Update long overdue...

Ok kids, get ready to settle into a very long, very verbose post about my last few days. I apologize in advance for an uninteresting read, but my creativity will only stretch so far. So here we go...

The Late-Night Visitor

It was a dark, gloomy evening in the midst of February. Swirling fog and biting wind blew windingly through the slowly emptying streets of the city of Edinburgh. Up on the third floor of an innocuous building, a young wearied traveler hailing from Texas had recently drifted off into a blissful slumber after a long, adventured fill day. She was blissfully unaware of the boisterous shouts of the pub-crawlers brave enough to face the bone chilling cold winds of the late hour, still unprepared to give into the insistant demand of closing time, unwilling to go home.

Dim shadows danced across the walls in tune to the passage of buses making their final stops of the night, yet our young heroine slept on in the otherwise empty room. Suddenly a timid knock at the door breaks the sleepy night. Bleary-eyed, Shivonne heavily returns to consciousness and, taking in her surroundings, quickly realizes the reason of her premature awakening. What should she make of this late night call? She wisely decides to await a second knock before deciding whether or not to answer. Again, the jarring sound breaks the silence, and, unable to ignore a second call, Shivonne decisely swings her legs over the bed and silently slips to the floor. Sliding soundlessly across the empty room in her stockinged feet, she cautiously approaches the door, grabs the cool handle, and cracks the door but an inch. Staring curiously into the stream of light she discovers....

Candy Marshall, my new roomie and soon to be Aussie friend! Somehow her entry card had been demagnatized, so I had to let her in when she found the front desk abandoned. She apologized profusely, was very embarassed, but also very talkative. We sat in bed talking for the next hour, making plans to meet for breakfast and sightsee the next day. Hoorah! Another new friend...

Another round of Aussies...

So far, it seems the majority of people I meet are Australian, and I'm loving it! They really seem to have that friendly Texan vibe that I'm so accustomed to, so I'm naturally drawn to their enthusiastic attitudes. Candy and I paid an apalling £11 to enter Edinburgh Castle, but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves so I think it was well worth the money. We took a ridiculous amount of pictures which will be available for your viewing pleasure once I discover why my computer won't connect to wireless networks at the moment...

After an evening of souveneir shopping, we returned to the bustling hostel bar where we settled into a booth for an hour of card games and a lazy dinner. After eatting, Candy tried to show me a card trick that she couldn't quite remember. This tragedy drove her to accost every person in the bar, asking if they knew any card tricks and requesting they aid us in our quest of amusement. Just in case you were wondering, I now have a handful of tricks up my sleeve to entertain you with on our next meeting. Get excited.

That night we also met yet another Australian in the bar in our search of card magicians. Though Brigid knew no tricks, she still joined us for a pint and soon became another friend. In case you're keeping count, that is now four Aussie friends that I have acquired, and the list just keeps growing. Whilst climbing Arthur's Seat (a HUGE mountain, sky-high, with unbelievable views of the city) we ran into Scott, Australian travelor who had just arrived in the city. He accompanied us down the mountain, witnessed me slipping in mud only to fall to my rear, and agreed to meet up later in the night for dinner.

At this point I'm just going to interject for a quick comment. I really think that everybody should travel solo at least at one point in their lives. It really is an extraordinary experience- you become much more aware of yourself, learn to really put yourself out there, and are forced to go outside your comfort zone and open yourself up to new experiences. Though I'm sad no one could join me on my travels, I know that I have been much more willing to avoid just staying to myself and have been almost required to just walk up to people and strike up a conversation. It's an incredibly freeing and great sense of accomplishment. Anywho, I digress. Many apologies.

The Americans

This weekend, the hostel seemed to be overtaken by an American population. Both mine and Brigid's rooms were completely occupied by Americans, and everywhere I went, familiar accents surrounded me. However, I did have satisfaction in the fact that I alone remained the singular Texan. It is nice to be quite unique...

One American (Josh) who was currently living in France as an English teacher took Brigid and I (Candy had left in the morning) out to have our first Scottish whisky experience with his South African aquaintance, Ralph. Though very skeptical, I actually LIKED whisky! Believe me, I'm the last person in the world who would have thought it possible, but the whisky here is quite an experience. They actually have whisky tasting like whine taskting. It has quite the smoky flavor, and you just sit and sip a dram while chatting with good company. I feel so Scottish!

After our whisky experience, we returned to the hostel common room and taught Brigid Texas Hold 'Em- quite an undertaking since she had never even played poker. Needless to say, by the end of the night we were satisfied to indulge in a game of Go-Fish.

My Rebellious Body

Although I am absolutely loving Edinburgh, it does not seem to be loving me. Though I don't appear to be quite unlucky as some people who tend to break both feet at one time, I have run into some difficulties. Since my arrival, I have managed to acquire a corneal abrasion, a (at least I think) sprained foot, and a cold. I went to the chemist (the British label for pharmacy), bought eye drops, and pain killing gel for my foot. Hopefully, with a little rest my body will forgive me for my ambitious ways and heal so I can fully enjoy my time again. However, I'm not letting it depress me. You know my theory, you can sleep when you die ( I just might cause myself to die a little early- the only snag in my plan).


The Job Hunt Continues

Well an entire week has passed here in Scotland, and I still seem to be unemployed. But tomorrow is another beginning, and I plan to walk into every shop possible and absolutely force my resume upon them. Hopefully they won't be too off put by my shocking appearance (reference the bloodshot eye, raspy voice, and gimpy foot from above). Though I have been turned down by H&M, I am confident when I find the right job, things will fall into place. Everything happens for a reason, right?

Well I know this might have been the most wordy, rambling, boring post ever, but I hope you forgive me. Hopefully next time, I will have more interesting adventures to convey that won't bore you to tears. I hope all is well across the pond, and I look forward to hearing from y'all again ASAP! Love Always,
Shivonne