Well readers, it has been a while: prepare yourselves for a super long post. The spring semester and the first half of summer were pretty intense- it was probably the busiest period of my life thus far. I feel like it was really transformative too- going through so many different activities at such a rapid speed helped me learn to manage my time better, as well as tackle academic or social problems with more efficiency.

As is my tradition, I have selected a quote to start things off:

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (also penned title quote)

Some of the wisest and clearest advice I've found throughout my life can be attributed to the Transcendentalists, such as Thoreau, Emerson, Muir, and Whitman. I often read their works when I need to "recenter myself". I chose this quote because not "fretting over the yesterdays" is something that I've been striving for recently. I've adopted an attitude of flexibility, which has opened many doors for me- doing things exactly right is no longer my goal, I aspire to do things for a reason. Cutting down on perfectionism has done wonders for me- I feel more relaxed, I'm less nervous about what I say and write, and I can produce work that is more meaningful to myself. The ability to "move on" and not get fixated on things was a major driving force that kept me going throughout the past few months. 

My assorted jottings to encapsulate February through August as best I can are sorted by activity:

Start of Semester 2

Academics

Cartwheels by Eric Robertson

• Second semester was a lot busier academically than first, simply because I had four classes rather than two. My free time was in the morning, which was nice because I could get some work done before I went out. In early afternoon I'd bike to class (I'm chronically early to things, so would usually have to wait a bit for lectures to start). Around 4 my classes finished, and I would either go home, study, run errands, or participate in a club activity.

• I went to the The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art by myself in February- it was supposed to be a class field trip, but I went early because I planned to go kayaking on the set date. The painting that struck me most (which I ended up writing a paper on) was a work by Scottish artist, Eric Robertson, called "Cartwheels". It was a really interesting blend of abstraction and figuration.

• Sustainable Development this semester featured a lot of group work- luckily I was in a group with a couple friends. During the first half of the semester, we had to plan a seminar presentation- the topic we chose was economic, educational, and governmental practices in ecovillages.

• We also went on a field trip in SD… to the golf course in St. Andrews. It was really interesting seeing the grounds, it's a huge part of town that few people really visit unless they golf. Unfortunately, they kind of failed to show us the sustainable practices at the course- they focused more on the history and every so often would interject with things like, "Oh yes, and we are making a shift to hybrid vehicles" (came across as a second thought).

• Philosophy was tough but intriguing as usual.

Design Team

• In Design Team, we continued to run our weekly movie nights and photoshop classes. We also did a couple of workshops, including a T-Shirt workshop for "Refreshers".

Canoe Club

Koi Cake for Canoe Club Bakesale

• I let go a bit of canoe in second semester, not because I disliked it, but because I felt I needed to spend some more time with my other activities. The main event I did in early spring was the SSS Wild Water Race, which I ended up just taking photos for- I was worried about my shoulder and I was feeling ill when I got there. I also went to the Canoe Club Ceilidh, which was fun as always, and helped out at our bakesale.

• I ran for Gear Officer, and got the position for next year (you can see my fellow committee members here: Canoe Committee Page)

Ents and Mermaids

Ivanov Tech Position

• I got to be the technical officer for the Mermaids show "Ivanov", so was in charge of setting up and running lighting and sound for the production. It was the first time I'd worked in the Barron Theater since the first week of Freshman year, so I had my friend Fraser reacquaint me with it before I started. I worked mainly with the director and producer, trying to make technical reality out of what they envisioned from the script. Overall it was a great experience (though frustrating and nerve-wracking at times), I'd love to do something similar again.

PhotoSoc

Snow Angel

• I was lucky enough to have my photo of Bridget in Tahoe shown at PhotoSoc's "How was Your Break" exhibition. I really enjoyed seeing all the other contestants photos and meeting people interested in photography at St. Andrews.

• I also went to a PhotoSoc movie night, which was nice. We watched "The Bang Bang Club", about combat photographers during the apartheid in South Africa.

Life About Town

• For my birthday, I planned a somewhat elaborate treasure hunt around the town (I wanted to have a celebration- 20 is a pretty significant year!). I made a sheet of clues which led to various magnetic tokens around town. I split my friends in two teams, and I drifted between the two, sometimes offering extra hints. We met up at The VIC for dinner, and I let the team with the most tokens choose a little prize first (then the losing team got second choice). Overall I think it was one of my favorite birthday celebrations!

Birthday celebration at the VIC

• I did a couple fun little photoshoots. In January I took my Brownie 2A camera around town, and developed the film in my bathroom using a tutorial I found on this site: www.chromogenic.net/develop/ In March I decided randomly to go shoot the stars one evening, and had a few nice results.

Spring Break

Mississippi Trip

• For Spring Break we took a road trip from New Orleans all the way to Boston. You can view our blog here: http://www.sixteendayssixteenstates.tumblr.com/ 

16 Days, 16 States + Canada

Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, Alabama, Michigan, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Arkansas

Continuing Semester 2

Academics

Collage Report Images

• I'd have to say my favorite class was "Art, Culture and Politics, from 1900 to Now". I was really scared I would hate it, because I generally dislike modern and contemporary art. Instead, it gave me an appreciation for those blank white canvases or funky installations- I still prefer older works, but I am more open to new pieces now. My least favorite class was "Rationality and Action". I was so confused, and each lecture drove me into further befuddlement rather than clearing things up (philosophy… ahem). Strangely enough, that was the class I got the highest grade in!

• In SD we did Poster Presentations- my graphic design skills came in handy! It was a continuation of the seminar presentation on ecovillages, so was with that same group.

• I wrote an essay on interwar collage and photomontage for Art History- it was one of my favorite essays of the year to research. I especially enjoyed finding out more on Hannah Höch, Max Ernst, and László Moholy-Nagy.

Design Team

• After Spring break, I had my interview for Design Team Convenor. I was super nervous, and did quite poorly. However, I got the position, and am thrilled to be in charge of running the team next year. It will be a lot of responsibility, but it will be a lot of fun! We also held our AGM, so there is a new committee.

Outgoing Design Team Committee

• We held a series of artistic workshops led by Sarune, a member of our committee. One that I particularly liked was a matchbox workshop, where we painted, marked, cut, glued, etc. matchboxes into little creative art pieces.

• We also continued to hold design movie nights, which were largely unsuccessful due to peoples' busy schedules.

• Our final event of the year was an exhibition featuring the work of Design Team designers, as well as some pieces from ArtSoc. It was a nice little gathering- there was wine and music, so things were pretty relaxed.

Canoe Club

• One of my first jobs as a new gear officer (we begin at the end of the semester) was to start fixing up the boat shed. My fellow gear officer and I decided to start with making new racks for the buoyancy aids and doing some general cleanup. The past officers showed us how to repair boats, "welding" together cracks in the plastic with a heat gun. I'm looking forward to more tinkering next year!

Kinnessburn Clean Up

• We did a beach clean up, as well as a clean of the Kinnessburn stream. Among our more interesting finds were 3 umbrellas, half a bicycle, a wringer roller, a friend's wallet, and road signs.

• I attended the Aqua Ball again- it was an exciting night out with other watersports clubs!

• I did the May Dip with Canoe Club, like I did last year. We stayed up all night, then went out to East Sands in the morning to run into the water. Unfortunately, even though the previous days had been beautiful, the day of the dip was dreadful. There were big waves, and it was pretty windy. The police also had giant floodlights for safety, which I didn't remember from before. That made things a little awkward for stripping down and going into the water. Anyways, it was fun, but definitely not the same experience as Freshman year.

• Our final Canoe event of the year was a bonfire, which I was excited to attend since I missed it last year. It was fun seeing the paper plate awards for the year's accomplishments and failures.

Canoe Club End-of-Year Picture

Ents

• I was lucky enough to attend a sound training session by a professional from the industry. I felt like it really clarified and helped linked some concepts which I did not understand (I still have a long way to go!). I was a bit embarrassed because my alarm did not go off, I was late, and had a very bad hair day, but I ended up having an excellent time with my ents crew friends and learned a lot.

Sleepy Nat at Sound Training (pic credit Ryo)

• I went to the end of year meal, which was a nice way to conclude the year and say goodbye to people before summer vacation.

PhotoSoc

• PhotoSoc ran a darkroom workshop, led by my friend CJ. I had been looking forward to it for months because I missed the previous workshop in winter. It ended up being a lot of what I had learned from the website tutorial, but it was really helpful because I learned why certain steps are done, rather than just how.

KnitSoc

• KnitSoc had its AGM, and I ran for publicity officer again. Which reminds me, I really need to get on those Freshers Fayre flyers!

• I also had a Eurovision night with a few friends from KnitSoc. I'd never head of the Eurovision song contest before, but it is very big in Europe, and has been running since 1956. Honestly, it was a bit too tacky for my taste, but I think it is kind of supposed to be that way. It was fun finally seeing what people were talking about.

Life at Home

• I did a design project from afar for the Rocky Horror Show- my high school theater teacher Mr. Holme's retirement show. I wish I could have attended, it was an alumni cast, and sounded very amusing!

A graphic I made for picnic invite- features musical characters

Life About Town

• I went out with a film camera for a second time- this time my Imperial Reflex camera. I tried to capture a juxtaposition of the ancient and new, and was very excited that my pictures of motorcyclists near the Pends Arch came out.

• I went to my first "soaking". A soaking is another odd St. Andrews tradition in which you pour water (and sometimes glitter) over a final year student who has just finished their last exam. It was an exciting way to say farewell to my friend Alison from Design Team- I felt a little guilty since it was so cold out though!

• I had a nice little get together with my friends Lavin and Ryo. We were supposed to teach Lavin how to ride a bike, but ironically on my way over my tire got a flat. It was pretty embarrassing! Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun, and I hope we'll get a chance to do something similar over the next year.

• My bike in general started to fall apart towards the final weeks in St. Andrews. I had to replace the tube on the wheel that got a flat, the leather on my handlebars came off (still need to resew), the chain got very rusty (hooray for WD40- which, yes, I know is not good for bikes but it works!), and I had to change the break pads. The outer part of my helmet also fell off and the spring came out of the inside of my bike lock- I just bought replacements for next year.

Travel

• I finally got a chance to go out and visit the Rock and Spindle formations along the Fife coastline. They were incredible! Way cooler than I thought they would be. To get there, you walk along a relaxing and scenic path, with excellent views of St. Andrews. The area surrounding the formations was almost otherworldly- it had a very alien feel to it!

Journey to the Rock and Spindle

Summer

Travel in Scotland

Canoe Trip

We started near Aviemore and ended in Spey Bay

• At the end of the year I went on a 4 day canoeing trip on the River Spey from the Cairngorms to the ocean. I'd never paddled a canoe before- only kayaks- and I really enjoyed it! It was a very relaxing river, there were not many rapids. We were lucky to have some sunshine as well. We wild-camped alongside the river each night- we were surrounded by nature 24 hours a day (it was quite frightening to step in a Tesco Superstore on our way home!). Overall it was a great experience, I have many cheerful memories from the trip.


Here's a little movie I made with clips from the trip- song choice is not quite as cheerful as it should be, but I wanted to show the "power of the landscape"- will probably recut with a different tune.

Northern Isles Trip

• After my canoe trip I went on my much anticipated journey to the Northern Isles. Unfortunately I got a little mixed up and missed my first ferry, so I had to cut out the first few days of the trip, and did not get to visit Fair Isle (I MUST go someday). However, things went very smoothly after that. I headed out to Lerwick (capital of Shetland) on May 31st via overnight ferry. The ferry was awesome- I'd always wanted to see what it was like to sleep on a boat. Coincidentally, I shared my cabin with a very nice girl from St. Andrews.

• The next morning I set out on foot to explore Lerwick. I decided to take a boat tour with Seabirds and Seals (which I highly recommend) out to the cliffs of Noss Nature Reserve where gannets and other seabirds live. On the way I had spectacular views of the harsh and dramatic landscape (that type of landscape was the main reason for my visit to the north- second reason: knitting!). Being at the cliffs was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life- thousands of birds had nests on the rocky outcrop, some dove to get fish, some preened their feathers, some flew overhead. There were also seals and clever skuas that followed the boat. In the afternoon I went to the local museum, which was sensational (newly redone). I also went on a stroll through Lerwick's main street, making sure to go down interesting closes along the way. In the evening I went to Clickimin Broch, an iron age drystone structure.

• The next day I met up with James, a guide from Island Trails. Nobody else signed up for the tour, but he was nice enough to take me around the island by myself. We started out going through what was once a crofting township, then went to Sumburgh Head. Sumburgh Head is the southern tip of mainland Shetland, which has a beautiful lighthouse and is a wonderful place to spot seabirds such as puffins. There were quite a few intense birdwatchers there (or "twitchers"- the not so nice term), some had cameras with the most heavy duty long lenses I'd ever seen, so I felt a little pathetic with my dinky little kit lens! We managed to spot some puffins, which were actually a lot smaller than I would have thought- they had a lot of personality to make up for their size though! Going to and from Sumburgh Head we drove right through the landing strip of Sumburgh Airport- it is set up in the same way as a train crossing!

Next we visited the house of Doreen Brown, a friend of James who is a knitwear designer. She was the person who made the sweaters for the Shetland ponies in the commercial to promote "Natural Scotland" in 2013. I loved seeing her workshop, with all her Fair Isle samplers and her knitting machine. She also showed me how to use a traditional knitting belt, which I had never heard of before.



After that, we went to the Old Scatness archeological site, which had various types of roundhouses used over time for different purposes. Nearby we saw the house of Betty Mouat, whose mishap adventures you can read about here: Betty Mouat story.

Next we went to the Dunrossness Croft House Museum, which was simply beautiful. If I were ever brave enough to abandon all my modern accoutrements, I would take up residence in a house like that!

Then we drove to get a view of St. Ninian's Isle, an island which is connected to the mainland by a tombolo, or bridge of sand. Treasure was discovered on the island in 1958.

Lastly we visited Scalloway castle, and looked around for a few minutes before it closed. In the evening I took a ferry to Orkney, and got to my hostel around midnight.

• I spent my first day in Orkney exploring Kirkwall- St. Magnus Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, and a couple smaller museums. I also took a short bus ride over to the town of Stromness. Stromness had a much sleepier feel than Kirkwall, almost like it had been lost in time- going there felt like entering a dream.

• On my second day I took a tour with John of Tour Orkney. It was a one-on-one tour again, so I got to personalize some of the places we went. We started out at Maeshowe, a neolithic chambered tomb. Though a little morbid, this was one of the most amazing spots on my trip- here are a few fascinating facts about it:

• Each year at winter solstice, a beam of light filters through the tomb's entrance and hits the back wall
• The tomb contains one of the largest collections of secular Viking runes- graffiti written when they used it for a shelter. One of my favorites is, "These runes were carved by the man most skilled in runes in the western ocean"- here's a link to some others.
• The rocks used to build the tomb are up to 30 tons in weight!
• The entrance passage is 36ft long, but only about 3ft tall, so we all had to duck to get inside

Next we went to the Standing Stones of Stenness, and the Ring of Brodgar, stone circles which are likely older than Stonehenge. There was a certain unidentifiable power standing within the circles- perhaps from the fact they had stood the test of time and "seen" so much, rather than something supernatural. Power also lies in the fact that nobody knows how the stones got there. In Easter Island, it is often theorized that they used trees as rollers to move the Moai. However, trees were a scarce resource in Orkney. John told me about a plausible theory, which is still practiced in some parts of the world today- laying out beds of seaweed, throwing on water, and pulling the stones along the slippery surface.

Lastly, we went to Skara Brae, a neolithic settlement (sometimes called the "Scottish Pompeii" for its excellent state of preservation). We also visited the nearby Skaill House, home of the people who discovered the site. We ate lunch at the visitor center, and had a fun time people watching-"classifying" various types of tourists. I spent my afternoon going to places I missed in Kirkwall, then caught the overnight ferry back to Aberdeen. I was astounded over summer to find that the August edition of National Geographic highlighted all the places I visited in Orkney- I would really recommend reading it if you want further detail!

Boston

• The day after coming back to St. Andrews, I flew to Boston, to attend my summer program at Harvard. I was very nervous, but the trip to the Isles made me a bit calmer, and it also helped that my parents met me in Boston to help me get settled (on their way to Bermuda for their 25th anniversary).

The Career Discovery program was excellent- I won't get into too much detail, but I will write out the basic structure of the course. It was centered around three projects, the first a week long, the second two weeks, and the third three weeks. We were split into studio groups of about 12 students- the landscape program had about 40 students total, and the whole program had around 200. Our first lectures were at 9 in the morning, then we'd have a small break, another lecture, lunch, then studio work all afternoon and evening- often not leaving till the building closed at midnight.

I found that I really loved landscape architecture, here's a little list of things I like about it:

My final project presentation board

• Design discipline- creativity for a cause
• Focused on the outdoors and nature
• Focused on people and how they interact with the environment
• An emphasis on sustainability, which you can take as far as you want to
• Designing for "the greater good"
• Using a number of mediums- from physical miniatures to computer software
• Can relate back to history or focus on the future
• The things you create you can be proud of, and will often look better (rather than worse) as they age
• Solving or reducing problems and doing research
• Interacting with people of all different disciplines, and not sticking to one discipline yourself

I really enjoyed meeting new friends with similar interests, and from so many different backgrounds. Overall, the program was very beneficial for determining my next step after St. Andrews.

LA3- my studio group (holding our instructor, Hope)

• I also explored all around the city of Boston (especially the neighborhood of Cambridge)- you can see my photos below:

Home

• I hadn't been home since December, and coming back in July marked the longest time I'd ever been away from Santa Barbara. I arrived right in the middle of our annual Cousin Camp, so got to see my extended family. It was refreshing to come home to perfect weather- not too hot (Boston), not too cold (Scotland). I am always overjoyed to see the Southern California landscape again- the Pacific, the Santa Ynez Mountains, the Channel Islands, the dry Mediterranean foliage.

• I've been working on various projects around home- some personal, others for clubs and outside things. Craft-wise I've been working a bit on my dollhouse, doing some small woodwork, trying a bit of spinning, and finishing my knitting project. I've been working on designing logos for a couple of societies, and redesigning the Design Team website and our backyard lawn.

• I'm starting to get into the grad school application process, which is really a pain. I haven't fully decided on the schools yet, but I know that I will need to be writing essays, taking the GRE, making a resume and portfolio under specific requirements, filling out forms, and getting letters of recommendation. This is going to be so fun... not.

• I had fun when my sister's fashion instructor invited us to do a photoshoot for a documentary during Fiesta. We were dressed in old Spanish style, though I think Bridget and I were supposed to be Irish immigrants or something (it wasn't very clear).

• My family and I went up north to go to the annual car show, visit some colleges, and visit my relatives. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone, as well as attending the various events.

• We just had our family garage sale, full of all the things around our house we wanted to get rid of. It actually went quite well- we had many customers and it was pretty fun!

• Today I picked up my new laptop at the Apple store! The cost made me cringe, but I know it will be worth it- I spend so much of my life in front of the screen, the more efficient it is the better. I'm hoping the speed will allow me new freedoms in my design work- I'm currently constrained by the length of time it takes to render things.

Photos from Summer in California:

So that just about brings you up to the present moment- next week I leave to go back to St. Andrews. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to be more consistent next year with my posts!

More Alpaca photos here: Click Me!

• I have so much to talk about- it keeps piling up because it is so difficult to get myself to sit down and write. Here it goes!

My winter break was very pleasant. It was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had changing from living away to living back at home. It felt as though I had never left, but at the same time like I'd been gone forever. When I would refer to Scotland, it felt as though I were discussing another life, perhaps in a parallel universe. It felt like déjà vu coming back!

Kayaking in SB

I really enjoyed being back with my family and pets (though I was quite sad not to see little Max). Some highlights included going on a hike with my mom, visiting an alpaca farm and the beach with Bridget and our neighbor Lauren, going to a swap meet with my dad, celebrating Christmas/Hanukkah and my dad's birthday, and going kayaking in the harbor. I also enjoyed meeting up with some friends from ballet and high school.

We went on two separate California trips while I was home:

Cousins with a Green Screen Effect

Up North: I had a great time visiting my relatives in Marin, especially exploring around science museums in San Francisco with my cousins Nathan and Owen, watching "The Help" as a family, going to Susan's Store Room, and spending some time with my grandparents. I also liked stopping by Solvang on the way up so I could visit my favorite stores Nathalie's Doll House, Rasmussen's Fabrics, and The Book Loft.

Down South: We went to Los Angeles and explored around the day before my flight. It was interesting because I had been to a lot of the Hollywood attractions in the past, but none in the central city. My dad took us to Chinatown (where he went to New Wave clubs when he was in college), Olvera Street and the oldest surviving house in Los Angeles (the Avila Adobe), and to Union Station. My mom took us to the Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA, which was very interesting- I did not realize how prolific he was!

It was fun to visit the most cliché places of "California culture" before leaving home again.

• My long-haul flight back to St. Andrews was luckily uneventful, but my short flight from France to Edinburgh was one of the most frightening flights I've ever been on. Due to high winds, the plane was having a lot of difficulty landing- we actually had to "take off" in mid-air to increase our altitude to try again. At one point we were almost flying completely sideways. I had been reading a National Geographic: Exploring History article on Amelia Earhart, so I was trying to tell myself to be brave like her- on her solo flight across the Atlantic she flew through a storm with a leaking fuel tank, zero visibility, and a broken altimeter! However, I was unable to stop myself from tightly gripping the arm rests and exchanging terrified glances with the woman sitting next to me. When we landed everyone cheered and applauded the pilot!

Ghostly Image

• I had kind of a magical St. Andrews experience last week- though I'm sure it was just that it meant something to me- not that it was actually that unusual. I finished my lecture and stopped by the bank before heading to the cathedral to try out my new pinhole camera I built from a cardboard kit. It was a genuinely beautiful day- the sky was blue, it was sunny, the air was crisp and cool. When I arrived at the cathedral grounds, nobody was there- no tourists, no people strolling around- I had it all to myself. I have to admit, it was a bit eerie, being surrounded by only the dead, but as I said before, the weather was fine, so I was in good spirits. I took a bunch of experimental pictures, and just as I was beginning to out of film more people starting walking around. I decided to walk down to the pier since I hadn't been since last term, and saw two white swans swimming in the harbor, as well as some pretty ripples created by the wind. As I walked back to town, the sky began to darken. I went to the pharmacy to get film developed, but was annoyed as I saw that there was a technical difficulties sign, and I couldn't drop off the film. So I walked over to Sainsbury's to get a snack, and as soon as I left the store it started snowing. It was that light, ethereal kind of snow, that melts when it hits the pavement- I don't think I've ever seen snow more beautiful. I was really close to Sallie's Quad, so decided to eat under the shelter of a kind of veranda outside St. Salvator's Chapel (see cell footage below).

It was amazing to watch the snow fall in the quad- even more so because of the organ music from the church accompanying it. When the snow began to slow, I went into the church, which I actually had never been in, and I looked around for a few minutes at the wonderful Gothic architecture. When I left the snow had stopped and sky was blue again, so I went to the Old Union cafe to get some hot chocolate and sat in my favorite booth by a window. I think what I liked about the afternoon was the fateful chance of being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, none of the images really came out from the photo shoot- Boots didn't even charge me. They are all rather ghostly, the best image is above and to the right.

• Speaking of snow, today it has snowed the most since I have been here- of course, not like the Tahoe snows I know well, but enough to cover everything with a blanket of white about an inch or two thick. It is absolutely stunning! My scratched-lens cell phone photos don't do it justice. Unfortunately, this afternoon it has warmed up, so it is raining instead.

•Last weekend, I went on a trip up North to visit Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven. It was another wonderfully clear day, and I had a lovely and relaxing visit to the castle- which definitely makes one of the top positions on my list of favorite castles. The views were incredible, I cannot tell you how much I love dramatic seaside landscapes. The castle itself is positioned on an outcrop of land which juts into the sea, and so it has a kind of natural moat, as well as rocky barriers. I walked from the castle to Stonehaven via a coastal path along the side of the cliffs. At several points there were areas where the land had eroded into the sea, so it was a bit frightening to walk past- but elderly locals and people with young children were walking across, so I figured I'd be alright. In Stonehaven I realized I had run out of cash, and the boat I was taking to the seal cave was in 10 minutes, so I made a mad dash to the main square to go to an ATM and made it back to the pier just in time to get on the boat. The boat ride was really nice- I liked being able to see the castle from a whole different perspective, and get a better view of the amazing cliffs and sea caves. The seal cave was very impressive- they had their own private waterfall! Many seals were inside, and a lot of the younger seals came out to inspect our boat. I have associated seals with the British Isles ever since I was young- I love tales of selkies, especially in the story in the movie/book The Secret of Roan Inish (which I thoroughly recommend- one reviewer accurately commented, "Photographed by Haskell Wexler on Ireland's rugged northwestern seacoast, it is a cinematic tone poem in which man and nature, myth and reality flow together in a way that makes them ultimately indivisible"). When I got back to town, I caught the train to Dundee, then a bus back to St. Andrews. It was an excellent day!

Basilica

• I've worked out housing for next year! I'm going to live in a flat with my friend Sarah from Canoe Club, a little ways away from the center of town. We were really glad to get housing secured for next year before the "mad rush" of students looking for homes. It is very nice- it was just refurbished and has a wonderful kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom- all furnished. It is on the second story, so we will luckily be able to get heat rising from the flat below- definitely a plus here in Scotland. If I get permission, I am hoping to do some gardening in the small plot outside featuring herbs, vegetables, and native plants. In my dorm I currently have a small basil plant I've nicknamed "Basilica" which I've had a lot of fun taking care of, though I miss my garden box at home. I had to nurse Basilica back to health (see pictures to right) after I was gone for winter break- I used a water feeding system while I was gone, but he drank all of it by the time I got back.

"The Thinker"

• My classes this term are going well. I am taking Sustainable Development, Reasoning and Knowledge, and Great Ideas. They are a nice mix, especially because I am noticing threads linking each to the other.  The most complicated class is Reasoning and Knowledge- I have a very difficult time wrapping my head around many of the philosophical arguments despite how much I enjoy learning about them. My favorite concept so far is the regress argument for skepticism- that in order to know something, you must be justified, but then you must be justified in your justification, and so on (like a child asking, "Why?" over and over again), so therefore you cannot truly know anything. In Great Ideas we are learning about everything from Cosmology to Rights and Justice- I'm happy to have a class that is very interdisciplinary. In Sustainable Development we are working on a report and plan of how to change our carbon footprint, something I'm pretty sure I have done in school before, but still enjoy.

• I'm getting closer and closer to finishing my Fair Isle gloves that I have been working on for a long time. However, I keep taking breaks to work on other knitting activities, especially for KnitSoc. I'm making a food item (top secret!) for a KnitSoc contest this spring and also completed three hearts for our Valentine's Day yarn bombing. I just finished my clay miniatures for Easter, so those should be up on Etsy soon!

• I have been participating more in the Ents (Events) Crew lately, and I'm very excited to be back in a technical theater activity. Last week I helped set up lighting for a talent show- it was nice to hang and adjust lights again, as well as use the lightboard. Next week, I'm helping deconstruct a Shakespeare set and get ready for a band show in 1 hour! I still hope to do more sound stuff in the future!

Human Pyramid

• Canoe Club has already been off to an exciting start, with many activities over the past two weeks and many more planned for the future.

Weekly Pool Sessions: I am very excited because I have finally managed to roll in a kayak! I can do a c-to-c roll, which is not the best for rivers, but is useful for building up confidence to do the slightly more difficult screw roll.

Social Events: Last Wednesday we had another crazy canoe escapade for Sinner's Sport (a big gathering of all the athletic clubs for a giant party). We met in the evening at the "Castle" and divided into teams (Picts, Greeks, and Egyptians) to go on a photo treasure hunt. I was dressed as an Egyptian (can't see costume in picture due to jacket), so joined that group and got my official name written across my face- "Ramses III". We had a large list of activities to accomplish and take pictures of, including building a human pyramid and playing leapfrog down a street, as well as certain fun phrases we had to react to (for example, if our leader said "the Nile is flooding!" we had to make crocodile motions with our arms). It ended at the union where the large dance party was taking place. My group didn't get much of the list done, but we still had a great time!

• In Design Team we've been trying to re-market ourselves, as few people know about our services. We're hoping to have a public display during On the Rocks, an arts festival, as well as spread our name through a series of posters. During the first week back, I helped man a booth at the "Re-Fresher's Fair" to get sign ups for Design Team- it was definitely weird being being one of the students at the booths when such a short time ago I was walking around attending the fair!

•All in all, I'm glad to be back!!!

Once again I have broken my promise of writing more frequently! This past month has had its ups and downs, but luckily the good has outweighed the bad. Here are some notable things I've done (in relatively chronological order):

Yarn Bombed Bench (photo credit: Ruth)

• I participated in the KnitSoc yarn bomb, which I had been looking forward to for a while. We completely covered a bench in front of the Museum of Saint Andrews with knitted and crocheted squares. It was a nice way to brighten the atmosphere- it was just beginning to get very wintery. I also went to the KnitSoc Christmas dinner early in December which put me in the holiday spirit (pictures on the Knitting Society blog: KnitSoc Blog). I especially liked the Christmas Crackers which we pulled by crossing our arms in a circle, rather than between two people like I am used to. Everyone wore their paper crowns throughout the meal!

Biking on a Golden Afternoon

• I went out to dinner with my academic sisters and then saw the movie "Silver Linings". We were a bit annoyed with the restaurant service (I wrote a poor review afterwards), but the movie was pretty good and overall it was a very enjoyable evening!

• I've continued to bike around town- the roads and paths are great for exercise or simply taking in the scenery. I love to ride at a relaxed pace and take in the sights and smells of the town- the smell of damp leaves from rain the night before, or fresh bread and cheese from shops; the sight of a little girl with a huge umbrella, or a flock of birds flying south in a V-formation.

• I finished the environmental posters for the CAPOD (Centre for Academic, Professional and Organisational Development) offices, which will be put up to encourage sustainable practices throughout the building. The Design Team is already beginning to plan out and work on projects for next semester.

A Few Mini Posters for CAPOD

• I went back to Edinburgh on my own the weekend after Victoria visited to return the jacket I bought (the zipper didn't work properly and I didn't like the overall design very much). Unfortunately, I don't have the same persuasive returning skills as my mom, and the store would not accept it back. I had a very nice day exploring Edinburgh though!

My Path through the City

I started out at the castle, trying to master the art of taking pictures without getting my camera lens wet and avoiding crowds of tourists. Then I headed down the Royal Mile to visit the Kirk of St. Giles and the "Heart of Midlothian". I loved the gothic-y mix of styles throughout the church. Next I walked through the Grassmarket District an popped my head into a knitting shop and the National Library. I also went through the Greyfriars Kirkyard and saw the Flodden Wall. After that I went to the Holyrood Palace and Abbey, where I enjoyed viewing the royal apartments of Mary Queen of Scots. Then I decided to hike up a hill in Holyrood Park (in the shadow of Arthur's Seat) at sunset, following the "Radical Road" path past the Salisbury Crags. Finally I went back into town to get some dinner and catch my bus back to St. Andrews.

• My fleece arrived in the mail and I had a lot of fun cleaning it, carding it, and making it into some yarn (press play on first set of photos) and felting a hat (press play on second set of photos). I still have a lot left over and am trying to decide what to make next!

• I spent the last couple of weeks of the term studying for exams during the revision period. Not too much to note- I started to get cabin fever by the end, and had to make sure I was getting time outside everyday. I had an Anthropology exam on the 14th and a Art History exam on the 17th. I was very excited that Italian was all coursework so had no final test.

• When I found out that I had a few days after my last final but before my flight, I decided to plan a mini trip out west. Here is where I went:

Day 1

I started out taking the bus from St. Andrews to Dunfermline, arriving around sunrise (8:30ish!). I walked around the town and through Pittencrieff Park until the Dunfermline Abbey and Palace opened. Many medieval Scottish royals were buried in the churchyard, but due to political upheaval most were disinterred and hidden. In the 19th century they found the remains of Robert the Bruce (though his heart lies in Melrose Abbey, literally) and cemented over the area, then built a new section of the church over it. It is still difficult to say where the rest of the "eight Kings, five Queens, six Princes, and two Princesses of Scotland" are, but there is some chance they may be under the cement as well.

Next I went to the Abbot House, a small museum where for £3 I got a private tour including a lengthy explanation of the history of Scotland. I found the history of the Picts and the real vs. romanticized accounts of St. Margaret quite fascinating. After that, I stopped by the first ever Carnegie Library (of over 2,500!) built by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as a way to give back to his hometown. Then I went back into the park and visited the remains of Malcolm Canmore's Tower, a notable defensive location in the 11th century, and another small museum.

I then caught a bus to the small village of Culross, which has many preserved historical buildings. It was very scenic, though there was quite a strange contrast with petrochemical complexes on the other side of the Firth of Forth. Next I took the bus to Glasgow where I strolled some major shopping streets and checked into the Glasgow Youth Hostel. Finally, I went and saw "The Hobbit" at the IMAX theater in the armadillo shaped science center.

Day 2

A Classic Mackintosh Design

I left the hostel early in the morning and walked through Kelvingrove Park to the Hunterian Art Gallery where I visited the reconstructed house of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a renowned Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau designer from the Glasgow School whose style I really admire (pretty much the main reason I wanted to visit Glasgow was to see his works). After that, I went over to the nearby Kelvingrove Museum to see an exhibit about the Art Nouveau movement in the U.K.

Then I headed to the Mitchell Library, which wasn't quite what I was expecting, but was still fun to visit. Next I went to the Glasgow School of Art to take a tour of the building (also designed by Mackintosh). I liked a lot of the innovative architectural details and the overall structure.

When the tour was over I walked to the Necropolis, an intense burial ground that was used mostly in Victorian times. I also visited the nearby Glasgow Cathedral, which was very impressive, especially with the huge Christmas trees inside the church! I saw a lot of sign posts around with the Glasgow coat of arms, which is probably the oddest coat of arms I have ever seen. It features these things:

There's the tree that never grew, 

There's the bird that never flew, 

There's the fish that never swam, 

There's the bell that never rang.

Glasgow Coat of Arms

It would take a while to explain each element, but if you are interested check out this site: Glasgow Coat of Arms. Next I went across the street to the Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow and looked around the museum.

After that, I walked back into the main part of town and saw the small carnival and lights set up for the holidays in George Square. I would have gone ice skating, but it was pouring and crowded so I watched the skaters for a while instead. Then I went to the Lighthouse, another one of Mackintosh's designs. There was a nice museum about his works inside, as well as an awesome exibit featuring aerial shots of Scotland, and a high look-out tower (at this point, I think I have climbed way more spiral staircases than the average 18 year old). Finally I got some dinner and went back to hostel.

Day 3

I took the subway, nicknamed as the "clockwork orange" (probably because it runs on a circular track and the trains are orange) to George Square to get the Rabbie's tour bus. I've always been rather against guided tours, we Mitchells enjoy exploring on our own, but since I have no car in Scotland and the public transport is a bit difficult to manage in the regions I was interested in seeing (many I had seen before but wanted to see in winter), I decided to book a tour. The group was quite small like I had hoped, only seven of us plus the informative and amusing tour guide.

We started out driving past Renfrew, where some of my ancestors may have lived, and Paisley, where the paisley pattern was invented, and then up towards Loch Lomond. It was interesting see the city fading away, gradually becoming countryside. Our first stop was in Luss, a village on the west coast of the loch. I walked along the bonnie, bonnie, banks of Loch Lomond (song here: Loch Lomond)- it is true what they say about Scotland only getting prettier when it rains. The fog made the loch all the more mysterious and thought-provoking. Our next stop was in Glen Croe at Rest and Be Thankful Pass, which was also transformed by the rain. It is called "Rest and Be Thankful" because it is the highest point after a steep journey, and so one can rest and be glad for making it to the top. Next we drove to Inveraray, a quiet town on the edge of Loch Fyne.

After that, we visited Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle. Rabbie's had exclusive access to the castle in winter, so we got to unlock it and explore around without any other tourists. The surroundings were stunning! I found it fascinating that a lot of the seemingly peaceful lochs and hills of Argyll had a lot to hide- everything from a hollow mountain that contains a power plant to a submarine torpedo testing ground.

Next we stopped in Oban to get some lunch. Of course, I went off exploring- I did not want to spend an hour at a sit-down restaurant! I climbed up to the folly, known as McCaig's Tower, overlooking the town and was just in time to see the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry take off headed towards the isles. I went back down and popped into some shops, including a cool kayaking store, and strolled around the harbor.

Castle Stalker in Monty Python

Then we got back in the van (we were in a hurry at this point because we wanted to get to Glen Coe before sunset at 3:30) and drove to Castle Stalker (famous for its appearance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail). My dad and I really like Castle Stalker and its dramatic setting, so I was excited to see it again. After a brief look, we continued onwards to Glen Coe (another film location: Harry Potter, Rob Roy, and Skyfall).

Glen Coe was breathtaking- definitely my favorite of the day's locations. The tops of the mountains were frosted with snow and little streams of water were trickling down. The wind was ripping through the valley, and rain was coming from every direction which added to the tragic beauty.

From there we headed through the Rannoch Moor and back to Glasgow.

Day 4

I spent the morning shopping around the Buchanan Galleries looking for Christmas gifts and then took the bus back to St. Andrews and packed to fly home.

• My trip home was really nice- the plane rides did not feel overwhelmingly long. I only encountered two problems. The first: My last flight, Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, was mysteriously cancelled so we quickly booked the airbus instead. The second: While trying frantically to get through customs to catch the airbus after my plane landed I was stopped for what seemed like a random inspection. Security dumped everything from my suitcase and backpack onto a table and proceeded to ask me questions about each item (special inquiries were made about my Nintendo DS, a piece of bread, and my knitting!). Luckily I made it out to the pickup area just in time!

• I've had a great time celebrating the holidays with my family. Bridget and I made elaborate gingerbread houses this year- hers is a castle and mine is an Art Nouveau inspired manor.