Post-Dublin Update

I'm back in Edinburgh and I have to say that overall Dublin was amazing. Never in my life did I see myself actually going to Ireland, much less Dublin. I spent a total of 12 days in Ireland, 3 of which were day trips out to see the Giant's Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle. I enjoyed all three but my favorite was the Blarney Castle/Cork trip. Overall, Ireland is a lovely country and I hope to return again someday in the not so distant future. Now that I'm back in Edinburgh I have roughly a month and a half left here in Scotland with exams coming up in May. Everything should be fine and I look forward to what the days ahead may have in store.

London and Quidditch

For those of you who don't know, this past weekend I made my way down to London to participate in a Quidditch tournament in Reading. I myself have never been to London nor have I participated in such an amazing display of athleticism and sportsmanship. I may have come away bruised but it is not an experience I am likely to forget. During this trip I was not alone. I traveled with a great group of people known as the Holyrood Hippogriffs. They are an outstanding team and an even greater group of people. I had the honor to play with them and see parts of London with them. I got to see places like Hyde Park

The Science Museum, which has an awesome flight simulator by the way,

And the hectic, Irish congregation that was Trafalgar Square.

Overall, I want to say thank you to everyone that made this weekend a possibility. It is moments like these that I will take home with me and cherish.

Realizing how out of shape I am or the day I played quidditch again for the first time in almost two years...

I have been looking into the Harry Potter society and thought I would check out their quidditch team since I had played in my freshman year. I got there and met some of the other players and they were all nice people. We started out with simple stretches and a few laps around the pitch. All well and good. As we got more into it is when I came to the realization that I hadn't done much in the ways of serious physical activities in some time and I have thrown myself into a situation in which tackling is not uncommon. Overall it was a great experience and was fun to get back into this equally great sport.i am glad I made the decision to come out and practice with them and look forward to doing it again.

Edinburgh: Cold, Gray, but as Beautiful as Ever

I have been here in Edinburgh over a month now and have seen more cold, and dreary days than I could shake a handful of sticks at. It has snowed twice that I have seen with none of it sticking. I have worn a jacket everyday knowing it to be cold out, but I can't help see how beautiful it is. There is more history here than I could possibly hope to study in a slew of lifetimes, but what makes this city work and so wonderful is the people. I have yet to meet anyone that I have a distaste for, not saying there isn't anyone just that I have yet to meet them, and have met a good number of people who are among the nicest people I will have the pleasure to meet. The destination, along with the journey are only parts of the experience. What truly makes it is the people you find along the way.

As for general updates I have no class this week due to an event called Innovative Learning Week in which the university hosts a variety of events to expand the minds of both staff and students alike. Just this day I was taken on a tour of Edinburgh Castle to see the military history of Scotland and it's soldiers through history. It was a wonderful experience and the castle provided a spectacular view of the city.

Homestay Weekend and the Water Leith

This past weekend I was able to stay with a local family. They were lovely people who were both kind and friendly. On Saturday a group of other students and myself were taken along the Water of Leith followed by a game of bowling. It was a beautiful walk and I was excited to learn that their daughter is good friends with Karen Gillan who played Amy Pond on Doctor Who. It was a great weekend and I look forward to the ones that follow.

Third week in Edinburgh

Although the actual three week mark isn't until Wednesday and I was supposed to do this yesterday I am going to do this now. For all of those concerned I am very much alive and kicking. I am loving every minute of being here in this lovely city and this beautiful country. I may not have left the city itself but i have seen it in it's from a hill nearby called Arthur's Seat. From a hill next to it I took this photo and saw the surrounding country side. I could see the rolling hills, the bay,  and it truly makes you think about everything. It is one of those moments where past, present, and future slam into you at once and you don't really know what to do with these fleeting seconds of life. It is as if the whole of the world just crammed into your head and the wide range of emotion that us as human beings are capable of experiencing ingrained themselves into my little ole mind. I thought of Texas, the riverside I have come to call home these past 5 or so years, my friends, family, my fears, my joys, sorrows, and my future. Anything and everything that one can think of brushed across my speechless mind as I gazed across a place that has seen so much of history and the human experience. In that moment I knew in my mind that I may not know what would happen to me in the following months but that I would be ok in the end. That I would come back a better man, and person then I currently am. I may be 21 but there is a lot that I don't know and have yet to learn about what it means to be someone on this little planet we call home. But most importantly, through everything, in that moment of beauty and realization I look down and see the most amazing thing, and a sight I will carry with me the rest of my days when I am an old and balding man. I saw that someone had taken the time to hike up this imposing hill, someone I am likely to never meet, and constructed a giant penis out of stone for the whole world to see.

Blog in Scotland

I have finally taken the time to set up my blog. Which is me using my old blog from freshman-sophmore year to be honest. I will try to do a weekly update with news, interesting things, and photos as they come along. The semester has only started and there is a long way left to travel before I find myself in the Lone Star state once again. Edinburgh is a beautiful city with a little bit for everyone. I haven't been beyond the city yet but I look forward to the opportunities.