It was actually perfect timing for a getaway, as some of my best friends from Mercer go to school in Scotland and even more friends from Mercer were in Scotland for the week for Spring Break missions work. I was able to get a reasonable flight to Glascow out of a London airport but since it was short notice I had to take a 1 a.m. bus. This put me at the airport at 4 a.m. for an 8:40 flight... you can imagine how enjoyable that was. I can now say that I have slept on the floor of an airport, as I did find a group of people who seemed pretty cozy and like it was pretty normal to just lay down, so I hugged my backpack and wrapped up in my coat for 2.5 hours of strange slumber. Luckily, my flight got off the ground alright and I arrived in Glascow just at 10 a.m. to meet Matt who then took me back to the campus where he and Aaron attend school for the semester. I was immediately struck by how beautiful the surroundings are! Scotland is famous for its landscape, but I had really not even thought about it before my trip. I went for the people who would be there, but after having been, half the pleasure of the trip was the gorgeous countryside and soothing views.
Once in Paisley (the town where the college is) Matt headed to class and I met up with Aaron. Aaron is a friend of mine also, but he is also my roommate from Mercer, Deborah's, boyfriend. He took me through Glascow (such a beautiful city!) on the way to meet up with the group from Mercer. I really enjoyed Glascow because it was much less crowded than London and the people were all nicer and life overall seemed at a slower pace. I think my midwestern roots are starting to show... city people stress me out!
Aaron and I met up with the group from Mercer in the early evening and I was so overjoyed! It was incredible to hug Meredith, Lanta, and Whitney (three of my sorority sisters and good friends - Meredith and Lanta lived with me in the house in the fall and Whit is just wonderful). The whole group was also a joy to be around, as I know almost all of them from Mercer and they are just such encouraging and kind people. Some of you know that I have had a few challenges with the people in my program so it was just so nice to be around such wonderful, caring people for a couple of days. Right away, the group welcomed me in and we went to climb the bell tower at the church where they were working for the week. The views were gorgeous and it was such a neat experience! Here are a few pictures, the first is with Meredith, the second with Aaron, and the third is of the majestic view.
That night, the girls from the group led a "Rainbows" meeting with the 5-7 year old girls of the church. It's almost identical to the American "Brownies" groups and it was so fun! I have missed volunteering and working with children, so it was just what I needed. We played and sang and made some crafts and I can assure you that the Scottish kids are the cutest! Then, the church men made us hot dogs for dinner (these were actually so good!) and Aaron and Matt and I headed back to their campus for the night. I met their very international roomies and rested up a little bit for the next day.
The next morning came early, as I made the journey alone to meet up with the Mercer group since Matt and Aaron had class. I awoke to a gorgeous morning of sunshine and just a little hint of moisture. It was like a much chillier morning at Mercer in springtime. Here is a picture of the view from the bus stop:
After riding a bus and two trains, I met up with the group to catch a train to the town called Stirling. Here we visited Stirling Castle, which is a very old and famous castle that has seen a great deal of bloodshed and power over its years. I won't go into too much detail but WOW, it was an interesting place. Here are a few photos, but please visit my photo site for more pictures.
Later that day we trekked through the picturesque town and took a bus to the William Wallace monument. Yes, Braveheart. It was SO COOL! I hadn't realized how revered Wallace really is in Scotland; he is truly their most prized national hero. I enjoyed listening to his history and seeing the important artifacts collected from 800 years ago. My favorite thing to see was his 6 ft. sword... I cannot imagine who could possibly wield such a formidable object. The man must have been a beast! Here are a few pictures from there.
We then took the train home and I hugged everyone goodbye as I stayed on the train to the airport. Aaron met me on the platform in Paisley to hand me my backpack and then I was off. The ride to the airport was tranquil, with the full moon rising over the gorgeous lands of Scotland. I saw golf courses, sheep, and a few lakes. It's a magical place, and I felt renewed after my visit. I know that I get lonely, but I also know that that is normal and I'm really not as alone as I think. It was worth it to make the quick trip up North to figure a few things out.
After arriving home at 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, I got up six hours later for the program's excursion to Broughton Castle and Syon House. Broughton is a beautiful castle fairly nearby that has been the site of MANY movies including Shakespeare in Love and even Made of Honor. Syon House is the castle/house of the Duke of Northumberland and is in London. It is lavish and extravagant and completely saturated with artwork. Almost too much artwork. Haha, and I'm sorry, I won't post pictures because this thing is getting so long, but there are many in my Oxford March album on my Picasa page. I'll attach the link at the bottom of this post.
The rest of the week went well and I finished my tutorial on Friday. I am so thankful for the end of term, as it has been a long 9 weeks. I have learned so much about my tutorials, the world, others, myself etc. and it's time for a break. For those of you interested, I will start tomorrow morning in Belgium, then on to Spain for a week, then a week in MALTA! Malta is a tiny island south of Italy and we got incredible airfare... so exciting. I will end with a week in Italy and then fly back here to have Easter with my best friend Deborah and her boyfriend Aaron. She is in Hong Kong this semester and will have a break at that time and is visiting us! I am so blessed for all of these opportunities, and am learning that more and more each day. I will be checking my email almost daily, and will try to keep up with my blog.
My picasa site is :http://picasaweb.google.com/suz.bottorff
Please keep me updated on your lives!
Love,
Suz
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