Freshers' Week

With my first full week in Edinburgh complete, I am totally exhausted and plan on spending today relaxing. This past week was Freshers' Week, and it was a huge adventure. The week was jam packed with activities, meetings, and plenty of fun things to do. I've spent a decent amount of time trying to settle in and run errands. I've cooked a few times this week as well, and it isn't as bad as I had expected, and I was quite proud of the results.

Through my program, I was able to get a Freshers' Week pass for free (they're normally 30 pounds). The pass enabled me to participate in all of the activities for free. Unfortunately my friends and I weren't told that many of the events require getting tickets in advance, so we missed a free tour of Edinburgh castle and an open top bus tour, but we were able to take advantage of a free trip to the Edinburgh zoo which was so much fun! The zoo is playing a large role in trying to breed animals that are critically endangered, so there were quite a few very rare animals. The landscaping was so pretty and we got a free tour through the visit. The entire zoo is built on a mountain, so I definitely got my workout for the day walking up, but the views were outstanding. As we were leaving, my friends and I found a vending machine that sells small cups on Ben & Jerry's ice cream! As we're all too cheap to buy real ice cream at a grocery store, we treated ourselves to a little taste from home, and it was delicious.

Thursday was by far my favorite day as I was just feet away from the pope! There was a huge parade through one of the largest streets in the city, leading away from the Queen's palace. I've never seen so much plaid or heard so many bagpipes in my life, but the parade was excellent.  The streets were packed and there was a ton of security, but we were able to see the pope in his popemobile quite well. As I'll probably never see the pope again, it was quite an experience.

Yesterday afternoon, a large group from my program was able to go to a professional football (soccer) match. A member of the Scottish parliament, who holds season tickets, was able to get us tickets for only 5 pounds, a great deal. The game was so much fun! I'm not a huge soccer fan, but it was great being with the group and cheering on the local team. The atmosphere among the Scottish fans kind of reminded me of cheap bleacher seats at Fenway on a Friday night. The fans were very rowdy, and slightly inappropriate, but it was great to mingle with local football fans.

Although living in a flat is really fun, there are quite a few things I will never take for granted again, including:
-Wal-mart (one stop shopping isn't an option here)
-Laundry machines in my building
-Dining hall food
-Dishwashers
-Fresh fruit

Now that I've settled in and know my way around the city fairly well, my homesickness is starting to wear off and I'm having the time of my life. Freshers' Week is over, classes start tomorrow, and I am so ready and excited. I definitely need some structure in my life!