Trip to Portland and New Knitting

Today was taken up by a dr appt., a trip to Portland and knitting. It was followed by a visit to Fred Meyers tonight where I learned that they sell clothes pins but not clothes lines... Any guesses to what I was looking for?

Mom got an injection in her back this afternoon. While she was in having the procedure done, I went shopping over at Bridgeport and pretty much entertained myself for hours. It is so funny how when you live in an area without stores that malls are mesmerizing. I didn't buy anything but boy did I have fun looking.

I'm going to keep this post short. I am tired, I have a glass of wine and I am trying to convince myself to go to bed early and get up early. Less than 10 days until I leave. I should probably start adjusting to the time change.

Goodnight all.

Going Away Party

So I spent the majority of today cleaning for the going away party we had this evening. It was really fun to see so many people outside of work. Not everyone could make it, which I totally understand because the last thing I want to do on Sunday evening is think about people from work. Those who made it though were so fun!

Dad grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Mom cooked potato salad and baked beans. Mae and Jess even made it with their SOs from Portland! I couldn't have been happier to see the two of them. I tell you, it was so hard to say goodbye to the two of them this evening. I feel like I am cheating on them by going back to Europe without them. And yet they are so happy for me that I can't help but be excited for myself. And I know that if I was lucky enough to find them in France, I will be lucky again in Scotland.

I feel blessed and loved. I am so lucky to have so many people to love and to think about when I go away. Coworkers and friends, family and loved ones.... how did I ever get so lucky?

Scream and Shout

This afternoon I spent some quality time with my fellow runners volunteering for the Hood to Coast Relay. I know that I am supposed to hate H2C because I live in Seaside, but come on, the fact that these runners cover 197mi going from a Mountain to a beach is pretty darn cool. My job was to stand there and call out team numbers so they could move to the front to make the trade off. It was so fun to scream and shout encouragement to all those people who were so ready to quit. It was actually very inspiring.

So I guess the question I have for everyone else is this, what inspires you?

Yesterday's Post... Saying Goodbye

I meant to post this yesterday but somehow the blog monster ate it...
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The theme of today has been finishing things. I finished my books for school (all five of them!!!!) and it was my last day of work. If only I could do this with my knitting projects! Actually all I have out right now is a scarf and a sweater I have been working on for my mom. I will do my best to get pictures of them up soon!

So I thought I would talk today about what is going to happen travel wise. On September 9 my mom and maybe my dad and I are going up to Seattle for the night. I am looking forward to the road trip! The next morning I fly out at 8:40am (which means at the airport by 6am- eek!). The first flight will take 5hrs and I will have a layover in Philadelphia. I get on another flight for 7hrs and it will take me to Manchester, UK. When I arrive there, I have to get my bags, go through customs and get to a train. This train will take me to Manchester Oxford Road station, where I will get on another train and travel to York. In York I change trains AGAIN and then ride it up to Edinburgh. I get there around 3pm, which is 7am West Coast time. It looks like my hostel is close to the train station though, so at least I won’t need to get a cab to get around. It’s kind of scary to think I am going over and there is no one to meet me on the other side like there is when you are an exchange student. No one will be looking for me to arrive until it’s time to pick up my keys to my apartment the next morning. But you can’t worry about things you can’t change and at least I am travelling to a country that speaks English this time. And I am not 21 anymore. I would like to think I have developed a brain since the last time I was in Europe.

I am so very excited for it to be my last day but I am sad too. Each time I see one of my coworkers I am reminded how lucky I am to have such great people around me. I know that Scotland will be hard pressed to produce better people then the ones I know here. I am sure that Sunday is going to be hard, I hate going away parties. I know that it will be good though because I can’t imagine leaving without saying a proper goodbye to everyone.

Fresh starts come with finishing things.

More Fun

I swear I spent half the morning on the phone to insurance companies today getting billing addresses. I really hate holding, but what I hate more is when you are holding for something stupid like a zip code. I mean really??? How hard is that? They should have an express line for people with simple questions and one for those who are more complicated. I suppose it wouldn’t work though because everyone would think that their question is a simple one. Ugh.

Tomorrow is my last day of work and I am really looking forward to being done. Unfortunately, I don’t think I am going to get any more sleep in days because I have so much to do and so little time. In fact I want to spend as much of my time as I can with my family and friends. I think it’s nice that my cousins have come to stay with my parents because that means there are more people in the house and there is a younger attitude all around. C starts 8^th grade on September 8^th so I will get to be around for her first day! I hope she likes her new school. I know that it has to be hard for her to move like she has.

I am thinking about what I still need to travel. I think the only thing I have left to get is a clothes line. Never underestimate the importance of one of those things, especially when you are travelling in hostels. I got my bags packed last night, and almost everything fits but think it may expand before I leave so I am going to go investigate getting some boxes. Even though I swore I wouldn’t do it, I think I am going to be shipping stuff to myself. Sweaters are going in one box for sure. Maybe I should send some yarn to myself as well. Wouldn’t that be a nice box to open?

Speaking of yarn, I cannot wait to go to the fair next week. I LOVE the state fair. I love the people selling things. I love the fried foods. The thing I LOVE the most though is the competitions. And that is not just because I enter them. I love looking at the things people have made, the hours of hard work that have gone into one quilt or one knitting project. I don’t think I entered anything this year that will take home any prizes, but I have been surprised in previous years and it’s better to be excited than disappointed. I think we are planning to go on September 3^rd which is C’s birthday. She wants to get her nails done and her haircut that day, so I am afraid my fair experience might become beauty day, which wouldn’t be all together bad either. I would go before or after, but I really want to go with J and C and that is the only weekday J has off and the weekends are pretty much booked up. It wouldn’t be fair to go without J since she and I entered our work together.

Updates!

So we are at 14 days and some odd hours until I leave. I can’t believe it is getting so close. I have been working on reading books for school, which have been relatively interesting. I have found it harder and harder to focus on them though, especially if someone is talking, the TV is on or there is music playing with words to it. I am going to have to practice getting back into reading shape when I get to Edinburgh.

I have two days of work left. I can’t believe it is getting so close. I am getting sad to think that I am leaving and that I won’t get to see my coworkers happy faces each day. I know that I am doing the right thing though, a strong breeze is blowing change back into my life. I can’t wait for my party this weekend. It will be so nice to spend time with some of my coworkers before I leave and it will be fun to see them outside of hospital scrubs. Plus we are having a barbecue and drinks, and that is always fun. I hope some of my friends from Portland can make it. I know it’s a bad weekend because of Hood to Coast but as long as they are already here, they might as well have some fun up on the hill.

So I guess I should talk a little about the preparations I have been making. I have been packing. It seems like I have been packing forever, but I am almost done. I have everything I could possibly need when I first get there and anything else I need can be sent or bought. I have a binder going with every piece of paper I have gotten about the trip, the school and my financials. I shall call it my brain since mine is out to lunch. Actually it has helped a great deal to have a place to put everything because I tell you what, I really cannot take anymore craziness right now. I think I am going to have to split the binder into two, one for travelling with and one to pack in my suitcase for the stuff I will need for school.

I got my offer for my housing. It is a very cool old building in the center of Edinburgh. I am really excited about it because I am sandwiched between the Royal Mile (where all the bars are) and George’s St (where all the shopping is). I cannot wait to see what my dorm room looks like, but I know that no matter what it is like, it is not the most important thing. I am going to focus on school and being prepared for classes more than on where I am going to sleep J. I know that will make my mom happy to hear!

I arrive in Edinburgh on September 11^th and move into housing on the 12^th. Orientation week (Fresher’s Week as they call it) starts on Monday the 14^th. I will start classes the following Monday or Tuesday. It appears that I will have lots of appointments to go to before I start school. I have a seminar on the Scottish education system. I have an orientation to my program (European Union Politics and Law for those who are wondering) and I have to meet with my program director and chart out what classes I am going to take. In addition they want me to meet with a GP (what they call a Dr. over there) so that if I get sick, I will have access to their universal healthcare system. I have a party to attend with other international students, a reception for Taught Master students and so many more things that I am starting to wonder how I am going to make it to all these social gatherings. My birthday comes in the middle of the week and I am half excited to see what will happen that day and half scared that I won’t know anyone and will be out at a bar drinking by myself. My fallback for my birthday is that there is a French themed pub-crawl which could be very fun, especially if it gives me a chance to use my very rusty French. I think I can still order roller-skates for dinner.

Oh there is so much more I could write, but let’s be honest, if I tell you everything today, I will have nothing to write about tomorrow. And then what fun would that be???