Wisdom and Wishing

One of the greatest challenges in life is to discover who you truly are, especially at the young ages where life is the most impressionable. Trying to make the monumental decisions like, "what am I doing with my life" force you to look into yourself and discover what you are made of. Even more than what you are made of, it's looking at what you believe and what you are about. I remember writing my "This I believe" paper for my senior Quest For Meaning class... one of the first explorations of who I truly am and what I believe and make out of this life and these experiences. I've learned even more this year as I settle into a year abroad, a new start and a new direction. So as I try to remake myself I begin to figure out who I am a bit more every day. I now know that I am truly a people person, that being around others is a great energy I feed off of and want to find the direction that keeps me around great company. But I also know that as much as I love the United States, living abroad has become a definition of myself. It is something that I have come to love, because every experience is new and gives you a fresh perspective on why I do things the way I do-- forcing me to look and understand "my way." And the new perspective, well, it's like a kid in a candy shop, wide eyed and ever excited, so for a kid who doesn't want to grow up, this is a great feeling!

I couldn't help but think today back onto my Eckerd experiences and how they have brought me to where I am today. At the same time I wish that I could go back taking all this "grownup" wisdom and begin Autumn Term and freshman year again. Funny how such a fulfilling experience can also leave you knowing there were things you missed, things to change, but hey, I guess that's a part of growing up. So it's what I like to call the wisdom of wishing, wishing you could take today's wisdom back to the yesterdays, but that's the beauty of life; you can take the experiences you've had and build on them to make the next ones even better! So that's the wisdom of wishing... we all grow, it's just a question of what we enjoy in the meantime.

Do you believe in ghosts? That was the question I was asked as I got an invitation to stay at a haunted castle over the past weekend. However, sad as it may be and my opinion hidden, we didn't see any ghosts over our night at the castle. Now, as for the trip. Wake up at 8am and try to function-- it simply doesn't happen very well for a university student. Of course I forget my camera, yet again. So back to bumming off friends, but hey what's Facebook for? Oh not to mention, we set out on a picturesque hike around a true Scottish loch, and I forget my rain jacket, a true necessity in these parts. But thankful for flatmates who like to travel with me, I was able to borrow an army pullover that helped breat the freezing wind. I have to admit though, it was an amazing hike watching the fog roll off the mountains covering the heater fields on our every side and the shimmering blue water being fed by a small stream. The specks of snow still on the far peaks made it postcard perfect. Blunders aside I made it a trip worthwhile. The we finally managed our way to the haunted castle, which by the number of times we got lost seemed to be more of a disappearing castle. Funny though how we get spoiled over here, when we find out how "new" this castle is being built in the late 1800s; but it really looked much older than it actually was. We then settled into our rooms for a haunting experience as we told ghost stories in the dark. We stayed up as late as we could trying to find that good story we could bring back but after hours of watching and listening, I got nothing. So it was a little disappointing we didn't get to see that ghost, but hey how many nights do you get to say "I slept in a castle"? A good time, that's the storyline here!

A Northern World

Life in the northern parts of the world certainly brings many advantages and disadvantages. First, the bad. Step outside and only by 8:30am will you begin to see the sun rise. This is also if you are lucky. The Scottish weather has a tendency to go from a very gray day into the night, hiding the sunlight for hours on end if not entirely. Then night fall comes at about 3:30, capping such a short day. It feels as if there is no time to get anything done and the day should be over with the falling sun. So it certainly is a readjustment to the whole lifestyle.

But it is one that comes with the most definite of advantages as well. To begin, being so far north, the sun barely caps the horizon, which makes for some of the greatest sunrises and sunsets you will ever see. And in such a picturesque country already, this just makes the incredible that much more amazing. Settled among the green rolling hills the sun shines a bright orange and red bursting arrays of color which are reflected off of the water that is the lifeblood of Scotland. It is as if this was where heaven touched earth. It also shows how the sunlight is such a vital and integral part of life. It makes a deeper and greater appreciation of how the sun is such a powerful force giving energy and life to the world.

This is life in the Northern world, a challenge that makes you earn the uniqueness and amazing days that dawn, but worth every minute of it.

Spirit of the Season

As the holidays are just around the corner, this is the time where every emotion is abundant for university students, regardless of what level. First are the late nights cramming for exams and papers, the rush to the finish. It's the finality of the semester that suddenly sinks in, there's not a next week anymore. It's also the time where students have the sudden realization of the progression of their academic careers. It is a monumental half way point of the year... and how quickly time passes. Then there is the "what am I doing with my life question" that you have to answer, or at least start thinking about... tis the season.

But it also the time of the year where everyone gets an extra little bounce in their step, there is a sense of excitement and optimism in the air. It is the feeling of Christmas. It's the holiday spirit that is a little contagious. Even through the midst of cramming and rushing from class to class, there is a little time to catch that spirit.

Being in Aberdeen has certainly been a new perspective, or at least one I've long forgotten. There are distinct seasons here, as it just snowed. This is a way to watch the progression of time, seeing sun turn to snow, and the snow uncover the months of hidden ground. This helps to capture the spirit of Christmas somehow. The gentle snow against the lit Christmas tree in the town square, standing as it has for hundreds of years, is a reminder that no matter how quickly time seems to pass, it stands still at the same time. That is what we too must do. Move through life looking to our tomorrows, but keeping a still picture of where we have been and done. That is the spirit of the season.

Sound and Silence

Any ordinary day begins with the familiar sounds of daily life. To continue fulfilling the Scottish experience, it becomes necessary to delve into the depths of the culture and experience the world that this Scottish land offers. What better way than to try a ceilidh. If you love Celtic music and Scottish dancing this is the event to try. What can be better than a live band and dance lessons taking you back centuries, becoming a part not only of Scottish culture but of its long and rich history. There were about five or six different dances we tried from the slow to racing around the room, it was hard to find any energy at the end of the night!

But this was an experience unlike any other. It truly is one of the great cultural gifts that Scotland has given. As one of my Scottish friends said, "We may not dominate much, but this is one place that Scotland thrives." It truly is! And where to have such a rich cultural experience than settled in the halls of a University founded in 1495. Being in Scotland and Great Britain truly demonstrates the importance of history, the preservation of society, and the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. This, I must say, is a culture I have enjoyed becoming immersed into.

This history is not all about the glamor of architecture and the grandeur of culture. It carries a burden, a history of struggle and challenge. Today, Sunday 9 November, marked a pivotal day in Britain, the National Day of Remembrance. The interconnectedness of the country and its links to the past truly struck when there was a national two minutes of silence as the bells of Big Ben tolled to mark the 11 o'clock beginning of a nation's reflection on its history and the costs of freedom.

So the link between the past and the future becomes a vital link to the progression of society. And without it, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of history, lengthening that struggle and history. It doesn't have to be glamorous or glorious it just has to be remembered and celebrated. Then a new day can dawn, and that is what a day of remembrance is truly about.

A President and a Precedent

No matter what side of the political spectrum you sit, it is undeniable that the 2008 Presidential election was an historical and pivotal step in America's history. Barack Obama has achieved a milestone that will mark a significant moment not only in my lifetime but in the course of American history. And regardless of who you may support, it is a great feeling to live through such a milestone bridging America's past and future in one single day. At last, this is the fullness of democracy at work.

But I don't write this as a political statement but as an observation. Living in Scotland during the course of the election, it gives a greater perspective on America's relation to the world. Following the election, I couldn't help but notice the number of people who wrote or said "This is the day for America-the day we can at last be proud of our neighbor." This election was a reaffirmation of the hope and beacon that America can be seen as in the world.

It is on the domestic front that this has become the new tide of history, writing a new chapter in the everchanging American saga, but it is a new and more promising day holding a hope for the tides of a true and genuine change within the global community. So I must say, being an American abroad, democracy has fulfilled its potential and the world has come to see a new day.

Identity Crisis

OK, so I've known for a while that I've been living abroad. But sometimes it never really hits home until you have that one realization, or shall we call it epiphany? Anyway you cut it, today was that day for me.

So as I was in a hurry to class today, I threw on my Eckerd fleece and sandals as has been my daily routine. I made it to class on time with no thought to any changes to my basic days. But after class I proceeded to the library (don't worry I'm finding time for fun) I made it without any hitches and began my reading.

But as I looked out the window, I began to realize a great change, not only in myself but in my surroundings. As I glanced outside, I noticed a light snowfall begin to fall against the granite of the buildings in the background.

I then looked down and realized that I was still wearing my sandals, with holes in both soles. It was then that I had the sudden realization that I was not in Florida anymore. It finally hit me that this has been a significant alteration in my life and hopefully now in my attire. But it was a welcome thought to begin seeing the surroundings with a new appreciation and view of being authentically Scottish, not holding any American tinge towards my new home.

And I call it home, because that is what it is becoming. They say you have to walk a mile in a man's shoes before you begin to understand his life and story, and I feel this is the beginning of my transformation of becoming a global citizen. Walking that mile, it teaches you that home can be where the heart is and it's more important to make the most of where you are when you are there rather than to look back to the days past wishing for a return. Your past is always a part and hopefully a great and instrumental part of who you are; and it's important to carry that memory into a new day but it is also vital to live the new day for the day and the days to come. Only when you blend the past, present, and future can you discover the true meaning of what the day holds in its treasures. So I must say that I welcome my newfound 'identity crisis' because you have to leave a part of who you were to find out who you are.