This year was the first year that
I have been away from home for a Thanksgiving holiday. Although I wish I could
have been with my family last Thursday, I was able to spend the holiday abroad…I
mean, what more could a girl ask for?!
Wednesday morning I couldn’t
contain my excitement as I hoped on a plane and headed to…SCOTLAND…the land of the
brave, kilted, and of my ancestors.
Even sitting next to two HUGE
Russian men on the plane (No, I’m not stereotyping—I saw their passports) could
not subdue my eagerness to arrive.
The trip was sponsored through the
GIF program, so no more run-down hostels for me! Three friends and myself stayed
in a very nice apartment for a few days. There was a kitchen, bathtub, warm
water, a heater, a hairdryer, and even a English-speaking television—all things that
I took for granted prior to coming to Florence.
...Maddie relaxin'
Once we got settled in, Maddie
and I headed to grab some dinner at The World’s End, a wonderful little pub in
Edinburgh. If you are ever there, GO CHECK IT OUT. The pub itself is built upon
on a portion of the original wall that once surrounded the town Edinburgh way
back in the day.
...(Quick FYI...I forgot to take a picture of the pub, so I got this one online...)
Thursday Maddie and Jen made the
most delicious breakfast for Audrey and I—scrambled eggs with sautéed mushrooms
and spinach with goat cheese crumbled on top. Best breakfast since I’ve been abroad!
We quickly got ready and met up
with the other 56 students from GIF to go on a guided bus tour of Edinburgh. We
went through Edinburgh’s Old and New towns, all while learning about some of
the history, geography, and politics of the city.
...Palace of Holyroodhouse
...Edinburgh Castle
...Lauren, Maddy, and I
After the tour we had a group
Thanksgiving lunch at a traditional Scottish pub—they love their pubs in the
UK.
...I got a Hot Toddy, a traditional warm Scottish drink
There’s not a day that has gone by
where I don’t experience a moment, where I have had to take a step back and
pinch myself. I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy and I get to travel to so
any unique and amazing places in Europe and Africa.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful
for this once in a lifetime opportunity to study, travel, and meet so many new friends while abroad, which I
never could have done without the support and love of my parents and
grandfather. They have literally given me the world, and for that I am forever
grateful!
To celebrate Thanksgiving a few
friends and myself went to dinner at a local Thai restaurant where we ordered
some champagne and toasted to all of our love ones back at home.
Friday quickly came and the school
took us students to north! We spent the day in the Scottish Highlands, where we
went on a safari and were able to hand feed some Red Deer!
...We saw ponies!
After a long day full of
adventures, some friends and I decided to go catch a movie (something we
haven’t done since the summer).
We saw the second movie of The Hunger Game Series. If you haven’t
seen it yet, you really should. It was amazing!
Saturday we headed south of the
city. We checked out Rosslyn Chapel famous for its beautiful carvings and the
aura of mystery that surrounds it. The chapel itself became better known when
Dan Brown incorporated it into his well-known novel, The Da Vinci Code.
We stopped in Melrose for a quick
lunch and headed even further south (about 35 miles into Northern England to be
exact) to go check out Hadrian’s Wall. Roman Britain built Hadrian’s Wall in
122 CE.
...Now I'm in Scotland
...Now I'm in England!
...some people from my Etruscans and Romans history class!
Once back in Edinburgh, Maddie,
Jen, and myself headed to go check out the Christmas market! It was so much fun
and the perfect way to spend the beginning of the “Christmas season”.
Scotland was amazing and a wonderful place to spend Thanksgiving with so many wonderful friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment