travel plans...suggestions, please!

Christine and I have 11 days to travel at the beginning of April and we're starting to plan our trip. We're aiming to do 4 cities in that time and definitely want to go to Amsterdam, Florence, and Prague and we're debating between Copenhagen and either Berlin or Munich. I have a friend in Copenhagen that we could stay with, but if anyone has any suggestions for a must-see city (we ruled out Paris because it would be too expensive) please let us know! I know people read this...so don't be afraid to comment!
As promised, some pictures from the concert the other night:

Christine, Me, and Hadley

I thought it was cool...

random thoughts:

• Tomorrow BILLIAM (my father) comes! yay! Will post many adorable father daughter pictures.
• Christine and I started a new lifestyle today: not stuffing our faces at dinner. However, I refuse to give up sandwiches (mainly because that's all you can get/I can steal from the cafeteria for lunch) and potatoes.
• Once again, it is warmer here (43) Than Boulder (12) and Boston (24) combined.
• Who in Singapore is reading my blog?
• respond to my questions about travel if you have suggestions!!!!

studying abroad shouldn't involve so much studying

I am currently in the library working on a 2,000 word essay, summer internship applications, and reading a novel. Many people tell me that's what I get for being an English major, but I think that all this work is really just getting in the way of me enjoying myself in Europe. Not fair is all I have to say.
Christine and I went to the concert I mentioned yesterday last night. It was really fun. I took some really cool pictures which I will post later. I am currently in the library and took my anger, boredness, and frustration out in this blog. Isn't that wonderful?
Also, today is a very special woman's birthday: COSTANZA FERME. She is 21. She is also my oldest and best friend and I love her and wish I could be with her, even though we have not spent our birthdays together since we were about 7. Nonetheless, I love her dearly and hope she has a wonderful day.
In honor of her birthday I will post some pictures.....

Milan summer 2010

Gloucester summer 2008

my room summer ..?

Nantucket summer 2006

Back to my essay--I wrote an outline which is about 500 words so only 1500 to go!

Changes

I made changes to the blog! Hopefully you all like it...I'm not very good at color schemes and things but I thought a nice, aesthetic change was in order. I plan on climbing Arthur's Seat today (I know, for the 100th time), but it's a little cloudy so we'll see.

Okay, good news: I hiked Arthur's Seat! Actually, it was more of a climb. It's a misty and bleak day here in Scotland, but me, my friend Mary Caroline, and 2 of her friends from her dorm hiked up a steep and muddy Arthur's Seat. Once at the top it was difficult to see anything since it was so misty, but it was quite the accomplishment nonetheless. Also, hanging out with British people has made me talk more and more like a grandma. The way down was much more treacherous as we wanted to go a faster and less muddy way. Our way down was neither of these things as we found ourselves climbing down mini cliffs and scooting on our butts over steep and slippery rocks. But victory was ours; we made it down with only dirt on our hands and bums.

At the top! One of my eyes looks awkwardly small...

at the top with friends!

 I'm now back in my room and debating whether or not to do some reading, so I decided to post on the blog instead of making a decision.
Oh, last night. Funny times: I saw 3 men (no relation to one another and in different areas) in kilts wandering the streets of Edinburgh; got a late-night veggie burger at a take-away restaurant that specialized in deep-friend pizza, sausage, and haggis. They also made a chip sandwich. As in a bunch of french fries in a bun. Surprisingly, it did not look appetizing even though it was a combination of 2 of my favorite things.

deep fried everything. Oddly, people in line thought it strange that there are deep-fried Twinkies in the United States. they called it a cholesterol heart attack...isn't that the same as deep fried haggis?

One of many men in kilts. This older man was helping a much younger looking woman get into a cab.  I guess men in skirts are just irresistible here

Tonight I'm trying to go to a club that a DJ I really like (Sub Focus) is playing. But for now I suppose I will read Phanastes...the first fantasy ever written. It's for my Scottish Literature class; authors such as C.S Louis have admitted to using George MacDonald's work in Phantastes as inspiration. I can also draw clear connections to Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.

Cheerio! (people don't actually say that here...but I like it anyway)

I was productive!

Today I made moves, to say the least. I went to class, went on a run, and spent several hours in the library(minimal procrastination involved).
So I forgot to mention my Burns' night experience ...mainly because there wasn't really one. However, I did witness a ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) which is a big dance where people get drunk, do a funny little do see do in circles, and have a good time. I did not purchase tickets to this ceilidh, but I did watch it (yes, I'm that creepy person standing in the corner watching you). Some pompous British a** tried to tell me that it wasn't really a Scottish dance and that if I wanted to see real professional Scottish dancing I should go to London. People were in kilts, drunk, having fun, and in Scotland, so I'm gonna say that this ceilidh was the real thing even if they weren't dancing in harmony like professionals.
Last night Christine and I watched the Black Swan. I was really disappointed and am convinced that the only reason it is getting so much hype is because people love watching Natalie Portman exploring her sexuality, especially when it involves Mila Kunis.
Pollock Halls provides a cleaning service that changes our trash every day and cleans our rooms once a week. My room just got cleaned so I thought I'd share.........
I also haven't shown you what my room looks like. Here is my room being really clean:

okay bye!

1/26/2011

Today started off very productive when I woke up at 8:30 even though I didn't have class until 12. I walked about 2 miles to get a new phone (since my old one magically vanished in Barcelona), did reading for class tomorrow, and then went to lecture. However, upon returning to my room dreams of going on a run and doing laundry were quickly squashed by the distraction of facebook and my bed. I get unbelievably lazy whenever I'm in my room; it's such a problem. I can't do any work and I just spend mindless hours on the internet. I probably should not be admitting this...but admitting to something is the only way you can fix it, right? I suppose it's because my room is the only place I allow myself to be lazy (even though I've fallen asleep in the library several times already). I guess I just really don't want to do work, which is why I am going to the Elephant House for a few hours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to do reading and write an essay since I have class all tomorrow. However, learning is definitely getting in the way of my abroad experience, especially when I have to read a novel a week for Scottish Lit.
Even though I was a slug once back at the dorm, I did force myself to go outside and climb part of Arthur's Seat. I did not make it to the top because the path I wanted to go up was closed, so instead I climbed up some cliffs (crags) and got beautiful views of the city from there.

I've had sandwiches for lunch the past 3 days because this wonderful market (similar to DeLucas but with more and better specialty foods and baked goods) on the way back from Uni to my dorms has "the best meal deal in town"(sandwich, crisps, and a soda for 2 pound 85). Most meal deals are a pound more. Anyways, while there I read a section of the newspaper similar to the G section of the Boston Globe and read an opinion column on American TV and the newest bestseller Tiger Mom(I think?) and how Americans love to watch shows of the terror of being a terrible parent while watching from the comfort of their homes and supposedly much more normal lives. We just love to scare ourselves when we know we are safe(something I am actually learning in one of my classes! Guess I'm actually learning something in school). She then went into talking about the abortion debate and she had a great quote: "People who are pro-choice are not anti-life, but people who are pro-life are anti-choice (because it prevents low-income women from getting abortions elsewhere, among with many other economic reasons that benefit the rich and are not accessible to the poor)." Just thought I'd share.

Also, British English is different than American English (obviously). Specific examples:
"He's a bumbling idiot"
"We'll just wait a wee bit longer"
"We'll give her a proper tour"
"That's a smart jacket"
"I'm not too keen on her."

Once again, I did nothing but had a lot to say and am boring you mad (British? let's pretend).

25/1/2011

Hello everyone. Nothing new here except that I have been extremely lethargic and haven't done anything. However, I plan on climbing Arthur's Seat tomorrow AND doing laundry. Big day.
Tonight is Burns Night, which is a holiday that celebrates the life of Robert Burns, who is from Scotland and wrote many poems about Scotland and haggis. I don't have any plans and totally missed the boat on signing up for any of the University run parties or make any restaurant reservations, but maybe I'll just wander into a pub and they'll welcome me with open arms and meeps and tatties.
Random Thoughts:

•  I have begun seeing a boy in the cafeteria that looks EXACTLY like Ron Weasley from Harry Potter.
• I tried a new flavor of potato crisps today: Bloody Mary. They tasted exactly like BBQ flavored chips. 

• Also, thank you everyone who has been following my blog! It makes me so happy that you are all reading it and I love hearing that you are enjoying it.

Cheers!

Post Barca

So I am back from Barcelona and have so much to write about but I will try to keep it short! I'll use numbers again since those seemed to be popular last time I had a lot to say.

1. Ryanair is the most absurd invention ever. The flights are cheap, but there are 9 million rules you need to follow otherwise you get charged up the butt. You're allowed one carryon. As in one suitcase. No purse or anything. Also, the one carryon you're allowed has smaller dimensions than literally every other airline. There are no assigned seats so everyone rushes to the queue to get first choice of seats. People are nuts and push and cut and...it's scary. Our flight to Barcelona was especially intense/frightening because everyone was incredibly rowdy because who wouldn't be excited to go to Barcelona? Edinburgh airport is really small so instead of having jetways for the cheap airlines, they bus you to the plane. Ryanair decided to torture us and leave us stopped in front of the plane on a claustrophobic bus for 5 minutes before releasing us. People literally ran to the plane. One lady pushed me out of the way. Seeing as this paragraph is already too long, I will sum up the rest of the flight by saying: the seats don't recline because they are closer together than on a normal plane; they sell smokeless cigarettes on board; everyone you wouldn't want to be on a plane with was on this plane. drunk.

2. Being in Spain and eating delicious food made me realize how terrible the food in Scotland really is. I don't understand. It's just horrible. We had paella for dinner both nights and delicious cured ham and chocolate and everything was so good and it made me sad that the food here is disgusting. However, Scotland is not the only country obsessed with sandwiches and potatoes. Christine and I decided we are most likely going to turn into either sandwiches or potato heads before the end of our semester.

Best paella ever.

chompin' and nomin' on some delicious chocolate

3. Returning to Barcelona made me remember how much I love Spain and how much I miss being able to speak another language. My biggest regret in college is not taking Spanish. I love the Spanish culture, which is surprising because I don't nap, I'm very prompt and always in a rush. I suppose that's why I like it--it's the exact opposite of my highly functional life, yet so many people live, function, and are successful in this (to me) alternate universe.

4. La Sagrada Familia (the giant cathedral Antoni Gaudi designed that is still in the process of being built) is unbelievable. The outside (that is completed) is humbling in itself, but the new inside is indescribable. It is hard to believe that this giant and colorful inside was under construction and completely in scaffolding a mere three years ago. Not only does the church itself make the viewer seem small, but I felt so unaccomplished knowing the speedy progress being made on this beautiful piece of art. It is also really cool to know that I have been able to see the making of history and one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. I will definitely be returning to Barcelona upon its completion.

Inside of Sagrada Familia 3 years ago

Inside of Sagrada Familia today

me looking incredibly small in the Sagrada Familia

5. It was cold in Barcelona. Scotland cold. The only difference was that you can actually feel the sun when it's out, which was something I have missed.

6. Today I spent some time walking around by myself while Christine was sleeping and her friend was with her dad. I have decided that I really want to travel alone for a weekend. I really enjoy doing things at my own pace and just being able to take in my surroundings and reflecting on them on my own. 

7. As much as I love Spain and people make Scotland seem like a cold and terrible place, I am so happy that I am studying in Edinburgh. I was really afraid I was going to get homesick when I got back to Edinburgh because I returned from vacation not to home, but to a place I'm relatively unfamiliar with and still seems weird to call it home. Arriving in the city center on the airport bus made me so happy that I live in this beautiful, magical city. I also thought, "It's good to be home." 

ok, sorry for the long post. To sum up: My trip to Barcelona was amazing and could not have been so great without the hospitality of Christine's friend Amanda who let us stay in her apartment, and her Dad, who was visiting for the weekend and took us out to delicious meals and even treated us to a flamenco show. There are a few more photos below...
Disfruta! Ciao!

in the center of Barcelona! (Jess--this is for you.)

couples photo

Amanda's (Christine's friend that we stayed with) dad took us out to dinner and a show--paella and flamenco dancing!

Barcelona Bound!

I don't have much to write except that I am leaving for the bus stop to catch a plane to BARCELONA in about an hour. We're going for Christine's 21st birthday, which is on Sunday. We're staying in her friend's apartment. I am very excited. Even though I was just in Barcelona three years ago, I am excited to see the progress that has been made on La Sagrada Familia and explore less touristy parts of the city.
Last night I met up with my international "buddy" that the University set me up with. I met him, his friend, and four other visiting students in a bar. The full-time students were really nice and welcoming (they are from Hungary and Norway) while the visiting Americans--no surprise here--were weird and annoying. But we went to a really small club that had djs playing drum and bass (really wompy, heavy bass, electronic music) which was really fun and not very crowded. And not everyone was 18.
 I know I'm really harsh on the other American students, but it's been really difficult for me to find visiting students that I get along with and want to be friends with(many are also painfully socially awkward). It surprises me because Edinburgh is such a cool city with amazing nightlife and the Uni has amazing academics. Initially I tried to stay away from Americans because I wanted a cultural experience, but since people already have established friends groups it is easy to hang out with them but hard to feel like we are actually friends with them since we are breaking into their friend groups. These unexpected obstacles are forcing me to reach out to more people more frequently than i had thought, but I suppose it's actually a blessing in disguise since it is forcing me to reach out to more people I wouldn't normally.

Anyways, this post is much longer than I expected but I will be sure to post many pictures and write about my Barcelona experience Sunday night or Monday!
Adios amigos!

being a tourist

After 2 weeks (!!!) in Edinburgh, I FINALLY made it up to Edinburgh Castle. Christine and I had lunch in the Elephant House and then walked up. It was very similar to the Tower of London, except much less crowded, better view, and fewer crown jewels. I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed. I was envisioning gigantic rooms and cloisters. Thank you, Disney for putting unrealistic expectations of castles into my head. The views of Edinburgh from the Castle were quite spectacular, though.

I am still getting over my cold because I had a terrible night's sleep last night. I now remember the downsides of dorms: shared bathrooms; paper-thin walls; loud freshman. The boy directly above me decided to skype incredibly loudly with someone until 12:30 in the morning with sporadic musical interjections accompanied by a guitar. I was not happy, to say the least. But I suppose going to bed at 10 is also a little ridiculous in a dorm.

I am slowly getting through the Master of Ballantrae. Emphasis on the slowly. I have also been thinking about my essays for my internship applications. Emphasis on the thinking. I'm hoping that by frequenting the Elephant House some of J.K Rowling's success (and Harry's magic) will inspire/rub off on me.

Oh, side note, has anyone heard of the cat that is being called for jury duty in Boston? Cats are seriously the most underrated animal and are definitely more trustworthy than humans in a court of law. I'm glad this fact is finally being recognized.
Later, gators 

Christine admiring the glorious view from the Castle

I just LOVE being a tourist and doing touristy things...including awkward solo shots with scenery

kitten meeeowww

campus from the Castle

It's just so pretty here!

18/1/2011

After missing my first Scottish Lit. tutorial last week and going to the wrong room this week, I finally found myself in the right room. My tutorial only consisted of 7 people (including myself) and was on the 6th floor of a tower on campus. The view was incredible--it looked over Arthur's Seat and much of Old Town Edinburgh. I could even see the ocean. It was wonderful. Next week I'll be sure to arrive early so I have a seat that gets an even better view. I have to read the entirety of the Master of Ballantrae by next week so I should probably start reading and stop procrastinating.
I have also realized that I need to apply for internships now. One of the applications is due February 1! I am applying to advertising agencies. So far I have decided to apply to Mullen, Digitas, Hill Holliday, and Young & Rubicam. If anyone has any connections or suggestions please let me know!
I was going to hike up Arthur's Seat today in between classes but am too sick with a cold :(. I will be sure to take pictures as soon as I get up there!

17/1/2010

Happy Monday everyone!
I just finished a full day of class and thought I'd share some thoughts I had while catching up on some reading in the Elephant House:
Arcadia (the program I am here with) is awful and completely suffocating. I had to meet with them today to tell them what classes I was taking, but they used it as a check-in to see how I was doing. Though this sounds like a nice gesture, I have had more than enough Arcadia to last me a lifetime in the past two weeks. Let me be free!! Arcadia does several programs throughout Scotland and has some nice day and weekend trips for its students. However, these trips are optional, have limited space, and you have to pay additional costs for each of them. Butler, another program here, does two big weekend trips (no additional cost) and everyone is allowed to go. They're going to the highlands at the end of the semester which I am very jealous of because they're supposed to be beautiful and hard to get to. Thanks, Arcadia.
On a more positive note, I am really enjoying my time here. Since the cafeteria does not offer lunch because the dining hall is so far away from campus, I look forward to my alone time at lunch. Today I went back to the Elephant House, got a stromboli and coffee, and did some reading. I've noticed a lot of people my age dining alone. I feel like that is rare in the United States, especially in Boulder. A lot of people don't understand the importance and serenity of being alone and I wish I had discovered it earlier. To be honest though, I would probably not dine alone in Boulder because I know so many people and would feel insecure seeing someone I knew while dining alone. It has also made me think about traveling alone, which just this past summer I said I could never do.
On another note, Christine and I want to plan another weekend trip soon and are thinking either Munich or Budapest. Any suggestions? We don't know people in either city so if anyone has any suggestions it would be much appreciated!

p.s There were FOUR potato dishes in the cafeteria for dinner.

16/1/2010

Not much has happened in the past two days. Yesterday it rained so I took the opportunity to have a guilt-free lazy day, which was necessary after two late nights at clubs in a row. The other night we went to a really cool club called City with some of the people in our dorm. There are a lot of characters that live in our building and I'm really excited to hang out with all of them more. Last night Christine and I tried to get into a club called the Big Cheese that is in the student union, but we couldn't get in because it was so full so instead we went into a bar in the old library called the Library Bar.
Today we spent the day walking down to Princes Street and did a little shopping. I got earrings and sunglasses at Top Shop. I probably shouldn't be spending money since I'm going to Barcelona in 5 days (YAY!), but the damage was minimal. I swear.
I am spending tonight doing lots of reading that I have stupidly been putting off.
Later
Laura

Me at the Library Bar (I know you all wanted a solo shot of me)

A picture of the High Street at dusk

picture time

Looking into George Square: ugly modern buildings beside old town homes

The street I walk down every day to get to class (usually much busier)

Churches I pass every day with Arthur's seat in the background

Elephant House! Where J.K Rowling wrote part of the first 3 books. The Castle looks like Azkaban from the window

definition of magical

Edinburgh Castle at night

Girls on my floor. From left to right: Emur (Ireland), Lizzie (Chile), Georgie (England), Claire (England)

There was a cat right outside my door...

Christine and I at a club last night

View of Old Town Edinburgh

one week!

okay, so since I've been here one week and my father just told me I should make my posts "short and often," I will sparknote my past week/eventful 2 days and let you all know what I think after living in Edinburgh for ONE WEEK
1. accents are awesome
2. everyone is really trendy and I was incredibly tempted to buy a whole new wardrobe at Topshop
3. Traffic is dangerous. Mainly because it comes in the opposite direction. Also because The crossing signals are different. I've almost gotten hit 3 times.
4. Everyone is skinny. Weirdly, potatoes seem to be the favorite food here. In the dining hall there is always at least 2 different kinds of potatoes available. I also saw the skinniest little munchkin about to chow down on literally the biggest baked potato I have ever seen in my entire life. Portion control and anorexia don't seem to be very prevalent.
5. I made friends in my hall giving hope that I will make friends with more locals and not just desperate Americans.
6. I live in Harry Potter land. Meaning I found the Elephant House, the cafe J.K Rowling wrote part of the first three books. Clear inspiration for Hogsmeade and Azkaban. Apparently Tom Riddle's grave is in the graveyard below. I spent a few hours there today looking at Edinburgh Castle and doing reading for my Celtic lit. class. Will post pictures tomorrow.
7. Classes are hard. I'm taking them pass/fail (thank God). I think I'll manage.
8. I LOVE THIS CITY.

another awkward sign-off. pictures and an actual short post tomorrow,
Laura

Scotland weather really isn't that bad

on a beautiful, cloudless day in Edinburgh, I am proud it say it is FAR warmer here than Boulder (-9) and Boston (21) combined.

After saying that, I have come to the harsh realization that it is supposed to be 40 and rainy the rest of the week. That being said, I took advantage of this beautiful day and went for a brief run. I went in a different direction than I usually do and quickly found myself at Arthur's seat, which is the hill I can see out of my window and supposedly has beautiful panoramic views of the city. I did not make it to the top in the short time I had, but I got high enough up to see a good portion of the city including the university with the castle  behind. It is an unbelievably beautiful city and I am truly fortunate to be living here.
Last night Christine, our friend Hadley, and I went to a club called the Opal Lounge, where Prince William apparently used to go back when he was a bachelor at St. Andrew's. It was a really neat club with good music and good people. I was quite surprised to find that the club had hardly emptied when we left at 2 in the morning. Apparently people go out more on the weekdays more than weekends. It makes me confused as to when people find time to do their homework.
I have yet to do any reading for my classes partially because I cannot figure out how to work the online system to see what readings I am supposed to be doing. I also have yet to buy a single book. I guess I'll have to introduce myself to my professor tomorrow and try to straighten things out.

 Christine and I at a pub called the Three Sisters the other night

A picture of Arthur's seat (what I ran up today) taken from Edinburgh Castle one of the first days I was here.

10/1/2011: first day of classes

Greetings!
Today was my first day of classes and let me tell you--they are quite intimidating. I am taking Celtic literature (all Gaelic translations, phew), Scottish literature, and Visualizing Scotland, which seems to be a way of looking at stereotypes of Scotland v. what Scotland really is through pictures, art, and film. I unfortunately have class everyday and have not looked at the book lists yet because I'm afraid. But expect a freakout when I do. I already know that I have to read Paradise Lost for my Scottish lit class. Fortunately, all of my instructors are easy to understand.
Today it was cold and rained a little, but not too bad. Christine and I have tried to make friends in our dorm and have failed miserably. We went into the common room last night and talked with a group of friends that were all freshmen (or freshers as they say here). I briefly met the girl who lives next door to me and two of her friends and they seem really nice.
We have discovered that most of the students here are British, followed by Irish and then Scottish. We're fine with that though since we have also discovered that Irish boys are the cutest. As Christine said, "they all have a twinkle in their eye." Kind of like how you would envision a leprechaun. But better.
I don't have pictures of campus yet but I promise I will take some by the end of the weekend. The campus is really strange because it has very (ugly) modern buildings along with beautiful old buildings. One of my classes is in the old medical school which is beautiful and more of how I envisioned the buildings to look like.
Until next time,
Laura

Some Irish men we met at a bar called the Dropkick Murphey's

 view from my window

 Christine with tropical plants and a miniature castle that serves as something for the Pollock residence halls right by our dorm

 weirdly flavored chips: prawn cocktail; cheese & onion; tomato ketchup

Saturday Jan. 8

Hello again everyone. I have some free time today so I thought I would make another entry since I want to get into the habit of writing here.
I finally was able to sleep late today--until 12! Christine and I walked down a street by our house that has a lot of stores including food shops, convenience stores, and charity shops. Charity shops are similar to consignment shops and the salvation army in that they take donated used clothes and then sell them, with some of the profit going to the specific charity that they support. We did not buy anything in these stores, however, we discovered poundland where everything is one pound. They sell just about everything; food, housewares, toys, cosmetics. It snowed quite a bit last night we were not very big fans of trudging through the slush on the street, so we headed in before exploring any other streets. Even though we're really far away from the center of town, I really like our neighborhood. There are lots of pubs, shops, and food stores. There is a lot of Chinese and Indian cuisine in the area which I have yet to try. We also found a really nice food store with beautiful desserts and cheese.
On our walk we ran into two girls that we had met a couple nights ago from a different program who we will probably hang out with tonight. I am also going to a pizza party put on by the University specifically for international students tonight, so hopefully I will start meeting a lot more people. Also, other students on my floor are starting to move back in and I hope to meet my neighbors soon.
Tomorrow I'm doing an orientation put on by the university where I will get a campus tour (I have yet to even see the campus) so I will be sure to take pictures and post them soon!
Laura

First Entry: Welcome to Scotland!

Hello everyone! If you are reading this, thank you for reading my blog and keeping up with my abroad experiences. This blog is to help my friends and family keep up with what I am doing, as well as for me to evaluate why I am here, what I am experiencing, and above all, have a record of all of my adventures.
I arrived in Edinburgh three days ago, and I have been taken aback at the beauty of the city, as well as the interesting medieval layout. Unfortunately Arcadia, the program I am on, is very hands-on and kept us locked in a room lecturing us instead of letting us explore the wonderful city that we will be calling home for the next five months: Edinburgh. I, as well as the other 30 students on my program, were very resentful of Arcadia and took the first free moment we had to go out last night. We all ventured out to various pubs and clubs in the Old City area. I had a great time and am excited to explore more nightlife that Edinburgh offers. Last night we went to a pub/club called the three sisters, then went to a nearly empty pub with live music, and then to a discotheque-type club.
Today we were taken by taxi to our living accommodations. I am in a dorm with several other students from my program including my friend Christine, who I came with. It is much farther removed from the center of the city than I anticipated, but I am sure once the other dorm residents return from their holidays they will give us pointers on how to travel around the city.
Tomorrow is the first full day I have to myself and I expect to find campus and run some errands before classes start on Monday!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Laura

 Cahrissa and I in the parking lot of Edinburgh Castle (the castle is in the background)

Some other Arcadia students and I in a pub with live music (not all the glasses are ours--I promise!)