the first days

My first few days in Edinburgh have been wonderful. Busy, exhausting, beautiful, and fun -- I can't believe I get to spend a semester here.

I arrived early on Monday on a flight with Laura (sister), Leslie (mom), and Josephine (family/friend) -- I also recognized a Haveralum on my flight who coincidentally was a host during my Haverford info session that I attended my Junior year of high school. Small world!

We had some breakfast to try to recharge for the busy day ahead, and Laura took advantage of the cucumbers on her plate.

After getting (almost hilariously) lost on the streets of Edinburgh dragging my 49 pound suitcase up and down cobblestone hills, Josephine and I found my dorm, Kincaid's Court, and started to move in. I meet up with Jeesoo, and, because we could, went out for a drink. At 2pm.

(Important and pictured: Domino's had at least 100 folks scattered around the university giving out bags and coupons for free pizza... lots of it.)

The rest of the day was a blur of exploring campus, being with the fam, and drinking coffee to stay awake. We started off my first full day in Edinburgh with a traditional Scottish Breakfast...minus the haggis and black pudding. A day will come where I will try haggis. That day was not the day.

This day was a busy day, but highlights included meeting my flatmates, drinking a mojito at lunch, going to Nando's (they have killer chicken), and leaving Nando's to find a red carpet event at the National Museum of Scotland, complete with a bagpiper with whom Jeesoo and I made serious eye contact.

It was a Tuesday night, so I did as the Scots do and was up till past 3 with my flatmates.

I started the next day by waking up early to go to the societies fair. I have, like most Harry Potter fans, always wanted to attend a Hogwarts Feast and Sorting Ceremony, and the Harry Potter Society is hosting one this week for those lucky enough to get tickets. Even though I powerwalked to the fair (both that morning and the next morning), I was not one of the lucky muggles to get a ticket.

Highlights of Wednesday included taking a hop-on-hop-off bus tour around Edinburgh with Josephine, Leslie, and Laura. We hopped off at the stop by Edinburgh Castle and the Camera Obscura Museum, and walked up and down the Royal Mile. Camera Obscura was incredible. The view from roof of the museum was incredible, and the museum itself had countless awesome/entertaining/fun/weird (mostly interactive) installations.

panorama from the top of camera obscura

some the fam perches atop camera obscura

actual size 

me n mom lookin cute

Then we met Jeesoo for Dinner at Mother India, an Indian restaurant that had been suggested to us many times by our friend Zach, who was here studying abroad the year before last.

thaaaaanks for the suggestion, zach!

Other adventures this week include exploring the ridiculously beautiful university campus, making my dream of having classy afternoon tea with fingerfood come true, shopping on Princess Street, running into haverfriends and new friends on the streets of Edinburgh. Meetings and orientation stuff also happened....and I have no class on Mondays AND Fridays!!

a tower of heaven 

for the kardashian fans out there

like a less sweet non-alcoholic but equally-if-not-more delicious St. Germain