rugby!

On Saturday, I went to my first rugby match. It was nice because it was one of the few quintessential Scottish things I've done since being here. Alissa, her flatmates and I headed to a pub first and then walked a few miles to the match with other Scotland fans (we were playing Italy) and I really able to get caught up in the excited environment despite me having zero interest in sporting events. (I'm sure the beer probably helped a bit.) I'm definitely glad I went.

On a completely unrelated-to-Scottish-culture-note, I also booked my first destination for spring holiday (which is gasp - only three and a half weeks away!). Alissa, Kate and I will be kicking things off in Berlin on March 29. Not sure how long we're staying (Kate needs to be back in Edinburgh to meet her parents on April 4) but I hope to also visit Prague, perhaps Rome, definitely London, and hopefully Dublin too. Maybe somewhere in Spain if at all possible. It will be a busy few weeks, to be sure.

Now back to Scotland: I realize I haven't really immersed myself in Scottish culture so far - no celihs yet - but I'd like to before I go. This means a trip to Loch Ness at some point in the next few weeks before spring holiday (definitely one place you NEED to visit while in Scotland, at least that's what I'm told). I need to ask Alissa's flatmate about other potentialy Scottish locales I should see as well. Can't believe the semester 's coming to a close and I'm afraid I might not really appreciate Scotland before I go because I've been so worried about adjusting and everything.

Sigh. Being isn't always easy because I miss my life back home all the time. But I have no regrets about deciding to stick it out. I think I've definitely learned a lot about myself so far, and I expect the learning to continue.