And so the journey ended. Writing currently from my new room in Ridgewood on the Brandeis campus. Missing Edinburgh a little bit every day, but also happy to be back with old friends and familiar activities.

So now that I'm back, people are eager to hear details; I struggle to portray my experience by answering a few questions thrown at me. It's hard to find the words to explain everything that I thought and felt and experienced. I've never really been one who has entertained the idea of a "life changing experience." The idea that one event or series of events could make such a large and obvious impact on me and how I live my life seems simply absurd. I know how hard it is to change my habits and thoughts by choice, and I feel that an experience takes similarly as long to effect change (that is my favorite usage of the word "effect") on my everday life. Studying in Edinburgh wasn't a life-changing experience, but it was a really great one.

Before I left, I was nervous--very nervous. I didn't know much about my program or the people I would meet or how I would be spending my days. I was most scared about my ability to connect with and find people who were looking for the same thing as me. I never really get homesick. I like to have fun in a low-key and informal way, the crazyness and alcohol are not for me. I enjoy so much really getting to know people and myself and creating connections and gaining new understandings. My most recent experiences in meeting new people were less than positive--I felt as if I had forgotten how to get to know people, forgotten the social-norms that allow people to form friendships. Which, now, sounds so silly. It's just hard to get yourself out of a funk when the only thing that keeps popping into your mind is negativity.

From Day One, my experience in Edinburgh was different. I met people that I connected with, and when I looked around I was excited by what I saw. I moved into my flat a few days after arriving and met the four most wonderful flatmates I could have asked for. The illusive culture shock that I had been warned about so many times didn't really hit. Life just seemed to fit, and it was great. With my flatmates and a few others I cooked and watched movies and danced and laughed until my face hurt. We were so different with unique personalities and interests, and it made for all the more interesting tea time banter.

I had some favorite things and places and I felt myself settling in so easily. I spent numerous hours in Black Medicine and Bean Scene, coffeeshops a few blocks from my flat, studying and just hanging out. I went to the gym (what?!) and felt good about myself. I took classes with many less requirements and many more students. I climbed Arthur's Seat five times, each time with different people who pointed different things out to me, making me love it even more. I went to London and Berlin and spent the last few days staying at Frankie's house and traveling to Liverpool and York before meeting the family in Paris.

Kitchen time will be missed more than most other things. For hours, my flatmates and I would just hang out in the kitchen. If someone started eating lunch at 11 and the last person didn't come home until 1, it was not unlikely to find us all there until 2 talking about who knows what. Dinner was the same. Whoever was hungry first would start cooking and eventually we would all end up sitting around the table with our various meals and tastes. Or we would cook stir frys or curries or burgers together. And then before the end of the night we would somehow all end up in the kitchen again for tea. Most often with some rich tea biscuits and always with the most enjoyable banter. I wish I could explain to you the Darroch 3/3 banter and why it will always speak to me the loudest and clearest as the picture of my Edinburgh experience. Making fun of Frankie for her love of cleanliness, Jill for her love for America, Jessie for her Home & Away addiction. Yv coming in with the chat, Fatti somehow inserting sex into every conversation, Monica coming to bake scones, and the more honest conversations--it was a lot of what makes me the happiest. Just banter, or "taking the piss", if you will.

I think there's a lot of different study abroad experiences people have--some are seeking to be thrown out of their comfort zone in a new a different culture, some what to experience what it's like to go to school somewhere else. I think what I wanted and needed was a break and a chance to reconnect--with myself and with what's important to me. Edinburgh was exactly that. I had so much time getting to know myself again and trying to begin to understand where I was and what my next steps are. Of course, it's not to say that all or even most of my questions have been answered. There are still plenty of times when I'm frustrated with my activity or lack there of. But, I feel renewed. I feel more prepared and focused and eager. I like it. It's something to go back to.

On Thursday morning, I woke up and was promptly startled by Jill screaming "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!" to me as if it was some sort of all day festival. I laughed and we decided to run into Fatti's room and bring her the same Thanksgiving wishes. We, at that point, had been planning on going to the IFSA Thanksgiving meal, which would probably be nice but didn't make us think of Thanksgiving like a turkey and stuffing. We were distraught. So, Fatti and I made the decision, at around 11:30am on Thursday, that we wanted a real American Thanksgiving. Off to Tesco we go!

Well first, we needed a list of ingredients--epicurious.com it was. Luckily, on their front page they had a variety of Thanksgiving recipies listed and suggested many ways to cook the turkey and some other dishes. We opted for what we were used to and both cooked some things that we usually have at Thanksgiving at home. I made sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole and Fatti made roasted potatos and vegetables. We had initially planned on just buying some little chickens but when we arrived at Tesco we realized that they did in fact have big turkeys (frozen, mind you) so we decided to go for it. We thawed this 4kilo turkey in 2 hours (microwave + hot water) We cooked a turkey spiced with some delicious things and stuffed it with instant stuffing. WE cooked a turkey, it was awesome. And intimidating, but definitely worth the struggle of removing the neck...!

Our flatmates + Monica & Yvonne shared the meal with us and we were all so happy and full by the end that it did feel like a real Thanksgiving. And, we decided that we were all most thankful for meeting one another. (Awww)

Pictures will come soon!

So it's becoming more and more real that the semester is almost over. In order to remedy the unpleasant thoughts that come with the fact that Fatti and me will not be residents of Darroch 3/3 next semester, my two favorite Scottish girls, Jill & Yvonne have begun to plan their trip to America. Along with this comes them screaming and shouting about all things they think are American and being able to DO IT ALL. This was perhaps the funniest thing I have seen and heard. It's mostly funny because they weren't completely far off, and yet they were still so completely excited.

They want to go to diners at 3am, drink Mountain Dew until they turn green, go to the 'mooovies' (as opposed to the cinema) and eat popcorn, see the Statue of Liberty, have American money (I gave Yvonne a dollar, she was ecstatic), go to a MALL (a number 1 priority--specifically Abercrombie and Auntie Anne's Pretzels), go to a baseball game, go to Tiffany's in New York, and mostly, just be in America.

They're obsessed with their idealized American pop culture, more so than any one else I know in the states. They want to meet all the girls from the Hills and have watched the entirety of the OC an embarassing number of times. I can't wait to share my American with my wannabe Americans as they have shared Scotland with me.

The lack of hot water in my flat.

I went to the gym earlier this afternoon and returned about an hour before my class planning on showering and changing before heading off to the last lecture of Science & Society, a class which I will sincerely MISS) but alas, there is no hot water. So I go press our "boost button" This button which is supposed to heat the water either within or after a half hour. It very rarely works. I am sick of cold showers. Not just a little cold. FREEZING cold. UNPLEASANT.

But, let's be honest. A pretty minor complaint. I leave Edinburgh on the 19th. I'll be heading to a town named Pontefract in Yorkshire where my lovely flatmate Frankie lives. With her I'll visit to Liverpool and York and then head on my own to Bath and Stonehenge. I'll finish my mini-UK tour in London once again and take the train to Paris to meet the family.

Hah. Classes are finishing up this week, it's crazy. Had the my last Databases lecture today also. I'm going to Berlin this weekend with Monica and then meeting up with Fatti & her sister. I can't WAIT!

I realized today could spend all day on top of Arthur's Seat. I went up for the 4th time with Dougie, a friend from Brandeis who was in Edinburgh for the weekend, and was reminded how absolutely amazing it is. I don't think there are very many places where you can climb a few hundred meters in what feels like the great outdoors and when you get to the top you realize you're actually surrounded by a beautiful city. It's spectacular. You look down and see a massive golf course and the Firth of Forth and a castle, a palace, a university, and so many stores and homes. I'm going to miss that.

Picture sfrom Calton Hill on Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night)

THE EVENT:



THE AFTERMATH:

How cool it was to sit with my flatmates watching returns come in and explain to them how it all works. Definitely an experience to remember! Good Work, Team America.

//edit:
1. Add Obama to your RSS: http://change.gov
2. Cute:

I'm in a funny sort of place--because I'm here for less than two months more, which is the same amount of time I've been here for so far, a good amount of time, but still very little. I leave soon. Countable weekends soon. Next weekend is staying in to do work weekend. The following one is London. The one after that is another homework weekend. The one after that is Berlin. And then it's finals. And then it's Paris. And then I'm home and it's Sarah's wedding and wisdom teeth and Brandeis. AH!

I have a lot I want to do and a lot that I've done. Having people visiting was not only fun as it was productive in my Edinburgh/Scotland-seeing necessities. I went up Arthur's Seat a few more times, went to the Castle, went to the parliament more times than necessary, the palace and its gallery, a few museums and up the Walter Scott Monument.

Election Day is Tuesday also, which is so crazy. I think I'll be up all night for no reason other than to witness history and be a part of something that I have finally started to get some understanding of. Started to have conversations and thoughts and knowing that there's never really an ending point but just a lot more turning and cycling.

I'll leave with some pictures.