be more fun if we could do it together over a weekend. Thinking of going to the Isle of Skye next weekend or Stirling.. somewhere! I still have to see the sites of Edinburgh. If Sunday is pretty I think I will go to the castle. I have to stop being a room potato and get over my fear of going off by myself!
I was actually kind of glad that I didn't pay for the Highlands trip last night because the Photography Society (PhotoSoc) is going to capture the sunset on Saturday. We are going to the Queensferry and taking pictures of the Forth Railroad Bridges (at sunset). Should be fun! And hopefully I'll learn some new camera techniques and get a mentor at our meeting tomorrow. I'm so excited about the PhotoSoc. I think it will be really fun and beneficial. They do these local photo trips every Saturday, have photo tutorials every Friday, and do a trip outside of Edinburgh during the semester. The people in the society seemed cool too! I hung out with a group of 5 last week at the pub crawl. It was Amira (Malaysia), Chu (China), Lukas (Germany), Maron (Denmark), and Ashleigh (Scotland). We were quite the exotic group! I'm thinking of trying to get a Photography club started when I get back to Stetson.. I think that would be amazing! (If you are reading from Stetson, don't steal my idea! =P)
For those of you in the States reading, you probably are a little thrown off by the term "society". That is what they call organizations here. Sounds fancy, huh?
I think I am mainly going to focus on the PhotoSoc, but I am also planning on going to some classes from the Modern Dance Society. I went to one jazz class last week and really liked it. It was a beginners level so it was really easy (which made me feel good about my skills!). I met a sweet girl from the Highlands during last class that I hope to become better friends with. I was planning on going this week but membership is 15 pounds then classes are 3 pounds after that..but classes without membership are 5 pounds sooo I'm trying to decide if I will go to enough classes to justify the membership... I'll keep you posted.
Then I am probably going to join the Film Society. They show 3 movies a week. I wasn't really aware of them--even though I went into their free showing of Inglorious B*stards--then a classmate was telling me about joining the society and what they do and it got me excited. I mean I've been sitting in my room watching movies most evenings so I might as well enjoy them with other people. Sunday they are showing 'The Artist' so I am going to check it out. There are at least 9 movies that I want to see throughout the rest of the semester. They have a Quiz Night every other week as well that seems fun.
They don't have Greek life here but the societies kind of remind me of Greek life. They do pub crawls and hold themed socials throughout the semester. Plus most of the people that are heavily involved in the societies are close friends. It's pretty much the same concept, just without all the dues, national affiliation and philanthropic stuff.
I think this is a great way to help me meet people and get out of the ole dorm room. I think once I get involved and get used to the cold (if that's possible) I'll have more to do than walk to campus and walk back home. Speaking of walking! I have found some shorter routes to campus and can now make it there in 20 minutes instead of 30; 15 if I walk fast! Wooo.
I guess that's all for now. Next topic will be a surprise...even to me! If you have any questions on anything I've posted about so far or about Edinburgh just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to reply.
Yours,
Alyssa
Hope this post finds you doing fantastic today. Things are good on my end. Just been going to classes and hanging out.. I'm getting a little anxious and wanting to travel. There was a day trip to the Highlands that my accommodation set up that we could pay to go on, but I decided not to do it. Julia and AJ couldn't go so I figured it'd be more fun if we could do it together over a weekend. Thinking of going to the Isle of Skye next weekend or Stirling.. somewhere! I still have to see the sites of Edinburgh. If Sunday is pretty I think I will go to the castle. I have to stop being a room potato and get over my fear of going off by myself!
I was actually kind of glad that I didn't pay for the Highlands trip last night because the Photography Society (PhotoSoc) is going to capture the sunset on Saturday. We are going to the Queensferry and taking pictures of the Forth Railroad Bridges (at sunset). Should be fun! And hopefully I'll learn some new camera techniques and get a mentor at our meeting tomorrow. I'm so excited about the PhotoSoc. I think it will be really fun and beneficial. They do these local photo trips every Saturday, have photo tutorials every Friday, and do a trip outside of Edinburgh during the semester. The people in the society seemed cool too! I hung out with a group of 5 last week at the pub crawl. It was Amira (Malaysia), Chu (China), Lukas (Germany), Maron (Denmark), and Ashleigh (Scotland). We were quite the exotic group! I'm thinking of trying to get a Photography club started when I get back to Stetson.. I think that would be amazing! (If you are reading from Stetson, don't steal my idea! =P)
For those of you in the States reading, you probably are a little thrown off by the term "society". That is what they call organizations here. Sounds fancy, huh?
I think I am mainly going to focus on the PhotoSoc, but I am also planning on going to some classes from the Modern Dance Society. I went to one jazz class last week and really liked it. It was a beginners level so it was really easy (which made me feel good about my skills!). I met a sweet girl from the Highlands during last class that I hope to become better friends with. I was planning on going this week but membership is 15 pounds then classes are 3 pounds after that..but classes without membership are 5 pounds sooo I'm trying to decide if I will go to enough classes to justify the membership... I'll keep you posted.
Then I am probably going to join the Film Society. They show 3 movies a week. I wasn't really aware of them--even though I went into their free showing of Inglorious B*stards--then a classmate was telling me about joining the society and what they do and it got me excited. I mean I've been sitting in my room watching movies most evenings so I might as well enjoy them with other people. Sunday they are showing 'The Artist' so I am going to check it out. There are at least 9 movies that I want to see throughout the rest of the semester. They have a Quiz Night every other week as well that seems fun.
They don't have Greek life here but the societies kind of remind me of Greek life. They do pub crawls and hold themed socials throughout the semester. Plus most of the people that are heavily involved in the societies are close friends. It's pretty much the same concept, just without all the dues, national affiliation and philanthropic stuff.
I think this is a great way to help me meet people and get out of the ole dorm room. I think once I get involved and get used to the cold (if that's possible) I'll have more to do than walk to campus and walk back home. Speaking of walking! I have found some shorter routes to campus and can now make it there in 20 minutes instead of 30; 15 if I walk fast! Wooo.
I guess that's all for now. Next topic will be a surprise...even to me! If you have any questions on anything I've posted about so far or about Edinburgh just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to reply.
Yours,
Alyssa
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Photos
Yuuummmy.
Hey everyone,
Hope you are doing well today. I am doing good, besides the fact that it has been raining all day. I got soaked on my walk back to the dorm from my last class about an hour ago. But I am changed into some comfy clothes and just had dinner so things are looking up!
Dinner wasn't anything special tonight, but I figured since I have some time I'd fill you in on the food selections here. My meal plan includes breakfast and dinner 7 days a week. I have to find lunch myself, but that is okay because I need one light meal a day. We only have one place that we can use our meals and that is at the restaurant. I know restaurant sounds nice and fancy with a menu and choices but in this case it is just a fancy term for cafeteria. Europe always likes to keep things classy. The food quality and options are really good in the cafeteria though.
For breakfast there is always fresh fruit, oatmeal, variety of cereals, Ambrosia custard, or yoghurt (as they spell it here). Then there are several hot food lines that have the same things. Link sausages, "bacon" which looks like ham, and hash browns McDonald's style. Then some mornings they offer wraps and others they have yoghurt with stewed fruits and grapefruit. It's a good variety and I love having a banana every day!
Dinner changes everyday. The first week they did theme nights: Scottish, Oriental, German, Mexican and French. They have a fish, meat, 3 or 4 sides, a specialty side, a dessert with a sauce, salad, sauteed veggies, cous cous, tuna, and other vegetarian options everyday. I'll never go hungry that's for sure.
Plus, the 'restaurant' has a specialty coffee machine that makes cappuccino, espresso, lattes, etc. and it has milk, juice machines, and a soda fountain. I am proud to say I have not used the soda machine one time. Just stickin' with water...and coffee!
Today I ate 2 spring rolls with a sweet and sour sauce, seasoned rice, braised spinach, and a piece of banana cake. The cake always has a sauce that goes on top of it no matter what kind it is.. today was an orange creme and it was not good.. but other days it has really complimented the dessert. I kind of miss the desserts at Stetson because there were so many. I could go for a Coffee Shop cookie or soft serve ice cream right about now...
I am glad that I chose the catered option instead of self catered because I would eat out all the time and be broke. I haven't eaten any Indian food yet, but hope to very soon. Mother of India was too crowded when we were going to eat there, but it is next on my list. The Thai and Chinese I had were excellent, so I imagine the Indian will be superb.
I hope you've enjoyed this segment of "Life in Edinburgh". Maybe I'll be able to post about some adventures very soon, like the title of the blog suggests. It is the weekend!
Til then,
Alyssa
Hope you are doing well today. I am doing good, besides the fact that it has been raining all day. I got soaked on my walk back to the dorm from my last class about an hour ago. But I am changed into some comfy clothes and just had dinner so things are looking up!
Dinner wasn't anything special tonight, but I figured since I have some time I'd fill you in on the food selections here. My meal plan includes breakfast and dinner 7 days a week. I have to find lunch myself, but that is okay because I need one light meal a day. We only have one place that we can use our meals and that is at the restaurant. I know restaurant sounds nice and fancy with a menu and choices but in this case it is just a fancy term for cafeteria. Europe always likes to keep things classy. The food quality and options are really good in the cafeteria though.
For breakfast there is always fresh fruit, oatmeal, variety of cereals, Ambrosia custard, or yoghurt (as they spell it here). Then there are several hot food lines that have the same things. Link sausages, "bacon" which looks like ham, and hash browns McDonald's style. Then some mornings they offer wraps and others they have yoghurt with stewed fruits and grapefruit. It's a good variety and I love having a banana every day!
Dinner changes everyday. The first week they did theme nights: Scottish, Oriental, German, Mexican and French. They have a fish, meat, 3 or 4 sides, a specialty side, a dessert with a sauce, salad, sauteed veggies, cous cous, tuna, and other vegetarian options everyday. I'll never go hungry that's for sure.
Plus, the 'restaurant' has a specialty coffee machine that makes cappuccino, espresso, lattes, etc. and it has milk, juice machines, and a soda fountain. I am proud to say I have not used the soda machine one time. Just stickin' with water...and coffee!
Today I ate 2 spring rolls with a sweet and sour sauce, seasoned rice, braised spinach, and a piece of banana cake. The cake always has a sauce that goes on top of it no matter what kind it is.. today was an orange creme and it was not good.. but other days it has really complimented the dessert. I kind of miss the desserts at Stetson because there were so many. I could go for a Coffee Shop cookie or soft serve ice cream right about now...
I am glad that I chose the catered option instead of self catered because I would eat out all the time and be broke. I haven't eaten any Indian food yet, but hope to very soon. Mother of India was too crowded when we were going to eat there, but it is next on my list. The Thai and Chinese I had were excellent, so I imagine the Indian will be superb.
I hope you've enjoyed this segment of "Life in Edinburgh". Maybe I'll be able to post about some adventures very soon, like the title of the blog suggests. It is the weekend!
Til then,
Alyssa
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
First day of Courses
Happy Tuesday!
[Before reading on I must give you a warning. You will probably need 5-10 minutes to read this post. It is fairly long. If you don't have much time maybe read 1/2 now, and the other 1/2 later. :) ]
I have officially completed 2 days of classes now. My schedule consists of the following:
Architecture: From Antiquity to Enlightenment (Archit.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial on W
Modern Scottish History (MoSH) T/TH plus a tutorial on M
Celtic Civilisations (Celt Civ.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial (can't sign up for a day yet..)
So it should be an interesting semester when I learn more about the culture that surrounds me. The courses are set up quite differently than the states and there are some differences between the courses themselves.
Here are the differences from Stetson :
1) Grades: a 40 is passing, 60% is good, and 70% is an A+.. so an 80% or above is virtually unheard of. Your grade is comprised of a proposal/rough draft, an essay, and an exam. My architecture class requires a presentation during tutorials.
2) You may be wondering what a tutorial is..? Well it is a small group you meet with weekly or bi-weekly (8-14 students) and have discussion over particular topics and readings. The lectures are not mandatory, just suggested, but the tutorials are mandatory . If you are absent from 3 out of 10 without an excuse you will fail the course. The tutorials are lead by various people in the department depending on what day you sign up for.
3) The courses are not taught my one person in particular. Each course has a course organiser and then there are other professors from the department that come in and speak during particular weeks who are experts on that time frame or topic.This varies among courses. In Celt Civ. there are 3 lecturers, MoSH has 5, and Archit. has 1 guest lecturer.
I like all three of these differences. I mean the grade differences don't really matter I guess. I like the idea of big assignments that require a lot of attention rather than small assignments and exams. And I'm so very glad to know a 70% is way above satisfactory before receiving an essay back. Stetson doesn't really need tutorials since it is a small school and has conversation within classes, but if I were going to a large school I would like to know if I am interpreting the information correctly. I love the idea of various lecturers. I think it is genius to have the experts on particular areas teach on those areas even if they are not the course facilitator. But Stetson's professors do a good job of bringing in guest speakers and what not. I think it would be cool for professors to change classes in order to teach that week on their specific field. Just something to think about...
So my first class was Celt Civ yesterday. We are going to be learning about what makes people Celtic and looking into a debate among modern scholars about the term Celtic. Apparently the term comes from Greeks and Romans that had a biased view of Celts as being Barbaric so the term could be derogatory. By the end of the class we will have our own idea about which side of the argument we are on. I think I already have an idea of what my conclusion will be though... I won't go into it just yet, but maybe later. The lecturer for first 7 weeks is a man. He seems very nice and is very soft spoken. He has a slight accent but is easy to understand. The course organizer is a woman who has a lovely accent and personality. I'm ready for her to teach the last 3 weeks because she seems fun. Maybe she will lead my tutorial. This class was held in a lecture room that had roller chairs with little arm desk things. Then it is held in a different room on Tuesdays, and a different room from that on Thursdays.. Odd..
My second class was Archit. I am really looking forward to this class. I was nervous at first because I walked in to a huge lecture hall with what looked like 300 students. Luckily it was only 150. I know it is totally random for a Marketing major to take an architecture class but... I just love architecture. Especially after seeing so many beautiful monuments around Europe in person the past month. The professor was wearing a suit, so he seemed like he may be a bit more uptight than the Celt Civ professors. Then he started to speak about the class.. and while I could understand what he was saying (he speaks very clearly and at a nice pace), I couldn't understand what he was saying.. He used some words that exceeded my humble vocabulary. But he was so passionate about structures and was able to put into words what I couldn't when trying to describe the awe I saw in some buildings to Julia. He had his presentation perfectly planned out with a detailed PowerPoint and notes that he was reading from. My business mind kicked in, and I started thinking of ways he could improve his speech: "Don't read from the paper", "get out from behind the podium", "ask some questions". Glad that I have paid attention in my classes! Then it just kinda hit me.. this man is teaching about architecture. Of course he is a structured and planned presenter. Everything he said really was good, just needs some pizazz. Anyways, at the end of class he shocked me a bit. He said "You are all here because you find a degree useful and beneficial toward your future. You think it is going to get you a job. Well, degrees are all political rhetoric. University is about expanding the capabilities of your mind. Out of all of you in this room some of you will go on to do great things. How do you differentiate yourself from the pack? You separate yourself by being analytical and thinking about what employers want out of an employee." I thought this was great advice to give on the first day to a room full of first years. I wish I would've started thinking like that first year instead of second. This will be a good class I think.
My last class started today and it MoSH. The professor teaching this class left the best impression on me. He was so enthusiastic about Scotland and the subject. He already presented us with so much information because he was just so excited. He has a great accent. I thought he was British, but turns out he is originally from Ontario, Canada. Interesting, huh?! He is an older man with a booming personality. He used lots of hand gestures and got me excited about the course. We are going to be studying the post-Culloden times up until the Great War (WWI). If you want to know what post-Culloden means, I'll have to let you know after Thursday's lecture! I am just ready to learn more about this area.. I realized I know nothing about Scotland's history or government.. so I'm excited to learn something completely new to me.
As of right now I am extremely excited about classes and can't wait to see what all I learn.. I don't have too many expectations because I learned earlier in this trip, it is best not to have expectations. But I am just planning on making the most of it, and gaining some knowledge that I bring back to the States.
Sorry if you are tired of reading by this point. I didn't want to leave anything out. I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoyed learning about the various courses at the University of Edinburgh. Tune in next time to hear about the food! That should be more interesting.
Til next time I eat something scrumptous,
Alyssa
[Before reading on I must give you a warning. You will probably need 5-10 minutes to read this post. It is fairly long. If you don't have much time maybe read 1/2 now, and the other 1/2 later. :) ]
I have officially completed 2 days of classes now. My schedule consists of the following:
Architecture: From Antiquity to Enlightenment (Archit.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial on W
Modern Scottish History (MoSH) T/TH plus a tutorial on M
Celtic Civilisations (Celt Civ.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial (can't sign up for a day yet..)
So it should be an interesting semester when I learn more about the culture that surrounds me. The courses are set up quite differently than the states and there are some differences between the courses themselves.
Here are the differences from Stetson :
1) Grades: a 40 is passing, 60% is good, and 70% is an A+.. so an 80% or above is virtually unheard of. Your grade is comprised of a proposal/rough draft, an essay, and an exam. My architecture class requires a presentation during tutorials.
2) You may be wondering what a tutorial is..? Well it is a small group you meet with weekly or bi-weekly (8-14 students) and have discussion over particular topics and readings. The lectures are not mandatory, just suggested, but the tutorials are mandatory . If you are absent from 3 out of 10 without an excuse you will fail the course. The tutorials are lead by various people in the department depending on what day you sign up for.
3) The courses are not taught my one person in particular. Each course has a course organiser and then there are other professors from the department that come in and speak during particular weeks who are experts on that time frame or topic.This varies among courses. In Celt Civ. there are 3 lecturers, MoSH has 5, and Archit. has 1 guest lecturer.
I like all three of these differences. I mean the grade differences don't really matter I guess. I like the idea of big assignments that require a lot of attention rather than small assignments and exams. And I'm so very glad to know a 70% is way above satisfactory before receiving an essay back. Stetson doesn't really need tutorials since it is a small school and has conversation within classes, but if I were going to a large school I would like to know if I am interpreting the information correctly. I love the idea of various lecturers. I think it is genius to have the experts on particular areas teach on those areas even if they are not the course facilitator. But Stetson's professors do a good job of bringing in guest speakers and what not. I think it would be cool for professors to change classes in order to teach that week on their specific field. Just something to think about...
So my first class was Celt Civ yesterday. We are going to be learning about what makes people Celtic and looking into a debate among modern scholars about the term Celtic. Apparently the term comes from Greeks and Romans that had a biased view of Celts as being Barbaric so the term could be derogatory. By the end of the class we will have our own idea about which side of the argument we are on. I think I already have an idea of what my conclusion will be though... I won't go into it just yet, but maybe later. The lecturer for first 7 weeks is a man. He seems very nice and is very soft spoken. He has a slight accent but is easy to understand. The course organizer is a woman who has a lovely accent and personality. I'm ready for her to teach the last 3 weeks because she seems fun. Maybe she will lead my tutorial. This class was held in a lecture room that had roller chairs with little arm desk things. Then it is held in a different room on Tuesdays, and a different room from that on Thursdays.. Odd..
My second class was Archit. I am really looking forward to this class. I was nervous at first because I walked in to a huge lecture hall with what looked like 300 students. Luckily it was only 150. I know it is totally random for a Marketing major to take an architecture class but... I just love architecture. Especially after seeing so many beautiful monuments around Europe in person the past month. The professor was wearing a suit, so he seemed like he may be a bit more uptight than the Celt Civ professors. Then he started to speak about the class.. and while I could understand what he was saying (he speaks very clearly and at a nice pace), I couldn't understand what he was saying.. He used some words that exceeded my humble vocabulary. But he was so passionate about structures and was able to put into words what I couldn't when trying to describe the awe I saw in some buildings to Julia. He had his presentation perfectly planned out with a detailed PowerPoint and notes that he was reading from. My business mind kicked in, and I started thinking of ways he could improve his speech: "Don't read from the paper", "get out from behind the podium", "ask some questions". Glad that I have paid attention in my classes! Then it just kinda hit me.. this man is teaching about architecture. Of course he is a structured and planned presenter. Everything he said really was good, just needs some pizazz. Anyways, at the end of class he shocked me a bit. He said "You are all here because you find a degree useful and beneficial toward your future. You think it is going to get you a job. Well, degrees are all political rhetoric. University is about expanding the capabilities of your mind. Out of all of you in this room some of you will go on to do great things. How do you differentiate yourself from the pack? You separate yourself by being analytical and thinking about what employers want out of an employee." I thought this was great advice to give on the first day to a room full of first years. I wish I would've started thinking like that first year instead of second. This will be a good class I think.
My last class started today and it MoSH. The professor teaching this class left the best impression on me. He was so enthusiastic about Scotland and the subject. He already presented us with so much information because he was just so excited. He has a great accent. I thought he was British, but turns out he is originally from Ontario, Canada. Interesting, huh?! He is an older man with a booming personality. He used lots of hand gestures and got me excited about the course. We are going to be studying the post-Culloden times up until the Great War (WWI). If you want to know what post-Culloden means, I'll have to let you know after Thursday's lecture! I am just ready to learn more about this area.. I realized I know nothing about Scotland's history or government.. so I'm excited to learn something completely new to me.
As of right now I am extremely excited about classes and can't wait to see what all I learn.. I don't have too many expectations because I learned earlier in this trip, it is best not to have expectations. But I am just planning on making the most of it, and gaining some knowledge that I bring back to the States.
Sorry if you are tired of reading by this point. I didn't want to leave anything out. I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoyed learning about the various courses at the University of Edinburgh. Tune in next time to hear about the food! That should be more interesting.
Til next time I eat something scrumptous,
Alyssa
Saturday, 15 September 2012
First week
Ello poppets,
So I decided to start a blog. Mostly for my family and whoever is interested in my travels and daily life while abroad. In case you didn't know, I am studying in Edinburgh, Scotland for the semester. I am writing now because I have officially spent my first week in Edinburgh. The 3 weeks before now I was off gallivanting throughout Europe with my friend Julia. The past month has been the time of my life. I have learned a lot about myself, life, and cultures. And of course I have loved every bit of it.
Edinburgh doesn't have a big city feel to it, but has lots to do.. I mean if you like bars and pubs there are 5 on every street. No joke, Google maps bars in Edinburgh and it is all red! It's something else. But the city is lovely. There is a beautiful castle on a mountain/hill and Arthur's seat which should have an amazing view of the city that I have to climb up to. The buildings are a nice combination of old and modern. Since the university was founded in the late 1500's the campus is kind of spread out but the main buildings are together so that is nice. It is a 30 minute walk for me to get to the main area, so I should be in shape after this semester! I'm really glad I traveled and walked a ton before coming here so I can appreciate this flat, not so strenuous walk into town everyday.
My typical day consists of sleeping in, walking into town, hanging out, maybe hitting a pub, maybe playing cards, then just calling it a night. When I get back into my hotel dorm room (my dorm is literally in a hotel..) I check Facebook and log into Skype to see if there is anyone I can talk to. Nothing out of the ordinary, which seems odd, but it's nice at the same time. I think it's helping me to not be homesick. Then classes start Monday so that will help occupy me since things are slowing down now. I am taking Architecture: From antiquity to enlightenment, Modern Scottish History, and Celtic Civilizations. None help with marketing but hey when in Scotland.
I hope when I start making friends from Scotland that I can blow the typical dumb, lazy American stereotype out of their head with my wonderful, well-rounded Stetson education. There are few things worse than feeling stupid. I am excited about meeting people but at the same time nervous since I am leaving in 3 months. I hate saying see you laters, and have had too many of them.. But as this trip showed me, it is definitely see you later and not goodbye. I mean I didn't see Mirek for 7 years, Susi was at Stetson 2 years ago, and Miruxy was there in the Spring so no matter how long or short you go without seeing someone who you are friends with you can always reconnect. It's beautiful. So I guess I'll get out there and make some new best friends so that I can come back.. unless I decide to move here of course. Then you will have to come visit me! I definitely want to live in Europe I've decided. I just like the lifestyle and travel possibilities better than in the states I think.
Anyways! I'm just kinda rambling so I guess I'll shush it. Know that I am enjoying myself but missing everyone at the same time. Seems like things at Stetson are pretty much the same, but I am still scared of things being totally different when I return. Good thing I like change! For my family, I miss you very much and hope to "see" you soon on Skype.
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
Til next time something interesting (or not so interesting) happens,
Alyssa
So I decided to start a blog. Mostly for my family and whoever is interested in my travels and daily life while abroad. In case you didn't know, I am studying in Edinburgh, Scotland for the semester. I am writing now because I have officially spent my first week in Edinburgh. The 3 weeks before now I was off gallivanting throughout Europe with my friend Julia. The past month has been the time of my life. I have learned a lot about myself, life, and cultures. And of course I have loved every bit of it.
Edinburgh doesn't have a big city feel to it, but has lots to do.. I mean if you like bars and pubs there are 5 on every street. No joke, Google maps bars in Edinburgh and it is all red! It's something else. But the city is lovely. There is a beautiful castle on a mountain/hill and Arthur's seat which should have an amazing view of the city that I have to climb up to. The buildings are a nice combination of old and modern. Since the university was founded in the late 1500's the campus is kind of spread out but the main buildings are together so that is nice. It is a 30 minute walk for me to get to the main area, so I should be in shape after this semester! I'm really glad I traveled and walked a ton before coming here so I can appreciate this flat, not so strenuous walk into town everyday.
My typical day consists of sleeping in, walking into town, hanging out, maybe hitting a pub, maybe playing cards, then just calling it a night. When I get back into my hotel dorm room (my dorm is literally in a hotel..) I check Facebook and log into Skype to see if there is anyone I can talk to. Nothing out of the ordinary, which seems odd, but it's nice at the same time. I think it's helping me to not be homesick. Then classes start Monday so that will help occupy me since things are slowing down now. I am taking Architecture: From antiquity to enlightenment, Modern Scottish History, and Celtic Civilizations. None help with marketing but hey when in Scotland.
I hope when I start making friends from Scotland that I can blow the typical dumb, lazy American stereotype out of their head with my wonderful, well-rounded Stetson education. There are few things worse than feeling stupid. I am excited about meeting people but at the same time nervous since I am leaving in 3 months. I hate saying see you laters, and have had too many of them.. But as this trip showed me, it is definitely see you later and not goodbye. I mean I didn't see Mirek for 7 years, Susi was at Stetson 2 years ago, and Miruxy was there in the Spring so no matter how long or short you go without seeing someone who you are friends with you can always reconnect. It's beautiful. So I guess I'll get out there and make some new best friends so that I can come back.. unless I decide to move here of course. Then you will have to come visit me! I definitely want to live in Europe I've decided. I just like the lifestyle and travel possibilities better than in the states I think.
Anyways! I'm just kinda rambling so I guess I'll shush it. Know that I am enjoying myself but missing everyone at the same time. Seems like things at Stetson are pretty much the same, but I am still scared of things being totally different when I return. Good thing I like change! For my family, I miss you very much and hope to "see" you soon on Skype.
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
Til next time something interesting (or not so interesting) happens,
Alyssa
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