University Of Aberdeen Hillhead

... Edinburgh soon though..

Anyway, day trip to Ellon, which is just half an hour out of town. Yay! Friend from uni lives here so went round, watched movies etc etc. Nothing too interesting, but it was nice to be away from the dorm for a bit! Leaving for holidays in a few weeks so things will finally get just a little more interesting. Until then, back to the books I go..

... everywhere I've ever been, and so peaceful and naturally beautiful. It's almost an honour for me to help them maintain that beauty. And this is my opportunity.

Back to the real world now - a trip of this proportion [usually] needs planning, and money. Hopefully I will soon join the ranks of the employed in order to earn some extra £ aside from my savings, and I will be able to make my dreams for next year into a reality by my own power ...

... not really a good time of year up in the Highlands to go aimlessly romping around :P

In December I'll be heading home quickly, nothing special - but then I have 2 big breaks coming up.. So many choices!

So no, I haven't died.. I'm just at university!

[also - having some problems with java because my university internet doesn't like me. sooo pics will come. eventually.]

... all taken care of the adventuring will begin. I'm starting to think Ill hop over to Dublin for a day or two before I start traveling south because I am dying to taste their Guinness! Ill write as soon as I know, but I think Ill be lounging around Scotland for two weeks while I get my ducks in a line. Obviously there isn't much to log yet but i promise it will get interesting soon!!!!

... in a 30 ltr something backpack. The photo here is what I've settled on so far plus the camera (minus the router of course). One really important item i realized i've forgotten till today is toilet paper.Thats in the red and white plastic bag so easy for me to find in case of emergency. The string if you're wondering is in case I need to wash my own clothes so at least I have something to hang the clothes from. Also a mini french dictionary for Syria ...

... I'll be back in Tucson by 8:35 p.m. I've drawn some conclusions from my trip to Scotland. First, it's not as foreign as I expected. Once you get over the accent and the fact that they drive on the other side of the road here, it's easy to forget that you're abroad. The day-to-day life seems very similar to that in any town of a similar size in the U.S.

Even so, there are a few things I've liked about Aberdeen ...

... hope ... a couple of the folks here for the meetings, who came in on different flights, have been here several days without their luggage. Luggage wasn't the only thing that got messed up at the Aberdeen airport. Our ride, which was arranged for us, didn't show (either that, or they got tired waiting on us). By the time we filled out all the paperwork for our lost luggage, the ...

... music with the youth who's going up top0 oaberdeen to visit his parents. He studies music in college. I get into the discussion, and learn the history of steel bands from Msd Trinidazd who actively organizes steel bands in LOndon's carnival. Seems like they began using oil drums to play on, and thats how it began. Now they have drums specially fitted to get different tones. This same lady also was engaged in sketching the countryside threo the window, quietly ...

... in Aberdeen was just perfect. Cloudless blue sky, biting cold that numbed any exposed skin and brilliant sunshine which made the granite buildings sparkle. There was ice on the pavements most mornings so the walk into town was always a tad treacherous. Aberdeen has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities I've seen so far. Referred to as 'The Granite City' (because so many of the buildings are made from granite, d'uh) most of the architecture appears ...

... and what our future plans are. Arriving in London and staying with Sian's sister was a big shock to the system although it was nice to see friends and family again although arriving at our friend's 30th birthday party in our hiking boots wasn't part of the plan. In no time at all it felt as though we hadn't been away. It's amazing how quickly you can catch up on more than 2 years. We then took the dreaded National Express bus up to ...