Hello Scotland!

Well, I finally made it to Dalkeith!! Even though I managed to make it, unfortunately my luggage did not. We went to the lost luggage counter to try and find it, but they told us they didn't have any record of it, which definitely didn't make me feel very good. I filed a lost luggage form and they told us that it would arrive tomorrow morning at the house. Luke, Nikki and I booked a taxi to bring us to the Dalkeith castle (I can't get over the fact that I live in a castle!!!). Luke and Nikki got in the back and so naturally I hopped in the front. What surprised me though was the steering wheel on my side! The driver just laughed and asked if I was going to be driving us there. I completely forgot that they drive on the "wrong" side of the road and car! So I went around and got in the other side, not shocked at all about the fact that I just made a fool of myself in the first hour of being in my new country. I was amazed at all the gorgeous cars here! Although they all look very similar, and have a Golf-like look to them, with dipping noses and bubbly back ends. I spotted a Scirocco, which I absolutely loved. Once we arrived at the castle, our director, Patty, told us that they had just finished dinner. Typical. We ate leftovers and hurried into the last orientation session of the day. Afterwards, a group of people and I went to a local pub, where I experienced my first cider! It's similar to a flavored beer, and tastes very fruity. The first thing that I noticed was that although I was only in a group of 5, we were extremely loud compared to everyone else there. The noise level was one of the things that they addressed in the orientation session, but it's not something you think about until you experience it. Today, we had to wake up early (7AM for those of you who don't believe me!) to attend orientation sessions all day. One of the things that they told us about was how to act and behave in pub settings. After the 2 hour session, we got to drink...in a classroom!! (You know you're not in America when...!) Then we traveled to Edinburgh for the first time, to help us get comfortable with the bus system. These next few weeks, there are lots of festivals happening in Edinburgh, so there are lots of tourists. While we were driving there, I spotted an Aston Martin and TWO Rolls Royces! Nobody else even seemed to notice, I was shocked! But it may have something to do with the fact that I'm a car freak. :) We bummed around Edinburgh for a while, went to a local pub called the Scotsman, and then decided to head back home. We were all really tired and Nikki and I desperately wanted to check for our suitcases. Luckily, as we walked inside, we noticed that they had finally arrived!! After 2 days and 1 night of wearing the same outfit, we were finally able to change into fresh, clean clothes. After changing into something less American casual we changed into something more Scottish casual. One of the biggest things I noticed while I was in Edinburgh was that hardly anyone wore jeans, and if they did, they were ironed and a darker wash. Compared to what we typically wear in the US, everyone here dresses up. That includes hair and makeup as well! Thankfully I brought nicer clothes, so I won't be out of place here. The castle is absolutely gorgeous, although words will never do it justice. I'll upload pictures as soon as I get an adapter! :)