"Whats the best thing to come out of England? The road to Scotland!"

If you are ever looking for a get away that includes rolling hills full of sheep, cobblestone roads, beautiful architecture, gorgeous scenery, and pretty hilarious people, Scotland is definitely your destination of choice.

A couple friends and I were able to squeeze in a 3 day trip to Scotland for the last of our traveling. And I would say we saved the best for last. Scotland was a perfect way to end the last of our major travels.

We traveled by train to Edinburgh, Scotland. The train ride was about 4.5 hours long but was totally every second. The scenery was amazing. There were fields and fields full of sheep for as far as you could see. We also traveled through some other bigger cities such as York and New Castle, so it was nice to be able to catch a glimpse of those beautiful city surroundings as well.

The first night in Edinburgh we checked into our hostel and headed out to wander the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh and find a place for dinner. We settled on a pub on one of the more popular streets called Market Street. There was a sign outside that said there would be live music so we figured that would be our best bet. We ordered some food and got some drinks and then realized the sign said that the live music wouldn't start for another 2 hours... but we still decided to wait it out. As soon as we started to talk about leaving and finding another place a giant group of about 20 guys walked in and sat at the large table next to us. Before we knew it we were being introduced to our first dose of Scottish sarcasm as they pulled our table over to join theres. It turned out that they were all members of the British Army. To say the least, it was very interesting to talk to all of them and they had many jokes and stories to tell. A little bit later another group of people came in and sat on the other side of us. They asked us to take a picture of them and while we were making some small talk, we found out that they were from Ann Arbor, Michigan! When I told them I was also from Michigan they got really excited and yelled 'GO BLUE' for all of the pub to hear! We ended up having so much fun with all of the new people we met. Needless to say it was a perfect first night in Scotland.

The next morning we went on a free walking tour that our hostel offered around Edinburgh. The tour guide was great and had a lot of really cool stories to tell, and we learned a lot about the different landmarks and buildings in Edinburgh. During the tour we also went to a famous graveyard called Greyfriars where we heard the story of Greyfriars Bobby. There we found the gravestone of Tom Riddle which J.K Rowling used to write Harry Potter. We also saw the school which Hogwarts was based off of. For lunch we went to a famous cafe called the Elephant House. This is the cafe where J.K Rowling wrote the first two Harry Potter books, and if you didn't know that fun fact you would have known as soon as you walked into the bathroom. The place is famous for its bathroom walls which are coated with signatures, quotes, drawings and about anything about Harry Potter. Everything from the door, to mirror, to sink were absolutely covered! The cafe itself was also very cute and everything there was about elephants.

After lunch we headed to Holyrood Park to climb to the top of a small mountain to get to Arthur's Seat. On the way there we saw a little candy shop and stopped to get some candy for the walk. We ended up talking to the owner for quite awhile and she gave us tips on the best way to get to Arthurs Seat! She said if we went the hard way we would each need to bring about a gallon of water with us and some hiking shoes, but if we waited until there was a fork in the road and started to head up the mountain, it was a much easier walk. She was so friendly. She also sold buttons, pendants, and magnets all made of maps. And crazily enough, we all found a button that had Kingston (where our university is) and London on it! Also, my friend who has lived in England before, found one button with the small town she had lived in on it! After we purchased some souvenirs and some candy of course, we got back on track and headed for Arthur's Seat.

Long story short, we ended up venturing up the side of the mountain when we saw what we thought to be the fork in the road. But after about 45 minutes and a couple breaks to look at the view (to catch our breath) we realized that that was far from the fork in the road the lady had told us about. Keep in mind we all had our purses and other stuff we had carried around for the day and we were nowhere near dressed for an intense hike up a mountain. We saw a couple walking down towards us and as we got closer we saw that they were definitely dressed for the occasion; hiking sticks and all. When they told us it was at least another 30 minutes if steep walking to the top. To say the least, we got our workout in for the day and it was quite the adventure. We were all very glad we decided to take that way up because the views the whole way up were spectacular.

When we finally made it to the top the views were absolutely breathtaking. All around us was a beautiful panorama of all Edinburgh. Although I will say that I am to blame for what started to happen within seconds of us reaching the top. On the way up I had commented on how lucky we were that it was not raining, because it was supposed to rain the whole time we were there. And sure enough, once we reached the top, not only rain came down on us, but mother nature decided to throw some hail and hurricane winds in there as well. We were holding on to rocks and quickly began taking pictures and then hurried down the 'correct' side of the mountain where it was a very easy walk. But the hike and the weather still could not make us say one bad thing about that adventure. We had so much fun singing silly songs on the way up like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "The Climb". And the view was my most favorite thing about the whole trip.

Once we reached the bottom, we found ourselves in a little area of Edinburgh called Duddington. The lady we had met earlier that day had told us about a little pub there that we needed to check out if we had the time. After a little bit of wandering we found it once a runner ran past us, noticed where we were headed and said "the only thing that way is a pub!"And we said that was exactly what we were looking for. We were freezing and wet from all the rain and we needed somewhere to unthaw. Once we got there, we found out that it was the first pub in Edinburgh! It was really cute and the people were very nice.

After that we made the long walk back to our hostel to meet up with another friend who came to join us. After we went out and got some dinner we called it a early night and headed back to the hostel. We stayed in a 10 person dorm so when we got there we met some of our roommates. We met 2 Scottish guys who were our age. They had really thick accents so we found ourselves saying 'what' more than having an actual conversation. They laughed every time we couldn't understand them and it truly was quite funny because it wasn't like they were speaking in another language or anything. We quizzed them on some American slang and their guesses were quite funny. But as soon as they turned it around and started quizzing us, we also made some pretty silly guesses. And the fact that they used the popular Scottish slang and refereed to us as lassies was also pretty funny.

The next day we had a very early start and headed to Edinburgh Castle to meet for our all day bus tour through the Highlands. We boarded a coach at 7:45 am and did not get back until almost 9:00pm, it was a long day, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

There were many stops along the way and the scenery around us was breathtaking. The highlands surrounding us the whole way was filled with valleys, hiking trails, trickling waterfalls, and beautiful vegetation. It looked as though we were just traveling through a movie scene the entire way! We made frequent 'photo op stops' and stopped at some popular landmarks as well. Our tour guide was hilarious and made the tour so much fun! He had enough interesting information, fun facts, and of course jokes and sarcasm to last us the whole day! He had many jokes about England, on of my favorites being the one I used as a title for this blog. He even wore a kilt and played bagpipe music throughout the tour as well!

Some of our stops, and sights of the tour included Fort William, Stirling Castle, Great Glen, Britain's highest mountain (Ben Nevis), Fort Augustus, Glencoe, Inverness (Capital of the Highlands), Grampian Mountains, Pitlochry, Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. We also were able to meet many people on this tour! We met a couple American families, but the coach was filled with many different languages being spoken.

My personal favorite was stoping at Loch Ness and taking a beautiful boat tour out on the 24 mile long, and 700 feet deep loch. Of course, we spent most of our time trying to spot the famous Loch Ness Monster (Nessie), but we figured he was probably just taking a nap.

Although it was a long day, we did not let that stop us from enjoying our last night in Scotland. We headed out to a pub for some dinner, and after going in and out of many, finally found one with an available table. In one of the pubs we were in and out of, we ran into one of the American families that was on our tour!!! We laughed about it for awhile, but we never thought we would end up running into them 2 more times the next day! Perfect proof that it really is a small world!

The pub where we at dinner was blasting Scottish music and because it was a Saturday night and getting late, many Hen and Stag parties (Bachelor/Bachelorette parties) were making there way in to enjoy their nights. So we decided to head to another pub. There we tried some famous Scottish Highland whiskey (I don't recommend it!!!) and ended up meeting 2 other study abroad students from America who were traveling! (Again small world) Also, one of them was celebrating her birthday! We ended up hanging out with them, and playing card games at the pub, and dancing for the rest of the night. It was so awesome to be able to meet new friends and have so much fun on our last night in Scotland. The only downfall of the night, was finding out that those who say that Scottish men wear nothing under their kilts are 110% correct. Needless to say we left after a Scottish man in a kilt decided to prove that rumor to be true to everyone around.

The next day was quite rainy, so we spent it wondering around some more and huddling under umbrellas. We decided to go to the National Museum of Scotland (which was free)! We spent a few hours there and it was an awesome museum! There we again ran into the American family from the tour, TWO separate times... It was quite crazy, and funny. At the museum we were able to see Dolly, the first cloned mammal ever, and some other interesting treasures and displays. We then headed to the top floor terrace of the museum where we were able to get yet another incredible view of the beautiful city of Edinburgh.

The long train ride home was just as beautiful as the long train ride there as we passed through many fields full of sheep and other landscapes. We all had a wonderful time in Scotland, and I definitely hope to go back someday! The people were great, and always telling jokes, and everything about Edinburgh was beautiful! I was sad it was our last major trip outside of England, but I was glad we saved the best for last.


As soon as I was home I spent much of my time studying for my last exam which I just had today! So my summer has officially started. I will say I wasn't exactly as thrilled as everyone else was who was cheering and throwing papers as they left Kingston University. Yes of course, I am happy to have a break from school for awhile. But being done at Kingston University was the first sign that makes it real that I am really coming home. Time has gone by so incredibly fast that sometimes I almost forget that I will be home in just a couple weeks. I had such an amazing experience at Kingston University and came out learning so much more than just lecture material. I am happy with the opportunity that Kingston University offered and the students and faculty I was able to meet, but I still can not get over that fact the it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was anxiously awaiting my acceptance letter.

Of course between studying I managed to find a day to take a break and explore London with a friend who was leaving the next day. We managed to check the rest of the things off of her 'to do in London' list including strolling across Abbey road just like the Beatles, having lunch and riding bicycles through Hyde Park, doing some last minute souvenir shopping and some last minute wandering through the city, touring Little Venice, climbing to the top of Primrose Hill, and of course saying goodbye to Big Ben. It was another wonderful day in London to add to many. We ended the night at our favorite pub and met up with some friends to say goodbye. She is the first of my friends to leave, and that was another shot of reality that soon I will have to leave too. We were all very sad, but I can't wait to visit her in the Fall at her school in New York! I was so thankful to have met such a great friend across an entire ocean and find out that she lives just over 6 hours away from me at home. Another study break we were able to make was one last trip to Richmond which was gorgeous as always. And I can only wish to be back and living there someday. It is by far my most favorite part of London.

Some other highlights of the past 2 weeks include me going to a park with Emily and teaching her how to ride a bike! I had so much fun with her and some other members of the family that day! It was a gorgeous day and I will definitely miss her when I am home! I also decided to leave a little bit of myself behind and donate 8 inches of my hair to the Little Princess's Trust which makes wigs for little girls with cancer.

Tomorrow I am going to start my summer off right by exploring London for the day! The more I realize that the time is ticking the more I am making sure that every second counts. 

Here is the URL for my 'Final Countdown' photo album of my last weeks in London
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201073892346394.1073741832.1140914263&type=3

Also here is the link for my album of Scotland pictures!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201032801919159.1073741831.1140914263&type=3

Lions, and Tigers, and Royalty... Oh My!

I find it so hard to believe that school is actually over with! It feels like just a week or two ago I was trying to find the room for orientation! But this past week marked the end of classes and the beginning of the exam period, which unfortunately means it is getting closer and closer to the time where I will have to start packing and head home.

These past 2 weeks have been among the most stressful I have ever had. Many assignments, big projects, papers, labs and presentations were due, and it was also the first time we had received any grades back. The grading scale still somewhat confuses me and it just feels weird celebrating a 67% even though it truly means an A-. I even had a Skype interview for a job on campus to add to the craziness. But I will say I think that the final week of classes is the same no matter what country you are in; it consists of no sleep, too much caffeine, and camping out in the library. Among school work, all of the study abroad students are trying to squeeze in anything and everything we have not done before we leave, as well as saying goodbye to the students already leaving soon.

However, I was very thankful to be able to get some breaks during the two crazy weeks. In London, there is always, always, ALWAYS, something to distract you from what you should be doing.

Richmond

On one of the nice days a friend and I headed back to Richmond Park to try and tackle the rest of the largest of the royal parks. Our goal was to head to one end, rent some bikes, and ride through the rest. But unfortunately when we got to the bike rental area they were much more than expected, not only in price but also in style. In our heads, we pictured renting the cute bicycles you are able to rent all over London, but what was available to us was intense, and very uncomfortable looking mountain bikes. Needless to say, people take their biking seriously in Richmond Park, so instead we settled on some ice cream bars and walked through what we could. Again, we found ourselves leaving through the gate leading to Richmond so we could catch a glimpse of our favorite area. We headed to the same little pub on the water we had been before and ordered our favorite drinks, which we swear taste much better in Richmond. While we were there we made talked with a friendly group of people sitting next to us and talked about some of the differences between the States and living in England. It was a wonderful way to escape. And I can only dream of someday living in such a wonderful place as Richmond.

On the weekend some friends and I went out in London to celebrate making it to the last week of classes. It was really fun and memories were made by all that will never be forgotten. That weekend we also made it to the London Zoo which was by far the best zoo I had ever been too. I felt like I was a 5 year old girl again running to gorilla kingdom and tiger territory. The whole zoo was so big that it took us about 4 1/2 hours to get through! We saw monkeys, hippos, penguins, owls, tigers, lions, snakes, lizards, jellyfish, lemurs, turtles, camels, giraffes, zebras and so much more. Again, it was another great chance to relax and forget about school for a bit.

On one afternoon I came back from my evening run to find Emily over at the house. I am always glad to see her and I went outside in the garden (yard) to find a wonderful tea party set up for her and her various stuffed animals and of course Tigger the cat. As I sat down and joined her we talked about almost anything, and of course talked to her friend bear the stuffed animal. One of the more interesting conversations...

Tea time with Emily

Emily: "can I tell you a secret?! I have a boyfriend! His name is Freddy and he doesn't even wear glasses. He saw me at lunch today and he looked like someone who needs a girlfriend, so I smiled at him and played with him at recess...Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: "No, boys are silly.."
Emily: "Well go out and find one! You have nice hair, so boys will like you. And I know I know!!!! If you can't find one, Tigger really likes you, so he can be your boyfriend!!!"

She never fails to make me laugh, and brighten my day even though apparently my boyfriend is a cat.

After our British Life & Culture exam on Wednesday, all of the international students celebrated by going on a boat party on the Thames River. I will say it was one of the most fun things I have done since I have been here. We were able to go out on the deck and watch the sunset as we cruised along the river. The whole top floor was a giant dance floor by the end of the night, and we were even able to get our lecturer (professor) and the international director on the dance floor busting moves to 'Thrift Shop'! Although I will say the highlight for me was when all of the students, of all cultures and ethnicities, were singing 'Im On A Boat' at the top of our lungs. It was definitely an unforgettable night, and a great way to celebrate the end of classes.

On Thursday, a friend and LAS cohort member, who is studying in France was traveling and was in London! We met in front of Buckingham Palace (Casual right?!) and then made our way around London. We went to Camden Market, SoHo, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Borough Market and Kingston. She was the first familiar face I have seen since I have been here so it was really nice to be able to catch up!

Prince Charles! 

At one point when we were heading to a tube station, we noticed a large amount of people peering over the edge of a balcony on the street with cameras ready, as we walked by we decided to check it out. As we got there, we looked down to a street filled with people! As people started exiting the a building located on the street, everyone started to cheer. Even more people started to gather around to see what was going on and we kept getting asked who everyone was waiting for, but we had no idea! Suddenly everyone went wild and we looked down to see Prince Charles exiting the building, and waving to all! Although it might not have been Prince Harry or the the Queen herself, it was still pretty cool to see royalty, especially unexpectedly like that. That day we also passed a giant premier of the new Star Trek movie! Just goes to show that there is no such thing as a dull moment in London.

This weekend I have been catching up on some sleep, working on my last assignment I have left, studying for my exam, and watching way too many episodes of Downton Abbey, which is my new favorite show. Last night, my host dad and his friend, who is in a band, asked me to join them and go to his gig at a pub. Of course I said yes. I can never say no to live pub music, it is definitely one of my most favorite things to do here. It was quite an interesting experience and quite a funny one. We watched the band play and the local's at the pub dance to the music. All in all, it was another great night to add to the list of many.

This weekend is a bank holiday weekend which means tomorrow (Monday) almost everything will be closed and almost all will be off of work. My host parents invited me to join the barbecue that apparently is taking place at their house tomorrow. I am excited for another day of sunshine (knock on wood) and fresh air.

This Wednesday I will be leaving for Scotland with some friends! Also, my mom is coming to visit the week before I leave, so we have been planning and figuring out our game plans! There is so much I would like to show her!

Trafalgar Square

Because the time is ticking, and I only have about a month left here in England, I have been thinking lately of all that I will miss, but the thing is, it is so hard to pin point certain things I'll miss when I honestly will just miss it all! I also think that I have already gotten used to the differences here that it has been hard for me to recall all of the daily differences between here and the U.S. For example, I now call fries 'chips' without thinking twice, and when someone says 'cheers' instead of 'thank you', I automatically say it back or say 'no problem'. It's in all the little things that I am going to notice the differences in again when I get home.

One day last week, I stayed after one of my classes to talk to one of the girls who sat behind me, who I had never seen before. I was asking her about the class but it soon turned to talk about how much I loved London. It was funny, how I did not know her, yet I suddenly found myself telling her how much I loved London and how although I would be glad to see my friends and family once I am home, I knew I would miss it terribly and I hoped to be back someday, hopefully sooner than later... She stopped me right there and told me the most meaningful advice I have gotten since I have been here. She said "At least you have had this chance and you know how you feel about it, don't dread leaving, you can always find your way back here. Go home and finish what you started there, then who knows maybe your next chapter will start here, but you will never know until you finish the chapter you're on..." It was just what I needed. Although I love it here so much, I know I am where I am meant to be right now at CMU. I have started an amazing adventure there and I need to focus on finishing it before I think any further ahead. I am so thankful for every opportunity I have been able to have. I have met countless incredible people from all over the world. This experience has taught me more than I will ever be able to express, and I have made so many memories that a scrapbook and a few photo albums will never be able to do justice. But I will always know what I felt during those moments, and those feelings and memories will never go away.