Two Weeks in Summary

These past two weeks have been filled with lots of different activities and plans! Starting this past weekend (while we were all in the Highlands), visitors started arriving from UW-Stout, Superior and River Falls. They were faculty from each of these schools who are coming to experience what the program is like. I gave them a tour of the house on Monday afternoon, and they were all extremely interested in the fact that my mom was the first one to study abroad through the Wisconsin in Scotland program back in Fall 1986! Since I had already given tours to the public on Doors Open Days (read about it here if you haven't already) all I had to do was slightly alter it to include more rooms throughout the house. I was able to show them the basement rooms, servery, study areas and lounges and then dorm areas. Most of the visitors were staying in the house for a few days at least, so they were able to experience what we do on a daily basis.
On Wednesday we went to Melrose Abbey and Bowhill Estate. Bowhill is another house owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, and the condition of it is more similar to it's original state than Dalkeith House. The wallpaper is original, although some of it is very faded. The furniture has worn quite a bit, and there are deep indents from people sitting on them. The house is currently used as a vacation house for the family, so there were rooms with flat screen TVs, which was a stark constrast between the old house! We got to tour a few rooms of the house and it made me feel like the visitors that came to Dalkeith House on Doors Open Day! It made me understand how lucky I am to be living, studying and working in such a wonderful place.
On Wednesday evening, we had a traditional Caledonian dinner. Everyone dressed up nicely (since we rarely get a chance to!) and we all got together to help out with putting it together, serving, assisting, and cleaning up. The staff and students all mingled in the dining hall while the food was being prepared. I was seated at a table along with the program director from 1992-1994, so it was interesting to hear all of his stories about what the program used to be versus what the program has become. He was also the most interested in hearing about my experience since my mom had been here before. He asked me all about my experience and how it was different from what I imagined after hearing my mom's stories. Before the meal started, we all sang Auld Lang Syne, which is a traditional song to sing here. Some of the students also participated in a traditional Scottish toast. First, the men toasted the women, and then the women responded with their toast. These were written prior to the dinner, something that is said before most special Scottish meals, so they didn't have to worry about saying something wrong. After the toasting, singing and laughing, the most traditional of all Scottish traditions was carried out...literally! Henry, who is the chef for the Wisconsin In Scotland program, brought out the haggis, dressed in a kilt. It was at this moment that I was overwhelmed with happiness. I truly felt Scottish. I felt like after 7 weeks of living here, I was finally accepted into the culture as one of their own. I was allowed to experience something that is reserved for only those who truly believe in their culture, and are proud to carry out it's traditions. This was the moment when I felt that not only am I American, I'm also Scottish. After the traditions were all performed, everyone was free to eat. We had mashed potatoes, stuffed tomatoes, gravy, meat (and in my case fake meat), and a delicious raspberry dessert (I ate it in your honor, Layne!). Afterwards, we were able to mingle with students, professors and staff about the program. I was also able to talk to the woman who started the host family program! She told me all about the first students she hosted and how much she loved being able to take part in such a wonderful program. As much as we've learned being here, she has also learned so much about America and our culture from us.
On Friday I was interviewed about my experience with the Wisconsin In Scotland program. I explained how I felt like not only does a study abroad experience help to build your professional career, it also helps enrich you as a person. I've learned so many things while I've been here, and one of the biggest things is that I'm able to figure out any problem. I've been here for more than two months, and I have not only learned about living in a different place, I have also learned more about myself. I'm able to do things on my own. I don't mean go to the movies or go shopping alone. I'm able to take on a new city with a positive attitude and not back down from that challenge. I conquered the busiest city in England at the busiest time of day, and was able to get around by myself on the tube when there were numerous closures. This isn't a skill that just anyone is able to achieve, and all this has made me so proud of myself. I'm independent for the first time in my life and it feels wonderful.
On Saturday we went to St. Andrews for the day. Although it's not that far away, the trek there and back is quite a long one! We had to take a bus from Dalkeith to Edinburgh, a train from Edinburgh to St. Andrews, and then another bus that took us into town. After all this, the total trip time was about two and a half hours. The weather cooperated with us for once, and it was an absolutely gorgeous fall day! The air was crisp and cool, the leaves were starting to turn colors and fall, so they crunched under your feet with every step, and the sun was beaming down happily. The weather was a stark difference than the ruins that we went to go see, though. Both St. Andrews castle and cathedral are almost completely demolished. It was a beautiful tragedy in every sense of the word. The city itself is full of life. There were people everywhere, whether they were shopping, golfing, or visiting the numerous tourist attractions. We also walked onto the pier, where we could see people and dogs playing on the beach. It was such a gorgeous day, and it was a wonderful chance to relax while taking in the sights of a beautiful beach.
As for the second week, it was mostly filled with astronomy! Since this was our last week before break started, we had to squeeze in a lot of information in a very short amount of time. We covered approximately 5 chapters in 4 days, which requires a lot of focus and very little sleep. By the time Thursday rolled around, I was definitely ready for break to start! We had our midterm on Monday and our final on Thursday night. We had lots of homework, and by class time on Thursday morning, I was literally sitting on the floor because I was so exhausted! Thankfully break was only one exam away!
With only 5 weeks remaining, I'm taking in as much as I can! I have lots of places and things to see over break, and I will report back with everything that I'm able to experience! I miss you all and can't wait to see you in November! Until then, cheers!

Highlands

Whenever I told people that I was going to the Highlands, the first thing that everyone said was, "It's so beautiful!" Of course I knew that the scenery would be amazing, and that I would have a hard time describing this to my friends and family, but I always thought that I would be let down. Since everyone had already built up the experience so much in my head, I didn't think it could live up to that. Fortunately, I was completely wrong. Beautiful isn't even an accurate word to describe the Highlands; it was breathtaking. I have come to accept the fact that no matter how hard I try, there will never be a way for me to find words to describe the things that I see.

In order to see all of the Highlands within 3 days, we traveled on a bus throughout the trip. On Friday we headed up to the Highlands at 9AM, which was much better than 6AM for London! Unfortunately for me, the roads that the bus took were hilly and winding, so even though I sat in the very front seat, I easily got carsick. The benefit of this bus trip though, is that we were never on the bus for more than a few hours at most. Often, it would be a 40 minute bus ride, then we would get off, explore for about 30 minutes, and get back on the bus to go to a wonderful new place. The company that we traveled with was MacBackpackers, which is a very well known tour company here. Everyone raves about how great the tours are, and they were right! Our tour guide seemed to know everything about Scotland, it's history, and the Highlands! He told us interesting facts at every stop, and was able to successfully answer any question we threw at him. For being a bunch of college age American tourists, he was able to handle us without much difficulty. Everyone was so amazed by the scenery and his knowledge of it all, and it was obvious that he took pride in his country.

Everywhere that we went in the Highlands was so unique, and one of the most interesting places was Faeries Glen, a place where faeries live.

Faeries Glen is set in a bowl-type area, similar to Baraboo with the cliffs surrounding it. As soon as we drove into it, I immediately noticed that this was unlike anything else I've seen in Scotland so far. The rolling mountains and bluffs that surrounded this area were all covered in lush green grass. The trees grew out of castle remains, while sheep trotted around us. The difference between the highest peaks and the lowest weren't as extreme as the rest of the Highlands. Climbing to the top of a peak was a challenge though, mostly because all of the paths have been used over so many years by sheep and humans, that the groove is very deep. It was hard to get one foot in front of the other! While we were there, there were three rules that we had to follow if we didn't want to make the faeries angry. The first was you can't put your hands in your pockets and leave them there. To get something out of your pocket was fine, but the faeries don't like when your hands are hanging out in your pockets. Second rule was no swearing. This was understandable, especially since I've always seen faeries as innocent and young. Finally, the third rule was no whistling, due to the faeries not liking the sound. These may seem like easy rules to follow, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to not do something after you've been told not to do it. Or maybe it's just the rebellious child in me...
We also saw numerous castles. Scots love to say that their country isn't just about castles and old buildings, but according to what I've seen so far, it really is. One of the most interesting castles that we saw was the one used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I've loved that movie since I was little, so it was exciting for me to see the place that helped create it!
While we were traveling through the Highlands, it rained pretty regularly. Thankfully, I was prepared with my wellies and Salomons (okay, my mom's Salomons-thanks mom!) If you haven't heard, the weather in Scotland is extremely bipolar. The local's favorite saying is, "If you don't like the weather, stick around 10 minutes!" There couldn't be a truer saying for the weather! One minute it's heavily raining, and the next it's sunny and warm. This happened to us in the Highlands, but it also created lots of beautiful rainbows! We saw about 5 throughout the 3 days that we were there. I managed to get some pictures of castles with rainbows in the background, which is a picture you'll never see from America!

We also saw tons of gorgeous waterfalls, whether they were big or small. Two waterways that we went to were supposed to have magic powers. The first was supposed to be a "healing well". If you stuck your face into the water for 7 seconds, you would look young and beautiful forever. The second was if you drank from the waterfall, you would have great sex for 7 years. Interesting!! The water was so crystal clear that you could easily see to the bottom no matter where you were. It was also so clean that we were able to fill our water bottles straight from the waterfall. The water was crisp, cold and utterly delicious; great for our 3 hour long hike! Our tour guide had us start at one end of a trail, hike up the side of a mountain, then climb down the other side and met our bus.
We stayed at a hostel called Skye Backpackers, located on the Isle of Skye. This was a gorgeous island that was very small, and had only recently been connected to mainland Scotland. There was a kitchen and dining room there that allowed us to make our own meals instead of having to go out for every meal. The one pub located on the isle was called "Saucy Mary's". The first night that we were there, everyone went out for the typical Scottish fish and chips (fish and french fries to all you Americans) but of course I just had chips.
Overall, this trip was by far the best (and most beautiful!) trip that I've gone on since moving to Scotland. The scenery was breathtaking, like a place out of a movie. (Which is appropriate, since Braveheart, Harry Potter, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and others were filmed in the Highlands.) I will always remember the border collie herding sheep into a paddock, something that is so typically Scottish I laughed when I saw it. The rolling hills covered in green grass, the ruins of castles that once stood so proudly over the land, and the feeling of being surrounded by something so pure and noble will be forever engraved into my memory.