I'm Back in the U.S.A.

Hello!

It has definitely been a long while since I've updated - like over a year.  I'm so sorry!  There's really no excuse, but I'll try to defend myself by saying that life got hectic so fast.  I continued to make videos on my YouTube channel, but even then I didn't update as much as I should have.

I was able to spend 15 months (September 4, 2014 - February 1, 2016) in Scotland.  I miss it every day.  Scotland quickly became a home I had never really had before for many reasons I'll talk about in another update.  In general, I have based my feeling of home based on where my family was.  Locations may change, but family is always the factor which I have considered home.  My opinions were challenged, though, when Scotland quickly felt like a place I wanted to stay in forever.  I remember living in Scotland for only a few weeks and being in awe.  It felt like I had lived there for forever.  Scotland will always be my regional home, and I plan on going back one day when the time is right.

So, as stated in the title of this post, I am officially back in the United States.  I tried finding a proper visa in the UK that would allow me to stay, but it was a lot more complicated than I had anticipated as an American.  I was forced to go back to the United States due to my visa expiring.  It's not like I don't want to be back in the U.S., so please try not to get offended by me saying this.  I just knew that Scotland was where my heart lied and it was saddening when I could not stay. Now I am making lemonade out of lemons and applying for jobs while I am here and knowing that I will go back to Scotland sometime in the future when the time is right.

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What I plan to do now with this blog is to take you back through time with my trips and a few tricks I learned along the way.  Maybe this is the better option because I have perspective on everything and I can give a broader range of tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your study abroad from the things I wish that I did and the things that I wish I knew before hand.

Below is a video I created not long ago about my 15 months abroad and all the things I did.  Hopefully this whets your appetite to come back and check my blog which will be updated more regularly.

First Days in Edinburgh!

I'm finally here!  I've now been in Scotland for 5 days, and it's an amazing city.  For me, there is a city feel without it being too overwhelming like in New York City.  I already know my way around (for the most part), and love traveling new ways and roads to discover shops and streets.  I have already found quite a few book shops this way! ;)

Edinburgh is a city with the perfect combination of new and old with so much to do.  I do not think I will be able to see it all in the year that I am here!  The people in this area are also very kind and are able to point me in the right direction if I am ever lost.  Believe me, this was quite often the first couple of days.

Public transportation is very convenient here and the buses are of great quality.  They are clean, double-decker (sitting on top is my favorite and gives me the best view of the city), and pretty easy to navigate once you ride it once or twice.  The only mildly annoying aspect is that you have exact change in order to receive a ticket.  This inconvenience will be fixed in a couple of days, however, once I get my student ID and can buy a yearly bus pass with a student discount.

Truly, I will probably only be using my bus pass to and from my main campus of Sighthill.  It's approximately a 20 minute bus ride - not something I want to walk in the winter time.  Even though I have not been to Sighthill yet, I am already in love with it.  The gym is located on this campus and the food market is on my way back home!  Talk about a win/win situation!

I have barely begun to explore Edinburgh, but I can tell that I am already falling in love with the history, traditions, and people.  Here is a video of the beginning of many more adventures to come!

P.S. I am obviously in love with the castle.
P.P.S. Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel  ;p

The Dreadful Packing

It's weird to think that a week from now I will have been in Scotland for three days!  This past Wednesday, I celebrated the "one more week until I fly to Scotland" party by doing something dreadful - packing.  How the hell are you supposed to pack for a full year to a foreign county you have never been to?

The task is daunting, but I figured out the best way for me to accomplish this.  At this point, I am 95% finished packing with one large suitcase currently weighing 46lbs, and a duffle bag and backpack for carry on. The reason why I'm not completely packed is because of last minute items such as make-up, toothpaste, face wash, etc.

However, I will have my parents ship me two small/medium sized boxed with items I do not need right away.  I am cheating in this aspect a bit, but these items include my winter coat which is just too large and heavy to fit in my big suitcase, winter boots/hats/scarves/gloves, some homey decor such as my digital picture frame, and of course books I picked up at Book Expo America this summer but did not finish reading.  I mean, you didn't think I could leave my books did you?  If you don't know me...I am a bit *cough* I mean big book nerd.

I have always been skeptical of rolling my clothes in the packing process until recently.  When you roll these items, it may look like they would take more space than stacking and laying them flat.  This is so far from the truth!  There is no way I would have been able to fit my wardrobe in the suitcase without rolling the clothes.  So roll, roll, roll away!  Also, have fun playing Tetris with shoving and laying everything perfectly!

One of the ideas that I had to get used to is that I AM going to have to buy items once I get there.  I know my money is going to be precious, so it bothers me a little that I will not be able to pack everything I own and bring it to uni with me.  Before, I could drive back and forth from my home and university.  Going to and from school I could pack everything that I ever needed in the car and as long as it fit I was good.  However, flying "across the pond" has lead to some sacrifices.

Being realistic is step number 1 in this process.  What things can I give up and buy so it does not take space in my luggage?  For me, this included specific electronics (I'll talk about this later when I'm over there), bath towels, blow dryer, and bedding.  I could buy all of these for cheap when I get over there, and end up giving them to places such as Goodwill or a homeless shelter depending on their condition at the end of the year.

Lastly, I packed a few days worth of clothes in my carry on bag just in case anything happened to my checked baggage.  I have a layover in my international flight, and I want to make sure I have a few clothes that I can mix and match - just in case the big suitcase carrying my life for the next year gets lost.  It's pessimistic thinking in a way, but something that happened to my Dad a few years ago.  The luggage never got back to him before he left.  It was pretty amusing seeing him in Lithuanian clothing!

Can you spot the candy cane pajamas :p

I was going to talk about this app I found that has been a huge life saver in my packing, but in fear of this post being too long I'll talk about that in my next post.  If you tend to over pack or bring things that you might wear "just in case", you will definitely want to stay tuned!

It's Official!

Y'all are here because I announced that I will be studying abroad in Scotland for a year!  YAY!  I am really excited to begin this journey, and I want y'all to participate in it as much as possible.

This blog will include everything from the places I will visit while abroad as well as miscellaneous study abroad tips, tricks, and stories.  To be honest, I am not exactly sure how everything is going to play out on this blog yet.  This is more of an open book where I (the author) must string together the main plot ideas with words, thoughts and feelings I do not know how to describe yet.  Please bare with me as I figure out how to make sense of this adventure one page at a time (pun intended).

I am sure there will be highs and there will be lows on this journey, but I want to keep everyone updated in my life events.  Feel free to subscribe to this blog and follow me on other social media sites!

"Life is a highway, and I want to drive it all night long" - Tom Cochrane