Hi all,
It's my last night in St. A., and I'm feeling ever so slightly nostalgic and wanted to write a little bit about the semester as a whole now that it's coming to a close. People keep asking me if I'm sad to leave Scotland, and truthfully, the answer is no. I was ready to come here in January, and now I'm ready to go home. It's time. I've done what I came here to do, and while it may not have surpassed my wildest dreams, it certainly lived up to my expectations. As far as study groups go, I'm quite happy with my choice!
I can definitely say that the highlight of the semester has been my two real classes (sorry, Theology of the Musical--you're not a real class). How is it that classes outrank all the traveling I did on my list of highlights? Well, two reasons: Georgia Frank and Kelly Iverson. They are amazing professors, and I loved both classes and am still slightly in shock about how much I learned from them. Georgia's class on heresy is one of my all-time favorites, partly because the subject is right up my alley (religious dissent! People not getting along! Figuring out ways to make them get along! Yeah, I'm a geek...) and partly because there were some great discussions. Georgia's great at leading discussions, and we had a really good mix of people with differing viewpoints who (mostly...) were willing to express them. Way to go, Gnostic Gnation 2010! Some of the issues raised may have kept me awake at night, but that's the sign of a good class--that the material is challenging enough and interesting enough that I can't stop think about it long after class is over.
Kelly's class was also amazing, in a totally different way. I haven't done any work with the New Testament since freshman year, so taking a class on the Gospel of Matthew here was enlightening, to say the least. Kelly's a brilliant lecturer, and every Tuesday he would lead us through some complicated theory to arrive a one of those "Ah ha!" moments where you realize something you never would even have thought to look for, but it's so simple and brilliant you can't believe you almost missed it. I still have a lot of catching up to do in terms of early Christian studies, but after this semester I have a much better appreciation for how complex the field is, and also why it matters. I'll admit, I've never been very history-oriented when it comes to religion. I care about what's happening right here, right now, and how we can shape it to be better. But the history of Christianity that I studied in both classes this semester DOES matter, and it matters a lot. It's like reading a text in translation if you ignore the earliest years of a religion--you completely miss the most important things because you're looking at the things someone else has highlighted for you. And we all know how much I hate reading things in translation when I have access to the original! It's definitely given me a different perspective on my field, and lots to think about as grad school application time rolls around....
So yes, my classes and the things I've learned from them--and the way they've changed my thinking--are the things I am most grateful for this semester. But I will say that I'm also grateful for all the beautiful places I got to see! I didn't make it everywhere I wanted to go, but I did see some extraordinary places that I wouldn't have seen had I gone abroad to France or somewhere else in mainland Europe. The Scottish highlands are AMAZING--I could spend weeks or months and never get tired of mountains, mists, and lochs. And castles. And coos. And I'm really happy I made it to Dublin, for the sole reason that I happened to be talked into going into the Chester Beatty Library, that amazing collection of religious manuscripts, where I realized yet again how important the study of religion is to me. I'm officially obsessed! And, of course, my epic spring break adventure, though not quite what I expected, was still an incredible opportunity, and hopefully just a preview of far more European adventures to come!
So, before I sit on my suitcase and wrestle it into submission, I wanted to share one last quintessential St. Andrews experience. Tonight (and last Thursday) I went to the Compline service at St. Leonard's Chapel, and enjoyed it so much. The chapel dates back to the 1400's, and it's just a small, rectangular stone room with pews facing each other across the aisle and an organ and altar. For Compline, the evening service, it's lit by candles--so cool! The service starts at 10pm, so it's barely dark by that point, but it's still beautiful. The university choir sings for it, so there's actually (relatively) good music, and the organ makes it that much better. But the liturgy of the service itself is what I really love about it. All the psalms, readings, and prayers are about preparing for the night and sleep. But there's a crescendo to it too--at first the verses are about the physical night, but the metaphors gradually build up until night corresponds to death, and it ends with a line surrendering to God's protection in this night and forevermore. Somehow, it take every uncertainty about tonight and tomorrow and lets each one go. It's an absolutely beautiful ritual, and I would attend every night if I could. It's the perfect way to end the day, and I think a perfect way to end this trip.
I'll keep updating my blog until I get through spring break. Fair warning though, it may take all summer! My next update will come while sitting on the couch, trying to keep the corgi's nose out of my plate of bacon. :) Can't wait to be home!
A bientot, tout le monde, and thanks for reading!
~L
Link to Compline liturgy, if you're interested (my favorite parts are near the end, after the Lord's Prayer) http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/ireland/compline.html
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Back to Spring Break--Nice
Hi all,
In an effort to evade packing, it's back to reminiscing about spring break, specifically one of the best days of the trip, spent in Nice, France. The following is an excerpt from the travel journal I kept, part of which was written on a hill looking over the beautiful beach--I miss it already!
April 2, 2010
After a rocky start (French travel workers are the most unhelpful people in the world), I finally made it to the beach and all was forgiven. I'm completely in love with this city, which should come as no surprise considering it feels like a cross between Athens and Paris. The water is blue and turquoise, and the weather is sunny and warm--does it get any better? Oh, yes, and the flowers are blooming so it's colorful and even smells good. I walked through the famous flower market and it was basically heaven in street market form. There's also a fruit market, where I bought a 1/2 kilo of strawberries, which I'm currently eating as I sit on the hill with the ruins of the chateau, admiring the view of the sea. Earlier, I bought some postcards and wrote them in a cafe on the beach, 20 feet from the waves. It was surprisingly peaceful, with the sound of the drowning out pretty much everything else. Mediocre coffee, but I was really paying for the view.
After I finished, I walked back into the vieux ville and visited a few churches--the one in the flower market was beautiful, the others so-so--and then came the best part of my day. I sat in the cathedral square, in the sun, eating a Nutella crepe and listening to a street musician play some of my favorite pieces: Pie Jesu, The Mission, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Aranjuez, and, ironically, Lascia Ch'io Pianga, which seems to follow me whenever I'm in France for some reason. I was so happy sitting there, I could hardly bring myself to leave. But I did, and found the castle hill and climbed up to enjoy the panoramic views of the Cote d'Azur--the name says it all. You can even see the Alps, covered in snow, to the north. Talk about the best of both worlds. Now I'm just writing and waiting for Brandon to join me so we can grab our last French lunch before getting on the train to Milan...
As you can see, I adored Nice! Brandon did join me eventually (after getting lost several times--he didn't love Nice as much as I did after that...) and we had an epic lunch of mussels and tiramisu. Provencal food is seriously the best in the world. Then it was off to Milan. More on that later!
Back to packing...
~L
Photos from southern France (I already posted these, but here's the link again if you want it): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203237&id=579896063&l=839c8a707f
In an effort to evade packing, it's back to reminiscing about spring break, specifically one of the best days of the trip, spent in Nice, France. The following is an excerpt from the travel journal I kept, part of which was written on a hill looking over the beautiful beach--I miss it already!
April 2, 2010
After a rocky start (French travel workers are the most unhelpful people in the world), I finally made it to the beach and all was forgiven. I'm completely in love with this city, which should come as no surprise considering it feels like a cross between Athens and Paris. The water is blue and turquoise, and the weather is sunny and warm--does it get any better? Oh, yes, and the flowers are blooming so it's colorful and even smells good. I walked through the famous flower market and it was basically heaven in street market form. There's also a fruit market, where I bought a 1/2 kilo of strawberries, which I'm currently eating as I sit on the hill with the ruins of the chateau, admiring the view of the sea. Earlier, I bought some postcards and wrote them in a cafe on the beach, 20 feet from the waves. It was surprisingly peaceful, with the sound of the drowning out pretty much everything else. Mediocre coffee, but I was really paying for the view.
After I finished, I walked back into the vieux ville and visited a few churches--the one in the flower market was beautiful, the others so-so--and then came the best part of my day. I sat in the cathedral square, in the sun, eating a Nutella crepe and listening to a street musician play some of my favorite pieces: Pie Jesu, The Mission, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Aranjuez, and, ironically, Lascia Ch'io Pianga, which seems to follow me whenever I'm in France for some reason. I was so happy sitting there, I could hardly bring myself to leave. But I did, and found the castle hill and climbed up to enjoy the panoramic views of the Cote d'Azur--the name says it all. You can even see the Alps, covered in snow, to the north. Talk about the best of both worlds. Now I'm just writing and waiting for Brandon to join me so we can grab our last French lunch before getting on the train to Milan...
As you can see, I adored Nice! Brandon did join me eventually (after getting lost several times--he didn't love Nice as much as I did after that...) and we had an epic lunch of mussels and tiramisu. Provencal food is seriously the best in the world. Then it was off to Milan. More on that later!
Back to packing...
~L
Photos from southern France (I already posted these, but here's the link again if you want it): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203237&id=579896063&l=839c8a707f
Monday, May 24, 2010
Done with Finals!!
Hi all,
I'M DONE!!! Despite the usual end-of-semester burnout, I managed to finish everything and now have an unprecedented three whole days in which to pack my life back into the three suitcases and a backpack to take it back to the US on Friday. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll manage to find better things to do with my time until at least Thursday afternoon...
Any, in celebration, I've been alternating between watching TV and uploading spring break photos, so here are some links to entertain you. Both are albums of photos from Italy, so enjoy! Yes, I'll get back to actual updates at some point, but photos are better than nothing, right?
See (most of) you next week or shortly thereafter!
~L
Milan and Venice:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213633&id=579896063&l=5872d42f6b
Pisa and Florence: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213947&id=579896063&l=5e0a67ea86
I'M DONE!!! Despite the usual end-of-semester burnout, I managed to finish everything and now have an unprecedented three whole days in which to pack my life back into the three suitcases and a backpack to take it back to the US on Friday. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll manage to find better things to do with my time until at least Thursday afternoon...
Any, in celebration, I've been alternating between watching TV and uploading spring break photos, so here are some links to entertain you. Both are albums of photos from Italy, so enjoy! Yes, I'll get back to actual updates at some point, but photos are better than nothing, right?
See (most of) you next week or shortly thereafter!
~L
Milan and Venice:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213633&id=579896063&l=5872d42f6b
Pisa and Florence: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213947&id=579896063&l=5e0a67ea86
Monday, May 17, 2010
Studying? What Studying?
Hello all,
I know, I know, I'm behind on spring break updates and photos and everything, and I promise I'll get back to them later this week. In the meantime, I just got back from a trip to Skye and figured I should update you all on that before I forget everything! (Spring break memories are safely recorded in a travel journal, don't worry! Those stories aren't going anywhere...)
Anyway, last week was "Reading Week," set aside for studying, which naturally I did exactly none of. Instead, I met Margaret in Edinburgh on Monday, went to Loch Ness with her and Brandon overnight on Tuesday, then headed to Skye on my own for the rest of the week. Highlights are as follows.
Edinburgh--I haven't gotten to spend as much time as I would have liked in Edinburgh this semester, but at least this time it was partially sunny as opposed to the fog of the first trip! Basically we just wandered all over the place, which was not far because for a city, it's reasonably small. We did go to the National Gallery to see their dance exhibit, which was NOT as cool as their advertising promised! I mean seriously, only one Degas in the entire exhibit? Oh well, I guess I'll see more in Paris this summer, so I'll just have to wait until then for my dance-art fix.
We did wander down to Holyrood House, the Queen's residence in Edinburgh, but didn't bother going in. It's a pretty castle though, and there's a big green lawn where the corgis can play. Also, they sell stuff corgis on leashes as souvenirs. Creepy, yet awesome. We then decided to climb the wee hill behind Holyrood for a good view of Edinburgh...it was a long climb! Once we made it back down, we went for tea at a tea shop that looked like Prof. Umbridge's office. Despite the decor, it was pretty good. I love teatime. Definitely the best meal of the day.
And finally, the highlight of Edinburgh: I BOUGHT COO SLIPPERS. For you sad souls who don't know what a coo is, check out my pictures. Basically, a coo (pronounced "cow" in American...) is the cutest thing ever, and I now have coo slippers to remember them by.
On to Loch Ness. Since I'd been before, I wasn't terribly excited for it (and the weather was, surprisingly, better in February...oh well) but it was all worth it because the zoo was open and we got to meet the coos (named Katie and Donald). They were so adorable! However, we had sort of forgotten that they have vicious looking horns, so despite their cuddliness, we didn't pet them...but they were worth the trip.
From there, I went to the Isle of Skye, which really is one of the most beautiful places ever. Sadly, my photos do NOT do it justice because I was taking a lot of them from a bus, and the weather was dreadful on the day when I was taking most of them. But trust me when I say it's gorgeous and I want to go back for a much longer stay someday!
Even the ride there from Inverness through the Highlands to Kyle of Lochalsh was beautiful. I don't normally take pictures from trains or buses, but I made an exception in this case. I was lucky that my train arrived in Kyle early so I could catch the afternoon bus to Portree, the capital of the island, where I was staying. I arrived just in time for the early bird special at the best seafood restaurant in Skye, the Harbor View in Portree--it was amazing! Highly recommended, and not that expensive if you order before 6pm. I had mussels in cream, white wine, and garlic that were to die for, followed by my new favorite Scottish dessert, crannachan. It's raspberries in whipped cream flavored with honey, toasted oatmeal, and (naturally) whiskey. Clearly a Highland delicacy! It was a great way to start the trip.
Unfortunately, the next day was absolutely hideous weather-wise. It didn't actually rain except for an hour or so when I was inside a castle, but the clouds obscured a lot of the views. Guess I'll just have to go back someday and hope for clear skies! I couldn't do the boat trip I'd wanted because the sea was too rough, so instead I went to Dunvegan Castle, which, until its roof is repaired, is really not worth the trip. The castle has a giant white tent over the middle of it--not exactly photogenic! But I wandered up the mountainside to a standing stone, and then around the end of the loch for more pretty views (at least as far as I could see). I also discovered that sheep can be kind of scary, especially if you think you're alone in a field and suddenly turn a corner and there's one with horns staring at you! But I survived my run-in with the angry ram and made it into Dunvegan town (makes Hamilton look huge) for lunch, and, of course, more tea. Then back to Portree for more wandering around and some time to just sit and read and relax(!).
Friday morning I managed to fit everything in my bag somehow (this was a great trip for gift-shopping!) and caught the bus to Eilan Donan castle, on the mainland just across from Skye. It's actually one of the most beautiful places I've been, and ranks right up there with Loch Ness as a must-see place in Scotland. The castle looks like something out of a fairytale--it's built on an island in the loch and linked to the mainland by a simple but beautiful arched bridge. Reminds me of Chenonceau, actually, but not as frilly. I took SO many pictures of it that I've tried to only put the best ones up, but there are still a lot!
Then it was time for my 6hr train ride back to St A and the reality that I have finals this week...sigh. Oh well, volcano-permitting, I'll be home in under two weeks now and back at Colgate three weeks from today!
See you soon~
~L
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=211777&id=579896063&l=d7dac93170
I know, I know, I'm behind on spring break updates and photos and everything, and I promise I'll get back to them later this week. In the meantime, I just got back from a trip to Skye and figured I should update you all on that before I forget everything! (Spring break memories are safely recorded in a travel journal, don't worry! Those stories aren't going anywhere...)
Anyway, last week was "Reading Week," set aside for studying, which naturally I did exactly none of. Instead, I met Margaret in Edinburgh on Monday, went to Loch Ness with her and Brandon overnight on Tuesday, then headed to Skye on my own for the rest of the week. Highlights are as follows.
Edinburgh--I haven't gotten to spend as much time as I would have liked in Edinburgh this semester, but at least this time it was partially sunny as opposed to the fog of the first trip! Basically we just wandered all over the place, which was not far because for a city, it's reasonably small. We did go to the National Gallery to see their dance exhibit, which was NOT as cool as their advertising promised! I mean seriously, only one Degas in the entire exhibit? Oh well, I guess I'll see more in Paris this summer, so I'll just have to wait until then for my dance-art fix.
We did wander down to Holyrood House, the Queen's residence in Edinburgh, but didn't bother going in. It's a pretty castle though, and there's a big green lawn where the corgis can play. Also, they sell stuff corgis on leashes as souvenirs. Creepy, yet awesome. We then decided to climb the wee hill behind Holyrood for a good view of Edinburgh...it was a long climb! Once we made it back down, we went for tea at a tea shop that looked like Prof. Umbridge's office. Despite the decor, it was pretty good. I love teatime. Definitely the best meal of the day.
And finally, the highlight of Edinburgh: I BOUGHT COO SLIPPERS. For you sad souls who don't know what a coo is, check out my pictures. Basically, a coo (pronounced "cow" in American...) is the cutest thing ever, and I now have coo slippers to remember them by.
On to Loch Ness. Since I'd been before, I wasn't terribly excited for it (and the weather was, surprisingly, better in February...oh well) but it was all worth it because the zoo was open and we got to meet the coos (named Katie and Donald). They were so adorable! However, we had sort of forgotten that they have vicious looking horns, so despite their cuddliness, we didn't pet them...but they were worth the trip.
From there, I went to the Isle of Skye, which really is one of the most beautiful places ever. Sadly, my photos do NOT do it justice because I was taking a lot of them from a bus, and the weather was dreadful on the day when I was taking most of them. But trust me when I say it's gorgeous and I want to go back for a much longer stay someday!
Even the ride there from Inverness through the Highlands to Kyle of Lochalsh was beautiful. I don't normally take pictures from trains or buses, but I made an exception in this case. I was lucky that my train arrived in Kyle early so I could catch the afternoon bus to Portree, the capital of the island, where I was staying. I arrived just in time for the early bird special at the best seafood restaurant in Skye, the Harbor View in Portree--it was amazing! Highly recommended, and not that expensive if you order before 6pm. I had mussels in cream, white wine, and garlic that were to die for, followed by my new favorite Scottish dessert, crannachan. It's raspberries in whipped cream flavored with honey, toasted oatmeal, and (naturally) whiskey. Clearly a Highland delicacy! It was a great way to start the trip.
Unfortunately, the next day was absolutely hideous weather-wise. It didn't actually rain except for an hour or so when I was inside a castle, but the clouds obscured a lot of the views. Guess I'll just have to go back someday and hope for clear skies! I couldn't do the boat trip I'd wanted because the sea was too rough, so instead I went to Dunvegan Castle, which, until its roof is repaired, is really not worth the trip. The castle has a giant white tent over the middle of it--not exactly photogenic! But I wandered up the mountainside to a standing stone, and then around the end of the loch for more pretty views (at least as far as I could see). I also discovered that sheep can be kind of scary, especially if you think you're alone in a field and suddenly turn a corner and there's one with horns staring at you! But I survived my run-in with the angry ram and made it into Dunvegan town (makes Hamilton look huge) for lunch, and, of course, more tea. Then back to Portree for more wandering around and some time to just sit and read and relax(!).
Friday morning I managed to fit everything in my bag somehow (this was a great trip for gift-shopping!) and caught the bus to Eilan Donan castle, on the mainland just across from Skye. It's actually one of the most beautiful places I've been, and ranks right up there with Loch Ness as a must-see place in Scotland. The castle looks like something out of a fairytale--it's built on an island in the loch and linked to the mainland by a simple but beautiful arched bridge. Reminds me of Chenonceau, actually, but not as frilly. I took SO many pictures of it that I've tried to only put the best ones up, but there are still a lot!
Then it was time for my 6hr train ride back to St A and the reality that I have finals this week...sigh. Oh well, volcano-permitting, I'll be home in under two weeks now and back at Colgate three weeks from today!
See you soon~
~L
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=211777&id=579896063&l=d7dac93170
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Springtime in St Andrews! (Caution: Severe Sarcasm Ahead)
Ah, spring in Scotland. The days are longer, flowers are blooming, classes are almost over....it's a beautiful thing, or so they tell me. Here in the library, it's a balmy 85 degrees, and the gentle breeze wafting past my carrel smells distinctly like sweaty freshmen, stale books, and carpet that hasn't been cleaned since the 1960's. The printer is beeping its frustration at yet another paper jam, and a thud to my right tells me that yet another head has hit the desk. Oh yes, spring is a wonderful time to be a student...
Let's see, what latest adventures can I update you on. Hmm. Well, about an hour ago, I got up from my table, walked over the the reference section, had the fantastic experience of looking up a word in the New Testament Greek lexicon that weighs as much as I do, and walked back to my table. It was really exciting. Yesterday was even better, though, because I was studying on the second floor because of the carrels' proximity to the BF section, and this one time I made it ALL THE WAY to the BR section. It was like a whole new world. I wish you could have been there. It was probably the best trip of the whole semester.
Ok, ok, enough sarcasm. I was bored. There is one thing worth writing about that's happened recently, and that is the May Dip, which occurred today at approximately 5:20am. Let me go back to the beginning of the story where it all started, at the beginning of the semester...
Better yet, let's start in the sixteenth century. A lovely fellow named Patrick Hamilton was condemned for heresy and sentenced to be burned at the stake on a spot generally believed to have been right outside St. Salvator's Chapel in St. Andrews. As they were fanning the flames, the unfortunate martyr uttered (precisely) these words: "I, Patrick Hamilton, do hereby curse any fully matriculated student of the University of St Andrews who steps on the spot where at some point in the future my initials will be arbitrarily placed in the cobblestones, so that said fully matriculated student will fail all of his classes that term." I'm impressed he managed to get out the word "matriculated" with his feet on fired, but hey, that's martyrdom for you. What a charmer, to leave a legacy like that for us.
Anyway, back to the first Friday of February this year: matriculation day. Literally ten minutes after I became a "fully matriculated student," guess where I stepped? Yep. On the PH lurking in the cobblestones on North Street. And thus the curse began. You'd think being born on Friday the 13th would basically negate any curse I ever encountered, but just in case, I decided to take part in the St. Andrews ritual that promises to undo the curse: the May Dip.
And so, at 5:20 this morning, I found myself running into the North Sea at dawn with hundreds of other students begging PH's forgiveness in one of St. Andrews' most absurd and pneumonia-inducing traditions. It was without question the coldest experience of my life, and this is coming from someone who's survived two Hamilton winters and years of figure skating. There was a lot of screaming and cursing (mostly from Jen!) involved, but when I emerged, I was no longer cursed and have no excuse to fail all my classes.
Anyway, after I'd thawed out, showered, and slept for a few more hours, I was up and back to work, enjoying the beautiful view of the reference section. St. Andrews, I will miss you so.
Back to the US of A in 3 weeks, 6 days!
~L
PS: Yes, I know I haven't finished updates about spring break or put any Italy photos up. But really, is it fair to make me look at pictures of the sunny south that make me wish even more that I was there instead of here? Maybe tomorrow...
Let's see, what latest adventures can I update you on. Hmm. Well, about an hour ago, I got up from my table, walked over the the reference section, had the fantastic experience of looking up a word in the New Testament Greek lexicon that weighs as much as I do, and walked back to my table. It was really exciting. Yesterday was even better, though, because I was studying on the second floor because of the carrels' proximity to the BF section, and this one time I made it ALL THE WAY to the BR section. It was like a whole new world. I wish you could have been there. It was probably the best trip of the whole semester.
Ok, ok, enough sarcasm. I was bored. There is one thing worth writing about that's happened recently, and that is the May Dip, which occurred today at approximately 5:20am. Let me go back to the beginning of the story where it all started, at the beginning of the semester...
Better yet, let's start in the sixteenth century. A lovely fellow named Patrick Hamilton was condemned for heresy and sentenced to be burned at the stake on a spot generally believed to have been right outside St. Salvator's Chapel in St. Andrews. As they were fanning the flames, the unfortunate martyr uttered (precisely) these words: "I, Patrick Hamilton, do hereby curse any fully matriculated student of the University of St Andrews who steps on the spot where at some point in the future my initials will be arbitrarily placed in the cobblestones, so that said fully matriculated student will fail all of his classes that term." I'm impressed he managed to get out the word "matriculated" with his feet on fired, but hey, that's martyrdom for you. What a charmer, to leave a legacy like that for us.
Anyway, back to the first Friday of February this year: matriculation day. Literally ten minutes after I became a "fully matriculated student," guess where I stepped? Yep. On the PH lurking in the cobblestones on North Street. And thus the curse began. You'd think being born on Friday the 13th would basically negate any curse I ever encountered, but just in case, I decided to take part in the St. Andrews ritual that promises to undo the curse: the May Dip.
And so, at 5:20 this morning, I found myself running into the North Sea at dawn with hundreds of other students begging PH's forgiveness in one of St. Andrews' most absurd and pneumonia-inducing traditions. It was without question the coldest experience of my life, and this is coming from someone who's survived two Hamilton winters and years of figure skating. There was a lot of screaming and cursing (mostly from Jen!) involved, but when I emerged, I was no longer cursed and have no excuse to fail all my classes.
Anyway, after I'd thawed out, showered, and slept for a few more hours, I was up and back to work, enjoying the beautiful view of the reference section. St. Andrews, I will miss you so.
Back to the US of A in 3 weeks, 6 days!
~L
PS: Yes, I know I haven't finished updates about spring break or put any Italy photos up. But really, is it fair to make me look at pictures of the sunny south that make me wish even more that I was there instead of here? Maybe tomorrow...
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