Time and time again...where does the time go?

Hello to all! I am sitting here once again in front of my computed updating you with my life. So...where to start? I am going to Stockholm, Sweden this weekend which will be awesome! I will be dining and drinking (maybe one at most...Sweden is the most expensive country to drink in) with people who have come from all over the world in search for one thing...VIKINGS! I may find myself wielding a sword and growing pig tails braided perfectly...I don't know however if I could pull that look off?

Back to what I am currently doing. I have recently found a job! I am working as bar staff at a pub! It serves your normal type of bar food and is a pub! I am so pumped by the fact that I am actually getting to work in a Scottish pub. Yesterday was my first day and I found myself watching a Celtic F.C. match with a bunch of old Scottish men. It was quite exhilarating. So now all I am trying to do is get a national insurance number so I can get paid...why does the government have to make things so complicated?

*Negative topic of the day*
Schooling? I am taking an accounting class and I was studying this evening with Stephen (my flat mate) and my friends Louise and we were talking about the test next week and Louise informs me that if you fail the test then you fail the entire class. WHAT! I remember everyone saying there is more pressure here because it is all on the student but failing one assignment means that you have to resit the class in August! I guess this means I am going to start studying all the time!

*Back to better topics*
Amanda treated me to a lovely valentines weekend about 30 miles north of Glasgow in a town called Luss. We stayed in this cozy beach house over looking Loch Lomond. It was by far one of the greatest places I have ever stayed and was so beautiful to overlook the loch from our bedroom window. It is always invigerating to feel so small when standing next to a giant body of water that has been there for 1000's of years. We are currently in the process of figuring out what is going on for spring break. As of right now we are leaning towards biking the southern france fro a week and covering about 250 miles. Riding along the coast of the Mediterainian Sea and being able to smell the vinyards from the road would be a beautiful thing.

Well I feel my stomach and my book calling me and saying to pay attention, so I guess this will be the end of my post...

cheers!

"An as my life turns to a song..."

Greetings again! So I have now gone out for my 5th or 6th times handing in C.V.'s (resumé). I was freaking out a bit about money and then realized that I am in Europe and there is no need to freak out, whatever happens happens, sure it would be great to drink with my friends...but then again it will also be better this summer when I can do something amazing while in Prague or Paris or Madrid! I have been doing so much thinking out here about life and all that intellectual stuff. I have decided that I do want to live all over before settling down. I want to be able to see the sun rise at the earliest time in Australia, I want to help out some how in Africa wherever that maybe. Life is too short to just sit around and do the same old thing. I have met some amazing people from literally all over the world and I have only been here for 3 weeks (to the day actually)!

This weekend is that oh so commercialized day of Valentines Day. Amanda is setting up some surprise for me and she will not tell me what it is...so that will be a whole different entry. I am getting excited to go to Stockholm, Sweden in three weeks. A group of us are going to couchsurf (I recommend everyone just join the site for being an open couch). It is so much fun to open yourself to this whole different level of people letting complete strangers stay in their home and show them a blip of their lifestyle.

I have spent the last couple days under the weather unfortunately. I woke up Tuesday morning at 3:21 AM (10:21 EST) cluching my ear in extreme pain. I stayed awake until 6:30 AM and then decided to call the infirmary and speak to someone. The really helpful nurse suggested getting some acetaminophen and taking that until the swelling goes down...needless to say now I just have a bunch of earwax build up ("I can add that to my collection I keep under my desk"...Ren & Stimpy quote) I am feeling much better now except a muscle in my shoulder is carrying a lot of tension...if only I were at camp and I could go visit Erin and she would give me icyhot patches.

Well tonight is out weekly international pub night! All the international students get together and drink and converse between one another. It is a bunch of fun. I usually have fun conversations with a Norweigan girl, Latvian girl, German girl, two really cool french guys, and a kiwi (New Zeland). It is loads of fun and definitely a high light.

Well that is all for this week and I will update once the weekend is over. Hope everyone back home is doing well and is enjoying themselves.

There is scottish snow on the ground...much different than American snow

So....Scotland...

There are numerous ways I could start this entry off. I could start off with a joke
ex) So...Three Americans, four French, two Canadians, and an Aussie walk into a pub...

I could start is as a romance novel
ex) I walked through the crowded streets of Edinburgh passing buildings that are over 800 years old, with my wonderful girlfriend on one arm, a hot chocolate in my other hand and the sounds of bagpipes floating into the cloudless Carolina blue sky.

I could start it as a crappy American Pie movie
ex) After getting a snowball fight we went and drank and then decided to make fart jokes while talking about porn...

but I think the proper way of starting this post would be by saying that...I fear that going home in the summer will be a very very hard thing to do. Everyday I am falling more and more in love with this country and it's people. I have met some amazing people and have already made some excellent friends. I booked a flight to Milan, Italy last night for only £30.21=$44.56.

The fact that I have this opportunity is a great and surreal thing. I went to Edinburgh last weekend to see Amanda (my girlfriend for the few that don't know). I was amazed by the city. It was the oldest place I have ever been with out a doubt in my mind. I looked at buildings that were around before my surname was created. I walked on streets that had been walked on by actual royalty that made a difference in the world (see picture on left). I sat in a pub that was known for giving a criminal their last shot of whiskey before being hung. It was awesome.

I rode the train to Edinburgh with my friend Chelsea (Canadian) and we were able to have a good talk. Every time I have a serious talk with someone I have met here I always find it funny that I am telling this person really personal things and before last week I would have never known that they even existed. It is a wonderful thing and an amazing thing to show you the passion of human beings.

I am really getting excited for this summer I just need to make some money here and soon. I applied for a bartender job at a pub which would be awesome I just hope I can get it.

Well I am off for now. Since I have my computer back I will be updating a bit more often, but my blog is not my priority so...yeah...

Ta and Cheers