a list and what i did on friday

I'm really sorry that this isn't a travel blog. I know I told some people that I would blog the places I went to, but then I never do. I am too devoted to this blog being a collection of pictures of: things that are mostly not pictures of Scotland/the inner machinations of my mind.

So, here is a map with some of the places I have been, circled and numbered, to be clarified below...

1. Glasgow. This is home base.

2. Our first overnight trip was spent in Tobermorry, on Mull, and then...

3. Iona. Kanosh on a Scottish island. 

4. The Second overnight trip (which I had a bad cold all the way through) went through Aberdeen, and

5. Inverness. Home of Loch Ness, and the Loch Ness Monster. 

6. We've also been on day trips to Edinburgh,

7. And Loch Lomond was a group trip.

8. This week (our last full week. don't even ask. there have and will be tears) we will have day trips to Ayr and

9. Stirling. 

Yesterday, I fraternized with England. It was basically the most unexpected thing, ever. On Monday I got an email from a very important dude saying that I could come meet him and talk about getting an internship at the Wordsworth Trust if I had the time. I made time. So, as the sun was rising I ran away from Glasgow and back into the arms of my first love: the Lakes District. Also, I was not alone. No worries. Kylan protected my virtue from the Virgin Train Vagabonds.

Yesterday was a day of many feels, to quote my illustrious friend Cat Black. Feels were coming out all over the place. I saw some amazing things yesterday. I took 5 pictures on my phone. And when I got back to Glasgow after midnight, I was exhausted. I have to (guess....) write a paper today, but I kind of want to keep processing what I saw yesterday.

Yesterday I walked away from Dove Cottage knowing that my chances are slim of ever working there. BYU has been trying to set up an internship program with the Trust for a few years now, but it probably will not be ready for me in the winter. And that's OK. Knowing what you almost could have had, but will not have, is hard. And it makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong. But at the same time, I have no regrets. No regrets. I am still going to do cool things. And I am not going to give up because one of the potentially coolest things ever fell through. Realism is not pessimism.

Today, I am still stuffy with cold nonsense and just really tired. Being on the run every day of the week, even in Scotland, can take it out of you. But I can't just blog about my feels all day, so in parting, here is an article about Martha Stewart that I enjoyed. May your hammer be mighty.