Long days and longer readings

It's just before 9 and still bright outside! Looking forward to reaping the benefits of surviving a winter with 7 hours of daily light...I prefer this season of Scotland's latitude!

May is going to be one of the best, most exciting months of my life!  I will be in Spain with my flatmates from May 6-15.  Jaime is taking us to his hometown (Murcia) as well as Cordoba and Madrid. I CAN'T WAIT! We fly back on the 15th and my sister arrives in Edinburgh on the 16th.  On the 17th, Alysha, Caitlin and I are flying to ROME where we'll spend a couple days before meeting Giulia and driving down to Naples and spending a week at the seaside! We'll fly back together on the 23rd to Edinburgh where Mom and Dad are joining us on the 24th- then it's up to the Highlands with Jackie and Ken for a few days before returning to Edinburgh for Jackie's choir concert and TWO WEEKS of Scottish adventures! I have a list that grows daily of things to see, hikes to take, day trips etc.  I can't wait to show my family the city that has become so near and dear!

BUT knowing that all of that is ahead, my days have been spent entirely in my room or the library:  reading, reading, reading and starting to get an outline together as my dissertation takes form! Back to the books...

Next stop- New Orleans!

I've accepted the offer to attend Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana for medical school.  CLASS OF 2017!! I'm so grateful for this opportunity, and thankful to my parents, family, mentors and friends that lent ears, offered unwavering support, and encouraged this dream into a reality!

ABD!

I submitted my last paper TODAY which means I'm ABD (all but dissertation) done with my Master's!  WOW- what an experience its been!

We're DONE!! IIHD end-of-term celebration!

More celebrating...craft beer at BrewDog

Susi is returning from Italy tomorrow with her Mom. I'm cooking American dinner- I had planned to make my Mom's famous chicken spaghetti until Jaime pointed out how 'confident' it was to cook pasta for Italian guests.  Point taken, and I've opted for my great Aunt Dots chicken salad instead! I've realized how fortunate and happy I am to live in a 'heavy traffic' flat, that is always full of visitors and friends.  The frequent visitors have become pseudo-flatmates..and when anyone goes away for a few days, its really noticable that they're missing! Susi and 'adopted' flatmate Alberto were both out of the country this week..the flat is quieter- we've really missed them!

Lots to celebrate recently:  taught classes have finished for all of 1 Rankeillor, Jaime celebrated his 27th birthday on the 10th, his cousin Pablo's birthday was on the 13th.  Nancy (Pete's mom) came to Edinburgh with a tour group and I got to spend the better part of two days with her in Edinburgh.  Ive found a part-time job waitressing at an Indian restaurant just down the street. And Edinburgh Rotary Club (and Rotary scholars!) was hosted by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the City Chambers, in honor of the club's centenary year.

Keys to the City of Edinburgh

 



The Lord Provost and President Bob at Rotary Centenery

Giulia is leaving at the beginning of May (if I'm unsuccessful at stealing her plane tickets) and we've been talking a lot about Edinburgh, our best memories, things we're going to miss most...Today on a walk along the Water of Leith, we came across Dean Village, an old milling town-  and I've decided on my favorite part about Edinburgh.  The city centre is charming, cosmopolitan, and has views so beautiful it still takes my breath away 8 months later.  Theres always lots going on, and plenty to do...but if I want to escape city life, in just 5 I can be on the harbor, enjoying the coasts of Leith, North Berwick, Musselburgh or walking down the Portobello boardwalk.  Another direction is an escape to the Pentland Hills, a hike up Arthur's seat, or a climb along Salisbury Crag.  There is no shortage of beautiful walks, parks, ponds, hills- and this combination of city and nature makes Edinburgh so special to me. 8 months later, I'm still 'stumbling upon' new beauties like Dean Village. 


Dean Village

SCOTLAND BIT:  I was at the BEST ceilidh YET last Friday.  The band, The Big Shoogle, was so great (yes, we ceilidhed to Pink Floyd!)  I finally got round to taking a video to share this WONDERFUL Scottish tradition:

I GOT A TATTOO!

My flatmates and I got tatted together on Wednesday- the skyline of Edinburgh!  Mine is on my right foot- it didn't hurt near as bad as I thought it would and only took about 15 minutes! The skyline from right to left is Carlton Hill, the Scott monument, the Balmoral, and Edinburgh Castle. We went up to Carlton Hill afterwards and soaked in some Scottish sunshine.  I'm happy to have a permanent reminder of this year- I know I'll look down and smile :)


Happy Easter!

Alyssa's visit to Edinburgh was really nice...it was wonderful to spend time with a lifelong friend and share my experience in Scotland with her! Also, as my first visitor, it was a good excuse to do some touristy bits around the city! We went to Edinburgh Castle to see the 1 o'clock gun (fired every day at 1), the Crown Jewels, and War Memorial Museum.  We also went into St. Margaret's Chapel (dating 12th c.) making it the oldest building on-site and the only one not destroyed in Sir Thomas Randolph's siege of 1314! There is so much to see at the castle..we only left because they were closing!

The 1 o'clock gun

St. Margaret's Chapel


We also went on a ghost tour, and were a bit overwhelmed by the number of options! We chose one, but it then sold out- but on our way home (figuring we'd give it another go tmrw) we joined a tour that was just beginning, which ended up being a great choice and really interesting. My perception was that ghost tours were kind of lame- people jumping out at you in costume, fictional ghost stories etc. But it ended up being one of my favorite things that we did! Our tour guide, Pete, was a very knowledgable historian...we learned quite a bit about the darkest times of Scottish history, and went to see a collection of torcher devices from 15-17th c (nothing more terrifying than some of the things human beings have done to each other). We then went to the South Bridge underground vaults- historically home to the homeless, murder, disease, and pitch black darkness. Haunted and creepy. 

 

Torcher Devices

 

Alyssa left on Sunday, and Monday began my last week of taught classes! My sexual and reproductive health class did a field visit to Caledonian Youth Centre, which provides youth-friendly sexual health services here in Edinburgh.  Scotland is a global leader in sexual healthcare (all free of charge) and so much of my coursework has focused on developing countries of Africa and Southeast Asia that it was a nice contrast to learn about services here in the UK.

I visited two Rotary clubs this week.  On Tuesday, I went to Linlithgow and Bo'ness where  I was hosted by the Jamieson's whom I met over Christmas.  After the lunchtime talk, Bruce (who is a historian) gave me the best, most informative tour of Linlithgow palace.  We walked around town and stopped in the Four Mary's for a 'pre-dinner dram' where I met his minister who happens to be a Barclay (my grandmother's surname!) We bonded over discussing how terrible the family tartan is (bright yellow!) and the possibility that we may share similar ancestry way back when...neat stuff! We had a wonderful dinner before some friends joined for drinks and conversation late into the night!  Such a neat little town full of wonderful, friendly people-I couldn't stop smiling the whole train journey home the following morning :)

Linlithgow Palace

 

Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Easter was a tough day to be away from family.  Alysha was good to send lots of photos throughout the weekend, to keep me posted on the family Easter egg hunt, egg dying, and Aunt Nan sharing her famous chocolate eggs.  I decided to try and make said eggs to share with my flatmates and friends during our Easter lunch.  If it is possible to mess up chocolate, sugar and peanuts- I did it...they tasted OK but looked terrible!

Aunt Nan's eggs

My "eggs"

Missing Easter in PA

My last class was on FRIDAY and since then, the IIHD students have been social butterflies! Drinks in the Union on Friday to celebrate our last class, followed by a night out on the town.  We had a celebratory social on Saturday, and last night our SRH module coordinator had us all round to her house for Indian dinner! DELICIOUS food followed by Bollywood and African dancing :)  Tonight (Tuesday) is the IIHD end-of-year party...I'm really looking forward to it!

Today I bought a kilt...FINALLY!

Fun Fact:  On Easter Monday in the UK, many families participate in 'Egg Rolling'.  Hard-boiled, decorate eggs are rolled down a hill, the winner being the one whose egg goes furthest or lasts the longest.  In Edinburgh, Arthur's seat in Hollyrood Park is the most popular location to roll eggs! Some say the practice has become symbolic of rolling away the rock from Jesus Christ's tomb before his resurrection.