Day 248: Visitors Galore!

So I have previously mentioned the visitors that were due. But now I am writing and two of these groups of visitors have already come and gone and I can't believe it. Time is a flighty temptress indeed.
My parents came and I had time with them for about a week and we checked out Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, and then Ireland's, Dublin. Eddy was quite nice, very different from Aberdeen, and maybe I'm biased and just know the Ab better but, I think I liked Ab better. Now, that's not to say that I don't realize that in certain ways, Edinburgh is probably objectively better: more to do, more to see, cleaner, etc. But it just didn't have a charm that allured me too much.

mom and I from Edinburgh Castle

from Edinburgh Castle

Now, Dublin is a different story. Pretty sure it is my second favorite city in Europe that I've seen so far, after Rome. It was so cool and quaint and friendly and musical and fun. Seriously music in every pub every night, and a thriving little artsy/young person scene goin' on. Plus all the buildings were so varied! Architecturally in style, colors and materials; it was a real treat for the eyes and senses after the grey of Aberdeen. I would really like to go back to Dublin, and Ireland in general, with friends to check out more sights and wreak a little havoc.

from the Guinness Storehouse gravity bar, Dublin

Butler's: seriously the best chocolate.

St. Teresa's Carmelite church in downtown Dublin 

 Then, without much rest, Taylor P and her boyfrand Charlie D were here and they brought happy weather, so we got to enjoy Aberdeen for a couple days in the relative warmth and sunshine. I tried to take them to some of my fave places in the 'deen and we did quite a bit of walking, but we're young and spry, so it was all good. Charlie even picked out a little tune he wrote on the guitar at an open mic night at a pub we went to on their final night in Aberdeen. Then we three set off for the west coast of the land and checked our Urquhart castle which was pretty neat and had beautiful views of Loch Ness, and from there we bussed to Fort William. We climbed Ben Nevis, no big deal, only the tallest mountain in the UK. We were arguably a few of the highest things on the whole Kingdom of Unity for a few minutes. We were also surrounded by a cloud and freezing our butts off, but it was worth it.. Great time with them doing outdoorsy, adventurous things, and I was sad to say goodbye to them yesterday morning at the train station, but they're off to have more exciting times in England now.

view of St Machar's cathedral in Aberdeen. Was my first time within.

Playground amusements will never get old.

Urquhart Castle

looking over Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle

Panorama over Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle's tower, with a mysterious head of hair with no head or body attached.

our lunch stop on the Ben Nevis hike

Little panorama, showing the same lake from the above picture and into the Great Glen. About halfway to the top.

and then all the sudden you're climbing Everest and you're dealing with sub-arctic climates and the visibility is okay in this picture, but it got much worse.

Nothing worth taking a picture of when we first reached the summit as the clouds were covering us completely, but then they began to clear.

and we made it back down! Boom.

Mountains and country from the bus from Fort William to Inverness

The River Ness in Inverness

Inverness Castle (?) don't know its name.

I enjoy coming home to Aberdeen more than I expect, which is nice. Nice that I can call Aberdeen home and feel comfortable here after more 8 month+ time here. But. really what I'm excited for is tomorrow! I get to go to a ceilidh in the evening!!!!!!!! JK, (well I do) but what's MORE EXCITING IS THAT KATIE HOLLOWAY WILL CROSS THE ATLANTIC, DEBOARD FROM HER PLANE, TOUCH THE GROUND OF ABERDEEN, CROSS THE THRESHOLD INTO THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA AND THEN RUN INTO MY ARMS WHERE SHE WILL STAY FOR THREE WEEKS. Well she mightn't stay in my arms, but you get it.
Adventures await!
Life is good. (details: Work has been really enjoyable, really like my workmates; more progression on my dissertation shall begin to happen soon, as all of my second semester coursework is finished and I never have to attend another class in my life if I don't want to; job applications are being thought about..................and I'm about to eat a great ham and cheese sandwich.)
Song of the Day: Fleetwood Mac- Never Going Back Again

Day 224: Sunnin' and Runnin'

The weather has been "ace" recently.
(Ace means awesome.)
But seriously, it has.
Two of my runs last week passed the same corner of Queen's Road and North Anderson Drive: where you find yourself at the top of a hill with soccer fields to one side of you and as you look over your right shoulder across the fields (first, you remember former days of spring season soccer practice when the under armor and sweatshirts are shed and fresh green grass has replaced the dead brown muddy patches and you're carried by the breeze through the drills, and then), you notice the whole city is laid out before you, and you keep running around the corner (with your eyes on the layers of scenic Aberdeen skyline) to welcome the sight of the steep descent down the hill, lasting several blocks, which increases your stride to a length which takes every piece of your willpower to keep your arms from extending out fully like wings and "flying" your way to the bottom.
At least that is my experience. Maybe I'm over generalizing when I assume someone besides me would have to fight from turning into an airplane or an albatross when they come across happy spring runs down breezy hills. However, I figured my big grin was already discomforting enough for the passing drivers, so I kept my elbows tucked and continued singing to myself.

Aberdeen in the sun! Wow! It's just great! (Read: Anywhere in the sun is just great!)

Harin gettin' pose-y

Oil ships..always

My life right now is good and fast. Where in the world has April gone? 2013 is obviously trying to beat the claims I made of 2012. I thought 2012 was barely existent, it went so quick, but now I see that 2013 will not let those exaggerations rest. He will win. Each month is faster than the last.
I finished my placement at the archives but have asked to stay on as a part-time volunteer, once a week, to keep my experience bank growing.
Now I just have to power down on three assignments, due in the next 11 days, and then my parents arrive, and all the madness of visitation begins. Hopefully at some point I'll start working on my dissertation, too.. but I'm not worried about it yet.
I just hope the weather stays so wonderful for my beloved American visitors.

Song of the day: A Song to Sing- Hanson-----because it's NEW HANSON AND I WAS INFORMED OF THIS TODAY AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT FREEEEEEEE YESSSS.

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 164: New Music

"You may think that I'm talking foolish, you've heard that I'm wild and free"
First off, that's just a good song, but more importantly, I ain't talkin' foolish. I may be a fool, but I intend to continue to put my haters to bed and tuck 'em in, because my future is coming fast and I'm gonna be doing crazy and big things--soon.
I may not have a definite home set for me, or a career, or income, or anything of the sort, but it really doesn't matter. God has never once not provided me with what I needed, even if at the time it seemed that it wasn't enough, it always has been.
I've been in Aberdeen for 5 1/2 months now, and I have no idea where I'll be in 5 more, or 5 more after that. (Besides the few definite dates at which I need to be present.) This year is basically a condensed version of Mary Washington. I come, I get acquainted, I make great friends, I learn, I grow in my faith and self-knowledge, and then, too soon, I leave. At the end of my time at Mary Washington I was hit with a wave of regret that I hadn't done all I thought I should have done in terms of acting as a witness of Christ to my fellow students.
I was really hit this past week with the fact that I need to grasp every moment I'm given and view them all as opportunities to spread love and light. I may never know or see the consequences of my actions, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't see the gravity and potential of my existence. I might only see someone once, for a few seconds, but why shouldn't I want my smile to instill some sort of hope in their day? We all have the ability to act with Christ to transform the world's heart, and I don't want to leave Aberdeen feeling like I floated through a year, leaving no imprints on the people's souls I met.




Song of the Day: Cuckoo- The Steel Wheels. "The cuckoo, she's a pretty bird, she never drinks water, she only drinks wine"
But also, just for real, The Steel Wheels in general. Listen.

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:)