One month!

I should have written this blog earlier, but as of 9 October, I've been living in Scotland for one month! It simultaneously feels like longer, and not long enough. Classes have picked up a little more, and I'm still stuck in the everlasting rut of the "PhD or job" internal debate, but am going to seek out answers with a few professors when I can. Lately, I haven't really been going anywhere too far or too terribly exciting.



Since I last wrote I spent last Saturday, 5 October, in Edinburgh and visited Holyrood Palace and Abbey. The Palace is the Scottish home of the Queen when she nips up north for visits. It's an absolutely gorgeous palace, and in some instances it was like stepping back through time to the rooms where Mary Queen of Scots had stayed, Bonnie Prince Charlie had walked through, and that King Charles II had designed. The Abbey was also absolutely beautiful and I never fail to go into complete awe when I walk into ruins of an Abbey, Monastery, or Church. That feeling is the reason why, despite my heavy doubts most days, I know I'm in the right program.

I also managed to find J.K. Rowling's newest book, which she wrote under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, for only £3.50 in a secondhand book shop and I couldn't have been more thrilled; I've seen that book go for $25-30 at shops in the US, and the full price here is £16.99. Plus, there's always something a little more enchanting about a secondhand bookstore...

The beginning of this past week was a rough one. A very rough one. So Tuesday, 8 October, I decided to get out of the flat since I had finished all my coursework for the week on Monday, and wander around a new part of the city. I went to the River Clyde, just behind where I live, and to the Riverside Museum of Transportation and Travel. The Riverside Museum is a free museum, and absolutely packed full of things to see. I spent a few hours there, and then ventured to the backside of the museum where they have The "Tall Ship" docked for visitors to climb aboard.

Aboard the Glenlee or "Tall Ship"

The Clyde

Afterwards, I wandered up towards the BBC Scotland building, just to poke my nose around and for the sake of walking around some more. You can book tours, but tours are only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Thankfully they only cost £6.30 so I am making it a goal to take a tour of BBC Scotland sometime within the next 11 months.

Wednesday, I had my Research Skills course and the topic of the week was writing PhD proposals and research grants. All of the sudden, it was like the big black cloud of uncertainty that I had been thinking about since my first day in the department was looming right over my head again; reality is, after that lecture, that I probably will not have the chance to stay here for my PhD unless I don't mind taking out another bazillion in loans (not quite a bazillion, but you get the general point). Alas, there's no use in going over this debate for the third blog post in a row, so moving on!

Today I took another solo walk, this time up to the Botanic Gardens! They're absolutely beautiful, and I spent a good three hours or so roaming the premises and looking at the flowers and plants and attempting for the life of me to get my macro setting on my camera to work. It's getting cold enough now that I don't need to desperately shed my coats when I come indoors immediately because I get hot walking around and I can use my wool jacket from Primark and the gloves and head-warmer I knitted! Love the cold weather! I do, however, want to get another blanket for my bed because it is freezing in my room at night with the bed under the window!

Curiously enough, both Tuesday and today when I was out walking I was asked for directions. And I actually knew where the things they were asking for were! It's almost a test to see if I myself know 'my' city well enough.

I'm also struggling to find out what I want to do for Christmas. Many people I know have some plans laid out already, and I desperately do not want to end up by myself. I guess we'll just have to see and hope I'm not on my own!

So. I wonder what this next month will bring? Surely lots of reading, and plenty more adventures (a trip to Kilmartin Glen, a visit from a good friend studying in Stirling for a few days, a trip to The Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (to see some radiocarbon dating stuff and some other cool things!), and another trip to the Antonine Wall and Linlithgow Palace (amongst other places). What else can you throw my way, Scotland?