My Fall Holiday to Wales

What a wonderful place! Wales is like a fairy tale by the sea. I greatly enjoyed the outdoors, food, and signs that I could not begin to read on my five day holiday. Although the Cardiff Airport is in the absolute middle of nowhere resulting in an exuberant taxis fee, it was worth it. My hostess Adell and her flatmate Matthew were great company in the new country.

I arrived late Friday night at Cardiff Airport. Adell and Matt met me at the airport in order to drive to Swansea where they lived.



The next morning I got to soak in some of the most spectacular scenery. It was a clear and blue day at Rhossilli and the water was almost as blue as the Carribean Sea. We had lunch behind a big rock breaking the wind on the cliff. Our trip was complete with a trip through a pasture of cows and sheep. It was an invigorating experience and I felt as if time did not exist on those rocky shores. Unfortunately it did.... I missed two weddings and the funeral for my great-grandmother Saturday. However, my great grandmother lived all 95 of her years to the fullest and she wanted all of her grandchildren to do the same. What a wonderful woman she was and somewhere through the clear blue sky I could almost see her smiling.



Sunday was a layed back day where we took a short trip to The Mumbles. This was one of my favorite things I did in Wales. This is the hometown of my favorite actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was also my favorite because of the sailboats and sea walk. We had lunch at an Italian cafe on the walk. It was fantastic! I had a Bre (sp?) and grape sandwich and we split an ice cream sundae that we mixed ourselves at the table. Hazelnut ice cream is something I highly recommend! We also took a short walk to the castle. (What trip would not be complete without a castle?) That night I tried curry for the first time. Indian and Turkish cuisine is like the Mexican restuarants of the UK. However, I enjoyed my mushroom curry a lot and would like to bring this experience into Edinburgh.



Monday we took a bus to a place called Pernard which is another seaside village. The weather was rougher and the tide was up. I think it gave a wilderness look to the high cliffs and valeys. There was the ruins of the castle which allowed Adell and I to fantasize about what it looked like in its full glory. After getting lost on a golf course and being rescued by a nice old Welsh man, we headed back to Swansea. That night we tried "Pub on the Pond" with Adell's hiking club. I think pub food is the closest to Southern cuisine with all the fried selections. Met some really nice people and got in a little late.



My last day was really laid back. I really did not do too much at all. We took a walk through this rather large park and I finally captured a few pictures of British squirrels for my aunt. I spent the afternoon reading and surfing the web while Adell was in class. When I waled down to the convenience store I saw one of my friends who was a student at a class I had at USM. She was an exchange student last year and had returned back to Swansea Uni. I felt guilty for not informing her of my trip, but I was glad to run into someone I know an ocean away. I also watched the movie ITrainspottingI which was interesting because it is set in Edinburgh and stars Ewan McGregor as a druggie.

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My trip back to Edinburgh, as mentioned previously, was an adventure. I got back to my dorm by 6 pm and am so happy to be back to my "home." I had a great holiday, but glad to be back to Scotland where the holiday really never ends except for a few days out of the week.

"Dear, Green Place"--Glasgow in Brief

I am lucky enough to go to a Uni that bolsters a huge International Student population to entertain. Every Saturday the International Student Center sponsors trips to various place. This weekend I accompanied my flatmate to Glasgow. Touring a large city, a day is hardly ever enough. However, after this trip I am very content in the fact that I did not decide to go to The University of Glasgow.

We began our journey from the Edinburgh Bus Station in New Town around 10 am and pulled into Glasgow's station by 11. The trip was actually shorter than the distance between Hattiesburg and Biloxi, Mississippi. There was a lot of chaos leaving the station becasue Glasgow was so crowded!!! We walked through the main shopping district and through the city center. I broke my rule (no eating at American establishments abroad) and had Subway for lunch because corporation had already sunk it's claws into the streets of the city.

The first cool thing we saw was the City Chambers built in 1888. It was a beautiful building with a WWII monument in the front and statues comemorating Sir Walter Scott. It was very impressive, but out of place in the gridlocked streets.

After a further hike through the city we came to the Cathedral. Which was the only thing that I actually knew was in Glasgow besides the University. It was actually very nice. Not as big as Canterbury, Wincester, or Westminster. It had great stained glass windows and statues so detailed they made me a little nervous. It is one of the only gothic cathedrals to survive the Scottish reformation. Today the religion that worships there is the Church of Scotland or Presbyterian. We also found a street fair with all kinds of booths and live music. My mouth watered as I noticed a crepe tent with huge jars of Nutella. We settled for a coffee break.

Eventually we just walked to the River Clyde and back to the bus station. All in all the weather was beautiful and the city was not too intimidating even with the high murder rate and the old ladies who wore mini skirts. I'm sorry there is not too much to say, except that the symbol for the city is the trout and Nae Botha! (Glasgoegian for no bother!/Your welcome)

Break Down in Paris-- My Adventure Getting to Edinburgh

So... finally I have an internet connection in which I can post on. I feel that it is appropriate I start from the beginning. So tonight I am going to share with you the experience I had getting to Edinburgh.

I left was at the Gulfport/BIloxi Airport at 4:30 am because I went for the cheap tickets. (When I say cheap tickets I mean VERY cheap tickets.) It was hard saying goodbye to my parents and Edward. How do you say goodbye to someone that you will not see for a year? Getting through airport security with my huge carry-on, pillow, and laptop was tricky. I also had a gallon bag full of "liquids and gels" which I had to downsize because a quart bag is all we're allowed. As the plane left the airport it was very nice because the sun was just rising, but the street lights were twinkling. I made sure to get one last glance at home.

Altanta was quite boring. I had a seven hour layover (again the cheap tickets). I sat at one gate for four hours only to find out that we were leaving from a gate on the opposite side of the airport. The wait was just so long... I completed several Sodoku puzzles to say the least. The flight borded on time, but taxied around for awhile. Not a good sign for my hour layover in Paris. The flight went alright. Not too big of a plane so we experienced some turbulence. I watched the movies Georgia Rules and Spiderman 3. I also viewed an episode of Heroes, which was really strange especially after six hours of flight.

We arrived to Charles DeGaulle at 6:15 am their time. Again the plane taxied around. Deboarding took forever because I was in the second to last row on an International flight. (Yes again the cheap tickets) I rushed as fast as I could through the buses, had my passport stamped twice for some reason, and went back through security only to have my bag checked and to be patted down. I missed my connecting flight from Paris to Edinburgh. The next flight was seven hours later....

Hence the beginning of my breaking point. All the doubts of this decision began dancing around my exhausted brain. I began fearing a drastic rise in the dollar pound exchange. I was scared that I would not be able to handle the cold or the coursework. I feared arriving in the city and trying to get my bags into my room. In the middle of my breakdown I called Edward. Bad idea because he caused me to worry about my bags which he had shipped for me the day before. I was concerned because I thought if the bags arrived before me that they would be returned to sender. So yes, you guessed it... I cried in the Paris Airport. I think if I would have been offered the opportunity to cut my loses and return home I may have taken it. But there was no turning back.

The excrusiatingly long lay over did end and I did make it to Edinburgh. Getting through customs, collecting my luggage, and getting to my accomodation was the easiest part of the trip. The day I arrived in the city was beautiful. The airport shuttle drove into the city and I saw all the site of Edinburgh I love so much. Arthur's seat still stood over the city. I was deposited on the side of the Royal Mile where I was greeting my the residence staff and I did not even have to carry my cases up five flights of stairs.

My room faces Prince's Street and the view I have is the best. (Reference my first post... yes that picture is my view!) I discovered my AT&T phone card was not working properly so in order to tell my parents I was alive, I had to find a UK phone card. So with all the travel grunge I walked down the Royal Mile and for the first time in a long time.. I wasn't worried about anything. The sun sparkled off of the cobblestone streets and the breeze was such a relief after the hours I had been cramped inside. It was if the city had waited patiently for me to return four years later and greeted me like a long lost friend. For that rare and special moment in time I knew the drastic decision I have made was the right one.

Preparing for Take Off

So I am on the verge of the biggest adventure of my twenty-three years. I will be completing a year abroad at the University of Edinburgh in the capital city of Scotland. I will be a natural Mississippi girl joining the ranks of the many prestigious people who walked the hallowed halls of the best University in Scotland. Robert Louis Stevenson (author of Treasure Island), Charles Darwin, and honorary alumni J.K. Rowling just to name a few.

However, the past few days these exciting details have been far away from my mind with trip preperations. Packing for a year away in a different climate and an exchange rate where I automatically lose half of my budget have been keeping me up at night. Arriving to this point has been a long hard road. When I fell in love with Scotland four years ago I had no idea I loved it enough to return to it, leaving behind the only home I ever known. After half a dozen failed scholarship applications and turning down one of my top US choice grad schools, I decided that I would always reget not taking this opportunity. Things work out for the best. I have a partial scholarship, a federal student loan, and some very fortunate savings to get me through my year.

Come join me for my adventure. I will post bi-weekly every Sunday and Wednesday I can. Hear about my travels to exciting locations such as the French Riviera, Amsterdam, and Croatia to name a few. Feel the cold breeze of the North Sea as I go to meet my advisors which are some of the most respected in field of modern history. Learn of my cultural mishaps and wrong turns. All you have to do is read on and enjoy the ride!!!!