My first (and second!) Munro!

So I may have told some of you that I was going to make climbing mountains my "thing" over here in Scotland. Turns out, I am well on my way to making that happen! More on that later, though.

Last week went very quickly, but was a ton of fun. I had my Accounting exam on Wednesday morning. It went okay, but still no grade yet. Fingers crossed! To celebrate our accomplishment, I grabbed a pint with a few cohorts from my exam group. Later Wednesday night, I went to see Phantom of the Opera at the Edinburgh Playhouse. It was great! I went with about ten friends total. We were up in the cheap seats, but it was only 15 pounds. The acting and music were very good.

I spent all of Thursday writing my paper for Operations Management. That was the last assignment to finish this week. I still have an Organisational Behaviour paper to write before Monday, but I am planning on tackling that this weekend. It only needs to be 2000 words, so it should go fairly quickly. It is kind of stressful when thinking about assessments for my courses since for the most part, our grade is decided on only one thing. I suppose it is better than having to do multiple assignments, though!

Friday evening, I left for Firbush, which is a facility owned by the University's Centre for Sport and Exercise up in the highlands. I almost forgot my camera but went back for it, so I actually have some great photos from the trip. It is an amazing place! They have all the gear needed to do all sorts of awesome activities. It is a cabin-style set up on the shore of Loch Tay. It was absolutely beautiful. Friday night we just had dinner and played some Pictionary, and all the action started on Saturday.

After breakfast on Saturday, we got equipped to climb some mountains! They have all of the specialist equipment needed available to borrow. I got gators, a waterproof suit, hat, mittens and a rucksack. I had brought my long underwear and hiking boots from home. I had absolutely everything I needed. It was really great.

In Scotland, mountains over 3000 feet high are called Munros after the guy who first catalogued them. There are 282 in Scotland, and climbing one is known as "bagging a Munro". The record is some guy who did it in 40 days! Pretty darn impressive!

The first Munro we climbed was Beinn Ghlas. It was 3600 feet high. The first part was pretty easy, but the second leg was really tough. That was the majority of the elevation we had to cover. It was a great feeling to be on top, and really felt like an accomplishment after working so hard. From the summit, we stopped for a bag lunch, and debated our next move.

Dennis, our main guide for the climb, gave us the option of heading back down, or trying to do one more. He said since we were already up there, we may as well. Everyone in our group decided to do it. This one, Ben Lawers, was 3900 feet tall and it was right next to Beinn Ghlas. It actually only took about 25-30 minutes to get to the top from where we were. It was an incredibly difficult 25 minutes, though! The weather was notably worse, and there was much more snow on the ground. There were a few times where it felt more like actual climbing than just hiking up a hill. We all made it though, and I am proud to say I was more in the first half to make it than the second. I was very foggy, so sadly no great views were to be had. From there, we walked back down, which took about another 2 hours. Overall, we were on the mountains for about 5.5 hours. We were quite exhausted. In fact, I went to bed right after dinner at 8:00!

On Sunday, we had our choice of activities to fill the morning. We could choose from kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, road biking or hiking. Since I had no desire to use my legs for anything, I chose kayaking. I had never been before, so I didn't know what to expect. Turns out, it is an absolute blast! Flora, our guide, spent about an hour showing us the ropes and getting us all properly outfitted. For this adventure, I borrowed a wetsuit, life jacket, a waterproof jacket and a sweet water hat. I wasn't sure how likely I was to actually tip over, so I didn't bring my camera. I should get a  waterproof floating case for next time.

After learning how to paddle, we took an adventure to a small set of islands in the lake. We only had about ten minutes to explore them once arriving, but there wasn't much to see anyway. On the way back, we ran across the canoe team and Flora challenged us to race them back. I, of course, needed to win, so I pulled ahead from the group. This was actually a great idea, because it really let me enjoy the lake and scenery without any distractions. The sun also popped up about halfway home, and it was absolutely glorious. There is really nothing like sitting in the middle of a lake, sun shining on your face, and having nothing to look at but forest and mountains. It was the highlight of my trip. I also really liked kayaking because, unlike hiking, you don't have to stare at your feet to make sure you don't fall. You can just paddle and enjoy everything around you. After lunch we did some team-building exercises.

We were incredibly lucky to have had nice weather all weekend. It was a little stormy on the drive up Friday, but even on the mountains, it only rained (and snowed!) a very small amount. A bunch of MBAs dropped out at the last minute because their papers weren't done, but I am so glad I went. I truly don't think I will forget it. I mean, I climbed two mountains! To be honest, I was not expecting it to be so hardcore going in.

This week we are doing a leadership program through Thursday and then semester 1B will start on Monday. My friend Fife will also be in town this week, so it will be nice to see a face from home.

Here are some of my photos. Warning, if you were on the fence about visiting Scotland, this very well may change your mind!

 The park had a really cool area with carved stone describing the park.

 A view from the botton. This is Beinn Ghlas.

 Starting down the path!

 Inching forward. The three peaks to the left are where we were heading.

 There are several other mountains in this park as well. I'm not sure which this one is, but the part time MBA group climbed it instead because some of them had already climbed Ghlas on a previous trip.

 This moss supposedly tastes like mushrooms. It doesn't. In fact, I quite regret trying it.

Loch Tay

 Part of the park was fenced off to prevent grazing by deer and sheep. It has very fertile soil, so many plants were able to grow. It was really beautiful.

 A little stream.

 Almost there?!

We had some great views from here, which was our final resting point before the summit.

I did it!

Cassie and I by the cairn.

Adding my rock to the pile!

A view of Ben Lawers from Ghlas. No biggie.

At the top! As you can see, there was no view at all to celebrate. The climb down was just as treacherous as the climb up because of the snow. Shallow snow was very slippery if stepped on. Luckily, I only slipped once, and there were no injuries in the group.

Outside my bedroom window.

The kayak crew all suited up and ready to go!

The rest of these are pictures from around the cabin just before we left. Loch Tay was so calm it completely mirrored the surroundings. It was just amazing.

Back in Edinburgh

It has been very busy since arriving back in Edinburgh! School is split into Semester 1A and 1B, and 1A just ended. The good news is that I have a whole week with no classes at all (but I do have a final exam for Accounting and I have to write two papers). Next week, we have a leadership course through Thursday and then 1B will start up. For 1B I will have Marketing, Strategy, Ethics, Finance and Macroeconomics. It will be about four more hours of class per week than the first term.

A friend from the program, Saahil, hosted a party at his flat last Friday. It is also on the Royal Mile, but closer to the castle than me. He has a wonderful view of Princes Street and New Town from the kitchen (though he also has 5 flights of stairs and no lift). Before the party, a group of us took in a rugby match. It was a professional game between Edinburgh Rugby and Treviso. Sam, a Scot, did a great job of explaining the game to me. I started to understand with about 20 minutes to go. Edinburgh ended up losing, but it came very close at the end. Time was up, but since Edinburgh had the ball, they can play until they go out of bounds or lose possession  Unlike American football, play does not stop when a player is down. They came very close to making a winning try (like a touchdown) on the last play.

This weekend has also been really fun. On Friday night, Elisa (who is from Utah), Cassie and I went out for burgers at the Cambridge Bar. Elisa's flatmate, Ben (a part time MBA and Edinburgh resident) told us about it, and said they were the best in town. We asked for directions to make sure we were on the right path, and the guy in the street confirmed this opinion. They were. Just absolutely excellent. I had a Fajita bean burger, while Cassie got a Bacon and Guacamole on beef and Elisa went with BBQ Bacon on beef. We were all happy campers.

The bar was really packed since Scotland was playing Wales in the World Cup tournament. Scotland ended up losing, so many patrons were in foul moods. The waitress was incredibly nice. She was originally from Spain, but has been living in Edinburgh for six years. She showed us pictures of her baby twin girls and was just very friendly. After dinner, we went back to Elisa's flat.

Her flat is just amazing. It is at the top of a beautiful stone building in New Town, and has a great view. The floors are wooden, and they even have a proper kitchen! It is exactly the type of space I hope to be in after returning from the exchange. It felt so much more like a home than my flat will ever be. Plus, New Town is far less touristy, which is nice. We went to a little pub nearby to meet up with Ben and his friends after having some of Elisa's delicious homemade brownies (with caramel sauce!) before heading back home.

Yesterday, Cassie and I went to the symbolist European landscapes exhibit called From Van Gogh to Kandinsky at the Scottish National Gallery. It was pretty good, and only cost 7 pounds for students. Later, I went to see Taken 2 with a few friends. We sat in the VIP section, which was about a pound more than regular seats. It was totally worth it. The seats were reserved, and huge and leathery. It was not a great film, but the seats were excellent! After the movie, I went to a pub near my flat with Jason and Dhruv. We had a really nice time, and I ended up back home at about 0200.

I also bought my plane ticket to Seoul this week. I will leave on 13 December, and won't be coming back until 12 January. I really can't wait! Travis and I are hopefully going to Japan for a week while I am there, and I am also thinking of another side trip to do on my own since Travis will be working. Dhruv was telling me about Goa, and it seems like a wonderful place. It would be nice to be somewhere warm, even for just a few days. I am planning on spending the rest of the day cleaning and doing laundry, and getting ready for revision. I also have a trip to the highlands next weekend with the MBA group. Overall, it has been a great few weeks, and some fun is certainly coming up!

 Cassie and I went to Pancho Villa's, a Mexican restaurant near us, for lunch. It was really good, and totally made up for all previous bad Mexican experiences! We will definitely go again!

 A neat, two-sided sign for the Van Gogh to Kandinsky exhibit. It was good, but I would have liked more Van Gogh! They only had two paintings by each of the two "headliners". Although, it was the first time I had seen a Kandinsky in real life, and they were amazing. There was a lot from artists I didn't immediately recognize, and I specifically liked the Nordic landscapes.

 This note was in the bathroom at Saahil's flat. It is a university accommodation, and must get a lot of people who don't have such luxuries in their home country staying there!

 Jason and I bonding over our shared dental experiences.

 They served wine in a sippy cup at the match!

One of the MANY scrums in the Edinburgh side of the pitch during the first half. Edinburgh took so many penalties, in fact, that the opposition was awarded a penalty try!

A short adventure back home!

Week 2 of the program was quite a blur for me. I had class as normal on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday was kind of crazy since I was trying to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done to save on postage later, and I completely procrastinated on getting a wedding gift. I was fairly successful, and quite impressed with how many shops I was able to visit in two hours. I also set a record in making it from Princes Street (where most shopping is) back to school.

I left early on Wednesday to come back to Minnesota for my dear cousin Erin's wedding. It was raining, so I opted for a car to take me to the airport shuttle. The driver was a very nice man, and actually has a brother that lives in Austen. I caught the bus and subsequently the plane without issue.

I had kind of a long itinerary coming home, with layovers in both Amsterdam and Boston. I texted Mom from Boston and told her I wanted Chipotle. Then I messaged Travis, and told him those would be some pretty embarrassing last words should the plane go down. :-)

For some reason (probably sleep deprivation and my preferred flying pill combination) I can't really remember Wednesday night. I know my mom picked me up and got me Chipotle, but nothing else is sticking out. I had Thursday morning to recuperate, and then wedding festivities began on Thursday evening.

We had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. Andy's parents threw a lovely dinner at their home. All of the food was home-made, and it was wonderful. Andy's parents also gave a toast with limoncello, which is traditional in Italy. Things started to get a bit emotional when Erin and Andy said some nice things and gave out some gifts. Erin made all of the bridesmaids personalized initial necklaces and matching earrings for us to wear on the big day. They were made of real silver and pearls, and were beautiful. I also got two bonus gifts as MOH and as a thank you for throwing the Bachelorette Party. One was a Pandora bead (my bracelet is almost full!) and a bookmark of the Wicked Witch's feet (Erin and I saw Wicked together in London). Erin said it was cuter online, but I still liked it quite a bit.

On Friday I woke up bright and early to start preparing the venue. Erin and Andy got married at Afton Alps. The venue was really great because they let us have free reign all of Friday to set up. Erin created and personalized so many aspects of the ceremony and reception. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. It was perfect.

Erin asked me to spend the night with her on Friday, and to bring her to the venue on Saturday. While I was intimidated with the level of responsibility, I was very honored  We had a great night full of chatting and nervousness. Erin and I have had tons of sleepovers in our lives, but this was very symbolic as our "last." We tried to go to sleep early, but then something would be remembered about the wedding, or a new topic to discuss was brought up. We had a lot of fun, but had to sleep eventually.

The next morning was very fast. Our goal was to leave by 7:45. We got into the car at 7:48! I could hardly believe it. I am never on time. Once at Afton, things moved quickly. Before I knew it, it was time! Erin looked amazing and incredibly radiant. The ceremony was wonderful and very personal. I started to tear up as Erin said her vows, but since I was holding two bouquets and couldn't wipe my tears, I powered through.

The reception was really fun, and I only made one (hopefully small) blooper during my speech. Andy's brother, Paul, was the Best Man, and he was a really great partner for the entire event. I also caught the bouquet  which I was quite pleased about (Travis probably not so much ;-) ). I ended up leaving with my mom and Aunt Pam around 12:30. Overall, it was a wonderful day.

On Sunday, the Tufte family joined the newlyweds and some family and friends for breakfast in Hudson. It was really good. After that, I got to spend about two hours with Leah, my best friend (who managed to put together the most special and awesome wedding suite basket ever. Thanks, Leah!). We had a great time chatting and just hanging out. I just wish we would have had more time!

Leaving this time around was much more difficult all around. Since I knew I was coming back so soon the first time, I don't think it really hit me. Leah and I shed quite a few tears in the afternoon, and Erin and I did at breakfast as well. After walking through security at the airport, I became very emotional. My mom and Leah have really been there for me the past few months with Travis gone. I may not have had my boyfriend around, but these women did their best to be there for me in every way possible. On top of Erin, who is like a sister to me, getting married, the emotional toll of the weekend was quite large. I somehow managed to compose myself and board the plane. As hard as it was to leave this time, I am so very excited for what the future holds.

I would also like to publicly thank my parents for buying my plane ticket home. It was such a special and memorable weekend, and they made it possible for me to experience it. Thanks Mom and Dad. You guys are amazing!

Sadly, I don't have many pictures from the weekend, but I will share a few that I posted to Facebook:

Here is Jen, me, Christina, Kris, Mal and Heidi hanging around before joining the reception.

Me showing off my TWO bouquets!