Category Archives: Scotland

22 hours later…

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My first time studying abroad and I get lucky enough to get a flight that has a 22 hour travel time.  I literally lost a day to international travel, I suppose I can officially cross that off of my list, but I am so happy that I did!

When I first landed in Scotland all I saw was the snow.  I expected it but I did not expect as

Snow all around me!

Snow all around me!

much.  I always had this notion that Scotland had a lot of snow, but apparently that is not the case.  The locals do not like the snow here at all.  Seeing as how they have cobble stone streets I can completely understand why, but when I think of Scotland I think of four things: snow, kilts, haggis, and bagpipes.  Three out of the four being correct is not that bad though I have got to say.

The picture to the right is my view from my room overlooking the meadows with Arthur’s Seat in the background.  Just looking at all of the greenery makes it almost appear to be Oregon, but Oregon is much warmer than Scotland.

Road lines in Scotland.

Road lines in Scotland.

The program that I am with was kind enough to provide airport pickup so I did not have to worry about figuring out airport pick-up right after getting off of a 22 hour travel excursion.  His driving though tarified me.  All of the lines on the road are different and he had no problem with dialing and talking on his phone while he weaved in and out of cars,  and for a minute at the beginning I forgot that they drive on the opposite side of the road than we do back in the states, so I was not a fan of that as well.  They have some lines on the road that are rig rag and have not been able to figure out a cause or a meaning as to what they mean.

One thing that did strike me as odd while driving from the airport to my apartment was that they have a lot of Subways, I mean a lot!  In a three block radius you can find four different ones.  I was completely not expecting Subway to have such a huge store front

Delicious Subway!

Delicious Subway!

here, it made me laugh.  I expected McDonalds, but never in my wildest fantasies Subway, but I love it!  I have had Subway so much since I have arrived it is amazing!  Between all of the delicious Scottish food and all of the Subway I am sure that I will be coming home a couple of pant sizes bigger!

-Haylee

Airports And A Few Other Things

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When traveling, especially to a new place, I’m so focused on making sure I remember all the major things, that I often forget the smaller things.
Like taking pictures.
With the camera I buried in the middle of my luggage.
And therefore couldn’t have gotten to anyway.
Which unfortunately means I don’t have any pictures of Heathrow or Edinburgh airport.
Heathrow was possibly the strangest part of the trip because it wasn’t like any other airports I’ve been to. To start, it was bigger than Sea-Tac (the airport I am the most familiar with), but I think the part I found strangest was the way it didn’t feel like an airport. Instead it was more like a mall that decided to include international flights as one of its services, provided malls had a 50/50 ratio of normal shops to duty free ones. The thing I most wish I had gotten a picture of was the children’s play structure that I ended up sitting next to, not just because it existed (really, more airports should have them) but because it was simple unobtrusive colors of muted purple and grey rather than the bright, gaudy colors that structures in places geared towards children tend to be.
Edinburgh airport by contrast was very much an airport, with a lower concentration of shops that where very clearly geared towards things that travelers might need. Not much time was spent there beyond waiting for the shuttle driver who took me and the other international students from my flight to the student accommodations where we would be staying.
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( House 28 is separated from House 34 by a Tavern. I’m curious what happened to Houses 29 through 33, but I feel I’d get lost if I went looking for them. I’m not all that interested in what happened 1 through 27 though. Also, Word Press won’t let me add my descriptions of my pictures as a caption right now, so I’m going to have to add them this way until the Deities of the Internet decide to smile upon me again. )
This is the point where I wanted to just go to sleep since I had slept a grand total of not at all on the plane, but I was also hungry and the site director for my program had set up a dinner at The Blackbird so everyone here with CIS could meet each other, so I ended up going to that.
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( Their fish stew was more a pile of fish and potatoes and some shellfish than a thick soup, which is what I thing of as stew, but it was tasty. Also, I found out I have no idea how to eat mussels. )
I wasn’t really able to retain much information from the conversations over dinner since it was loud so I couldn’t hear anyone, and I was really tired, but it was fun none the less.
After that there wasn’t much to do but go to bed so I could get up for orientation in the morning.

Hello World!

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Hello world!

For the past five months studying abroad in Scotland has been a very hazy possibility for me.  One that I have always dreamed of since high school so I started the process, looked at the cost (cried a little about the cost), got the applications turned in, GOT ACCEPTED,

My excitement of being excepted!

got my passport, got the money, and now, now that hazy possibility is in fact a very huge reality.

And I am freaking out.

The idea of going halfway around the world, away from my family and friends is a very daunting thought for me.  I have never been so far a way from my family or friends that I did not have the option of just calling and having them come over or to grab lunch.  Even though I am terrified, I know that if I don’t do it, I will regret it.

Gorgeous Scotland

Going to Scotland I believe that it will not be as huge of a culture shock as if I was going to a country that spoke a different language.  Going to Scotland the main language is English so I will hopefully know what everyone is saying.  I know that the culture norms in Scotland are different than what they are in the United States but from what I am told it is not that different.  I will find out though in a little over a month.

My lovely brothers and I

Until than I am going to hug my family close, spend as much time with my friends as I can, and dream of Scotland.

~Haylee

Saturday and Scotland Draw Ever Closer

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I don’t actually know what Edinburgh will be like and, to me, that’s the exciting part; getting to write my experience while I go along. I know I do have some preconceived notions – really, it’s impossible not to, though I’m very happy to say none of them involve kilts or haggis – but I won’t be able to tell you what they are until they’re proven wrong. And that’s the fun part, isn’t it? Finding out what’s actually true, how things really work, what the people are like. Because the people are what make a place, and I think that’s what I’m looking forward to most; the chance to met people and see what they, and the people who came before them, have managed to make out of the world. The human race is endlessly fascinating. It always has been, and I doubt it’ll stop being so any time soon.

So, I think I’m ready. I’m nervous, and anxious, but the waiting is always the worst part of anything. I’ve been on enough short trips to know that. But more than that, more than the insane worry that Heathrow International Airport will defy it’s purpose of safely transporting passengers from one locale to another and be an unnavigable maze in which I will get lost and miss my connecting flight (which it won’t), I’m excited, and I can’t wait to try something new.

Kat