December and January

I'M BACK.

So, it's been a hot moment. Been both extremely busy and not busy at all. Everythings has been good. Christmas was amazing... I didn't end up coming home which was fine. I ended up going to Inverness and to the Black Isle. I am ever so thankful for Lexie's family for taking me during that time. I got to enjoy some real Scottish Christmas. Though I have to say, although I missed every one of my flatmates, it was also nice that the house was dead. It was CLEAN. I can only allow you to grasp how dirty a house of nine people gets. the girls are clean, always... Not to dig but the boys are so not.... Anyhow, the house was perfect, excatly the way that it should be.

But no, I got the train up to Inverness and got to stay in Lexie's guest house for the time. I met a alot of her family and we played board games at night. Though I had to rush back home in time for work on the 27th. Which has also been good. Really starting to fit in with everyone there and I am enjoying my time there. I'm trying hard to find something to say for december but it was mostly just New Years and Christmas. Mostly spent time with the boys played games and one by one they trickled off and left, sent Liam off back to Texas last. However, New years, ah yes, that was quite exciting as well! I stayed in town, got to spend it in Stirling. There was no big firework show at the castle this year because the council spent all the money on construction but its fine, no biggie. Instead, I was out with Matthew, a coworker of mine. I met some of his friends and at midnight we danced to the Scottish song? Auld Lang Syne. Yup, that was fun. Afterwards, got the BEST chicken in town and returned home for nice and easy night. Quite fun. 

The not so fun part came after. After New Years, I battled with deafness. I must have gotten an ear infection or something cause most of the hearing in my left ear decided to go on vacation. When it came back, I decided to go on an actual vacation.

Barcelona SPAIN. ALONEE.

I went to Spain by me lonesome. Best choice I could have made. Got to strech my wings, get out of Scotland and the rain and see the beautiful city. And it was so stunning. Everything. The pictures are completly out of order but the first day I went up to the Bunkers, which was a, well, bunker, during the civil war. And there all the other sister hostels from the one I was staying at met up and we just chilled as young people traveling. The hostel was amazing. All the staff are solo travelers themsevles so they come and go every few months but the stories they had are incredible. I met this one guy from Oregon who is biking across Europe. As in pedal biking. I met people from Colombia. Brazil. Germany. London. Toronto. Australia. It was incredible. Now, I had confidence in my Spanish abilities, however, the dialect in Barcelona was tricky. I felt like I could not navigate very well and was worried that it would be that way for the trip. So I stuck with the hostel activities and such but I learned that it was only because of the Dialect spoken there. The Colombian people and Mexicans that I met spoke Spanish to me and I was able to get if not 90% of understandability. Responding was the hard part but I made due. I must have to brush up on my skills and pop into class. Hi Ms. Leavitt! The train system in Barcelona was incredible though. This may be dark to say but I understand how Covid was able to spread so quickly. It's incredible just how easy it was to get around. The trains were nothing like anything I had done before. Amazing. I went to the Montjuic, the little castle thing with the giant pillars. Pretty neat, got to do the Gondola down and see the whole city from the highest point. I only took videos of that and I can't seem to upload them so sorry. Anyhow, the big day was the Sagrada Familia. Marvelous. Breath taking. Slay. It was everything and so much more. Worth a million pounds even though I only spent like 50 euros but its fine. That was a funny part about being in Euros, ,y brainw as converting Euros to pounds to see how much I was spending in CAD, oh the joys. The last thing Barcelona granted me was a souvenir I'll have for the rest of my life. Got another tattoo. Expensive. Do Recommend.

Barcelona was amazing. I would do it in a heart beat again............... IF IT WASN'T FOR THE ISSUES GETTING HOME.

Short story: Plane engine wouldn't start. Got to London late. Missed my Edinburgh flight. Took a bus to stay in a fancy bougee hotel. Got up at 4am to catch the 7am flight to Edinburgh. Made it back by noon. so what should have been 8 hours of traveling turned into 28 if you include the waiting and the trains and of course, the planes. Great. I think I'm staying put for a while.

But I came back to everyone slowly trickling in for the new semester. I'm a week in. Can't really judge anything too hard just yet. The only banger thing so far is my linguistic prof is from America. I cannot stress how happy I am that the guy who's teaching why language is the way it is, speaks like me. It could have been so much worse but its not so yipee. The only interesting thing to happen here is that the window shattered randomly. Our door still hasn't been replaced from Sept. maybe this will get them to do something.

Thats about it. If something comes to mind, I'll pop another blog about a story I missed. But I'm back and everythings great.

-Syd

Sorry the pics are out of order but it's pretty simple to follow and they tell better stories.