What's in a Place?

So I'm taking a writing class right now in Scotland (see, it's not all vacation) and we were doing a writing exercise in which you look at a picture of someone and try to write in their "voice." I did two of these and when the professor read over them both, he asked me why one was better than the other. I didn't know. He said because this character had a place. The reader could picture exactly where he was and how he interacted with the place around him.

Place takes on a character of it's own. It makes you feel safe or small or content or scared. Scotland has made me feel all of these in my time here. That's the story of my summer; discovering a new place and interacting with it. Here are some more pictures and videos of that story. Enjoy!

Sleeping Ducks

Our golf group.

Arithrey Castle. The campus is built around this estate.

These are oyster catchers. They make a lot of noise.

Pretty impressive nest on the water.

You can rent a bike in Glasgow. They have bunch of stations.

They were getting ready for Commonwealth Games. 

Glasgow City Chamber. It has a miniature Statue of Liberty on top.

Why is there an NFL clock in Glasgow City Chambers??

I don't watch Doctor Who but this means something to those that do I guess.

Cool mural for Scottish badminton player.

The city has hired artists to paint on building I guess.

Inside cathedral at Glasgow.

Our wonderful tour guide Colin in front of the oldest house in Glasgow, built in 1414 I think.

Colin suggested this place for lunch. It was a four-course meal. This is kangaroo haggis before I ate it.

Wild Boar Dumplings.

Beef Skewers

Seafood mix from the grill.

Cheesecake for dessert...but I couldn't eat it. Too rich.

Museum of Modern Art.

Evidently people kept putting this cone on the statue as a joke and now it's because a local landmark.

Art display in the museum. Churches made out of cardboard. (Approximately 20x25 foot space)

The artist just picked places of worship out of a local phone book.

They had a bunch of cool mirrors in the museum. 

This is a chain of stores in Scotland. Mostly Lucky Charms and M&Ms in the window.

Looking down Buchanen Street in Glasgow.

"What Is It?" "It's a Wall."

The lines in the title were in fact said by two companions as we looked up at the side of Doune Castle in Scotland. In fact, the second guy's response was my exact reaction. It just looked like a wall to me as well. In fact this castle had been standing for hundreds of years. It was a castle for goodness sakes. It was used in the filming of many productions including Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Several members of my group actually went back to see it again. But it just wasn't that exciting. To me.

I thought when I came to Scotland that everyone would want to do and see the same things as I did. What I've found out is there are many different types of travelers. Some want to hike up steep mountains and others want to shop in the city. Some go out to pubs all night and others would rather sit peacefully by the lake on campus. At first I was frustrated, but I realize that there is nothing wrong with any of these experiences. There just isn't a "must see" list that would fit every single person on Earth. We all hold value in different things. I know I will not see or do or experience everything I thought I would. But the things I have seen and experienced have been incredible. Why focus on what you don't do when you can revel and what you have done?

Below are most of the pictures (and a few videos) I took this week. If you click one you should be able to flip through :)

This is the constant noise around campus all day and night. 

The first several pictures come from the Loch on campus. There are lots of swans and ducks everywhere.

This is part of St. Andrews University, one of the most prestigious in the UK.

The sign on the right window of this coffee shop said "Where Kate Met Wils for coffee." Probably true as this is where they went to school and was off the beaten path so they might not have attracted as much attention.

St. Andrews Castle

In front of the English building at St. Andrews

Old Course at St. Andrews. (First golf course ever)

18th green at Old Course.

View of the beach from Old Course.

View of St. Andrews from the beach. The views were even better when kayaking but I couldn't have a camera in the water. 

You can see tiny white dots..those are people climbing the "hill".

Scottish Parliament. It's very new as it only reconvened in 1997.

Cathedral in Edinburgh. 

Monument in Edinburgh. 

Edinburgh Scot Monument closer up.

Edinburgh from the gardens nearby. 

This is a medieval taxi. 

This is how narrow the paths in Edinburgh were. And there are bars in the paths. Talk about back alley places.

Story-teller at Wallace Monument.

I walked up 264 steps that wound around like this to the top of Wallace Monument. You could barely let people pass you going up or down.

Some really cool stained class from the 1880s.

He let me hold the sword!

Wallace Monument entrance.

To give you perspective of what I climbed, it's the middle one. To be fair, it was on top of a huge hill too.

View from the top. 

Proof I made it. 

Such pretty architecture. 

See the white and black spots right above trees? Those are cows. 

Single and 22

OMG, would everyone stop asking me if I'm "dating anyone?" It's like a tragedy to be my age and not in a relationship. Maybe I should be less picky or more confident. Maybe I should work out more often or actually take time to put some makeup on every day. Maybe I should go out to bars or parties more. Or maybe I should just...

Relax.

It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is saying about you. At least that's the case for me. I tend to take everything to heart. Sometimes, though, I just need to breathe and smile and do what I want to do instead of what others think I should do. Except maybe Dr. Seuss.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” – Dr. Seuss

I enjoy my classes at UNL. I am excited to be a teacher. I get to be the maid of honor in a wedding next week. My family and friends are the best. I'm going to Scotland for goodness sakes! Things are going well for me and I don't need anyone else to make that happen. I'm just going to keep working on being the best ME I can be.

Maybe I'll start "dating someone." Maybe I won't. I have the freedom to decide right now exactly where I want to be and I'm deciding to stop worrying about it. It probably won't last long. Tomorrow I'll be freaking out about something again. But for today, deep breaths. I'm doing alright. :)

Lessons I Learned From My Mother

Along with graduates, there is also someone very important to honor this weekend: my mom. I know that it is no longer mother's day, but I always write better at night and so I'll just be a tad late. Sorry mom. ;) There are so many things I could say about my mom. She has been the greatest mother I could have asked for and is my best friend, but instead I wanted to write down a few things I have learned from my mom throughout the years. As I grow up and become an "adult", I recognize her lessons more and more.

1. Family is the most important thing. My mom was always big on family. She puts us before anything else in her life and expects the same from us. I was lucky enough to have her stay home with me for the first several years of my life. That's not the right thing for every mother, I understand that, but I do know she sacrificed a lot, including her sanity many days to be there for us and I hope I can be there for her too.

2. Stand up for what's right (or against what is not). She is very passionate about what she believes in and is not afraid to argue for what she wants. I am not very good at following this lesson. I'm what she calls a "pleaser" but I strive to be better at this because of her (and my dad). I can't complain about something if I didn't act in any way to change the situation.

3. The value of your life should be placed on experiences, not possessions. When we were younger, my parents set aside money to go on trips. They valued this more than nice clothes or going out to eat or even filling up savings accounts. Because of this, I will always have beautiful memories of my childhood. I will remember trips to Disney World where my mom made us wear matching shirts and feeding chipmunks and Colorado. I have absolutely no recollection of what toys or clothes I had because it didn't matter at all. Materials don't matter as much as people make them out to and my mom taught me that. Also, you never know what will happen before that "later" comes that you're saving for.

4. Education is the most important you can gain in life. My mom has been a huge supporter of our educations since I can remember. She read to all of us as children, took us to the library, practiced math problems with me over and over again (I needed as much help as I could get), and reiterated the importance of our grades and learning every chance she got. Because of this insistence on being an educated person in the world, I have always valued education and was never afraid to make the investment in it for college. I know that my success in school was largely due to my mom and I can't thank her enough for that.

5. Sometimes everyone needs a little help. She always wants to help those who aren't as fortunate. I have seen my mom talk to people that others have written off or look down upon, providing encouragement or sympathy to those who might otherwise be overlooked. She makes me consider every person's perspective. She also started our family buying Christmas gifts for those in need. By "everyone" I also mean animals as my mom has long been an advocate for strays. We have taken in four cats since I've been alive and each my mother cared for extremely well. Two were super unfriendly but loved my mom. One was covered in fleas so my mom bathed it and bought it medicine before finding him a new home. She is so full of compassion for those who need her and I love that.

I love you mom! Thanks for teaching me so much.

To Hillary...

This is a sister post to the one from last night. Another very special friend to me is graduating on Saturday as well. Although I have never lived with Hillary in a technical sense, she has slept on my couch more times than I can count, so she could be considered my other roommate. She is one of the most hard-working people I know and I'm so excited to be a part of her graduation and then see what's in store for her in the years to come. Hillary (hopefully) isn't leaving me and I'll see her just as much as usual next year so I won't say things I'll miss. Instead Hillary deserves some congrats on other life accomplishments ;)

-Congrats on making the best smoothies I have ever tasted in my whole life.

-Congrats on falling asleep faster than any other human being in history.

-Congrats on being amazing at treasure hunting.

-Congrats on always making everyone around you laugh.

-Congrats on sticking out every Husker game with me (and even wearing a mustache)

-Congrats on being the most organized of us.

-Congrats on letting us know every Yahoo news story of the day.

-Congrats on being a mentor for someone that needs it.

-Congrats on dragging my butt to the Rec a few times.

-Congrats on getting out of that parking ticket.

You're amazing. Thanks for being my friend. Can't wait to celebrate with you on Saturday.

Dear Sarah...

One evening in the spring semester of 2012, I knocked on a neighbor's door. I didn't want to watch Netflix in my room for yet another night and my other friends were busy. Sarah opened the door with a smile and invited me in. The two of us spent hours talking, laughing, and even dancing. Six months later, we became roommates. Now, after spending so many times together, good and bad, we part ways. I am proud of Sarah as she graduates college and also sad to say goodbye. So here's a tribute to you my dear Sarah. All the things I will miss having around every day:


-Your adventurous spirit. Never afraid to tackle something new and it has inspired me to try new things too.

-How much you LOVE cheese.

-Your amazing cooking skills. My mouth waters thinking about it.

-The little dance you do when you're really happy or excited.

-You love playing games as much as I do.

-How you always know when I need a Mountain Dew.

-Late nights I spent with you at work.

-How long you take to get ready (but it's always worth it because I've never seen you leave the apartment without looking fabulous)

-That silly little Po app on your phone that you love so much.

-The way you pout like a little kid when you're upset.

-You always know how to put me in my place when I'm wrong without making me mad.

-The many, many, many, many scary movies we have watched together. And how we have started being pansies lately haha.

-Our Thursday nights at Starlite.

So Sarah, here's to you. Celebrating some great years. May we enjoy many more to come. You can always fight Hillary for my couch when you come and visit next year. Congrats on graduation girl!