Looking Back

Hey everyone.

A year ago today, I started frantically googling "what to bring abroad" - which was followed by me sifting through every possession I owned and playing the suitcase jigsaw game with each selected item. Since then it's been an interesting year, so I thought I'd make a small list to remember, and to look forward ((I'm all about the lists).

looking back, in 2013 I:

• lived in a foreign country for five months
• traveled to four countries, sometimes alone. 
• read 38 books
• finished my penultimate semester of college (help me)
• saw three great concerts
• fell into the smartphone trap
• re-learned how to ice skate and knit
• unknowingly became a cat person
• probably many more things
• hopefully

It seems like that'll be a hard year to beat, though I've got a few exciting things already planned for 2014. On January 22 I leave for a two-week trip to Eastern Europe with the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, beginning in Prague. This means that I again will be lucky enough to spend my birthday in a magical European land. After Prague, we'll spend a few days in Krakow, and then move on to Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich. I definitely can't wait to go back and see these places, especially in winter when we'll (hopefully) have snow-covered city landscapes.

In other news it's -13 F so I haven't set foot outside all day. People keep telling me how cold it'll be in Poland and the Czech Republic, but a quick search reveals the average temperature of Prague in January is 30 F.

Balmy.

Road Tripping

Every great road trip is fueled by three things: sugar, coffee, and good music (and good friends, but that's a given).

I love these things. They happen every day. Photo credit: Anna Nelson
(I was driving and commanded her to take a picture w/my camera.)

For this little summer adventure, Anna and I decided to head west to Omaha and Sioux Falls to visit our friends Zoë and Rebecca. We got going around eight on Friday, heading southwest with a beautifully distracting sunset in our eyes and Omaha on our GPS. Omaha is five-ish hours away from Saint Pete so our e.t.a. was one am, food stops and road construction notwithstanding.

I'd just come back from a relaxing weekend up north with Anna and some other friends currently in MN, but this trip was a great way to see some more "far away" college faces in the summertime (granted, Nebraska and South Dakota aren't too far away, but this definition varies inversely with gas prices. As gas prices increase, the amount of miles required to be "far away" decreases rapidly.).

Anyway, not many people were heading to Omaha on Friday night from the cities (SURPRISE!), so for most of the drive it seemed as if we were venturing into a black hole, having come from a black hole. One Oreo blizzard, root beer, bag of ritz chips, zebra cake, and peanut-butter chocolate chip cookie later, we arrived in Omaha. The next day we hit the town, wandering through some eclectic shops in the city and an area Zoë dubbed "hipster row". This block included an independent record label founded by Conor Oberst (of the indie rock band Bright Eyes), an independent coffee shop, Urban Outfitters, and a concert venue for smaller acts. Need I say more?

Act casual.

Downtown was filled with people for some sort of children's street party/festival, and just many humans in general - for good reason too; the weather was beautiful. Sunny and low 70's, a pretty mild day considering Nebraska's typical heat. We ended the day with some delicious late night sushi. The place was packed so we opted for the chilly outdoor seating. Being a bit cold even in my million-percent cotton sweatshirt, I didn't envy the bachelorette party we saw roaming the streets in short skirts and sleeveless tops. The next day we made a short trip down to Lincoln to visit Anna's friend Katie. She took us on a mini tour of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where we stopped at the Dairy Store to enjoy some freshly made ice cream.

The girl in question. Photo credit: Zoë May

We woke on a drizzly Monday determined to hit the famous Omaha Zoo. And so we did. Small children roamed everywhere, my favorite being a young girl who made it her mission to hug every goat in the Petting Zoo. She succeeded in adorable fashion. We spent most of the day at the zoo, seeing pretty much every single animal. My favorite parts were, predictably, the monkeys and gorillas. Later that evening we went to a bridge spanning two states, where you can have one foot in Nebraska and one foot in Iowa, befriended a segway security guard on said bridge, and ate some delicious 50¢ doughnuts.

On Tuesday, Anna and I hit the road bound for Sioux Falls. Rebecca was free for the afternoon and we'd already decided to hit up the local juice shop upon another friend's recommendation. Jamba Juice has nothing on this place. Seriously, look at the extensive MENU. In the face of so many options, I turned to Rebecca's expertise and ordered a Sticky Wicket (bananas, raspberries, strawberries, lime sherbet, and raspberry juice).

JUICE. Essentially a full meal.

The Juice Stop seems like mainly a Midwest thing, with stores in Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota. The next logical option is clearly Minnesota (hint hint). We wandered downtown for awhile with our massive smoothies until it was time for Rebecca to work. Anna and I then paid Anna's grandma a surprise visit, since she lives in Sioux Falls. She was delighted. It's amazing how small things, such as dropping by for a 20-minute conversation, can have such large effects on someone's day. The little things matter.

In other news, time has yet again slipped away to reveal a new month. I have some fairly average plans for August, but stay tuned for a new blog layout and/or website, maybe. Apparently my brother has been awesomely working on something for it.
 

Enjoy the last month of summer. 

I'm looking forward to the cool air of Autumn.

Potpourri

Yesterday night I was watching North and South, the BBC's awesome adaption of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, and heard a small nagging voice in the back of my head. I know this place, I thought, as the female protagonist meandered her way through a field overlooking the fictitious industrial city of "Milton". I know those steps, I thought, as the male protagonist sprinted down a narrow dark alleyway filled with stairs.

Upon looking up filming locations, I was right. The grassy area was Calton Hill, which offers a spectacular view of Edinburgh on non-misty days. The production crew used CGI to dot the landscape with 19th century smokestacks to keep the city in character. The steps were Warriston's Close, which were just as creepy at night in real life as they were in the film (almost as creepy as the nearby "Fleshmarket Close"). I've been back from Edinburgh for only a month and a half, but the experience already seems half a world away (see, it's funny because Edinburgh IS half a- yeah.)

I came back on May 26th, and on May 27th went down to Gustavus to visit friends who were still suffering through taking finals. The moment I stepped onto campus, I caught sight of a student rushing lately across the sidewalk (someone whom I'd often seen running around), and instantly I knew nothing had changed. That realization can be either reassuring or frightening; I still haven't figured out which.

After a week at home, I moved down to Gustavus to start working full time for Tech Services. Coming back to a familiar job with friendly faces was a nice thing to have. There are so many things I love about this job, but honestly, one of the best parts is the time from 8:00 am to 8:15 am. It's our little 'free time' before our daily meeting, which I use to peruse news sites and stories from across the world. When you're at college or university, it's so easy to get caught up in your own bubble of life that you forget about the other ~195 countries in the world (not to mention the events happening in your own country). But in the summer, I find that fifteen minutes is all it takes. It's nice (and sometimes not so nice) to know what's going on in this crazy world.

This post was so random that it doesn't really deserve a title and it's almost time for our daily Jeopardy watching at work. Ben is on a mad winning streak of $150k+. If you were wondering. Bye.

That Travelled World

I'm sitting here in sunny Edinburgh (just kidding, it's cloudy.) with one more week before I head home. I'd say it's hard to believe, but we all know how quickly time slips away. Yesterday I bade farewell to my parents after a great 1.5 weeks of traveling throughout England together. Over the past few weeks I walked along the coast in Bridlington, ate Yorkshire pudding in Yorkshire, watched Big Ben strike twelve, survived a terror drive from Cambridge to York, met a University of MN student in a Chip shop in York, and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on Arthur's Seat. Many new memories to lie among many more made this semester.

The quote at the top of my blog comes from Lord Tennyson's poem Ulysses:

I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and ever when I move.

Over the course of the last five months, my own sphere of 'travelled world' has expanded. Four stamps now sit on the previous plain white pages of my passport, stamps which represent so much more than just the name of a country. Thanks to this semester, I've gained a much greater appreciation of my friends, family, and school back home, while enjoying the company of new friends and a new school here in Edinburgh.

I am a part of all that I have met, and Edinburgh is now a part of me.

Thanks for reading. I'll see you soon across the pond.  
(also I'll probably keep this blog open to write things occasionally, since I like to do that.)

Jeans and Jean Action

Jeans and Jean Action: a class studying the, ultimately revolutionary, impact of the worldwide denim craze from 1960s to present.*

Oh, wait, you mean it was GENES and Gene Action...?

I had my two hardest exams this past week - Celtic Civ + Genes and Gene Action. That means I have a nice two-and-a-half week break before my easiest, German, on May 21st. After spending the past two weeks essentially locked in my room or the library studying, my mind can barely comprehend this freedom.

It's hard to believe I head home in about three weeks, though I feel like I'm ready to go back to my friends and family in MN. A semester was the perfect amount of time to be in Edinburgh. In about an hour I'm off to the train station to begin my travels through England. I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time there, apart from my Lake District trip and homestay, so I'm really looking forward to seeing more.

I don't think I'll have the time nor the willpower for an update before I get back for my last exam, so see you in a few weeks.

Perhaps literally.  

*credit for this goes to someone else in my class

The Break Breakdown

Here's a little breakdown of my trip in lieu of a massive update, at least for now.

# of days traveling: 15
# of pictures taken: 1435
# of gelato dishes consumed: 6
# of pizzas eaten: 5
# of hours spent cursing the Roman bus system: 71 (every waking hour in Rome except one. I had one beautifully executed bus journey.)
# of miles walked: ~50
# of items lost/left behind: somehow, only one. One pair of headphones.

A List of Amazing Coincidences

1. One girl in my hostel in Paris was from Forest Lake, MN
2. Running into Madison on the streets of Rome. Madison is from my college, studying abroad in Rome. She just happened to be coming back from class at the same time we were heading out to dinner. 
3. One woman in my hostel room in Rome, from Sweden, lived in Eden Prairie MN the year I was born.
4. A girl I met in my hostel in Rome is in the same Celtic Civ class with me in Edinburgh, also studying abroad there from the USA.
5.  I had dinner with my Swedish roommates on my last night in Rome, and while eating, two men sat down at a table nearby. They were speaking Swedish. Turns out the men were from the same town in Sweden as my roommates

Yvonne, the friend with whom I was traveling, also bumped into a few people that she knew while in Florence. Small world.

Here are a few pictures from each spot..

With our friend Mona at the Louvre

Laduree, a Parisian bakery

The tower and I.

Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome

Via Appia in Rome

Florence from the top of the Duomo

The Ponte Veccio in Florence

Sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence

Day trip to Cinque Terre, Italy

Westfalen Park in Dortmund, Germany

 I also just got back from a weekend trip to the Isle of Skye with my program, which was also amazing. Back to studying for now, though.

Eurotrip/Life

I know it's bad to post your whole itinerary on the internet since thieves can break into your house while you're away and steal all your valuables but I have no valuables so have fun, thieves.

April 1-6: Last week of classes
April 5-7th: Paris, France
April 7-11: Rome, Italy
April 11-15: Florence, Italy
April 15-18: Dortmund, Germany
April 19-21: Isle of Skye, Scotland

I'm going to Paris, Rome, and Florence with my friend Yvonne. We're going to be in Florence at the same time as some other friends in our program though, so we'll likely meet up/plan things with them. The Isle of Skye trip is with my program, so they'll take all 50-60 of us up there.

April 29 - Celtic final
May 2 - Bio final
May 3? - 9th: Northern England
May 9-19: London + More England/Wales/Scotland
May 21: German final
May 26: home!

That's my life for the next two months.

My laptop is currently in the shop, broken (I have termed it The Great Milk Disaster of 2013), so that's not optimal. I'll try to update some while on my trip, though.

 

The Windy City

Every night, I hear it. That sound you can't quite describe, as it flits past your window. It manifests itself in the creaking of walls, the bending of trees and their branches, as the click-clack of footsteps rushing down the sidewalk, hurrying to escape its chilly grasp.

I do not want to go outside.

I'm currently sitting in my room, wrapped up in my 243%-cotton IFSA-Butler sweatshirt, trying to brainstorm ways of buying groceries that do not involve going outdoors. None come to mind. Even Coburn's doesn't deliver in this cold weather.* That "tea" is the first item on my grocery list should be a telling sign of how the weather is getting to me. I don't even really LIKE tea. But when in Rome...

Speaking of which, I will actually be in Rome in two weeks. I'll get to that in a later post though.

Yesterday I braved the weather to travel to Oban, an even colder and windier town than Edinburgh, lying on the western coast of Scotland. It was a day trip offered through the International Student Centre. Though we spent more time driving there and back (2.5 hours each way) than we did actually AT the sites, I'm very glad I went! I went on my own, which made it all the easier to make friends. I spent the day with Kayla, a Theology masters student from Ohio, and Ines, a biomedical PhD student from Portugal. Our first stop was the actual town of Oban. We decided to head up to McCaig's tower, a structure commissioned by banker John McCaig. He wanted it to be a monument to his family, but died before the tower could be completed. Only the outer walls were ever finished. It's still quite impressive.

Did I mention it was windy?

Looking out at Oban

Ines and myself

After the tower, we wandered down along the coast, searching for castle ruins. (Because when in Scotland, a ruined castle is hidden around every corner. Basically.) We saw it, but couldn't reach it in the short time before we needed to be back on the bus. Instead we stopped at a Cafe and had tea and biscuits. Now, as I mentioned, I'll drink tea, but it's not my favorite. However, after walking right next to the water and being buffeted by icy winds, this tea was absolutely delicious. Our next (and final) stop was Dunstaffnage Castle and chapel ruins. The castle seemed like any other, but as you walked past it out to the water, gorgeous views came into... view. One thing I found really interesting about the chapel is that it was built in the 13th century. It's hard to imagine that those stones have been there for 800 years. Hopefully they'll be around for another 800.

The Chapel

we had some photoshoot fun.

With the combination of getting up early for class Friday and getting up early for this trip, I slept for a record of 10 hours last night. There are also only two weeks of classes left. I still can't really comprehend that.

*they probably do.

The Art of Making Toast*

Step 1. Put a mug of milk in the microwave, because after all, no piece of toast should be enjoyed without a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Step 2. Set the timer to three minutes. Be aware that your microwave counts up, and so must be stopped when it reads five-six minutes. Push start.

Step 3. Wait two minutes.

Step 3. Put two pieces of wheat** bread into the toaster. Be aware that your toaster does not toast without assistance.

Step 4. Place a blender*** into your dish-drying rack. This is vital.

Step 5. Move your toaster into close proximity of said dish rack, so the edge of the dish rack holds down your toast.

Step 6. Remove mug from microwave. Ensure that milk is too hot to drink.

Step 7. Add a healthy**** amount of hot chocolate mix.

Step 8. Stir.

Step 9. Bring mug containing hot chocolate and spoon upstairs.*****

Step 10. Return to your toasting toast. Check toast.

Step 11. See that toast is not done, and continue toasting toast.

Step 12. Upon completion of perfectly browned toast, spread with your topping of choice.******

Step 13. Take toast upstairs.

Step 14. Stir hot chocolate. It is now at perfect drinking temperature.

Step 15. Enjoy.*******



*I have this art down to a science, since I am part-scientist.
**Or white, if you must.
***Other heavy objects may be substituted for a blender.
****By healthy, I mean distinctly not healthy but most definitely delicious.
*****This must be done first, since going upstairs is a three-door process that must be undertaken with one free hand at all times.
******In any instance, your desired topping is peanut butter. No exceptions.
*******I am procrastinating writing my paper.

Argyll shore loched ness.

or...Argyll sure looked nice, without the ridiculous puns. Sorry.

Really.

This past weekend was IFSA's trip to the Argyll Forest, where they had a myriad of outdoor activities planned. When we pulled up, I thought we had mistakenly driven to a mini-version of Hogwarts and would soon be learning spells.  While we didn't learn how to levitate feathers, we did experience the magic of a weekend spent with good friends and zero internet.

Hogwarts finally got with the times and upgraded to 16-passenger vans.

Out of the activities available, I chose hiking and kayaking. One was great, and one was a great mistake (albeit fun). I'll let you guess which was which. We left Friday afternoon, headed west through Glasgow, and drove onto an extremely turbulent ferry. This ferry probably could have sold tickets as a see-saw amusement park ride.

Over the ferry and through the woods, to Argyll Forest we go

Upon arrival at the Benmore Centre, we got assigned activity groups and dorm rooms, settled in, and were set loose upon a delicious dinner of fish and chips. It was great to see most of the IFSA-Edinburgh crew together again, and to meet some of the St. Andrews and Glasgow people. After dinner, I opted to go on the night hike, which was exactly as it sounds. Obviously I couldn't see much scenery, but I knew there would be time for that the next day. It was fun to get outside and stretch my legs after the 3.5 hour bus ride!

On Saturday, my first activity was hiking. My group headed for Puck's Glen, named after Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, supposedly for the area's fairy-like appearance. It was indeed green. Oh so green. Thick, spongy, green moss lined the walls of rock that we hiked through

where the faeries are

myself and Ali

The hike was tiring, especially after the previous night's hike, but really nice. As I said earlier, it was great to be outside Edinburgh and in nature! My group's second activity, kayaking, was a bit more... interesting. The temperature had dropped probably 10 degrees over lunch time, and the wind picked up. We suited up in wetsuits, waterproof jackets, and life jackets before heading over to Loch Eck for our kayaking adventure. Within one minute of getting on the water, someone tipped over into the icy blue Loch. Needless to say, after that we clung to the shore as sheep cling to the side of a mountain. Another poor soul tipped into the unforgiving waters of Loch Eck about ten minutes later, and that's when we decided to call it a day. Our guide had brought hot juice, which we wrapped our hands around in an effort to imbue some warmth into our freezing fingers. I've found wool mittens were not the best gloves to bring when studying in wet, rainy Scotland. They weren't much use on this trip!

The group headed back to the centre and we were greeted to an enticing snack of tea/coffee and delicious pound cake. Yvonne asked the kitchen chef for the cake recipe, who then happily came to our table with recipe in hand and an explanation of how to make it. That's this weekend's project, along with my Celtic Civilization essay. Later that night, there was a screening of Braveheart. It was my first time seeing the movie, and I was very impressed! I can see why it was re-released in Scotland to promote the Scottish Independence referendum coming up in 2014. The next morning, we packed up and headed out. This time, instead of taking the ferry back, we drove up and around several Lochs to reach scenic Loch Lomond.

Hilary, Yvonne, myself, Ali. It was cold.

If you can't notice from the picture, we got some snazzy new gear to wear as well. Possibly the most comfortable sweatshirt I have owned (well, maybe not the MOST, but close to). We then bade farewell to the other IFSA groups and headed back to Edinburgh, and back to the piles of homework awaiting us for these last few weeks of the semester.

Twenty Five Days

If memory serves me correctly, the middle of March is when things get serious at Gustavus. (also February, and April, and May, and early March, and...okay, it's always seriously busy there.) Midterms happen sometime this month at Gustavus, and then it's one crazy ride through April and May to finals.

Knowing this makes it all the more difficult to comprehend that I have only five weeks of actual classes left here in Edinburgh. Twenty-five days of class. The last day is Friday April 5th, and it's followed by a two-week spring break, a one-week "reading week" (whereas Gustavus gives us a day!), and then about a month long exam period. This is crazy, because I only have three exams. I'm used to Gustavus' system, where it's not uncommon to have a large test on material the week before a big final exam! With this setup, I could be done with my semester as early as May 3rd, or as late as May 25th, depending on when the tests are scheduled. No one knows when tests will be until they feed all the data into a computer which then spits out a university-wide schedule, in late March.

Innovative Baking Week was a mild success (the week of February 18-22, when I didn't have class). I did a lot of "touristy" things, such as visit the National Museum of Scotland, the Writer's Museum, Arthur's Seat (kind of), and the Edinburgh Zoo!

Edinburgh from above: the view from Holyrood Park/near Arthur's seat

I was there. Posing awkwardly. At least it isn't a selfie, right?

The Zoo is the only place in the UK where you can see pandas, so you have to book tickets in advance JUST for the pandas, separate from normal Zoo admission. We lucked out — one of the pandas was actually moving around when we visited, opposed to their normal state of sleep.

they do look cute when they sleep though.

We also saw plenty of my favorite animals — the monkeys! They were simply adorable, as monkeys are. Except for when you keep them as pets and they attack your face. That is not advised.

little monkey says hello

I'll stop boring you with monkey pictures. but I have many more...

Sorry, but one more monkey related thing: I saw the cutest baby monkey you will ever see (maybe):

One interesting animal we saw was the Amur Leopard, of which there are only 35 left. The leopard below it is called the Clouded Leopard, so named for its dark spots (which aren't really visible in that picture, but they exist!) Overall the zoo was quite interesting and fun, even though we went on probably the coldest day possible.

being a leopard is a tiring life

clouded leopard says hello

As for the baking part of Innovative Baking Week, only cinnamon rolls were made, but their deliciousness made up for the lack of other baking. The recipe is called Milwaukee Butter Horns. My grandparents on my mom's side are from Milwaukee, and I *think* the recipe is my grandmas (maybe? let me know, grandma.) I've just made brownies today too— my mom's tried and tested recipe. Making those feels like I'm home!

they were gone in three days. 

Yesterday I went to the pub quiz with Yvonne, Brooke, and two of her friends. Normally we pull a decent last place, or second-to-last if we're lucky enough to have a Scottish local with us. As it happens,  the quizmaster announced that there would be a prize for second-to-last that night: a white chocolate easter egg! (Huge easter eggs are a big deal here.) This became our new goal. I'm pretty sure they included it just for us, since we have been faithfully attending — and faithfully losing — for weeks. Thankfully, the quizmaster was on our side. The quiz is typically 5-6 rounds, and you bring up your little answer sheet after each round to have it graded. Yvonne and I brought them up each time, usually asking for help (i.e. answers) before turning them in. When we brought our last sheet up, the quizmaster reassured us that he wouldn't even grade it — he would just give us whatever score we needed to win the chocolate egg. And win we did.

The quizmaster said he doesn't like to smile. But he's a secret softy on the inside.

wander lonely or as a crowd

On a storefront in Grasmere

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

After seeing the aforementioned lake, Ullswater, it's easy to see where William Wordsworth found inspiration for his poem "Daffodils".

Such a view would tug at the heartstrings of any poet.

No daffodils in February

Ullswater lies in the heart of the Lake District and is the second largest lake in the District. It was one of the many I saw on my brief weekend trip with the International Student Centre. A fun fact about the Lake District is that out of the 20 major lakes in the area, only one is actually known by the name 'Lake': Bassenthwaite Lake. The rest are either waters or meres. To say "Ullswater Lake" is to say "Ulls Lake Lake".

On Saturday, the bus left at 9 am from Edinburgh, with our lively tour guide chattering away. Gary works with Haggis Adventures and was honestly hilarious. He hails from the Lake District, so this tour was near and dear to his heart. The first stop was Gretna Green, a village right on the Scottish-English border. This village is reportedly the first village in Scotland, and one of the most popular places to be married. Back in 1754, a marriage act was imposed in England requiring any person under the age of 18 to have parental consent before marrying. In Scotland, however, boys as young as 14 and girls as young as 12 could still marry without parental permission. Thus, a tradition of eloping to the Scottish border was born, with blacksmiths in Gretna Green holding enough authority to perform a marriage ceremony. Crazy kids.

A romantic setting for a wedding, I guess.

Overall, the village was a bit too touristy for my taste, but the elopement stories were harrowing. Fathers would literally be chasing after their sons or daughters by moonlight, trying to stop their carriage from reaching Scotland. Next up was Hadrian's Wall, which was built beginning in 122 AD. Hadrian was a Roman emperor who wanted the wall as a defensive mechanism. It's 73 miles long, and people often walk the entire length of the wall.

Also, while in Gretna Green, I found something I'd never seen in Scotland or England...

...ROOT BEER! If you know me, you know that root beer is my favorite. However, a couple sips in, I began to understand why the UK doesn't brew this drink. I'm not sure they have the hang of it, really. Oh, it started off fine enough (I was desperate for root beer, so I'd take anything, right?) but halfway through, I noticed a tang. A distinct, fruity tang. Root beer should not be fruity. And so the search continues.

One other place we visited on Saturday was Northumberland National Park for a brief hike (or hill-walking, as the Scots call it). It was a great day for a walk. The destination was a small waterfall in Aira Force. Luckily the English rain held off for the entire trip! Well, most of it.

 
Saturday night was spent at a hostel just outside of Keswick. I didn't know any people coming into the trip, since no one from my program was going, but I knew I had to go to the Lakes even if alone. This made the first day not as fun as it could have been, I think, but it worked to my advantage later. At the hostel, I MADE FRIENDS. It's a lot easier to meet people when you know no one, since if I had come with a friend I would have just spent the time with him/her instead of branching out.

On Sunday, we had a short time to roam in Keswick and also visited the Pencil Museum, home to the first pencils and the largest colored pencil in the world (it's in Guinness — look it up!). The Lake District is a huge backpacker/biker/outdoorsperson destination, so every other shop was a fancy outdoors outfitter. I met a shop keeper there who had actually been to Minnesota about 30 years ago, though he had forgotten which part.

Part of the largest colored pencil

oh, did I mention it was beautiful there? (bad quality b/c ipod from a bus window)

Next up was Grasmere, where Wordsworth lived for fourteen years. I saw where he was buried, his daffodil garden, and briefly saw the house where he and Dorothy lived. It would have been nice to actually walk up to their house and see it, but no time. That's the downside of being on an organized tour — no flexibility in activities. I mean, we had some time to wander, but also needed to find lunch. But as my dad told me, the benefit of doing this tour is getting an overview and scouting out places to come back to later on!

The entrance to the Daffodil Garden

William and Dorothy's grave

Daffodil Garden sans daffodils

I took a class on the Wordsworths, Coleridge, and other poets of that era last year, so it was very cool to see where they lived and wrote! After Grasmere, we went on a little hike in the White Moss Wood. There were so many trails threading through the hills. This is definitely another place that I want to come back to, just to explore more of the trails and hike further in!

Here's us in front of Rydal Water. Danielle actually goes to Macalester College in Minnesota, which is a pretty amazing coincidence.

Bettina from Germany, myself, Danielle from Wisconsin

Do Not Feed The Vicious Swans

Our final stop was Windermere, the largest and most popular lake in the Lake District (and in England). Our guide was able to get us a cruise on the lake for just six pounds ($9). Cruising is one of the lake's most popular activities — Over 1.5 million people cruise Windermere each year. Though it was cold (of course), it was fun.

I actually didn't visit Windermere. I just photoshopped myself in.

Ye Olde English Town

Instead of outdoors shops, every other shop was a Windermere Lake District Ice Cream shop. Though there was a fair share of outdoors ones, too... It was too cold for me to be tempted by ice cream, however.

I know it's been awhile since my last post, so hopefully this beast makes up for it. I'll post later this week about what I was up to for Innovative Learning Week. It's back to classes and reality for now!