Calton Hill

I took a few hours out of a fairly nice day a few weeks ago to visit Calton Hill, and I've delayed putting up this post because I've been trying to choose which pictures to include - there are so many great ones! Calton Hill is an especially beautiful and historic hill in Edinburgh that lends itself toward getting the city its nickname, "Athens of the North." There are a lot of monuments and great views up there. If it weren't for the near-constant, chilly wind, I would probably be making weekly visits - I would like to try to study up there sometime!

It's really not too far from here - it took me maybe ten or fifteen minutes to walk to the base. There are different paths one can take to climb up the hill, and the surface of the hill itself has different snaking paths and, of course, plenty of grassy space. You can see all of Edinburgh up there, depending on which way you turn. It's so peaceful!

I ended up deciding on no less than 31 pictures to include, so I made a slideshow. I hope it works!

HOME & updates

I realized that I hadn't posted a blog in a few days, so I figured that, in attempts at putting off my reading for class tomorrow, I would update everyone and let you know what's been going on in my life.

1. Work. I have an internship at The Media Company, which publishes three monthly glossy magazines. I really enjoy being there and am getting a lot of experience, but for confidentiality reasons, I can't really tell you much more than that. Ask me about it in person sometime!

2. I went to Stirling Saturday! It was a very spur-of-the-moment trip, but I'm glad that I made it. Once I get my pictures uploaded and organized, I will give the trip a blog entry all its own.

3. This afternoon, I took a walk that led me to Calton Hill. If you do an image search for Edinburgh, you will definitely see pictures either of the area, from that vantage point, or both. Again, when I upload pictures, I'll be sure to post them! It was absolutely beautiful there, and if it weren't for the high winds, I would probably go back every single day.

4. As Karen put it, the "Honeymoon" period is over between us and Edinburgh. We're totally moved in now; I don't really feel like a "tourist" anymore. Here are just a few things that I miss from home (aside from all the amazing people!!) - so don't take them for granted!
-my moccasins
-the smell of our detergent (I know it's weird...but I have a thing for clean laundry smells, and it's just not the same here.)
-Blue Smoke salsa
-flannel sheets
-heck, a top sheet (They don't use them here!)
-warm weather and all that comes with it - walking barefoot, different clothing, spending more time outside, etc.

And here are some differences that I am finding quite to my liking:
-better chocolate
-Edinburgh is a pedestrian city...you really can get anywhere without a car! (Though, sometimes, it would definitely be convenient to have one...)
-SO MANY vegetarian options - including vegetarian Doritos!

Annnnnd there are some similarities between here and where I'm from that make me feel at home anytime!
-hills
-train tracks by my house
-a river in plain sight
-friendly people