First Day, London 2/18/10
So the day has come that I'm finally in London, ready to begin it all. It seems kind of surreal, kind of crazy, kind of overwhelming, but overall, way more exciting than anything. 4 months may seem long, but from what I remember with Semester at Sea, when I'm bouncing into every country possible along the way, the memories seem to last way longer than the moments. Who knows though, maybe I'll run out of money way sooner. I'm pretty sure the customs guy at the airport hoped it would. He made it clear I made a bad decision by buying a one-way ticket into London. Apparently, proof of my 2-mo. Eurail pass, flight confirmation pages to Ireland and Scotland, and my Eurostar train pass to Paris in March wasn't enough to prove my lack of interest for truly staying in London long....
In any case, the flight was great. United-good job, smooth landing, surprisingly great pasta for dinner. Doc-thanks for the meds, I think they really helped my anxiety this time around so I actually kept my hands to myself this flight and ended up not holding the person's next to me for ____ hours.
Richard (Dick, as he will be referred to from now on), picked me up from the airport and we took a 1.5 hr train ride with a gloriously annoying amount of baggage with us back to his flat, thanks to me and my super-prepared amount of just-in-case-luggage. Thinking that since I know no one here, my sweaty clothes can stay sweaty (but dried) for a longer period of time.
First thing I do when I get here: shower. Then, Dick takes me to a market that's 800 years old and we get sausages in sandwich form and the dude who cooks it in front of us immediately points out that I'm not "from here". Of course, he thinks Richard is, probs because he has a massive beard growing now and totally talks with a bit of an English twinge to the deep dude accent of California. Somehow, that seems similar to the London ones here....We get some mulled wine, which is basically wine with tea bags and other spices/fruits added into the heated pot, to pair with our sandwiches. Then, we finally chow down.
Next, Richard takes me on a mini-pub crawl, the kind of tour that tourists pay for around here...hehe. We start at a place called the Galleried Coaching Inn, otherwise known as the George. Back in Shakespeare's time, the people left their horses in the courtyard we walked by, and walked up to the window that looks like a movie-ticket window and ordered a pint of good ol' ale. We sat in a corner where the bench seats were made for toddler booties and the floors sank into the middle of the room. Very aged. Very quaint. But fun. Dick's friend Michelle (from Iowa, but WIERD: she's adopted a huge London accent and she's only been here since 2007...) came and had a drink with us, making plans for this weekend with myself and Richard before jetting off to a dinner meeting. Ah, the life of Londoners.
Finally, we walked to a bar on the Thames River and I received a major history lesson between our arrival to the scene and the 3rd pint of the night from Richard. Apparently, he really reads the "historical note" signs on the side of the road.... Grabbed that drink, now here I am, sitting on his couch listening to the flatmate's thumping techno bumpin' on the ground floor.
Grand plans for Rugby and pub gatherings this weekend. Seems I'll be making the most of my time here!
Topping it all off with a gourmet grilled cheez 2/23/10
Satisfied to say that the first little journey has been a pleasant one. Arriving into London, doing the touristy sights...yea that got old fast. A city is so much better when you know a local. I've come to appreciate the moments of merely sitting and enjoying the company. And of course, having a friend cook for you a favorite dish from home surely makes a foreign place much cozier. Right now, Dick is in the kitchen whipping up a grilled cheese sandwich for me, fresh with Gloucester Cheese, which is otherwise known as Chedder Cheese in the states. He's prepping some good common British bacon and ham to add some zest, along with Herbs de Provence (yummy spices), tomatoes and of course, it's getting fried with the bacon fat :) English people are so similar to those in the States. However, there's always a little something off that gives away they are obviously not American. I was discussing this with Richard (who I may remind you is from good ol' Ventura, CA) and his friend Rodrigo (we call him Diego) over some pints the other night at the local pub. Rodrigo is from Mexico, born and raised, but went to school in NYC and lived in D.C. for awhile. He's been schooled here as of late, and is an economic brain. He works for a think tank here in London and lives in a nice flat. He also loves the NFL, so we've had plenty to discuss. ANYWAYS, Dick, Diego and I decided that Londoners have this consistent defeated air about them. They realize their country is not be top economy anymore. They are far more reserved to the average stranger. Am I right? Or maybe it's just the people I met initially....
In any case, not only is the cheese named differently, but it goes for the slang of course. I find myself saying "I paid 10 quid for that taxi!" (tho I haven't taken a taxi here, I've relied solely on walking and the tube, and it's been far more budget-friendly. Plus, I feel confident my belly won't show all these casual pints I've been taking on throughout each day...). As you can see, "quid"="bucks" if we are comparing it to the American English language. Even my thoughts are in a British accent. To be honest, I used to hate watching movies where the actors/actresses had British accents bc I could never understand what they were saying. Now, it's all good. I'm down with understanding them far better. Also, something funny I noticed while out shopping one night. People were drinking on the picnic tables outside pubs and cafes. Pints and coffee and tea. It's about 35 degrees Fahrenheit. As Richard said, "As long as it's not raining, people will drink outside." Pretty darn true. Find that hard to see in the States, let alone CA. Rain scares the SoCal folk.
Some Pics: 
Guard in front of Buckingham Palace.
Guard in front of Buckingham Palace.
View from afar of the London Eye.
Buckingham Palace.
Picadelly Circus.
Shopping on Regent Street. Cool Buildings.
Big Ben in the distance.Westminster Abbey. 
Was walking by Buckingham Palace, the Queen's house, the other day and I happen to stumble across the Changing of the Guards. Ha.
Loved this horse: Heeheheheheh
Then, during the ceremony, which lasted about an hourish...?, I began walking away and suddenly, the marching band plays "Dancing Queen", yes the song from the 70's (I think...). !!!! Seriously? See, looky here:
Hear the Indian food is best here in London, even better than in places in India. Haven't eaten it yet, probs won't till next time. But in the meantime, have enjoyed the Brit's "fry-ups" and English Breakfasts. Here, they really enjoy fried foods. I've actually really liked what I've eaten unlike my last memory of eating British cuisine. Although, last time I was here I was 14 and back then, my taste buds only approved of french fries, spaghetti and bananas. An exception includes the malt vinegar on my baked beans during breakfast (baked beans are part of a proper English Breakfast). Funny, their sausages are about 2x the size of those in the states. And they don't use ketchup to dip them in, they use a substance that looks like BBQ sauce, includes malt vinegar (weird about all the malt vinegar...), but is actually quite good. (Gosh, can't you hear me saying that last sentence with an English accent? I hear it in my own head....driving me nuts!)
All in all, hanging with Richard and his friends from all over the world, as well as from The States (1 is from Texas, 1 is from Indiana) has been the best part about being here. 
Makes me scared to take on Ireland and Scotland all by myself. Hopefully, those in the hostels will show me a friendly time. Looking forward to meeting other travelers on a budget but looking for adventure just the same. But London's brought me some great conversations. Met people from all social classes and interests. Super stoked to meet more!
Makes me scared to take on Ireland and Scotland all by myself. Hopefully, those in the hostels will show me a friendly time. Looking forward to meeting other travelers on a budget but looking for adventure just the same. But London's brought me some great conversations. Met people from all social classes and interests. Super stoked to meet more! 
Richard and I in front of an old galley rest stop. People used to tie up their horses in this main area where we are standing. Stood in the times of Shakespeare. Dick says Shakespeare drank there. Really old inside. Cool place. Already been twice....Reminds me already of something my Uncle Danny's friend told me before I left CA about traveling (He's an older man who's traveled every continent multiple times). He said something like, "Traveling is not really about the sights and the places you'll see, but about the people you'll meet." So true already. Ready to meet far more of them.
Dublin, Here I am 2/24/10
Today was a blah day. Exciting to be coming to a new city, but then I started to feel really lonely. Big cities can do that, make you feel like no one's around but in reality, you are in a huge crowd of people. I think it's because I really have no purpose to my travels that I feel this way. So used to structure....take it away and I feel lost! Hope I get used to being on my own soon....it's only day 1! Ahhh....Any advice besides the common, "just smile, try to talk to people"? My roommates in my hostel, which is actually in an amazing location, don't speak English. And they're boys. Cheaper to get mixed roommates.
Btw, hanging out in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. My hostel is on a busy street and the architecture is amazing!! Old, classy, not sure what to define it as? In any case, stumbled upon a castle in the mix of all the restaurants and bars. Random, but gorgeous. Dublin Castle's pic is above.
So I'm crazy and booked a 6am bus ride across the country for tomorrow. Felt like seeing some Cliffs of Moher and decided to cram it all into a long day trip. Realized I should've booked a hostel out west just so I didn't spend 6a-10p on the go.
O well, you live and you learn. Hopefully my 5am wake-up will be worth it!!
Great Day, Annoying Day, Pretty Fine Now 2/25/10
The Burren, IrelandSo today started out great. Actually, last night at 11p started out great. My foreign male hostel roomies-what language they speak?? Who knows...It's not English. Well, they do speak English. One of them. A little. He's friendly as he walks in to brush his teeth before leaves for a late night out with roomie #2. My sleep sheet I brought works great in the hostel bedding. I know where MY sheet came from...But, it started out really COLD, then turned way HOT by 4am. Then, my French roomies, yes, they are from France! Duh....Well, they walk in stumbling and drunk. So, about 1 hour sleep. Just enough to have a nightmare.
Left my hostel after NO sleep at 5:45am. Woke up early to do a one-day tour to the Cliffs of Moher near Galway, all the way across Ireland on the West Coast. Bus ride leaves at 6am. Suddenly, can't find my map/directions to the stop, so I run down the street looking for familiarity. Busy street at day/night, totally not at 6am. Just cyclists walking to work. And cold-looking business women and men. And some pubs. Open. And then. It starts snowing. It's been too warm to snow lately, but I find my fave scene so far in Ireland is this one.
Peaceful city street, amazing architecture (Seriously, the Temple Bar area has awesome buildings), huge snowflakes bouncing off my messy hair and cute new hat and awesome new waterproof jacket from the Patagonia outlet in downtown Ventura....Loved it.
Found my bus somehow, so it made the morning that much better. THEN, I meet 2 girls from the Univ of Wisconsin. Go Big 10. We chat and find out we are doing tours of the same thing at the same time. Just not with the same company. O well. We agree to breakfast when we get to Galway bc we will all have time to kill.
Sleep for 2 of the 3 hours from Dublin to Galway. The snow is sticking hardcore. Awake to full-on sunshine!!! Haven't seen that since CA. Beautiful out. Green. Arrive to Galway. Get breakfast, cool girls, agree to dinner once our separate tours end.
On tour, meet older Canadian couple who lets me eat lunch with them. Way cool tour, love taking forever taking pics of the same darn cliff with diff angles, colors, zooms. We kept running into old castles and looking posts from a long time ago. As in, 1300's and on. And we went to a tomb that was done back in the early early AD's. Or maybe it was late BC's....whichever it was, it came before the Egyptian temples. The Cliffs of Moher was super super cool. Thanks Bill for the recommendation :) Kind of disappointed bc the sun was in a bad spot, so my pics didn't come out as good as I wished. But whatevs.
Get back and really really tired at 5p. We are early, those Wisco girls' bus is late. I wait for an hour freaking out that I missed them. Their bus gets back and they don't get off it. Don't know where they are. So I trudge down the busy street, but it's not too busy and almost seems lonely, wondering what the hell happened. I even had changed my bus time ticket to leave later for Dublin bc I expected to spend time with them eating dinner. Now I have
to wait 1.5 hours and all I want is to curl into a clean bed. Specifically, mine back in Ventura. With Kalee snoozing next to me.
I cry walking down the street looking upward and toward an angle so no one sees. I feel dumb for being so darn excited to have a dinner date and being so disappointed when it doesn't work out. When will I ever get over that traveling requires flexibility?? I walk by a bar showing the Olympics so I walk in and order my first real Irish Guiness. MmMMMM so yummy. As Jessica says, "It tastes like chocolate (said with a smile)." Bar tender is sweet to me, so I stay and order a plate of fries. Old men down the row are nice and start to make me feel better by talking about traveling. Comforting thing: straight in
front of me is a crazy amount of Police/Fire Dept. patches from stations around the US. Bartender says he lived in NYC for a few years and had a lot of friends there. Small darn world. And, the Irish are really nice people. Really nice. And helpful. And pleasant. Or maybe it was just those that I met.
I leave for my bus full and happy again. Get on it. Those Wisco girls get on after me. I'm like, where the heck did you come from??? I ask politely and they say blah blah blah. Doesn't make sense. I smile sweetly and stay sitting in the front seat I have and watch them walk to the back of the bus. What happened, I dunno. But I'm glad I had a beer at that bar. That's what traveling's all about, right? Random experiences that make the time better?
On this 3 hour bus ride back to Dublin, I am casually on the internet typing away to excess. Love it. Glad I lugged around my computer all day to the Cliffs and round castles and to a tomb and everything else we did/saw. Free WiFi makes Larissa feel not so alone.
Must be strong for tomorrow. After all, I will be visiting the Guiness factory :)
Here's some pics:
Poulnabrone Portal Tomb, from early AD's
O' Brien's Tower, Cliffs of Moher
O'Brien's Tower, Cliffs of Moher
Me in front of part of Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher, Atlantic Ocean
O Brien's Tower
The Burren area of Western Ireland
Cute Town
Pretty castle with rainbow in backgroundDublin Done, Ay 2/28/10
Dublin ended on a good note. As soon as my last entry was written, I headed back to my hostel. After accidently taking the long way home near the Liffey (River) in Dublin, I tossed my stuff into a brand new hostel room, very happy to see I had only one other roomie in a 6-bedroom (and much more spacious) room. I peak at his bag and there’s a tag with a Canadian return address on it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to say “goodnight” to my roommate tonight and know that he understands me! Head down to the dining room, aka hangout area with wi-fi ☺ Soon I see a tall, skinny red-headed guy speaking North American English. Find out he’s Canadian and we meet another Canadian in the kitchen while chatting. He mentions he’s got plans with a couple Scottish girls and one Irish girl to go grab drinks down the street later. I agree to go with. Even though I only got 1 hour of sleep the night before. And woke up at 5am. We all meet up, take forever to leave, and finally roll out of the hostel at 1:30am, not returning till 5. I’ve officially been awake for 24 hours. We quickly become friends and I agree to meet one of the girls for a Dublin day tour followed by a trip to the Guiness Factory. She’s chill, reminds me of my SAS roomie, Aftan. Sarcastic, a little goofy, short with brown hair, and easy to hang with.Next day, I oversleep. But we make it to the tour on time. Learn not too much of in depth info, or maybe I just pay attention more to the jokes and accent of the guide bc I’m not a major history buff. Also, it’s so interesting to just people watch the others in the tour group. So many accents….I really like Dublin for it’s size. I love how I don’t have to buy a 3-day bus pass or Tube/Metro/Rail/Subway pass. I love how I can walk all over and feel safe and find things and see others from the hostel and wave but still know it was a rare incident. Like when we ran into our Scottish friends during the tour. Random.
Sarah from Canada and I head to Subway for a cheap meal the Guiness Factory will take 11 Euro from us. We head over and it’s crazy elaborate. They make everything so philosophical. They put cool sayings up on the walls during our self-guided tour. They have elaborate fountains mimicking the process of making Guiness. They give the history of the Storehouse and brewery. Arthur Guiness first signed a 9000 year lease on his factory because he liked the location of where it stood near the Liffey. He was convinced it’s fresh water made the brewing process much more successful. At the end, we got to learn how to pour a proper Guiness. Then we stare out the window and chat while glancing at the church towers, old buildings and grey sky before us.
After I head to a new hostel bc my current one was full for the big weekend. The 6 Nations Rugby Tournament was taking place nearby and Ireland was facing England. Big Deal. That’s when I meet two Americans and stay in a hostel with lockers so my stuff finally feels safe. We chat forever about Scotland, Europe and life. It feels good to vent. And to hear US English. I think I finally let out all my negative attitude and after finally sleeping it all out, I wake up okay. I’m finally feeling okay, so I go for a run to a nearby park that is the biggest in Europe, created to look like Central Park in NYC. After seeing the touristy stuff the day before, I feel like I’m not so much on a schedule any more, and that feels great.
I have plans to meet with the Canadians and Scotts and the Irish girl before the rugby match at 4pm. I stroll down new streets on the way and take pictures because I have time.
We get our discounts for pints at various pubs bc our hostel is cool, and finally head to a nearby one for a good meal and to watch the match. The place quickly packs and the energy makes it feel I’m in the Big House with 107,900 others. Ireland wins so it’s way more fun.
That pretty much is the logistics of Dublin. Pics are here. I guess it was more of a transition city for me. Big, pretty, fun, but almost seemed like just another city because they speak English and so much seems American. Especially all the 50’s replica restaurants that are open late with shakes and fries. And Lady Gaga andMiley Cyrus playing in all the clubs. I am glad I am not living there to work because I would get antsy for something new quite easily, and it is too much like home. It makes me excited to head south to countries that don’t speak like me.
The Irish are extremely kind. I’ve met some really friendly people who’ve gone way out of the way for me. I can identify the difference between an Irish and Scottish and British accent. I feel cool. And despite what certain people told me, I found many Irish folk to be quite attractive, and very well-dressed.
For now, I’m optimistic about Scotland. It’s snowing, so I will get a different perspective than the average summer backpacker. I plan to find Nessie up North, and have a ghost sighting tonight at my haunted Castle Rock Hostel in Edinburgh.
Keep writing me emails at larissa.c.white@gmail.com. It’s comforting to know that even though my relationships out here are short, the ones from home last long through the miles. Cheers!
Temple Bar, Dubin
Temple Bar Alley, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Guiness Storehouse Tour-Clever Quote, Dublin
Cocky Guiness description of ingredients, Guiness Storehouse 
Thought-Provoking Quote, Guiness Storehouse
Jebus in front of pretty church in Dublin
I got to learn a proper Guiness pour, Guiness Storehouse
Yay! Good beer.
Group of Canadians, Scots, Irish and me prepping for the 6 Nations Rugby Tourny
Sarah and I with Tall Rebel Lagers, Bull and Castle Pub
It's Ireland vs. England in case you can't tell....
Packed bar=lots of Irish=lots of excitement
The Irish win!A Metaphor if You Wish….And So the race begins 2/28/10
Well I think I had a bit of a stumble in the beginning of this journey that I’ve finally recovered from. Keep finding myself relating the entire trip so far, though barely begun, to a cross-country race:I begin the trip sitting in the grass with Richard in London. I’ve been to this course before, so there’s no pressure right now to prepare myself too heavily. I just relax and enjoy the company around me as we watch the days—the other races--go by before us. My time of my race rolls nearer and the anxiety of this feat I’m about to embark on rolls in. When Richard waves goodbye to me at the train station just before I line up at the starting line, my chest feels a little heavy because I don’t know what to expect. I’ve done races like this before, on other courses, but familiar people were there to cheer me on—my coaches, my teammates. I haven’t yet raced on such a grand stage, and all by myself. I don’t know these other racers in the meet. It’s a foreign one to me but I’ve made it this far, I can’t quit before I’ve even begun.
The gun shoots off, and it’s chaos as I carry my heavy baggage--thoughts I can’t leave behind at home—through trains and planes and buses. It’s raining consistently, creating an ominous mood, like the sky is laughing on my behalf because I can’t quite get comfortable and I make faces and tears spring to my eyes. I stumble into Dublin, worried I won’t get into that zone of independence—the one that makes me think I can take on anything and anyone, and, do it all alone. There’s others there too, but they don’t speak my language, so I can’t even feel that encouraging comraderee that so often happens when I meet others who know what I am going through, and know exactly what to say to make it all better.
But it’s funny how a couple of other racers who speak my language can make all the difference. I ask them for help. I need guidance for the rest of the race. I don’t want to quit, but I forget how to finish. These are precious rare moments where the race has become steady, so they quickly offer their advice with a smile and I finally take off ahead, hearing a faint, “good luck!” in the background. Suddenly, I feel like I’ll last. I start to gain courage and gather momentum and at the same time, begin to independently navigate amongst the chaos of fellow racers that no longer bother me.
So now, I’m on my way. I’m slowly picking off the racers in front of me, sometimes gaining a smile and an encouraging word, sometimes getting ignored, not because they don’t necessarily understand, they simply don’t know the words to say so. From my knowledge of past races, I know that most race courses present hills that are both steep and steady, but I also know that for every hill, there is a downhill, and some last longer than others. The worst part is that every day I am turning a new corner, so I don’t know what to expect, nor when to expect these hills. All I can do is roll the race and embrace this freedom I’ve been blessed with, all the while stretching my legs as far as they will climb, because I have the opportunity to do so.
2/28/10 Hockey, In Scotland?
Edinburgh here...and it's spoken like "eh-din-burrr". It's AMAZING. SImply the most beau-ti-ful city I've ever been to. I couldn't keep my mouth closed as my bus drove by the city's central area. I simply could not stop saying "Wow". I was in a medieval time period. I don't even like Renaissance times, but this made me like it. From now on. I had only a day to see it all though, because as mentioned before, I want to see Nessie up in the Loch Ness area. I'm taking a 3-day tour with a group bc I got a major discount, it being off-season, mid-weak, snowy and all. Can't wait to see up north! Hear it's gorgeous. Edinburgh is amazing though. Only got to see the Castle, which by the way, I'm literally staring out from my hostel window. Castle Rock Hostel...google it. It's the best one in Edinburgh, Scotland. I arrived into town about 3:30pm and rushed to the Castle, where I saw everything historical about Scotland and the Crown Jewels...ohh. So sweet. Then I hopped down the Royal MIle, cobblestone streets and shops and cute alleys and about a gagillion Starbucks (thanks Mom and Dad for keeping me well fed in the UK btw, the gift card's been a blessing!!) and all, heading toward the Queen's Palace at the end. I literally ran into a wall though when the guard slammed the gate in my face. It was past 5 and he had "other places to lock up, sorry ma'am". Jerk. All I asked for was one quick pic of the outside! Erg...New story. Sitting in the movie lounge of my way-cool hostel with a bajillion Canadians during the USA vs. Canada hockey game. They are soooo loud and obnoxious and even have the Aussies and randoms rooting for them. There are a few Americans and we silently make faces and move our fists in the air when good things happen for the US. Still a cool setting though all the way out in Scotland. There's people here at this hostel who don't even know what hockey is. HA.
[MInutes pass] Okay, now that the US started to get into it and eventually tied Canada in the last seconds, the Americans are being heard...It is so extremely intense in here. So much passion lies within the Canadian people for hockey!!! It's like the Irish for their rugby yesterday, but WORSE. In so many ways.
A Scottish Icon...don't remember who. Oops.
Soo my hostel's next to a CASTLE.
Inside Castle Rock Hostel...
Edinburgh Castle
Scotland's Something or other...
View from the Castle.
The Royal Mile.The Following all at the Edinburgh Castle:
Cool alley along Royal Mile.
None of these pictures give the Edinburgh architecture justice!!!
The Queen's Palace, although this was taken through the gate's lattices...3/3/10 Scotland, You’ve Officially proved yourself
This was written a few days back before I left Scotland for Cambridge:
Elllo from Scotland, almost goodbye. Just returned from a 3-day tour up north in the Highlands of Scotland. It was an amazing trip full of snow, great people, a tour-guide donning a kilt, and many many laughs with my new Greek friends. I even got to feed a cow!! The Highland cow are much bigger and have long golden-brown hair with crazy viking horns sticking out. I fed Hamish today, a cow residing somewhere in mid-Scotland. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to post my video! It's soo cool tho. I gave him potatoes and carrots and he licked em right up!!I'm finally feeling integrated with this whole backpacking across Europe thing. Going on a tour like this, already organized, but very casual and full of only young people, gave me the structure I needed, and the local tour guide was incredible. He knew so much of where we were bc he grew up there. His stories and foibles of the lands made it that much better. And of course, his kilt helped me always remember I was in Scotland.
I last left off discussing Edinburgh, the most beautiful city I think I've ever been to. Got picked up that next morning after a night chatting with 2 girls from Georgia. They're backpacking too, so it was fun to know I may see them in France! My tour starts off with the tour guide, Graeme (like, Graham) poking fun at how chatty I am. ALthough it wasn't my fault the other 7 people in my tour were so darn friendly...I was just answering their questions! We all introduce ourselves bc it is a small group: 3 Aussies (2 are a couple), 2 Portuguese, 2 Greek and 4 from Hong Kong, but they pretty much just nod and smile to me at first.
As we roll along, find out that the Aussies are each traveling a ton, the couple has been traveling together for 7 months already, heading to the US on Friday and buying a car to road trip around. Had some great realizations that I truly am a crazy American--not many, esp girls, go backpacking across Europe by themselves for so long. Aussies do. Canadians do. Europeans do. So I've racked up quite a few compliments on stepping outside our workaholic bubble of a country. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to represent America despite the easy jokes that come with it :)
So I'm labeled as the chatty one by Graeme, so the tour starts off with a bang. We wander up North into snowy mountain regions, stopping by lots of castles, forts and other old old old old buildings. We taste Scottish malt whisky at a distillery in the middle of nowhere, Tomatin Distillary. The whole town is employed by the place, it's kind of cute. It tasted like tequila. We stop by the Loch Ness after. Loch means "lake" in Gaelic. Graeme is a local and admits that all the pictures of the Loch Ness monster, otherwise known as "Nessie" are fakes. ALL fakes. Kind of a bummer....However. However--there are sightings of something black and unique around every month or so in the Loch Ness, as well as in neighboring lakes. The whole area was very volcanic at one point, so many of the mountains and lakes follow a unique pattern. They think there is a loch below the Loch Ness, so therefore, sightings of a possible Nessie are common all around. At this point in our tour, Graeme pulls out the Jura. THe Jura becomes our groups official bond. We all take a sip and pass around the bottle, confirming our friendship and tour closeness. We cheers to Nessie.
Our hostel was in a very very small town. Head to a pub with just ourselves, and one Greek, Dimitrius, otherwise known as Senior MacCoconut by the end, shares lentil soup and pepperoni pizza with me. He teaches me the proper way to share soup, so he feeds me soup on a spoon and wipes my mouth afterward with a piece of bread. Then I eat it. Coconut's actual surname is Kokonus, or something like that. Graeme makes fun of him and calls him Coconut the whole trip bc he is constantly just plain nutty. His thick accent and random comments make for an easy target of jokes and laughter. Unfortunately, I can't post the video right now!
Here's a lesson. Mac in the name MacDonald, means "son of Donald". Mac is a common portion of Scottish last names. Irish last names usually start with a Mc.
Went for an amazing hike on day 2. Prior to that, Graeme took us to a river and told us a story about a warrior goddess. Pretty sweet moral and such cool history of the land and people. I love all the tradition. Some participated in a silly ritual of sticking your face in the water for 7 seconds. Remember it's frozen in most parts of this river....of course, MacCoconut jumped to it first. Grame claims it gives you eternal beauty if you dip your face in. He tried to tell me to do it, you know, for America....I said no, i don't need eternal beauty because I already have it. HA. I just didn't want my mascara running all over my white jacket.
I haven't run hardly at all, and have been sitting a lot on buses etc. It felt amazing to stretch my legs and breathe hard in the mountains. Scotland's Highlands are seriously amazing. As I said, volcanos ruled the land a while back, so there's mountains that look like Mars. Actually kind of cooler than Ireland.... Anyways, I got scared on parts of the hills bc that's what I do when I hike...I turn into Mom about heights. We were on a narrow path next to a cliff, so MacCoconut reached this huge tree branch that he was carrying back to me, and I held onto it like a leash as he led the way. Greek men are so kind!! We had a snowball fight and MacCoconut began hitting the snowballs with his stick like he was playing baseball. His friend, John (actually its Johannas) just sits and laughs bc he is used to his crazy friend's antics.
We reach the top and I can see snowy peaks across the lochs, and jutting rocks surround me...it reminded me of the view from Table Mountain in South Africa: I could see soooo far and the lighting was awesome bc it was sunny out and late afternoon. I apparently was very lucky bc we had sun all through Scotland. An amazing break from all the rain/clouds when I was in London and Dublin. I felt like myself being at the top of that mountain. I was hiking and being outdoors and although it was absolutely freezing out, it didn't bother me one bit bc the sun was shining and I was in good company.
My hostel experience was pretty sweet this time too. Only had the Aussie couple as roomies so we were all excited to just casually leave our stuff out and not worry about the computers and such. Having a safe storage space is a huge relief. We were able to hang out casually and sleep long. Well, I did at least. I finally got some good sleep, although at one point the first night, I woke up screaming. I don't know why. I did it 2x that night, but I don't remember the second time. Weird. Weird just like the time I woke up punching Bobby next to me cuz I thought he was a kidnapper. Weird.
Today, we ended our tour, all worn out, but all with new friendships. Friendships while traveling are not normal. The time you spend together is short, but the bond will always be tight because of the memories. I'm hoping to keep in touch with people in case they ever need advice about the US, or a place to stay. And also bc I know others in countries I hope to visit someday sooner or later. The Greeks told me to visit, and said they'd take me to the city of Larissa. That's something I want to do, but my $ probs won't get me that far away from this side of the region. But who knows...that's the glory of traveling on my own. I can do and go whatever and whenever I want. Still getting used to that....
Cambridge is next. Will be nice to be back with a familiar face. Perrin is dad's friend's (Dan) mum. She is an incredible 70ish woman who loves to ride her bike and go for walks. She's even got me set to attend one of her singing concerts. I'm stoked.
Fly out of Scotland tomorrow morning. Toinight I will stay with Vicky, a friend I met in Dublin who attends university in Glasgow. She's kind of close to the airport I leave out of. Note: Scotland gives free university education to it's residents. Sweeeeet, huh?? WIll be fun to see her again. She's very fun and sweet.
Cheers for now!
Harry Potter movie anyone??
Big Beethoven on the sidewalk.
Snowy Peaks, maybe Grampian Mountains?
Old Abandoned Castle.
Eating a picnic lunch at the stables.
Hiking in Isle of Skye. Amazing views!
Waterfall and AMAZING volcanic cliffs.
Faerie Glen? In any case, many films shot here for the view.
Eilean Donan Castle (I think...gosh I'm so confused...), aka Maid of Honor movie anyone ( I KNOW that's true)?
Our tour bus.
Isle of Skye.
MacCoconut dipping his face into the river for "eternal beauty"
Forest before mountains of hike in Isle of Skye.
MacCoconut hitting a baseball of snow with our crew up top in Isle of Skye.
Tomatin Distillery. 
Cottage in battlefield from Battle of Culloden in 1746 (England didn't like the Highlanders' traditions--they wanted everyone to live modernly like the British). Many Scots dispersed by force and some came to help start America.
Loch Ness (and Nessie somewhere...)
Tour Guide Graeme and the Jura Whiskey he supplied us...
Pretty.
Pretty.
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