Halloween!

Halloween has always been a big thing at our house and it feels really weird not being at home for it this year.
Although I did watch Hocus Pocus last week (which is just one of our Halloween traditions), I still feel like the feeling is different here. That's partly due to the fact that we're not anywhere near a neighborhood so if anyone has put up Halloween decorations, I can't see them. It's also because here, for people my age, Halloween is a night to dress in the least amount of clothing that you can find and get really drunk and go out. Which is fine, just not really my scene, or very Halloweenish for that matter.
However, the thing that I miss the most is that I didn't get to carve a pumpkin!! This will be the first year of my 20 that I didn't and it's quite sad. I did express my intense love for pumpkins by having one sitting in my windowsill for the past three weeks though, which is a plus.
Also, the Starbucks here does not have Pumpkin Spice Lattes!! I think that should be a sin punishable by...not death, but something almost as awful.
Hopefully as we move closer to Thanksgiving, well when it will be happening at home, I can get more in the fall mode. I really hope so anyways because this is my favorite time of year :)

Family, Fife and a Few Other Adventures

I have been truly blessed with an amazing family.
This past weekend I went to my cousin's house in Fife and spent two jam-packed days exploring the more rural side of Scotland. It was amazing! I can't thank Bernadette and David enough for reminding me why I have always had a love for Scotland. Within the first 20 minutes of the drive out of Glasgow I saw such beautiful views of the more rural parts of the country, and honestly, they took my breath away. We drove through Culross, Dunfermline, Falkland, St. Andrews, St. Monans, and a few other small harbour villages on the way home so I could get a "taste" of a few places. Let me tell you, they were all absolutely gorgeous and just so "Scottish" that I could barely contain myself.

Harbour, Doorway, Church, Coast

Not only did I get to see the coast, but I also saw the most beautiful church that is located right on the beach. I've already told my Mom that I'm getting married there one day and everyone will simply have to fly out to Scotland for the occasion. She didn't seem too put off by the idea.
After a day full of "ooohs" and "ahhhhs", Sunday was spent looking at some very old and very magnificent buildings. We started the day at Dunfermline Palace and Abbey and then made our way to the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. The Palace/Abbey was very serene; very awe-inspiring. It was built by Robert the Bruce and was used by the Kings and Queens of Scotland, including Queen Mary, as a stop on their way through the country. The Monument was a bit different. First, we had to make a "gentle climb" to the top. I'm sure the climb would have been much more gentle had I not already been sick...I could feel my chest tightening as we went up the hill to the base of the Monument. But, once we reached the top (and then the very top of the Monument itself) I saw that the views were well worth the hike up. If you ever find yourself in Stirling, make sure you make the trip to the Wallace Monument. I promise, you won't regret it.
Of course, being in Stirling, we HAD to go to the castle. I had heard nothing but good things about the castle and its surroundings and they were all true. The castle itself sits up on a hill overlooking the city of Stirling and everywhere you look you're faced with another fantastic view.



Dunfermline, Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, View from Castle

  All in all, I saw more in just this past weekend than I have the entire month and a half that I've been in Glasgow. I can't thank David and Bernadette enough for their kindness and hospitality. I greatly appreciate it and definitely plan on visiting them again in the near future.

Unrequited Love

Okay, so. I love Scotland. The people are great, the weather is cooler, the scenery is beautiful. I can picture myself living here so easily it's almost scary. Apparently, Scotland does not feel the same way about me. I have been sick since I've arrived (I blame Iceland Air, because that seems reasonable) and I can't figure out why. I generally only get sick once a year for about a week or so. It's been a month and a half and there are no signs pointing towards me getting well.
Thankfully, I've only had the typical cold symptoms, but you know, they get a bit annoying after awhile. Especially when you wake up in the morning feeling like death. Also, I would love to be able to go to class without worrying about having a coughing attack while the professor is lecturing. Sorry, professors and fellow classmates!
At home my problems would be fixed with the wonderful/amazing/heaven-sent DayQuil/NyQuil.

But, as further proof of Scotland's dislike for me, they don't have that in this country! And any of the so-called equivalents that I can find have not been nearly as effective in soothing my cough or making my head feel like it's normal sized. I never thought I would miss the taste of melted cough drops, but I so do.
Generally I wouldn't dedicate a whole post to complaining about being sick, and I promise not to make it a habit, but I'm kind of hoping that if I write down my complaints and send them out into the public world Scotland will realize it's being unnecessarily cruel. 
Fingers crossed!!

Fall!

Even though it's been pretty cold here in Glasgow for quite some time, fall has finally arrived! All of the leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground (making them perfect for playing in) and it is absolutely wonderful. Fall is my favorite time of year, especially since it means the appearance of pumpkins into my life! It is a bit odd to miss the changing of the seasons at home. It's always gorgeous and such a welcome change from the unbearable South Carolina summer heat, but I'm doing all I can to enjoy the change just as much here. So far, it seems to be working.

One Month!

As of today I have been in Scotland for a month! That is crazy for me to even attempt to comprehend. I feel like I just got here. That's probably due to the fact that I've only been in class for two weeks and haven't had any big assignments that I've had to do yet. But still...it's a little bit ridiculous how quickly the time is passing.
Most of my summer was spent in anticipation for September 5th to finally arrive and with it the chance of a lifetime to go somewhere that I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember. Now that I'm finally here, it's hard to imagine that I'm going to have to leave in a little over two months. Scotland has been everything I've expected it to be and I'm so grateful to be able to have this opportunity. If you ever get the chance to study abroad, even if it's not in Scotland (though of course that's definitely where I would suggest), go. Don't worry about the fact that you won't know anyone and that there is probably going to be some type of language barrier no matter where you go, just go with it. Believe me, the embarrassment that you go through trying to adjust to a different way of living is well worth the people you'll meet and the culture that you will get to experience. I always heard that you don't really know who you truly are until you study abroad, presumably because you have to figure out what you want to do and you are forced to do so without the constant input of the people you're most familiar with, friends and family, etc. That has been a big adjustment for me because I am forever asking others what I should do or what they think about something, I never want to disappoint. But what I've heard is true, while I've been in Scotland I have been deciding everything for myself, and sometimes I surprise myself with the outcome.
Sure, I still get the moments of "What would my parents think?" or "How is this going to affect me tomorrow?", but then I remember that I am 20 years old and in Scotland. This is never going to happen again and I need to make the most of my time here (With certain limitations, of course. I do actually have to go to class).
I don't want people to think that I've just gone wild over here, because that is definitely not the case. I'm just allowing myself to experience whatever comes my way, if I decide that I want to. And along the way, just as I was told I would, I'm finding out who I really am.

On a completely random note: the leaves are starting to change here and there are so many red trees that I think I may be falling in love...

Lazy Days and Revealing Nights

This past week has been a fairly tame one. After having about two weeks that were absolutely jam-packed with activities it's kind of nice to just be able to relax a little bit. Also, the start of classes generally means that my focus shifts towards academics and such...but that's a bit hard to do whenever I remember I'm in Scotland. I get my books and sit down with every intention of reading for class and then I look outside of my window and am hit with the realization that I could be wandering around Glasgow instead. And doesn't that just sound like it would be more fun than reading about the Scottish Enlightenment? Well, it does to me. Especially when there is such a beautiful park only 5 minutes away that has trees with leaves changing colors.



Too pretty to resist taking pictures...

  Unfortunately, I've managed to mangle my foot pretty badly and cause some "inflamation of the tendons" according to the doctor. So, I've been told that I need to rest/elevate my foot for a few days. That hasn't really happened. I absolutely hate having to sit inside doing nothing when I'm only going to be here for a few months. Just doesn't seem fair. Needless to say, it's going to take a bit longer for my foot to heal than it probably should, but I have a feeling that experiencing Glasgow is well worth it. How else am I going to befriend Scottish people (which is really the goal of this entire trip), right?
We've been able to go out a few different times and try out places that people have told us about or that we have heard were fun. I think that we're starting to find places that will become regular haunts, which is nice. Experiencing the nightlife here has actually been the biggest culture shock for me. When people head out for a night on the town in Glasgow, they go all out. The biggest differences between going out here and at home are that Glaswegians start their nights out quite a bit earlier than we're used to, around 8 or 9, and the going out attire is completely different, especially for the girls. Let's just say that there is much less clothing involved. I kind of feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, but oh well. I don't have enough money to buy new clothes!