Wait... What?

My flatmate just came into my room and gave me the reality check that I only have 64 days left in Scotland. I am halfway through my experience, WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!! I am officially labeling this as my mid- JSA (Junior Semester Abroad, because I'm cool like that and make up acronyms) crisis.

Let's just dissect what I'm actually doing here. Studying Abroad. Let us look at the second half of that phrase abroad. I am living in Europe, and before coming here I had this idealized notion of me doing minimal work during the week and globe trotting on the weekends. This is not reality. I have done a wee bit of traveling, making my way around the greater parts of Scotland. I also have trips planned for Ireland, England, France and possibly Wales, but theres a huge (realistic) part of me thats like 

But I am determined. I have also found (and please let me know if this is just me) that I feel a certain kind of pressure to travel all over the muthertruckin' place while I'm in Europe. I mean on the one hand it makes sense, since I live in the US, this is literally the closest I will be to Europe for some time, but let's look at the other hand. The one that holds study. 

Between my three classes, I have four major essays to write. Each counting for a percentage of my grade, the most being 75%, and the least one counts a mere 50% of my final grade. 

So you can see where this mid- JSA crisis comes from, and in the grand scheme of things... it's not that big of a deal. But I definitely think there is some sort of pressure to use every minute of every day while abroad, but the thing is... you don't actually have to. I have come to the realization that I can take a lazy day and drink tea and read a book. It's okay it I don't go to every single country in Europe. It's okay, as long as when I am sitting on the plane to go back to the US, I feel like I made the most of my time here (advice received from a loving parent late at night).

So for now I am so more than happy to continue living in Scotland (that still makes me excited, even after a little over a month living here) and doing what I think I should, and that does include my studies (between the three of my courses I am taking the history and literature of Medieval Wales, Ireland and Scotland).

Things I have learned about myself:

1. When I am walking with a group of people they assume I know where I'm going, when in reality 96.2% of the time I have no idea where I am going.

2. I need at least three cups of tea, or two cups of coffee to be alert enough to walk to class. It is a 15 minute walk, and there are several main intersects and roads that I have to cross... 

3. THE BUSES HERE WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU ARE- THEY WILL HIT YOU IF YOU DON'T MOVE. I do not appreciate this if I haven't had the allotted amount of caffeine mentioned above. 

4. I am an officially an old person. I am out of the flat from 8.30-5 or 6 everyday. Being in the world can be exhausting. My bed time is somewhere around 10.30 during the week. Ooooooooooooooold.

5. I really really really like ruined castles, old graveyards and walking around the city with no plan or purpose whatsoever. 

6. when it comes to authority, my gut reaction is to stick out my tongue and ignore it. I know, almost 21 and acting like a 5 year old... my maturity knows no bounds.

7. I have an addiction to scones. I think it might be a problem.

And with that I leave you until the next post.

xxoo

E