Siezing the Moment

It has been quite awhile since I have done a blog update. I apologize for not being up to date with the world, but traveling is time consuming. These past few weeks have been unbelievable. I am traveling and seeing places I never thought I would get to so quickly after my last study abroad adventure. Realizing that I am a 21 year old student taking a Spring Holiday to the Mediterranean - Sometimes it is quite difficult to wrap my head around the whole concept, but I am truly grateful and blessed for this.

Thursday March 20th we took off from our beloved home in Dalkeith to venture to Barcelona to embark on our cruise. We landed in Barcelona late Thursday evening and spent Friday wandering the streets of Barcelona embracing its beauty the city has to offer. The buildings stood tall with wonderful architecture, detail, and color. We walked through a market where there was fresh fruit, juice, meat, seafood, and practically anything you could imagine. I got four stacked strawberries covered in chocolate! Yummy! The hustle and bustle did not matter at this point for wandering slowly and constantly looking up and around to what was around us. I fell in love. Around two o'clock we made our way to the port lugging our rolling suitcases through the floral printed sidewalks. The stares from those around us made the 30 minute walk to the port humorous - We arrived in awe at this giant ship we were going to be living on for the next eight days.

I have never been on a cruise before, so I was a wee bit nervous about becoming sea sick or what exactly to expect. After we went through security, checked in, and were handed fresh fruit juice as we walked into the giant fore which included a large chandelier, sparkly princess steps, and a grand piano. Holiday had officially started. I felt like a kid in a candy store wandering around the ship, exploring new spaces. We found our room (13193)  on the 13th floor with sea view from our balcony. I felt very spoiled. The evening chimed in with relaxation, laughter, and a buffet that went on forever - food!

The next day we woke up in Marseilles, France. It was rainy and cloudy, which dampened the mood - but nonetheless we ventured out to find whatever what was awaiting us. We stumbled upon a beautiful church named Cathedrale de la Major. Part of the church was built in the 12th century, but then they added on what you see today in the late 18th century. The beauty and history that these churches in Europe hold are breath taking - did I mention I saw a live confession! We went to a museum that over looked the sea and we enjoyed walking the streets prior to heading back to the ship.

That evening we discovered the fine dining. Right up my alley! We enjoyed five course meals the whole week and it was so nice to have fresh seafood, pasta, unique appetizers, and delicious desserts! We also attended weekly shows in the theater that included dancing, singing, acrobatics, and many unexpected surprises. We also eventually found our way to the bars and lounges too.

Sunday we arrived in Genoa, Italy. We were very close to the city thankfully and walked along a boardwalk until we saw a train tour around and through the city. Since it was cheaply priced at seven euro, we went for it. It was a great idea because then we were able to see areas we wanted to explore more once the tour had ended. The train tour lasted about an hour and then we wandered up into a beautiful green space that included endless views of the sea, harbor, and the city. It also included a waterfall - refreshing. From there we walked to the church where Christopher Columbus was baptized (he also was born in Genoa) and along the main pathways. We got to the city centre where there was a grand fountain and walked down the street and got some delicious gelato. We then took a glance at the Cattedral di San Lorenzo - Dunomo di Genoa which was near the centre. After our gelato we returned to the boat. At each port after exploring each day, I always sat and reflected. We always looked forward to our fine dinners with great company.

At our dinner table we met two other couples from England. Thomas, Elaine, Bill, and Eirlys probably made the holiday even more special. To meet such splendid people who bought wine each night for us and said, "You have truly made our holiday." You never know who you're going to meet and who will make an impact on you and these four special people who happen to be at our table were a pleasure to dine with.

Monday we arrived in Naples. Our time on shore was brief that day, but we were able to make the most of it by finding gelato again! It started to rain at one point so my friend and I hustled back to the ship where there was plenty to do. Tuesday we arrived in Messina, Sicily. When we woke up that morning and opened our blinds we asked ourselves if we were docked on shore we were so close! The views each morning from our deck were very neat. From our room we were able to see a overlook that we knew we wanted to get to. Once we got off the ship it only took us an hour of walking and once we got to the top, the views were spectacular. We were able to see the city as a whole and our ship actually looked small. From there we went to the city centre and stood in front of the Cathedral of Messina where there was a bell tower and astronomical clock. At noon, there were figurines that moved - the whole presentation lasted about ten minutes. From there we went back on to the ship to play cards and relax.

Wednesday we arrived in Tunis, Tunisia where we were greeted with camels, drumming, and a trumpet. We walked off the ship to ride camels and walk through the local shopping market. We decided not to go into the city because it was a 30 minute taxi ride away. That day we got back onto the ship, gathered with other students that also went on the cruise to play cards. I also decided to splurge and myself and two other ladies got a massage - and it was worth it. That evening we attended dinner and the show.

Thursday we were at sea. And the waves were rocking. Walking through the ship you could not walk in a straight line. As you walked you would sway to one side and then the other. I felt a bit sea sick and we mostly spent the day relaxing in our beds enjoying our last days of not being busy.

Friday we docked and got off the ship mid morning, lugged our luggage to the BCN Hostel to store it and went to go around the city. We decided to take a bus tour. The tour allowed you to "hop on and off" at certain points. This was a nice feature that I had not encountered before. We were able to see specific places that we wanted to.  We went to the Placa Catalunya, Passeig Colom, Jardins de Mramar, Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, Casa Batllo, La Barceloneta (beach), and Sagrada Familia. The tour took us nearly seven or eight hours. By the time we got back to our hostel I was ready for bed. We did not get a lot of sleep because our flight was at six in the morning. We arrived back in Dalkeith Saturday mid afternoon and I was happy to be home and in my own bed.

Those days were a whirlwind, but I fell in love with Barcelona - and I know my future will bring me there again. The end of the semester is fast approaching with five weeks left. My "todo" list is endless and there is still so much left I want to accomplish. I am managing my time as best as possible to complete the "wants" on my list for Scotland.

Off to Ireland Friday morning. Let the traveling continue :) 

Oh yeah, I'm still a student & Visits from Mary

I have now been out of the States for five weeks. Every weekend has been filled with house trips and field trips for classes, but I need to remember that I am a student too. I have been on the go so much that I have been working a lot on time management so I can fully immerse myself into each and every opportunity that comes a knocking.

I have had a lot of mandatory outside of class assignments. This past week I attended a historical ballet, Giselle. It was quite interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Earlier that evening we went to a quaint Italian restaurant and I enjoyed tortellini stuffed with spinach and ricotta, talk about some home cooking! I miss my mama and papas cooking! Boy, I am a spoiled child when it comes to food! On Friday, I attended a the Edinburgh’s Rugby Match. It was outside and reminded me of high school football games. I was quite happy I read about rugby prior to attending a match so I knew what was going on. And oh boy - the men were pretty good looking! :)  Oh, and we won!

 Rugby

16 MORE DAYS UNTIL SPRING HOLIDAY

I spent Saturday running errands, doing laundry, and being productive. We have numerous papers and assignments that need to be accompished sooner rather than later. I have been working tremendously hard on getting a lot of papers done during the week so I could enjoy my weekends.

This past week I finally got into a good rhythm and picked out the perfect study area in the palace - the ballroom. The ballroom is grand, but is not used for dancing any longer because the springs in the floor because the chandeliers below will shake. Nonetheless, nobody really utilizes that area so I have become fond of my quiet area to accomplish what’s on my daily to do list.

It’s time to incorporate my new friend, Mary - the “ghost.” Since we have been living in Dalkeith we have had many interesting encounters here, in room 103. And out of my four other roommates, Mary seems to like … ME! Here are a few examples of what we’ve encountered.

The second night I was at Dalkeith, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like there was a face staring at me. I could not sleep the rest of the night.

A week later, our light started not to work. One night, after being fed up with only having our side lamps, I jokingly said, “Mary, will you please turn on our light?” Not even 5 seconds later, our light turned on!

During the end of our second week myself and one of my other roommates (Kate) were still awake, but had all the lights turned off. I was laying in my bed on my side and first we saw the overhead light flicker and then our side lights flickered on and off. It was brief, but we looked at each other freaked out and practically started crying.

During these past two weeks we have not had any encounters with Mary, but others have. Upstairs on the third floor, Amy was just washing her hands in the ladies bathroom. She heard a shower turn on and went to look, but nobody was there. All of a sudden the lights flickered on, then off and they would not turn back on.

Then Mary decided to visit the second floors mens bathroom. One of my friends Brady, was in the showers when the lights went off. He did not freak out at all! Jokingly he asked Mary to turn the lights back on and they came on!

This afternoon we have had two encounters with Mary. My roommate Jenna and I were studying in the ballroom when one of the lights above was making a loud, annoying sound. I simply started talking to Mary telling her we are not here to harm her or where she wanders. I asked her to leave the light alone and the sound subsided.

About an hour after dinner I returned to my room where I found Jenna sitting on her bed in the dark for at least ten minutes. I realized the light switch was in the on position, so I automatically had a feeling Mary had to be apart of it. Within five seconds of my presence in the room, I placed my hand near the light switch and the light came on. I yelled Thank You Mary!

Feeling at Home

It is amazing how quickly you can settle into a new place and call it home. After the past few weekends and day trips I have come to realize how much I have set my own roots and started calling the Dalkeith Palace my home.

I have had another hectic week with classes, and mandatory out of class field trips (not complaining). On Thursday evening, we went to an Italian Opera called Don Pasquale. We rode the bus into Edinburgh after dinner Thursday evening and walked into the Theatre to find ourselves among a very older crowd to say it nicely. We had excellent centered seats on the floor area. Once the Opera had started, I wasn't sure what to expect. I enjoyed it for awhile, then it got tiring to nod up and down to try and glance at the English subtitles that were displayed in the upper sections. I attended the Opera for my Intercultural Class. Since, this is a 'high class' event I am now more cultured and accepted within the community... ha! It was an experience and all of the opera singers did a fabulous job!

Friday morning we had a mandatory field trip for my Scotland: Society & Globalization class. We took a coach to Glasgow, which is about an hour away from Edinburgh. We arrived in Glasgow quite early in the morning. We had a bus tour and then went to the Celtic Football Stadium. We had a tour of the locker rooms, memorabilia, the stadium, and watched a short film in the conference room. From there we went to two cultural events. The first museum we stopped at was called the Riverside Transport Museum. It was located on the banks of River Clyde. The museum was more modern and reminded me of a walk through time. They had trains, cars, ambulances, clothing, and many items that reflect the era. They had a ship outside that we were allowed to explore - and that was probably the best part!

We got back onto the coach and went to the Kelvingrove Museum. This was a Art Gallery, displaying many pieces of art, paintings, sculptures, and animals. It was a grand venue to say the least. After we left the museum we went to the Glasgow Town Centre and we went to George Square and walking in Buchanan Galleries, which is a indoor shopping mall. Our retail therapy did not last long - we were exhausted from running place to place and were ready to head back to Dalkeith. At the end of the day I was happy to return. I realized Glasgow was very industrialized, too large, and not as quaint as I would have hoped it would be. I was happy to have the experience to visit Glasgow, learn about the rich history, and tour the Celtic Football Stadium.

Yesterday, we spent a quiet day indoors working on homework and accomplishing papers, presentations, and speeches. I listened to WJOB and watched the Birkie live all day. Last night I went out with ladies from the palace in Dalkeith. We went to Maysons and Blacksmith Forge. I decided that since I could not be at Lutsen to have a few with my family and friends, might as well go out and celebrate here!

 

 This week I had my first awful feeling in my gut of being homesick. The thought that Clare and Michael are home, missing the Birkie events, and our annual Lutsen vacation hit me hard. It is difficult to realize I am missing out on cherished family time, but I know I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity here and I am using it to my advantage. I am most looking forward to our upcoming Holiday in 25 days. Myself, my roommates, and a few other ladies are all going on a Mediterranean Cruise. This Cruise goes to Spain, France, Italy, Cicily, and Africa. I know many of you had heard about it, but I am just to excited to contain myself. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to see many locations on a budget.

This upcoming week is also going to be busy. Tuesday I am attending a Ballet, Friday I am going to a Rugby Game, Saturday we are touring a Castle, and on Sunday we are going to a world dance festival. Cheers!

A Weekend In London

Whew. This past week has been a whirlwind! Friday morning my alarm clock went off and I practically jumped out of bed. I could not contain my excitement to board the train and head to London. I packed by bag Thursday night because I knew that alarm clock was going off early. In the morning we grabbed a bagged breakfast and lunch from Henry. Be boarded the coach which brought us to the train station in Edinburgh. We got on the train and departed at 07:30. Once the train had started moving, I felt ill. I had been one of the lucky ones with the seat that is backwards. After a while I started to get used to it and my excitement overcame my nausea. We arrived in at King’s Cross in London around noon on Friday. After a short tube ride to Russell Square we walked to The Generator (our hostel). 

Patty did a excellent job picking out a great hostel for us to stay in. We were pretty centrally located and it was easy access to the tube. After we got settled, we decided to go to Madame Tussauds which is a wax museum of pop stars, actors, and people from history. It took us about a hour to navigate our way there, in down pouring rain. I always say traveling with your friends is a true step to knowing them. At last, we arrived and enjoyed our time there. 

Back at the hostel we were getting ready for a live play called, The 39 Steps. If anyone has not seen it, I highly recommend it. We walked to Piccadilly Circus where the play was located. Once we arrived there, I felt as if I was in a old fashioned time square. The lights, people, live performances were breath taking. We entered the theatre and sat down - did I mention we were in the second row in smack dab in the middle!? It was awesome. 

On Saturday we were up early for breakfast at the hostel and had our day pretty much planned to the max. We left our hostel at ten in the morning to walk to Covent Garden and participate in a walking tour of London. On the tour we stopped at many historical places and ended up next to Big Ben and Westminster Abby. The whole time my head was weaving and bobbing back and forth to try and not miss any sights. Our tour guide did a fabulous job with telling us interesting facts and stories along the way.

We then took the tube to Cramond Market. Although, this was not my first choice to go, I went for the street art and for the experience. Cramond Market is a giant flea market where many goods are sold. There are also a lot of touristy stores located along the main drag. We then continued to take the tube back to Piccadilly Circus and walked to Chinatown. We meandered around Chinatown until we stumbled upon a Chinese Restaurant to eat at. We walked up four flights of stairs to find ourselves confused by the menu. I ordered fried rice and sweet and sour chicken. I was keeping my order safe!  After dinner we took the tube back to the hostel and crashed. We had been on our feet concurring the beautiful city. I showered and prepared for another long day.

Once the morning had arrived, I really wanted to go to the Church Service at Westminster Abby. Jenna and I decided to venture on our own and go. Boy, was it worth it. Jenna and I sat in the front row. I was and am still speechless on how to describe the beauty I saw. The fact that I was able to attend and sit in the front - it was such a humbling experience! Jenna and I walked around the London Eye, Big Ben, and then decided to go find some food. We decided to go and eat at The Crypt. Yes, a Crypt. We ate underground at a burial place. It was a experience to say the least! We then met the girls back at the hostel to meet up before we walked to the train station to go to THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER! I probably have not been so excited in my life. I have read all the books, seen the movies, and now I get to see where they filmed it!? It was a dream come true. Not to mention I may or may not have teared up a bit while waiting in line to enter the tour. 

I spent approximately four hours touring and running around like a child - but hey, I am a BIG fan! We got back to our hostel and crashed again - these long days of walking catch up with you real quick! Monday morning we got up at 7, ate breakfast, and checked out. We took our backpacks with us so we wouldn’t have to return to the hostel. We then took the tube to the London Eye. The views were gorgeous! It was about a 35 minute ride all the way around. Once we neared the top, we could feel the wind a bit and more movement.  A few people were freaked out to say the least. I didn’t want leave the spectacular views - but I was forced off. We then proceed to grab lunch at The Sherlock Holmes Pub. I only got chips because I wasn’t too hungry at the time. Then we proceeded to King’s Cross where we took pictures at PLATFORM 9 3/4! My Harry Potter adventure was complete! 

Overall, London was amazing, but at the end of the day I was happy to be home back in Dalkeith. This past week has been crazy with school, trips, homework, and making time for a social life. I hope I can blog sooner rather then later because there is a lot to update everyone about! Heading to Glasgow on Friday! 

On the Go

Boy oh Boy, where has the time gone!? I haven't had time to update my blog for a week! Time has been filled with classes, homework, chores, and activities. Last Thursday after dinner myself and 25 other students went to a traditional Ceilidh. We took the bus to Panacook about 35 minutes away to meet Annabelle (Dance Instructor) and join in on the weekly event. Some Thursdays they have live music and sometimes it's recorded. Annabelle says you never know how many people are going to be attending a Ceilidh until you get there. Traditional Ceilidh are similar to our barn dances. They are routines that you walk through, then do it yourself. I sat out for a few dances and then a older gentleman came and got me to join in on the fun.

                                         
                            

Friday we went to Cramond Island. Cramond Island is just outside of Edinburgh located on the North Sea. It's a tidal island in the Firth of Forth reached at low tide by a causeway which extends 3/4 of a mile. There are only certain times you can safely cross the causeway. Cramond Island is uninhabited, but there is significant evidence that prehistoric creatures have lived there.  As you approach the Island along the causeway you can see the military defences to your right. There is a lot of old WW1 concrete on the Island with many old significant buildings from it's historic time. The hike was traitorous in my boot, but I made it work. It was worth the trip and this is an area that goes undiscovered to travelers coming through.

After a long hike out, around, and back from Cramond we walked through the village to take a bus back to Edinburgh. We got off the bus on Princes Street and decided we wanted a burger for lunch (traditional American food). We found a excellent burger place on Georgetown street called Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I had a cheese burger with thin cut chips. The burger was okay. It sure doesn't live up to a good old Lehman's burger! The ketchup is much sweeter here then in the United States. We enjoyed a meal outside of the Castle and then decided to go back home to put our feet up after a long day. 

Sunday morning we were up early to attend a Carboot Sale. I was really excited to go to a 'flea market,' but once I got there - I really disliked it. It was on the -4th floor of a underground parking garage and people just sold items out of the back of their car. I was sketched out by the experience. Myself and a few other girls decided to leave a bit earlier we got Starbucks and went shopping in Edinburgh. We went to a giant store called Primark. Primark is basically like Forever 21, but better quality and cheaper. They have five levels of women's, children's, accessories, men's, and home accessories. Overwhelming to say the least but we had a blast. We made a few more stops before taking the bus back to Dalkeith. We decided to grab a late lunch at the Black Smith Forge and we watched the rugby match. Sunday I focused on accomplishing homework, tiding my room, and preparing for another busy week ahead. 

                               THREE DAYS UNTIL LONDON & HARRY POTTER! 

Daily Routine

  We have only been here for six days, but it honestly feels like it has been forever! I am ready for a set routine, so I can figure out when I have free time to take the bus to Edinburgh or go to the pubs with my friends. Monday, we finally started classes.

Interpersonal Communication 8 - 9:40 (Monday & Wednesday)
Scotland: Society and Globalisation (notice! no 'z') 1:30 - 4:30 & 6:30 - 9:30 (every other Monday)
Speech 9:50 - 11:30 (Tuesday & Thursday)
World Dance 2:50 - 4:30 (Tuesday & Thursday)

  I also have a weekly chore which is taking out the rubbish and recycling on Mondays. We also have to help in the kitchen. My weekly kitchen duty is on Wednesdays from 11:30 - 1:30. We also have seven days for the term when we do nightly kitchen duty. It's not too difficult - the house wouldn't function if we didn't all take a bit of time to participate in helping. The only difficult task sometimes is understanding Henry (the chef).

  I can tell my days are going to be packed to the max between my classes, duties, and getting my homework accomplished. My goal is to work on my time management this term. I really want to focus on my modules. I want to make sure I have enough time for my studies and accomplishing my travels and time with friends. This isn't just a walk in the park, by all means - it's also a scholar programme.

  The past few days have sorta been a struggle - I have been ill with the stomach flu and a awful head cold. SOS Send my mama! Being ill in a foreign country is not fun at all. You're not in the comfort of your own home, and it kinda stinks. Thankfully, everyone has been understanding - I am still half deaf because my ears/nose is clogged, but it's getting better slowly.

  I have not had any culture shock yet - the only thing that has thrown me off is how aggressive they are when they drive. I am happy to say I made it through the taxi cab ride to Dalkeith! Ufta! They also have these double deck buses, and when you ride on the second level you think you are going to tip over! Note: just make sure you don't want too closely to the road on the sidewalk or you may get 'knocked down.'

Wanderlust In Edinburgh

Hello mates! It has been a wonderful whirlwind settling into Scottish lifestyle. Days have been filled with a lot of orientation meetings, learning how to use the bus system, and how to have proper etiquette at a pub.

Yesterday we went to Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland. I stepped off the double deck bus in marvel of what I saw around me. I stopped, closed my eyes, and listened to the hustle and bustle and the accents. Everything was drawing my attention - the beautiful cobble stone roads, the vibrant Scottish folk, and the historic buildings that stand so tall. At this point, I just wanted to be set loose to explore on our own, but we continued as a small group to the Edinburgh Castle.

The Edinburgh Castle is not as pretty as you'd imagine, but it is a military castle. It's known as a historic war museum. The Castle seemed to sit at the highest point in the city with views that were breath taking.

We climbed to an overlook area where we saw the surrounding cities and the North Sea. We explored the castle entering many buildings that had magnificent detail. We eventually stumbled across the Royal Crown Jewels that were once in fact stored safely in the Dalkeith Palace. Pretty neat!

Riley, Morgan, and myself then proceeded to warm up with a spot of tea and get out of the rubbish weather. It was bloody windy and cold! We went into a restaurant/lounge called Amber. This is also a prime place to try over 330 different single malts, blends and liqueurs. We will try the Scotch Whiskey Tour at some point on our adventures to Edinburgh. I had a blossom tea, while the other ladies had hot coco and a mocha. They all tasted quite well.

A wee bit of tea.

We then walked along the Royal Mile until we decided to find our way to a bus stop and navigate ourselves home. Once we reached Dalkeith (30 minute bus ride), we went out to dinner at Black Smith Forge. I had a ham and cheese panini with chips (french fries). It was excellent! I found it quite odd coming from a restaurant background that when we arrived at the restaurant we seat ourselves, find our own table, then wander up to the bar to order our meal. Then a waiter serves us our meal. I also found out that it's only customary to tip about 10 % and we don't tip at the pubs.

Speaking of pubs - we ventured out to Maysons. I was there with about fifteen other students. It's a quaint pub - super chill. I had a Magners cider which are very popular here in Scotland. They brew strawberry, pear, lime and so many other types of ciders! Right up my alley! Also, alcohol here in general is much stronger than in the United States. Maysons represents Wisconsinites well!

I have only been here for four days, but I can already say I love it. There is no city in the United States that is even close to being similar to Edinburgh. The culture, rich history and architecture are simply fascinating. It doesn't seem real yet. I hope this experience gives me a glance at other career opportunities that may be abroad. Our Resident Director said her study abroad program was a pivotal experience for her, and I am hoping to walk away from this experience being able to say the same thing.