First Week: Over

I feel like so much has happened since I last posted!

So this past week has been 'Freshers Week' (freshers being their word for freshmen) and so there have been lots of scheduled events, both during the day and at night. Tuesday night I did indeed end up getting my first fish 'n chips, and it was so yummy I can't wait to have it again. Afterward we went to a pub called 'The Blind Poet' (we chose that one because the girls I was with and I are all studying English Lit and thought it was an appropriate choice) and had a pint; all in all, a mellow night. Wednesday night, though, was a bit more of a flurry of activity. I went with some friends on a three-legged pub crawl led by the Canoe/Kayaking club that ended up a dance club, and was a lot of fun. It was especially nice to meet new people that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise. Thursday night was another pub crawl, this time led by the Stop Aids society. And finally, last night we went to a flat party in another block of New Arthur Place (where I live; I'm in block 5 and the party was in block 11) and then out to a pretty classy dance club.

Tonight is the Freshers Ball, which I don't think I'm going to go to, as well as the 'Big Cheese' (which plays cheesy fun music), which I do think I'll go to. More later!

Starting to get my bearings...

I have fortunately gotten over the bout of sickness that I suppose resulted from extreme jet lag and have been able to explore the city quite a bit. Yesterday I did a lot of walking and wound up on Princes Street, which is a famous street here in Edinburgh and is lined with tons of shops. Along the way I bought a printer and a frying pan. I still need to get a ton of stuff for my room, but it's a start.

Today I went with two fellow Tulane girls on a tour of the Royal Yacht Brittania (it was one of the many events during "Freshers Week" that the student association pays for). It was one of those self-guided tours so we made a beeline for the Royal Tea Room, which was actually a working tea room serving tea and scones and all that business. I've never been to a tea room before, and to be honest I'm not a big tea person, but I figured this was an experience I needed to have as long as I'm in Great Britain. We got a pot of "Famous Edinburgh" tea and I had the most delicious strawberry tart.

I've been taking pictures but I still don't have that damn USB cable :/ I'll post them when I get it.

Tonight the girls and I are going to a pub where I plan to have my first ever fish and chips. Should be fun!

I'm here!

Ugh, it's been a rough couple of days. I got hardly any sleep on my 10 hour flight to London; one of my bags got re-routed between London and Edinburgh (I still don't have it); after being dropped off at the residence hall where I had to pick up my keys, I had to walk several blocks uphill with the heavy bag that didn't get lost to get to my flat and then drag that same bag up 5 flights of stairs; and to top it all off I've thrown up twice so far. Merry Christmas to me!

Seriously though, I'm assuming the stress of traveling so far brought on the sickness and that it should go away soon. I figured the first few days might be tough; it's a pretty big adjustment. In more cheerful news, my flat is quite nice. My bedroom is decently sized. I took pictures when I first got here but then realized I don't have a USB cable with me to upload the pictures, so I'll post those later. I have four flatmates; two Scots, a Brit, and another American.

I have several things I plan to today: first, the University is holding International Day (U. of Edinburgh has quite a large number of international students), which mainly seems to involve a welcome ceremony which I plan to go to. I also need to go grocery shopping at some point, try to get my bag back from British Airways, and then tonight I'm going on a "Ghosts and Ghouls" tour of Edinburgh with two other girls from Tulane.

I think that's it for now. Pictures to follow!

On the eve of adventure...

Hello! I created this blog as a means of chronicling my adventures as I spend my junior year abroad at the University of Edinburgh, where I will be studying English Literature.

As I write this, I have less than 24 hours until I leave for Scotland. I fly from LAX to Heathrow (a 10 hour flight, during which I'm counting on Ambien to knock me out) and then from there to Edinburgh. To say I'm excited is an understatement. But I'm also a bit nervous! I have no idea what to expect. I've never been to the UK before, and the longest I've been to Europe is about a week or two. I'm also nervous because I've had such an amazing two years at Tulane so far. I'm leaving behind friends that I will miss terribly, and in the anticipation of my departure I can't help but hope that the gamble I'm taking in going for the whole year will pay off. Speaking of which, every time I tell people I'll be spending an entire academic year abroad, I invariably get the same question; "But...why?" So here, in a nutshell, are the reasons:

1) Tulane actually only approves the UK study abroad programs for spring and full year because the fall semesters at UK universities are so much shorter. My classes don't start until September 21, a full month after Tulane's classes start. To go just for a fall semester in the UK wouldn't really afford you the full experience, and if I went just for a spring semester it would likely be harder to make friends there since I would be coming in halfway through their school year.

2) Many of Edinburgh's classes-- including 2 of the 3 I'm taking (3 classes constitutes a full course load there)-- are year-long. They are slowly becoming more semesterized, but only because the government told them to, and thus I've heard Edinburgh is dragging their feet a bit

3) By staying for the spring semester, I get to enjoy the month-long spring break Edinburgh students get, when I'll be able to travel around Europe!

So there you go! I certainly hope my decision to go for the year pays off. For one thing, I hope I get along well with my flatmates! I got my first choice of flat (New Arthur Place!) which I am thrilled about; it was my understanding based on various student message boards that no one ever gets their first choice. Anyway, I will be living with four other girls. I move in directly on Saturday and I can't wait to meet them. I hope we can decorate our flat and make it look "home-y". I also hope at least one of my flatmates is a master in the kitchen! I wish I could say I am, but alas...

Anyway, I suppose that's all for now. I have quite of bit of packing to do, which I will probably be up all night doing! Hopefully that will help me sleep on the plane...