The Usual

Oh dear, it’s been a bit too long since I’ve last updated. St. Patrick’s Day passed by without too much to comment on. It’s just that I hardly ever know what to talk about. What did I do this week? Oh, the usual. But I realize that the “usual” is probably still interesting to those wondering what’s going on over here in Glasgow. And I’m guaranteed to miss the “usual” when I head back to the states. So here’s a glimpse of my usual:

Class, rehearsal, archery, drinks and general socialization, homework, exploring the city. Honestly, sometimes I feel accomplished when I manage to do all my laundry.

I think I make it out to be more boring than it actually is, though.

One of the greenhouses in the Botanic Gardens. The statue at the front is Eve.

This last week brought about the premier of The Hunger Games, which I happily attended–braid and all–the night before the opening. Before that, I was able to see Spamalot! at the King’s Theatre here and it was amazing! I don’t know why I hadn’t ever seen it before. Definitely a good decision to go. I’ve also been out to the West End a couple times. I absolutely love the Botanic Gardens, and with the warmer weather settling over Scotland, they’re an ideal place to visit. I’ve been there twice now, once on a day out and again today for a book fair, but I plan on going back later this week. After the book fair, I had lunch at The Hillhead Bookclub and picked up a vintage necklace for £2. I’ve also walked around the Merchant City at night a bit more–by now it’s really become my home.

I suppose that’s what the “usual” signifies–that I’ve made my place at home. All the streets and places that confused me before are now familiar, with names and memories attached to them. I still feel like a “tourist” at times, running around with my camera, and I’m still learning what things mean (like “steaming,” for example). But I’ve come to think of Glasgow as my home. I really, truly am in love with this city. I love everything about it. I’ve never lived in a large city before, so I know that’s part of it, but there really is just something about Glasgow. I wish I could take it and everyone back with me and drop them over Iowa City. I’m really going to miss a lot when I go home.

I know this is shocking, but the sun was out all day with only a few clouds on my first trip to the Botanic Gardens. It's been in the sixties lately. It's lovely!

I have awhile until that happens, however. I still have two more months to go, and I just found out that my boyfriend will be coming to visit me when the University of Iowa lets out in May! I’m really, really excited about it. I can’t wait to see him and show him around my city. The trickiest part is budgeting for it. It always is. I’ve already started a list of places to go, though. Yay!

In a week, I’ll be heading to Loch Lomond, and not soon after, on spring break. So, yes, I will definitely update when I return from that trip. It’s been a headache trying to prepare, from purchasing tickets to researching hostels to planning a schedule, and we still have quite a bit to do before we leave. But it’s sure to be an adventure, and you can look forward to that update. Hopefully soon after, because I’m going to try and write my essays before I go. Yes, hopefully.

I apologize that this particular update doesn’t have much of a theme and that it’s not really much in the way of writing, but at least it’s something, right? I’ll try harder next time.

Comfort Food

Okay, it’s been four weeks and one day since I arrived at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Just about one month exactly, and I think I can honestly say I’m comfortable here. I still have my moments of peoplesickness, but I’ve started to think of my flat here as home. When I go out on the weekends, whether it be to a club or a castle, I find myself thinking, “I’m ready to go home,” meaning right here in this tiny little room in this tiny little flat in this not so tiny city.

Part of this acclimation is food. You see, the University of Strathclyde, unlike the University of Iowa, does not have a cafeteria or anything vaguely resembling a meal plan. As part of my exchange, I was given a stipend to spend on food–that’s my meal plan, and that’s only as a result of my program. So, since I want to spend my money on things like spring break* and going out with friends, I can’t really afford to eat out all the time or even subsist on frozen dinners. No, I have to buy groceries and get creative. I had an apartment last semester, but I rarely ever cooked in the apartment because I still had a meal plan, and I didn’t have the time to experiment with food. Well, I set the smoke alarms off on my first attempt at cooking, too, so that made me shy away… Anyway! Now I make time to try out new things and the worst mishap I’ve had was destroying a grilled cheese. And that wasn’t even my fault because that particular pan is evil and it was out of my control. Yes.

My first week or two, I survived on peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti, and cereal. Sometimes I still do. I never get tired of those foods! Last week, however, I filled my grocery list with veggies and spent the week using them up. (Mostly because they don’t really last longer than a week… so few preservatives!) I’ve found this website to be indispensably awesome. I just put in my ingredients, highlight something if I want to make sure I use it, and then it gives me tailored recipes. Last week, I think my masterpieces were a stuffed pepper made in the microwave, a spinach and mushroom quesadilla–with green pepper, of course–and a very potato-y stir fry. I made a stir fry! This is such exciting news for me because 1) I’ve never cooked a stir fry before, 2) I’ve never cooked potatoes before, and 3) I was convinced the smoke alarms would be coming back to haunt me or the food would be undercooked or some other awful result, but as it turns out, I am one fantastic cook. Also, try not to laugh at what a n00b cook I am.

When I do eat out, though, getting a good meal is never an issue. Hometown? Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to find vegetarian food. Glasgow? You’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant that didn’t serve vegetarian dishes. The veggie dishes are always clearly marked not only in all the restaurant menus, but also in the packaging for the groceries. Seriously, it’s so accommodating and wonderful and it makes my stomach very happy.

Honestly, I think when I head back to the US, food is going to be one of the things I miss from Glasgow. I imagine I’ll miss the green, the beautiful buildings, the friends I’ve made, and the weather, among other things. (People are always so shocked that I like the weather here! Really, though, the rain is usually just mist and I kind of like it…) But up there on that list, I think I’ll miss the multitude of vegetarian options and the cheap groceries and the lack of preservatives and the tea. Mmm, tea**.

*SPRING BREAK! Yes, it’s planned. Not entirely set in stone yet as still we have to get the hostels and transportation all booked, but our destinations are decided. Check out this post on my tumblr for the list of the fantastic cities I still can’t believe I’m planning on visiting! I may make a post about spring break as it gets closer.

**Best tea ever: China Rose Petal at The Willow Tea Rooms.

PS: I have pictures up in the photos tab from Stirling, which I visited about a week ago. I also visited the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the west end of Glasgow this weekend that I’ll give you a sneak peek of

Introduction

Well hello there.

My name is Aubrey. I’m a student at the University of Iowa where I’m double majoring in English and international studies. But I suppose that won’t be entirely accurate in about a month. Come mid-January, I will be frantically packing, bawling my eyes out, having panic attacks, and stumbling onto a plane with a passport and no idea what I’m doing.

At the beginning of the school year, I decided to study abroad. It’s hard to believe that the entire semester passed, and all I can remember is a blur of documents and emails. Somehow, I’m now one month away from heading to Glasgow, Scotland to take up my studies at the University of Strathclyde.

I’m both incredibly excited and incredibly stressed out all at once. I don’t even know what to expect! I just know that the person writing this blog right now is going to be totally different than the person writing this blog in six months. I want January to get here right now… and then I don’t want it to come at all. I can’t wait to be a “part” of the culture, and then I don’t want to leave the comfort and familiarity I have here. I’m caught in between anticipation and apprehension. I’m really anxious about being so independent and I’m trying to avoid the fact that I won’t be seeing my boyfriend for six months.

Believe me, I’ve had plenty of breakdowns when I think about all my worries when it comes to studying abroad. However, whether I like it or not, there’s a plane ticket (and plenty of other documents, actually) with name on it. I’ll be starting on an experience of a lifetime in about a month, and through all the anxiety, I can’t help but be excited to meet new people, see a beautiful new country, and add to my experience as a person.

Ready or not, Glasgow, here I come!