Student Bloggers

It’s finally here, that much awaited day when I finally reach Edinburgh and boy, has it been a long wait! One essay, two visa applications, and three countries later, I’m finally making my way to what’s going to be my home for the next few months. Yes, it’s been a wonderfully exhausting past couple of weeks. I’ve seen Copenhagen and Aarhus, Paris, and London and dragged my luggage across several borders in the process. But now, I’m ready to stay put for a while and not live out of a suitcase. Just to prove that that’s not all I’m excited about, like the Type A person that I am, I made a list of the five things I’m most looking forward to in Edinburgh and here it is, for your reading pleasure:

1. The Classes – Call it nerdy if you will but I’m incredibly excited for term to begin. I’ve signed up for some great Literature courses (still hoping to get into two more, fingers crossed) and as an English major who hasn’t been taking enough English classes lately, this is one thing I’m really looking forward to. Plus, I finally get to spell things the right way again... can’t explain how awesome of a feeling that is!
2. The Campus – I go to school in a castle in Ohio (really, look up Kauke Hall) so of course it’s really difficult to impress me with fancy buildings. Yet Edinburgh’s campus holds not just beautiful architecture but such great history. I’ll be walking the hallways that once welcomed Conan Doyle and Stevenson, Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell, and I know before I even see it, that I’m going to fall in love with the place.
3. The City – Did you know that Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature? Did you know that it is home to The Elephant House, the café where J.K. Rowling wrote parts of the Harry Potter books? Did you know that in the summer, Edinburgh hosts the biggest book festival ever and that while you’re there you can take a gazillion walking tours? Do I really need to add more?
4. The Bagpipes – My home university, The College of Wooster, has a very strong Scottish connection and so naturally, I’ve grown to not just be accustomed to but to absolutely adore the sound of soulfully played bagpipes. It’s been nearly three weeks and I don’t know whether I can survive any more without hearing Scotland the Brave..
5. The Food – I’m doing self-catered housing for the first time in my life. At Wooster, we’re completely spoiled by our huge dining halls (one of which looks like the Great Hall from Hogwarts), truck stop, convenience store, café, and sub-stop. I never have to cook or do my dishes, I mean. But eating in Edinburgh’s definitely going to be better. Not that the food is bad in Wooster, because we do have a lot of options, but it’s SO hard to get anything different that’s good around there. I have, of course, taken the liberty of scoping out the nearest Tescos, South Asian grocery stores, and Indian restaurants around my flat and all I have to say is...I’m finally going to gain that freshmen 15 everyone keeps talking about!

That’s it for now, folks. Thanks for reading and stay tuned because ready or not, Edinburgh, here I come!