Linlithgow and Glasgow

I apologize for the delay in posting recently.

Here are some updates.

I have now had two weeks of classes and all have gone wonderfully so well. I made it through finding new classrooms, meeting lots of new professors and tutors, learning my way around a new library and dealing with a very different course set up.

A group from my program went to Linlithgow Palace, where Mary Queen of Scots was born, and toured the palace and church there. It was such a wonderful trip and quite an adventure! The palace is not whole, but is stable enough that you are allowed to just wonder the corridors, climb the spiral staircases in the towers, walk through the rooms and even get into the oven! After looking around the church and exploring the castle Indiana Jones style we decided to walk around Loch Linlithgow. That night we also stopped in Edinburgh for dinner. It might have been a bad plan looking back on it since it was Valentine's Day, but it ended up being a fun night anyway.

This past week was a bit busier on the school side of things as I had my third class, Economics of Innovation, and also had my first tutorial and lab for my other modules. The tutor for my Divinity tutorial is excellent and the group of students should be an interesting group to discuss the course material with as well.

I have also started running with the cross country club a few nights a week. The group is a range of abilities and commitment so it fits my busy schedule and the fact that I haven't run seriously in over 3 years well. It is nice to see the area and meet full-time students as well.

This weekend was my home stay in Glasgow. Five of us left on Friday for Glasgow not knowing what was in store, and we could not have had a better time! We were split between two families, but spent a good bit of time with both families and all of us together.

We visited the West End of Glasgow on Saturday. This consisted of the beautiful Botanical Gardens and an art museum. The gardens had plants from all over the world, including the south east US, and I saw some of the most beautiful flowers! I think I took a few too many pictures of the flowers... The art museum was actually a bit more than just art. There were exhibits on all sorts of themes instead of being organized by only time or style.

It was great to spend time with a family and get to know how people live and view themselves, Scotland, the UK and the US. They were so hospitable as well, and the food was amazing!

I know more has happened that I will have to fill in later, but at the moment I should sleep. We are supposed to have a fire alarm sometime this week, and I have a feeling it will be tonight.