Chicagolidays & Edinburghmanay
Was back in Chicagoland for fancy Christmas times.
It was seriously a whirlwind. My schedule was packed full... I had at least two-three things on every single day... and I was loving it. If I only had one thing, I'd scramble to get something else in. I think I was just reminded how much you can actually get done when you don't stay in bed until 1. I love Edinburgh and I love my school, but it is very easy to get lazy here... especially because my class schedule is not very demanding and I can count my friends here on one hand.
family trip downtown, the Worlds Fair exhibit at the Field Museum, shopping adventures, trivia, birthday parties, movies, babies, Christmas parties, musical friends, lots of Chipotle, antiques, thrifting, heart to hearts, family parties, hair dye, bowling, laser tag, afternoon teas, ethnic grocery store escapades, Christmas tv programming, cookies, card games, and even a date or two.
I was home for the whole year last year and I think I really took everyone for granted. Even when I came home from Japan for Christmas when I was on JET, I didn't even see many people. I think that was because we were already used to living without eachother. Over the course of the year I got to reconnect with so many people and I love that they made time out of their schedules to accommodate me. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to, but I'm coming back for you guys. Jessica and Ashley, yes, I'm lookin at you.
Christmas was wonderful, our family hosted as always. Instead of preparing a little tasting station of strange Japanese flavors of Kit-Kats, this time I had all Scottish/British items for people to try. There were haggis-flavored chips, turkish delight, cinnamon pringles, prawn cocktail pringles, tunnock's caramel wafer biscuits, tunnock's tea cakes (big hit!), short bread, and pound store Christmas pudding.
The past couple of Christmases had been a little awkward since we lost my grandma -- she was the matriarch and the one connecting us all, but this year it seems like people getting married and the presence of little kids kind of.. not distracted everyone, but reminded us that we still have each other and our big family is kind of awesome.
They tell me that we might get one or two days of snow in Edinburgh the whole winter, so I was glad there was snow in Chicago when I was there. I know you all are cursing it now, but luckily I got to enjoy the pretty and then got out.
I got back to Edinburgh on the 30th and had a day to recover. I bought a ticket to Edinburgh's Hogmanay (Scottish word for New Years) street party where they block off downtown and have lots of food stalls and stages and carnival rides and junk. I thought a lot of my coursemates and church friends were going, but I neglected to make solid plans with anyone. People had their own things to do and I kind of had a one track mind about what I wanted to do at the street party, which was basically to see the bands Chvrches and the Rezillos from somewhere I could see the fireworks that would be set off at the castle.
Rocked out to chvrches by myself, then miraculously I spotted a girl in my course and her boyfriend. We rocked out to our now new favorite indie band Django Django and screamed in the new year with 70,000 other people with fireworks shooting out of the castle.
Sounds of our New Year:
The Rezillos started after midnight, I stayed by myself and had some punk seizures screaming out lyrics I thought had disappeared from my brain along with my chelsea haircut in high school.
The atmosphere was nice, the music was great, I'm so happy I ran into Wendy and Callum, I love that there is a castle just hanging out in the middle of town. We were also so blessed that it did not rain. It was raining the week before and graciously stopped for Hogmanay. Walked my bad self home and stayed up too late. Overall it was good as it could have been being that hecka lonely. Luckily friends in Chicago inundated instagram with their New Years parties so I could be there in spirit.
I had a sneaking suspicion but recently confirmed that my classes don't start until next week. I've had my few lazy days hanging around the flat and buying too many Fray Bentos tinned meat pies. Decided yesterday I should probably go do something, so it's off to London/Suffolk for me. I'll spend the first couple of days with Charlotte and Robin in Suffolk, then a couple days in London proper with Hannah, then a few days with Dan near Wimbledon. Hooray for the JET Program, and placing us all together in the best lil town in Japan. Now we get to hang out with eachother all over the world.
Looking forward to doing some super touristy things in London. The only time I've been I was just there overnight so I did get to ride a big red bus and walk to Buckingham Palace. This time I hope to see Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London specifically. Wouldn't mind stopping by 221b/Speedy's either... mwaha
MOST IMPORTANTLY THOUGH GUYS
My little sister Amy got engaged! Yup, New Years Day Eric got down on one knee in the snow and popped the question. That sneaky boy. He was walking around at the Christmas party all normal when really he knew what was going to go down a few days later. So excited for them. I guess that means they had success renting the apartment & getting a dog together this year and it proved that they were ready to go to the next step. Congratulations widdle sissy amy-wamy meemerkins. hehe.
I predict awesomeness in 2014. You heard it here first.
It was seriously a whirlwind. My schedule was packed full... I had at least two-three things on every single day... and I was loving it. If I only had one thing, I'd scramble to get something else in. I think I was just reminded how much you can actually get done when you don't stay in bed until 1. I love Edinburgh and I love my school, but it is very easy to get lazy here... especially because my class schedule is not very demanding and I can count my friends here on one hand.
family trip downtown, the Worlds Fair exhibit at the Field Museum, shopping adventures, trivia, birthday parties, movies, babies, Christmas parties, musical friends, lots of Chipotle, antiques, thrifting, heart to hearts, family parties, hair dye, bowling, laser tag, afternoon teas, ethnic grocery store escapades, Christmas tv programming, cookies, card games, and even a date or two.
I was home for the whole year last year and I think I really took everyone for granted. Even when I came home from Japan for Christmas when I was on JET, I didn't even see many people. I think that was because we were already used to living without eachother. Over the course of the year I got to reconnect with so many people and I love that they made time out of their schedules to accommodate me. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to, but I'm coming back for you guys. Jessica and Ashley, yes, I'm lookin at you.
Christmas was wonderful, our family hosted as always. Instead of preparing a little tasting station of strange Japanese flavors of Kit-Kats, this time I had all Scottish/British items for people to try. There were haggis-flavored chips, turkish delight, cinnamon pringles, prawn cocktail pringles, tunnock's caramel wafer biscuits, tunnock's tea cakes (big hit!), short bread, and pound store Christmas pudding.
The past couple of Christmases had been a little awkward since we lost my grandma -- she was the matriarch and the one connecting us all, but this year it seems like people getting married and the presence of little kids kind of.. not distracted everyone, but reminded us that we still have each other and our big family is kind of awesome.
They tell me that we might get one or two days of snow in Edinburgh the whole winter, so I was glad there was snow in Chicago when I was there. I know you all are cursing it now, but luckily I got to enjoy the pretty and then got out.
I got back to Edinburgh on the 30th and had a day to recover. I bought a ticket to Edinburgh's Hogmanay (Scottish word for New Years) street party where they block off downtown and have lots of food stalls and stages and carnival rides and junk. I thought a lot of my coursemates and church friends were going, but I neglected to make solid plans with anyone. People had their own things to do and I kind of had a one track mind about what I wanted to do at the street party, which was basically to see the bands Chvrches and the Rezillos from somewhere I could see the fireworks that would be set off at the castle.
Rocked out to chvrches by myself, then miraculously I spotted a girl in my course and her boyfriend. We rocked out to our now new favorite indie band Django Django and screamed in the new year with 70,000 other people with fireworks shooting out of the castle.
Sounds of our New Year:
Click to viewThe Rezillos started after midnight, I stayed by myself and had some punk seizures screaming out lyrics I thought had disappeared from my brain along with my chelsea haircut in high school.
The atmosphere was nice, the music was great, I'm so happy I ran into Wendy and Callum, I love that there is a castle just hanging out in the middle of town. We were also so blessed that it did not rain. It was raining the week before and graciously stopped for Hogmanay. Walked my bad self home and stayed up too late. Overall it was good as it could have been being that hecka lonely. Luckily friends in Chicago inundated instagram with their New Years parties so I could be there in spirit.
I had a sneaking suspicion but recently confirmed that my classes don't start until next week. I've had my few lazy days hanging around the flat and buying too many Fray Bentos tinned meat pies. Decided yesterday I should probably go do something, so it's off to London/Suffolk for me. I'll spend the first couple of days with Charlotte and Robin in Suffolk, then a couple days in London proper with Hannah, then a few days with Dan near Wimbledon. Hooray for the JET Program, and placing us all together in the best lil town in Japan. Now we get to hang out with eachother all over the world.
Looking forward to doing some super touristy things in London. The only time I've been I was just there overnight so I did get to ride a big red bus and walk to Buckingham Palace. This time I hope to see Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London specifically. Wouldn't mind stopping by 221b/Speedy's either... mwaha
MOST IMPORTANTLY THOUGH GUYS
My little sister Amy got engaged! Yup, New Years Day Eric got down on one knee in the snow and popped the question. That sneaky boy. He was walking around at the Christmas party all normal when really he knew what was going to go down a few days later. So excited for them. I guess that means they had success renting the apartment & getting a dog together this year and it proved that they were ready to go to the next step. Congratulations widdle sissy amy-wamy meemerkins. hehe.
I predict awesomeness in 2014. You heard it here first.