I have realized over my years of adventures that I tend to forget the minute details of trips or events and only remember the main parts of what went on. Because this semester in Scotland is such a large event, I really want to remember as much of it as possible while also sharing my experiences with anyone who cares. Everything leading up to today has been so hectic that it is only now that I have been able to sit down for a few minutes and write down everything that has occurred.
The first leg of my trip was relatively easy going compared with what was to follow. Me, mom, Heather, and Chastyn all arrived at the airport about 2 hours before my flight and hung out in the lobby until we figured I should leave to get through security. Heather and mom of course cried, but I don't think everything had set in for me yet, especially since I was only flying to Texas. The trip was comfortable since I had no one else around me.
Once arriving in Texas, I had a few hours to kill, which I did so by walking around the airport and texting/calling with Heather and mom. Poor Heather couldn't keep her tears down (I'm surprised she didn't shrivel up), but being able to text with her was nice. My flight to London was delayed by about an hour and a half to two hours due to a surprise safety check of the plane, which I guess I should be grateful for, but the wait wasn't too terrible, so it worked out. Once on the plane you could definitely tell it was heading to London, everyone around me had some kind of accent. As far as the ride itself went, I'm pretty sure I only slept for about an hour or two the entire time. Other than that it wasn't too bad. I got to watch a few movies and work on my book of puzzles (which were surprisingly much harder than I expected).
The trouble came upon arriving in London. Once I navigated the maze of different places and figured out I was supposed to be in another terminal, I was told that my flight to Edinburgh was canceled and I would have to go talk to some office about it. Now, this was about the time I started worrying about the trip. On the way to the "Disruptions" office, I had to get my Visa (which was surprisingly quick and easy) and then call Mom and Heather to let them know I was still alive. As it turns out, however, the phone I chose to use (and pay for with a credit card) is part of some rip-off scam that enjoys charging your card several times for one call (it is now at 40 dollars per call...we're working on stopping that now). After about three minutes of talking to each, I found my way to the disruptions office where they told me that all flights to Edinburgh were canceled and handed me a bus ticket that would take me there instead. The catch? The bus couldn't leave until it was completely full (because they are cheap). Three hours later, the bus was finally pulling out of the airport and thus began a ten hour bus ride, none of which I was able to sleep through. One constellation would have been an opportunity to see the Scottish country-side, but thanks to the stuff covering the roads to melt all the snow and that caked the windshields, I saw nothing.
I arrived at the Edinburgh airport around midnight UK time (four hours after the last bus for Dundee left) and was faced with the duel problem of figuring out how to get my luggage, which was still in Edinburgh, and finding a place to stay until the next day. With a little discussion with my family, and with help from Heather's family, we got a room reserved for me less then a mile from the airport so that I could get a nice shower and sleep a little, which I made sure to do.
Sunday morning I woke up, had a "full Scottish breakfast" (disgusting), and made it to the airport about thirty minutes before the bus to Dundee was supposed to arrive. While waiting for the bus, which due to a miscommunication did not find us until half an hour after we were supposed to leave, I met some other people from the United States and one Canadian also studying in Dundee. We then got on another bus, and this time I actually got to see some countryside along the way (which was amazing).
After an hour, we arrived at Dundee, and since I'm the furthest from the school, was dropped off at my housing first. The guy showed me to my room, handed me the keys, then left. It was a bit unnerving considering I was expecting some kind of orientation or greeting or something, but that was not meant to be. As soon as I made sure the family and Heather knew I was safe, I made a point to explore the city. As it turns out, this really is a gorgeous city, and I was lucky enough to be here for snow (which apparently never happens) to cover everything. After getting lost several times and finding the city center (which really is over a mile worth of walking), I bought some groceries (because I have to be self-sufficient here) and lugged myself in the dark back to my dorm.
Once I got back from my explorations I realized that I never got the opportunity to pick up my starter bedding pack, which is essentially everything I need to make a bed. Unluckily, this night was also a night that I'm pretty sure my heater (which is a radiator, it seems that all of Scotland uses them instead) was either not on or not working properly. Needless to say, the very thin blanket I stole from the airplane and my jacket were neither comfortable nor warm enough. If you ever want to make some kid worry about their study abroad experience, start them off in those conditions.
Since then things have gone uphill for my studying abroad. I have a fully made bed (which is actually slightly different from making an American bed) and have been reunited with my baggage and clean clothes. The people on my hall and the hall below are all very friendly and hospitable, and despite being completely different from those I would normally hang out with, will probably make my stay here very enjoyable when I'm not able to travel around.
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