Day 209: Glory of Glories

I haven't written in a while, in fact, I have unceremoniously passed the 200-day mark! Crazy. But dear readers, it feels good to sign on and see that after over a month of inattention on my part, I still have several people a day poppin' in on this little blog to check for news or maybe catch up on what they've missed. Thanks!

In the past month and a half, we've seriously had TOO MUCH snow here in Aberdeen. (but hopefully that's all the past now)

Anyways, today was seriously a glorious day. High of 57 or something and sunny. So warm, so nice. I began my third week of my Professional Fieldwork Placement for my course at the Aberdeen City Archives, and in good form I deleted the whole catalog entry for the collection I had been working on; I had to enlist Martin the Lanky to be my savior and make things right again. A scary tragedy, but you live and you learn, and hopefully it will be my first and last incident for this month of faux-work. It had to happen, though, to make the Monday feel as Monday as possible.

Me in a "lift" at the City Centre archives office. It was so cool and old and a little scary.

Today I also had my first day of work at my new place of employment, Hilton Treetops. It was just induction, but you know. On my way to makin' dat money again.

Bishop lovin' on Easter Vigil

Also, it's Easter! I'm just the happiest about that, because the no-sweets thing becomes really tolling after a while, however, for the past few weeks I've been in like ultra-drive chocolate obsession/need. Which is saying something, because if you knew how much I already relied on chocolate, then you would be like, Whoa, what can Ultra Drive mean? It's serious.
A lot has happened in my life since we last spoke. And unfortunately for you, I'm not going to write most of it here, but know that it's good, and I'm growing and learning and living and enjoying life a lot.

Just david and john sitting on my head. casual aberdeen hangs.

(Actually the worst and least flattering picture of anyone ever, but simultaneously the most hilarious.) This was at our Pope Party after Pope Francis was announced as our new Pope! Wooooo

I took a train down to England with my main bitty, Natalia, for a Pro-Life conference, and it was super great. The only bad thing was that, after the horrible March weather in Aberdeen, I was hoping to take a nice little tropical retreat down to the southerly locale of Derbyshire, England, but the good news was that it snowed our whole way there and continued to snow the whole weekend, and we left with about a foot lying on the ground. Thanks, England, thanks for that. (It was actually nicer and less severe up in the 'Deen)

Me and Natalia gettin' a lil matchy at da conference

With some of our new friends at the conference ceilidh

Udderwise, I just ate some really good homemade Sausage Gravy-- It's the Remix on toast and am about to fall asleep after my little run and playground session with the ever-fun James.

Day 173: Sunday

What a Sunday I've had. I've been trying to take the sabbath more seriously recently. Not doing work, and just relaxing prayerfully. I struggle with filling my time, because I feel the pull of assignments on my mind. But, it's nice. I like to be productive in ways of leisure at least, though. So today, I made french toast for myself, painted my nails, read bunches of recipes, looked up and listened to a bunch of new music, watched Of Mice and Men because I'd been wanting to, then, to wipe that tragedy off my face, I cleansed my palate with an episode of Arrested Development, then I made myself a homemade chai latte and took a bath, getting out of pajamas finally, to clean myself just so I could get right back into them.

walking home from school. had lots of grey days this past week. 

Anyways, it was Spring Break for lots of my friends back home this past week, and I was seeing pictures of loads of em doing loads of great things in warm, sunny places. It made me a little jealous, and the good news is that I don't get a spring break... but honestly, I've been having great times here in Aberdeen, so I can't complain too much. There's no shadow of a Spring to celebrate anyways; starting last night and going until today and forecasted to continue through to tomorrow, it's been snowing. So that's cool. Not.

a picture of an insignificant scene from my beloved Sandbridge, sent to me by Carly Boucher. 

In other news, my bro John got a real job a little while back, and it's weird to think both of my brothers have real jobs now. Zach I mean, he was expected: married and all that, I knew he was grown up for good. But John, him being out of the house in a legitimate way is making life seem a little more real. Like, this is going to be me soon. Granted, I've been away from home for like 6 months now and will be out for about 5 more, and then when I come back, it will be a transitional stay anyways. Hopefully. If I can do anything productive with my life ever.
Let me just cry for a few minutes.

Okay.
I can do this. Life.
Things have started to get on the way for my dissertation. I'm still on the proposal stage, obviously, but it's getting me excited. I want to be done with baloney courses and just be left on my own to research and write and spend too many hours in libraries with too many books, typing away and drinking chai and laughing and crying from stress and/or being overtired.

ALSO, I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE KATIE AND TAYLOR HAVE BOUGHT THEIR TICKETS TO COME VISIT ME! Taylor is coming, and right as she's leaving me, Katie will be arriving. Times will be so grand. ALSO, CAITLYN REUSS WILL BE AT OXFORD FOR THE END OF JUNE AND MOST OF JULY, so I have another American cohort in the land of Brits to visit and party with, woooo!

The always vogue, Taylor P!

My most lovely best friend, Ranger Katie!

A blurry picture of a really cute puppy because I don't have a picture of Caitlyn that is easily accessible right now, and I kinda like to think of Caitlyn as a blurry puppy anyways.

More importantly, y'all should give The Gray Havens a listen. They are really nice. And my heart is currently being serenaded by their rich melodies and well-themed lyrics. And if you haven't listened to the Steel Wheels yet, do that now, too.

Novena to St Joseph to finish in time for his feast day on the 19th starts tomorrow! Anyone who wants to join, I'm using this one: http://stjoe4u2.tripod.com/id5.html, doing the first prayer and the appropriate little prayer for each day, 1-9. :)

Song of the day: Gray Flowers- The Gray Havens.

Day 158: Lyfe

Since the last time I wrote, Scotland has presented times where I thought the snow would never stop and my feet would never dry and also times where I thought the sun could not be brighter and warmer. It might just be foolish hopes, but in general it feels like Spring might be trying to peak her little face into the calendar. The days are getting substantially longer in what seems like leaps each day. (To all the folks that thought the darkness would bring me down, break my spirit, or affect my happy disposition, to you I say simply, Haters gon' hate. It did no such thing!)

I'm in full swing into the second and final semester of taught courses here at the Robert Gordon University, and feelin' fine about it. This semester is a bit more stressful in the sense that it is cramped because of the month-long placement in April that we must be finished with lessons before. And speaking of that placement, as of now there are two options before me. Either working in the Aberdeen City Archives, or working on a Special Collection project at the University of Aberdeen. We shall see what the Lord provides and where He calls me!

Otherwise, Life, as usual, is a crazy whirlwind of thoughts, ideas, plans, dreams, and songs.
I went to karaoke both Friday and Saturday of last weekend, both times being impromptu escapades, but well worth it. I wish I could get paid to be the party picker-upper, aka whenever there is a lull in enthusiasm or people shying from the microphone, they'd just throw me into the spotlight and I'd rally the people from their whiskey-fringed timidity.

5 days ago was my 5-month anniversary of being in Aberdeen, which basically means that Time has slipped the blind over my eyes and gone rampaging forward without my consent. That rascal. Now that I've been here for a substantial amount of time, my friendships have also become substantial, and, even as I write this, a wormy feeling is growing in my stomach about leaving them. It's an awesome blessing to be able to develop these international friendships, but it also means that little pieces of my heart will be scattered across the globe, living between different date lines, and waking to different pieces of sky each day, never reunited as a whole again. Except maybe at my wedding or something, but even then, you can't expect everyone from California to India to be able to attend.
On the topic of broken hearts, y'all....Gone With the Wind. What. wut. whuuuuuuu.
Finished that near 1,000 page saga yesterday, loving everyone moment of it, if by love I mean being torn into more and more pieces at so many moments. I suggest everyone read it, and don't think about the page number, because really I wasn't bored once, and would have read it much faster if it didn't have grad school and sleep as competition. I won't spoil anything really. I will just say RHETT--WHY. ASHLEY--UGH. MELLY--WHYY. SCARLETT-WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Song of the day: To Make Her Love Me- Rascal Flatts. (On shuffle on iTunes right now, and just let me say, I love when iTunes understands me so well, as it has been doing for the past half hour.)

Day 145: Who Would've Guessed

Who would have guessed I would be doing now what I'm doing now?
Aka, I've always "liked to cook," but in the past that meant, every month or so when I got an inkling or wanted to be a good daughter and help the mother. Now, with the root of the situation lying in necessity, I have developed a serious love for kitchen creation.
Baking is just really fun because of the often long processes and delicious end results, but I've also found a lot of enjoyment in all forms of cooking--experimenting and learning which flavor combinations work well together or figuring out new ways to cook the same ingredients to avoid death by boredom.
With this new passion, another has arisen hand-in-hand, and that is the joy of hosting. I love having ma friends over to eat and serving them fresh, homemade meals (today I had several friends over for brunch after mass, the beginning of a new tradition to stop contributing to the labor of those who have to work on Sundays, and I cooked up homemade buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy and fried apples. Spot on) But also, I cherish the opportunities where I can come bearing tastebud-pleasing gifts for others who have graciously invited me to join their soirees and get-togethers.

I'm thankful I have had the opportunity to push myself in this seemingly insignificant way by the mere fact of living alone and having no meal provider in house or somewhere close, like the campus dining back at UMW. It has allowed me to be creative in a place where I am without paints and canvas, it has given me more confidence in my capability for independence, and it has begun to hone my skills for a Someday when I might possibly have a husband and kids to whom I must tend.

It doesn't hurt to have people fawning over me for a new reason either;)


Ha.

Tomorrow I think I'll make some cornbread and use up the buttermilk I have left from the biscuits, or else I'll never use it and it will continue to take up space and eventually go sour in my fridge. Keepin' this Southern thang goin'.

Speaking of the South: Gone With the Wind is blowing my mind no pun intended, and although 900+ pages will take longer to read than I would like with class time, coursework, and MY NEW JOB, I am thoroughly relishing every moment of Scarlett's insolence and, more importantly, RHETT'S prim perfection. (What a man; every time Margaret describes his broad muscles visibly contracting under his linen suits I can't help but imagine myself as the Southern Belle he's buying stylish, Parisian hats for--it's probably unhealthy to be so in love with a fictional character, but he's just SO (bad it's) GOOD.)
Also, if you didn't catch it, I have a new job working at the HMT restaurant, which is a 2-minute (or less) walk from my flat, annnnd it should be sweet. So thanks for your prayers! I start tomorrow:)

Day 127: Business Time

So I quit my job at Thistle.
And tomorrow I shall go out to turn in my CV at a couple places around City Centre. So that an income will exist to keep me alive.
But today, I put up a bunch of t-shirt designs online, to spark/gauge interest among my friends. This is something I have wanted to start for a while; if people dig my designs, I can make some money from this venture. Which would be awesome.
Really I just love t-shirts. And I always wish someone would make shirts saying the things I want shirts to say, so I decided at last that I would have to be the one to make them.

Maybe I want this Wonder and Wander thing to become even bigger later on. But for now I'm counting on YOU, my fan base, to give me feedback and to buy my shirts!!!

 

Here's the link to the online shop: http://www.streetshirts.co.uk/wonderandwander
Spread the word, Please and Thank you! I couldn't do it without you.

Song of the day (now playing here, and I recommend everyone who doesn't know it to look it up and give it a play, and everyone who does know it, revisit it's glory): Why Can't This Be Love-Van Halen.

Day 65: A Thanksgiving Post

my turkey brining the day and night before.

A wise woman once told me that I probably wouldn't realize that I was thousands of miles from home, or what I was doing there, or that I am stuck here for a lot longer until somewhere in the middle of November. (She was right.)
Things are starting to hit me. It's probably because one of the best holidays was just celebrated, and it happens to be American, and it happens to be about reflecting on what you are thankful for and for me a lot of those things happen to be back across the ocean.
I will list just a few things I am truly thankful for:
Country music
Warm covers
Functional legs
International friends that were willing to share a Thanksgiving feast with me and make the evening great
Family back home
Having people an ocean away that I care about enough to miss
Being American
& Thanksgiving leftovers.

So yeah, it's November, and I've been here for over 2 months! That's over 1/6 of my Aberdeen adventure over. But, even though I am not one to get homesick, there's a little baby pit in my stomach that longs to be with all those people back home, doing the things we'd usually be doing. (Black Friday shopping with Sam and Katie--scoring big deals and having big laughs, walking on the boardwalk and singing through the 12 days of Christmas with Taylor while eating ice cream cones even though it's too cold outside, hanging out with my parents and Johnny boy and eating my mom's homecookin', sleeping in my own bed, etc.)
But then it hits me, if I  had stayed home and not come to Aberdeen, it would have meant I would have made some other sort of life plan, and it wouldn't be the same anyways. I wouldn't just be a college kid coming home for Thanksgiving break. I might be a real person, contributing to the world as a working adult (writing that out makes me realize why I decided to do this instead). Where would I be IF? Weird. An unanswerable question, though.

Also, I decided I want to work for the National Park Service.


And, to end on a more important note, I've decided I can't choose just one country singer to be my husband. Because we have the heartthrob, Tim McGraw, an easy first pick. But there's also Josh Turner, whose perfect voice could melt the heart of Josef Stalin. Then I'm like, CRAP, what about cutie blue eye half smile baby Luke Bryan? And if you figure in the fact that a beard and a love for the beach can get me every time, plus writing lyrics that sing to my soul doesn't hurt, you also have to throw Zac Brown into the game.
Not choosing any one of them is the only logical thing to do. So I'll have them all, Thanks.
Don't tell their wives.

just two pics from my little walk/hike with the Carrolls last weekend.

Day 15&16:TCB

Wednesday is the day that I shall focus on:
So, I didn't have class; I awoke and got myself a new patient appointment at the doctor's for next Wednesday, to get myself fully into the National Health System and be registered in Aberdeen. Then, I went to an optometrist right down the street from me and got an appointment for a free eye exam, because honestly I swear I lose more vision ability everyday. Maybe its the fact that I'm reading boards/computers again now, being back at school, so I'm noticing it, but who knows. We'll see the diagnosis soon enough, that appointment is for next Wednesday as well.
The biggest issue with maybe needing glasses is....HOWWW is this happening now? Pretty sure I spent most of my elementary years wanting glasses, to be like my dad I suppose, but then I came to realize it is much better that I don't have them: I don't have to worry about losing them, or breaking them, or paying for them, not to mention that I have never put on a pair of glasses I look good in...

Anywho, I then made my way to the Thistle hotel in Aberdeen, for a job interview at 2pm. I mean, I won't say I was surprised when she practically begged me to take the job, but I did help her off her knees, because it was causing me to blush to have people see her grovelling at my feet just to accept a part-time job. But in earnest, the interview went well, and I'm excited to start working! Boss Lady told me I'll be working with mostly students, so that will be a good way to continue to meet people.
Getting this job also secured the fact that I didn't have to go back that evening to the horrible hotel to see if I got that job. Which meant I had the rest of the afternoon and evening free, so I treated myself to purchasing JK Rowling's new book and a lollipop from the sweets shop down the road from my flat. I spent a couple hours reading at a little park right down the street that I discovered on my way to the doctor's earlier that day. Then, I was off to St. Peter's for a delicious meal and intro to the Alpha course which will officially start next week. They're doing the Alpha course in lieu of the usual Young Adults group, and basically its a 7-week course specifically tailored/condensed for students, but anyone is welcome, to get back into their faith, rejuvenate it, and just learn more. It was quite fun, I met up with my friend from last week, Rachael, and talked with a bunch of others I had previously met. I also met a few new people, including...........the guy who sat down to work at the table in the library where I was sleeping. I figured/hoped I would never see him again, but lo and behold, in this secular continent, he happens to be Catholic, too, and the first thing he says to me when he sees me is, "You're the girl who was sleeping in the library!" and then he proceeded to tell everyone around the story and the ridiculousness of it all. So that's cool.

Then today, Thursday, I went to classes, this was pretty much the first day where real work was done/discussed/due(in a loose sense). I came home and my eyes were so tired and my head was kinda achey, but I meant to go out and shop for groceries and then cook dinner since it was already 20 til five. Instead, I fell asleep until 9pm. Casual Abi move. Dinner with what I had here ended up being delicious anyways, the best pasta yet (tasted like pizza from Busch Garden's Festhaus, if you can understand that) and roasted green beans in olive oil and Parmesan.