Wednesday, October 9, 2013
It's weird to think that I've been here a little over a month already. I've been holding off any kind of blog writing to really think about how I wanted to express this entire experience. And I honestly still don't know how to put everything that has happened into words. So because I'm obsessed with compartmentalizing my life, I'll compartmentalize this post.
The Airport
Airports themselves aren't so scary. But the people inside them are. So many people are rushing to wait half an hour at their gate before departure! It's ridiculous and exhausting. And airplanes themselves are fun...if you're not stuck in front a small child that incessantly kicks the back of your seat.
The City
I did more walking around and getting lost in the first two days than I had done in the past year. Edinburgh is a decent sized city with a lot of everything happening all at once. The road signs change from block to block. There is no such this as overhead traffic lights or directional signs, so you're pretty much constantly watching where you walk. Also, there are just a lot of people. I'm so use to recognizing everyone around me, but in Edinburgh, everyone is stranger. Yet I've never felt safer in my life. Edinburgh feels safer than most places in the States. That's weird to think about, but people are generally nice and helpful. I'm not overlooking things either or being ignorant. I'm being serious when I say that this place is much safer than anywhere I've been in the States. Granted, I don't walk alone at night and I keep my belongings guarded, but people are generally more considerate about the welfare of others. For instance, I've accidentally dropped my gloves once and someone went out of their way to return them to me. Or when I first started using the new currency, the cashier I was paying took the time to show me the values of each of the coins. The only thing I am not the biggest fan of at the moment is the buses; specifically, the university shuttle to the science campus. It's crowded, hot, and noisy. It really is too much for me to handle once a day let alone twice. So I've decided to start walking to campus. While it is a bit physically exhausting, it saves me from being mentally exhausted later on. Plus I use it as a form of exercise since I didn't purchase a gym membership.
University Life
I don't think any transition has been harder for me than adjusting to university life. The large classes, PowerPoint lectures, and the lack of individualized learning are really hard to get use to after attending a college for three years that pretty well held my hand through the entire experience. I just miss how personal class could be, and I miss having a close relationship with my professors. I also had a hard time adjusting to the constantly changing practical and class times. My classes never meet in the same place at the same time, so I'm fixed to looking at a schedule all the time. And I miss being close with my classmates. I don't quite know all the people I'm in class with and it's difficult to meet up with them to study when you live so far away from each other. Funny enough, I also miss exams. An exam every three weeks helped me focus on blocks of material. Now I'm just given all my material at once and expected to know it all for the final. It's just hard to prioritize this way. Do I spend time reviewing the 100 slide Ppt on arthropods or the 10 slide one on genetic linkages? I'm still trying to figure that out because apparently the arthropod one won't be seen again, but we spent two hours covering each of those Ppts. Also, I feel like a Freshman again. I was placed in 3rd year courses upon arrival and most of these people are learning gel electrophoresis for the first time. Or they've never used parafilm. Or they've never used Hardy-Weinberg. Which I guess is OK because that's one less thing I have to learn, but it feels more like a drawback than something I can feel some relief in.
The Flat
I wasn't sure how I would adjust to living with a lot of people again. After being out of dorm life for so long, I liked the ease of only having to interact with my housemates. And I really still do miss my housemates which is probably why I contact Andy once a week. But the nice thing about a flat is that it isn't a dorm. There are a lot of people living here, but there aren't strict rules that we have to keep to. Which has its drawbacks because the people across the hall insist on celebrating Thirsty Thursday, every Thursday. But it's also nice that I too can enjoy the perks of having housemates (flatmates in this case), and have a little more freedom as well. Granted, I cannot have a cat, but I can have a glass of wine with my tortellini from time to time. Also, I really enjoy the company of my flatmates. They're a great bunch! I could go on a long rant about everything I've done with them thus far, but I'll save that for later. They already feel like my sisters, though.
Travel
In Edinburgh alone I've gone to the zoo, the ecology museum, parliament, the royal botanical gardens, a hand full of pubs, the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book, and an abandoned gunpowder mill in the woods. There is so much more to explore in this city that I haven't yet gotten to! It's so big! And so full of opportunities! Every day holds potential for some new adventures. And I've started to do a bit of travel outside of Edinburgh, too. I've gone to the isle of Skye, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, and a homestay in Cumbria. And I have way too many adventures from those to be able recount them all in one post. You can just look at the pictures and ask me about them. Scotland is beautiful. I find myself wanting to see more of it during the time that I'm here, but I've got to be somewhat sensible about how I spend my time and money. I guess this just gives me more of an incentive to come back again later. I've fallen in love with travel. I can no longer be in one place without wanting to be in another. I don't see this trend ending any time soon. If only it weren't such an expensive hobby. But this gives me some insight about my future. I know that I'm not restricted to staying in the States after graduation. Frankly, I don't know if I'll be able to without wanting to be here, too. We shall see how this plays out. I haven't made any decisions yet, but living in another country for awhile isn't being ruled out.
The Airport
Airports themselves aren't so scary. But the people inside them are. So many people are rushing to wait half an hour at their gate before departure! It's ridiculous and exhausting. And airplanes themselves are fun...if you're not stuck in front a small child that incessantly kicks the back of your seat.
The City
I did more walking around and getting lost in the first two days than I had done in the past year. Edinburgh is a decent sized city with a lot of everything happening all at once. The road signs change from block to block. There is no such this as overhead traffic lights or directional signs, so you're pretty much constantly watching where you walk. Also, there are just a lot of people. I'm so use to recognizing everyone around me, but in Edinburgh, everyone is stranger. Yet I've never felt safer in my life. Edinburgh feels safer than most places in the States. That's weird to think about, but people are generally nice and helpful. I'm not overlooking things either or being ignorant. I'm being serious when I say that this place is much safer than anywhere I've been in the States. Granted, I don't walk alone at night and I keep my belongings guarded, but people are generally more considerate about the welfare of others. For instance, I've accidentally dropped my gloves once and someone went out of their way to return them to me. Or when I first started using the new currency, the cashier I was paying took the time to show me the values of each of the coins. The only thing I am not the biggest fan of at the moment is the buses; specifically, the university shuttle to the science campus. It's crowded, hot, and noisy. It really is too much for me to handle once a day let alone twice. So I've decided to start walking to campus. While it is a bit physically exhausting, it saves me from being mentally exhausted later on. Plus I use it as a form of exercise since I didn't purchase a gym membership.
University Life
I don't think any transition has been harder for me than adjusting to university life. The large classes, PowerPoint lectures, and the lack of individualized learning are really hard to get use to after attending a college for three years that pretty well held my hand through the entire experience. I just miss how personal class could be, and I miss having a close relationship with my professors. I also had a hard time adjusting to the constantly changing practical and class times. My classes never meet in the same place at the same time, so I'm fixed to looking at a schedule all the time. And I miss being close with my classmates. I don't quite know all the people I'm in class with and it's difficult to meet up with them to study when you live so far away from each other. Funny enough, I also miss exams. An exam every three weeks helped me focus on blocks of material. Now I'm just given all my material at once and expected to know it all for the final. It's just hard to prioritize this way. Do I spend time reviewing the 100 slide Ppt on arthropods or the 10 slide one on genetic linkages? I'm still trying to figure that out because apparently the arthropod one won't be seen again, but we spent two hours covering each of those Ppts. Also, I feel like a Freshman again. I was placed in 3rd year courses upon arrival and most of these people are learning gel electrophoresis for the first time. Or they've never used parafilm. Or they've never used Hardy-Weinberg. Which I guess is OK because that's one less thing I have to learn, but it feels more like a drawback than something I can feel some relief in.
The Flat
I wasn't sure how I would adjust to living with a lot of people again. After being out of dorm life for so long, I liked the ease of only having to interact with my housemates. And I really still do miss my housemates which is probably why I contact Andy once a week. But the nice thing about a flat is that it isn't a dorm. There are a lot of people living here, but there aren't strict rules that we have to keep to. Which has its drawbacks because the people across the hall insist on celebrating Thirsty Thursday, every Thursday. But it's also nice that I too can enjoy the perks of having housemates (flatmates in this case), and have a little more freedom as well. Granted, I cannot have a cat, but I can have a glass of wine with my tortellini from time to time. Also, I really enjoy the company of my flatmates. They're a great bunch! I could go on a long rant about everything I've done with them thus far, but I'll save that for later. They already feel like my sisters, though.
Travel
In Edinburgh alone I've gone to the zoo, the ecology museum, parliament, the royal botanical gardens, a hand full of pubs, the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book, and an abandoned gunpowder mill in the woods. There is so much more to explore in this city that I haven't yet gotten to! It's so big! And so full of opportunities! Every day holds potential for some new adventures. And I've started to do a bit of travel outside of Edinburgh, too. I've gone to the isle of Skye, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, and a homestay in Cumbria. And I have way too many adventures from those to be able recount them all in one post. You can just look at the pictures and ask me about them. Scotland is beautiful. I find myself wanting to see more of it during the time that I'm here, but I've got to be somewhat sensible about how I spend my time and money. I guess this just gives me more of an incentive to come back again later. I've fallen in love with travel. I can no longer be in one place without wanting to be in another. I don't see this trend ending any time soon. If only it weren't such an expensive hobby. But this gives me some insight about my future. I know that I'm not restricted to staying in the States after graduation. Frankly, I don't know if I'll be able to without wanting to be here, too. We shall see how this plays out. I haven't made any decisions yet, but living in another country for awhile isn't being ruled out.
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