Final hours

Today is my LAST DAY in Edinburgh.  Yiiiiikes.  It's so weird - I can't believe an entire semester has gone by.  I can't wait to sit in the airport and read all of my blog posts from beginning to end - WOW so much has happened.  But it ain't over till it's over - I still have one more day.

Margaret's brother is here, and my fellow American is gone.  Our flat is overrun by Canadians.  O_O  Aboot.

Yesterday I went Christmas present shopping, with moderate success.  Another American girl came over, and she, Tina and I made sugar cookies.  Then Tina created the most incredible German Christmas dinner imaginable.  Wow.  We had soup to start (my contribution), and then venison (!!!) and dumplings and red cabbage and cranberry sauce (all different dishes).  Food coma.  And then we had a packing extravaganza.  And by we I mean me, actually.

Today I'm having brunch with a couple of WashU people, hopefully stopping in to Parliament since I still haven't, catching one last view from Calton Hill, and doing some final Christmas shopping.  My plan is to sleep like four hours tonight, so I can nap on the plane rides tomorrow (TOMORROW!!!).  Fish and chips at midnight, anyone?  Awww yeah.

EXCELLENT NEWS: We have had not a single centimeter of snow accumulation.  It flurried a little bit Thursday morning, freaking us all out, but nothing since then.  Nothing.  Not a flake.  Did I say God is awesome?  Oh yeah, that's right.  He's awesome.

Summary, continued.

Favorite feeling #1: Walking down the streets of Edinburgh (and London and Paris, for that matter) and feeling, while obviously far from high-fashion, well stylish enough for Europe.  Putting on my new coat and having Tina tell me I looked very European.  Spending a whole semester being relatively well-dressed every single day.  (That is, until the arrival, on Wednesday, of a UofE hoodie that I got for free for becoming an 'international student ambassador'.  I haven't worn a sweatshirt all semester, and so I've pretty much been wearing this one constantly for the past three days.  I missed hoodies.)

Lesson I've Learned #3: There's no place like home.  I've never been the most incredibly patriotic person, and coming out of the States I was prepared for a little bit of America-bashing by others, and I wasn't sure I'd argue.  I was so ready to see this incredible outside world, in every way so much better than the States.  But you know what?  It isn't so much better.  There are things that I love here, but there are also things that I miss that I never thought I would.  (Snow shovels, for example.)  And having now had America bashed to my face on several occasions, honestly, I am sick of it.  That's my country, thanks very much.  And I'm honestly a little fond of it, problems and all.  And I really can't wait to get back.

Lesson I've Learned #4: Normal is relative.  It's all a matter of being used to something or not.  Things that I thought were SO CRAZY coming over here I now can't imagine being different.  (Cars driving on the left side of the road, for example.  It's going to take me a good number of tries to look the right way when crossing the street when I get home.)  I've had maybe a day or two recently where I went - oh my gosh I'm in SCOTLAND - but for the most part, it's pretty much just normal.  It's kind of funny now when someone from home says something to the extent of OMG I can't believe you're in SCOTLAND, that's so crazy, it must be awesome.  Yup, I'm in Scotland, I have a flat and friends and stuff and a life.  It is in fact awesome, but it's pretty much normal.

Lesson I've Learned #5: Edinburgh is the best city in the world.  Period.  I love it.  I'm going to miss it.  I'm so happy I have friends here.  I can't wait to come back.

But right now, I can't wait to go.  42 hours to home.

Love,
Melody