"Travel Brings Power and Love Back Into Your Life."

I get edgy if I sit too long in one place and besides, I'm abroad - traveling around is a given. Edinburgh is stunning, absolutely stunning and I could never see all that it has to offer me, but I know this great nation is filled with dozens of equally beautiful places to get lost. So, begins the first of many adventurous blog posts to come...

My schedule throughout the week is mentally exhausting with a lot of actual contact time in class. But thankfully, the university sympathizes with us students and in order to help me keep my sanity, they gave me Wednesdays off. Being in the middle of the week, there isn't a whole lot that one can do with this semi-awkward break in routine, but day trips are one fairly doable option. For my first adventure, I decided to explore the most urban and populated city in Scotland - Glasgow.

I must admit that I had my reservations about going to Glasgow. Since arriving, I have heard nothing but mixed reviews about this big city. I'd heard it was highly industrial with little to do, more impoverished than Edinburgh and less cultured, and ridden with a special subgroup of heavily-accented #Glaswegian people. But nevertheless, I bought my ticket the night before, walked myself down to the train station and hopped on the next train west. The trains leave every 10 - 15 minutes, and luckily, I had an intense craving for sweets, so I stopped off at a cookie vender who explained to me the best route to take and how to use my ticket properly - an angel in disguise he was, because I was secretly panicked about the whole ordeal. Once on the train, I enjoyed the trip immensely - usually I'm not one to be all about "it's the journey, not the destination," but I'll make an exception in this case. The train ride was smooth, short and the view out the window was really quite something - absolutely worth the 15 pounds I paid for it.

The train dropped me off in the city center of Glasgow and from the second that I walked out of the building, I was floored. Now I will concede that I didn't ever leave the downtown area where the shopping and business districts are located, so I'm sure that there are more unfortunate places that I could have stumbled upon, but every city has those places and I prefer not to dwell on them because nothing deserves to be known for its shortcomings.

I put my headphones in, chose a direction and walked. The cobblestone streets and gorgeous gothic architecture really contrasted the high-end restaurants and stores super well. I went in and out of every highly British-looking place I could find and completely fell in love with the style and vibe of the city. It's no wonder that the Scottish are so good looking and fashionable - one look at Glasgow and I realized they have absolutely no excuse not to be. I'm feeling more and more like I should move to Scotland so they can teach me how to dress (but actually, I could use a dose of their Scottish it-factor in my wardrobe). Between the shopping and wandering, I stopped every few feet to take photos of the gorgeousness that surrounded me. It was totally surreal seeing those historic monuments and buildings literally built right next to a newly designed concert hall or hotel building - the contrast of the two really gives the city so much character.

In the midst of my shopping I stopped for lunch at the cutest little tea place I have ever seen in my life. I ordered French toast and fruity tea and indulged in one of the best meals I have had since coming across the pond. Fork in hand, I was one content little tourist.

After eating, I continued shopping and sight-seeing until the sun set and then I hopped the train and headed home. Absolutely one of the best days I have had so far; I totally found my Zen in Glasgow. Leave the light on for me and I'll see you next Wednesday, G.

The second and only other time I've left Edinburgh was this afternoon. Myself and 3 of my friends from Pollock Halls booked ourselves seats on a "Hairy Coo Tour" that ventures up into the Scottish Highlands to see the Highland Cattle, making various stops along the way. Let me begin by saying that this tour was such a good investment - I had a really, really good time and I would highly recommend taking a ride on the #HairyCooTour to anyone interested.

We began our day departing from Edinburgh at 9:00 A.M. and we made our first stop at the Forth Bridge in South Queensferry. Our tour guide did an amazing job giving us plenty of valid information about the building of the bridge and the location's history. We then got off the bus for photos and a brief coffee break at a local cafe and then we set off again for Stirling Castle. We didn't take the time to visit the castle, but that's okay in my book because I plan to come back to Stirling soon enough and make a day of exploring the area. Stirling, Scotland has an amazingly rich history - something I wasn't completely aware of before this trip. I thank Donald (our guide) for really sharing his vast knowledge of Scottish history with us throughout the day (if anything, he really helped me piece together the facts and timelines I'm learning in my classes, which is a great added bonus).

On the way to the next stop, Donald gave us a detailed history of Scotland's governmental and military history. He did his best to undo all the of the nonsense that he believes we picked up from watching #Braveheart and really attempted to set the record straight for all of us about what really happened to Scotland's greatest hero, and the man that our next stop was dedicated to, William Wallace. The National William Wallace monument was so gorgeous and the view from atop the hill on which it sits was no small feat either. I am still astounded by how completely lovely this country is - the green fields, the mountains, the shorelines and everything in between really secures Scotland's place as one of the most beautiful countries (if not the most beautiful country) in the world.

Next stop was Doune Castle - the very castle where #GameofThrones and #MontyPython were filmed (I wish I was a bigger fan of either of them, it would have really added to the whole experience, but I digress). We didn't stay long there, but we did manage to take some nice photos with the Scottish flag and show our pride for our wonderful host country and then we were off. Up next was Loch Katrine, which was nothing more than a really pretty lake with a mountainous backdrop where we stopped for a short walk around the shore and a stop at the gift shop. But despite the short time I was there, I managed to be completely overwhelmed by the scenery. It's places like Loch Katrine that force me to pinch myself because I honestly have a hard time believing they're even real. It's no wonder that Sir Walter Scott was so inspired to write about his time there. But I'd be willing to argue that it wasn't him who romanticized the area, mother nature did that all on her own.

After a long day of interesting Scottish food, touring the land, and riding on a big orange bus painted like a cow, I was so excited to get to the next stop - the coos! I have been dreaming about actually seeing one of these adorable cows in person since I was young. They are so soft and sweet and after today, they have completely stolen my heart. We fed them bread and when I was posing for a photo one surprised me with a cow kiss on my hand. They came right up to the fence to greet us as soon as we pulled in and the baby one moo'd at me. Meeting Fiona (the big sassy boss-lady cow) and her perfect cow friends was an experience I will cherish forever; I can now die happy.

Our last stop was a trip to "Scotland's only lake," Lake of Menteith, for a photo or 2 and then we embarked on the 1 1/2 hour journey back home. Watching the sun set over the water was a perfectly picturesque way to end a magnificent day. Thanks to the Hairy Coo Tour Co. for the best tour I have ever been on and for really showing me a whole new side of my second favorite country. These 2 adventures across the Scottish countryside are only the tip of the iceberg for me. I still have so much to see and so many places to go before I leave this place. But I must say, if I love the rest of the country like I've loved the few places I've seen so far, come summertime it's going to be a real challenge to bring myself to get on that plane home. I am slowly but surely finding myself and falling in love with the world around me here. The further I go, the more fulfilled I feel and I can't wait to see how I feel by the end.

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.”

— Rumi