I cannot believe that I have already been in Scotland for a month! It is crazy how fast the time is going by. I am trying to enjoy every second and moment here at Stirling. Autumn is definitely coming and I am excited to spend my favorite season in this beautiful country!
In the wee early hours of Monday morning, I safely arrived back on campus from my weekend in Copenhagen. It was nice to be back at a place that felt like home. It was a bit hard to get up Tuesday morning for class, especially after walking 35 miles the past weekend. Classes have not been crazy but it has been nice getting to know other local students. Surprisingly, Stirling has a lot of commuter students. After a day catching up on life, I settled myself in for a bowl of pasta and chatted with my flatmates, My weekend in Copenhagen was definitely catching up with me.
Wednesday's are a relaxing day for me. The only class I have is a screening for my Reading Film and TV module and this week we watched the "Dead Ringers." A very odd film. Before the screening, I met up with my friend Joy, a girl from my study abroad program and we grabbed breakfast at "Starbucks" of campus. We reflected on my weekend and I caught myself up on my blog and travel diary. My travel diary is a more personal reflection during my time here in Scotland. Almost like a scrapbook, my diary contains Polaroids and maps and tickets that help memorialize my study abroad experiences. I have grown quite proud of the diary, as well as this blog. After the screening, I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and catch up on some readings. Later that night, I went to the Settle Inn, the oldest pub in Stirling, with some friends! The pub is known for its traditional Scottish music played every Wednesday. The pub was this cute, wee lil' place, it reminded me of the Leaky Cauldren from Harry Potter. I managed to snag a coaster while I was there too. I have been trying to collect a coaster for every pub or bar I attend to!
Since I don't have class on Thursday, I caught up on some additional readings and work for my modules and packed for my first evening in Glasgow! I have heard people favor either Glasgow or Edinburgh, and I was excited to compare the two cities.We grabbed a train into the city walked around downtown Glasgow for a bit before heading to our Air B&B for the night. Due to some complications with our Air B&B though, we decided not to spend the night in Glasgow. I wasn't too disappointed though because I could sleep in my own bed for class on Friday. We continued to walk around Glasgow and grabbed dinner at Smash Burger before taking the train back to Stirling. The night did end on a positive note after I grabbed ice cream with my friend Joy, at a lil' Italian family restaurant called Courrieris. I got toffee and Oreo ice cream with whip cream and topped with a biscuit. I was a big fan. I did some additional readings after walking back to campus and called it an early night for a busy day of Friday classes!
Friday's always fly by. It is a constant back and forth between my lectures and seminars and short library and cafe visits. I left my flat at 8:45 and didn't arrive back at my flat until 16:15. I haven't had such a day like that since last semester at Xavier. I don't mind being that busy and distracted with my modules though. Lately, my Friday nights have been very casually, usually involving a pasta dinner, tea, blogging, and a movie. I have grown quite fond of those little Friday nights in. Its nice to catch up on yourself after a busy day.
After prepping myself Friday night, I got up early Saturday morning for my second hike with the Mountaineering Club! I was very excited. We hiked up the Cobbler. Its amazing how these mountains are just a short drive from Stirling. You don't experience these kind of landscapes on the East Coast of the USA.
The hike was absolutely breathtaking! We had perfect weather with blue skies and a warm sun. We walked up dirt trails and climbed over green hills and scrambled over some rocks. I met students from all over the world, from Germany to Wisconsin to the Netherlands! We reached our first peak and stopped for lunch and picture taking. From the top, you could see Loch Lomond, Loch Long, and even the sea! I was not expecting to see the sea during this hike.
During moments such as these, it feels surreal that I am actually here in Scotland and spending the semester in this beautiful country. We hiked up the second peak, which was quieter and much more peaceful, but with equally as amazing views. On these mountains there are also bits of quartz everywhere, which I found very cool. After a long walk down through the grasses and trails we reached the bottom of the hike again. After climbing from 0 to 3000 feet above sea level and nearly 10 miles, I was feeling a bit sore and tired, but definitely worth feeling standing on top of a mountain. After a quick turn around, Joy and I hanged out with members from the Mountaineering club for the night. Returning back to campus, Joy and I ordered Dominos and cookies since we were starving! It was a very Xavier way to end a night. Saturday was definitely the highlight of my fourth week at Stirling.
After sleeping in a bit on Sunday, Joy and I checked out a vintage clothing fair on campus. If you have not noticed yet but I love thrift shopping! It was also the perfect and cheap opportunity to find clothing for Halloween. Despite the rainy day, I decided it was time to explore Stirling Castle! The structure of the Stirling Castle reminded me of Edinburgh Castle, but Stirling's Castle has much more historical significance. Even in the rain, it was a beautiful castle with intricate detailing and statues and beautiful gardens. The castle offered amazing views of Stirling and the William Wallace Monument. Feeling a bit chilly, I decided to walk into downtown Stirling to explore some cafes to warm up. I stopped at an adorable cafe called Mint Cafe, where I grabbed hot chocolate, a chicken and cheese crepe, and a slice of red velvet cake. The cafe reminded me a bit of the coffee shop at Emerald Isle, North Carolina called 4J's. It was the perfect way to warm up in the chilly and rainy Scottish weather. I made my way back to campus and treated myself that night to a hot shower, a face mask, and night of diary writing and Harry Potter.
Cheers to my fifth week at Stirling!
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