Wander Life

School's Out! (sort of)

You may remember that the reason I am here is to walk the halls (or, in this case, cloisters) of learning.

And, oh yes, it's been good times.  (Here we are at one of our reading parties in the anatomy museum.)

I still need to write over the summer in order to submit the final portfolio in August for completion of the MLitt in Creative Writing degree (which is the first-year Masters; the second year is for the MFA in Creative Writing)...

(notice my new little plant friends)

...but still, when I turned in my two final papers for the term this week, I definitely got that end-of-the-school-year feeling.  Contributing to that feeling is the fact that it's been super nice and sunny recently.  

(the nearby park and botanic garden)

And also, my friend Rachel visited, and we traveled up to a nearby island (and what says "summer vacation" more than a trip to an island?).

Ok, maybe it wasn't the lay-out-on-a-beach kind of trip to an island, but it was very nice, all the same.  Here are a few of the sights (these are isles Mull & Iona): 

Dunollio Castle, in the town of Oban, as seen from the ferry ride over to Mull.

Ruins of a nunnery on the Isle of Iona.  (It's an island with some pretty historical significance; worth checking out on Wikipedia.)

We also got to see a lot of sheep, (altogether now, "Aww...."), which I really enjoyed just 'cause I thought they were cool-looking.

So chill.

And I think they found us pretty interesting, as well.

Either that, or they were just annoyed by us.

Either way, it was a pretty amazing place to see.

Fun to see more of Scotland.

And, of course, always fun to have a visit from a friend.

Next up, my parents are visiting the last two weeks of May (woo-hoo!); I'm traveling up north next week to work on a sheep farm (spending a week doing WWOOFing, which is where you work a few hours a day on a farm in exchange for room and board - I'll let you know how it goes, but definitely should be an adventure 'cause it's way up in the Highlands); I've got some ultimate frisbee tournaments going on (this weekend a beach tournament in the northeast; another beach tournament in St. Andrews in a couple weeks); and I'm participating in a school project for my sweet little second-cousin, Amanda, in which I take pictures of this paper guy named Flat Stanley.  Like so:

(This is a view from my school, looking down on the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.)

So, yes, I think it's going to be a very good summer vacation, indeed.  Stay tuned, but until then...Happy Easter!

 

Day in the Country

A 45-minute north of Glasgow is Loch (Gaelic for "lake") Lomond.  Pretty pretty.

Fun to go with these two.  

And always fun to have a day in the country.  Thumbs up, Scotland.  

 

Friendly Farming

I've mentioned this before: the downside of moving from place to place is that you're always saying goodbye.  But the upside, of course, is that you're also always saying hello.  Hello to some cool new peeps.  My mom mentioned recently that I haven't been very good at taking pictures of people, so yesterday, I took my camera on an outing with some friends to the local farmer's market.  Here are a few people whom I've met this year and who have made my time in Glasgow all the better.  (Plus, you get to see a couple of my favorite market booths.)

Miles buying jam.  Great guy, great jam.  (I do, indeed, buy my jam here.  Thumbs up on the rhubarb ginger.)

 

Good bread always brings a smile to my face, too, Izabela.

 

 Eric buying potatoes...

...made the vendor happy, at least.  

So, there ya go.  Good people.  Good farmer's market.  Good times.    

March 2011

Well.  Been a while.  And now there's much to say.  I turned another year older, and my semester is over (class-wise...but I still have writing projects to work on all spring and summer).  Life in Glasgow is good - the spring weather (57 degrees and sunny today) is very welcomed, as is the longer days.  I have a friend visiting in a couple of weeks and am looking forward to that adventure (of which I will have plenty of pictures to share, I'm sure).  So, the months ahead hold days of reading and writing and being in Scotland.  And that's good.

But March has held much sadness.  And the days ahead are less bright.  I read something recently that said when you lose a loved one, at first, you cry when you think of them.  But you go on day by day, and after a while, the memories that make you cry now are the ones you'll cherish later - those memories are what you get to keep, what you don't have to say goodbye to in this life.  

I cry now when I think about my Uncle Don, and his family and friends will never get used to his being gone.  He will always be missed.  But I know we will cherish our memories of him, too.  He was one of the good ones, a joy to be around, one who put others first, a wonderful uncle, devoted, hard-working, kind, a man of faith.  I was able to make it back for the service, and because he was much loved, his earthly presence will be much missed - it was a heartbreaking farewell.  But it was also a celebration of his life.  He lived it well and has left us many memories to cherish.  

(My sister-in-law took these pictures [and many other wonderful shots], and my sister wrote a couple of beautiful posts about my uncle and the service, too.)

Always in our hearts, Uncle Don.

A New Year Finds Me Here

And thus begins the second semester.  

I hope all of you had a great Christmas and New Year and that 2011 has started well.  For me, I missed family and friends during the holidays, of course, but it was a good winter break.  I spent Christmas with my landlady and her family upstairs and then my friend Tanya came over from China to explore Scotland and Ireland with me.  So that was pret-ty amazing.  I've got the album up on Facebook now, so, if you're interested (and if we're friends :)), you can check that out here.  Tanya's also got several picture albums up of the trip (because she's an awesome photographer), so you may be able to see those here (or you can, at least, see the ones I'm tagged in in my Facebook pictures).

But if this is too much clicking and linking and technology and oi!-my-head-hurst-just-thinking-about-it (or if you can't access those links), I feel your pain and completely understand.  So, I'll put up a few highlights here and just say: Happy 2011!  : )

T & me enjoying a tour of a Scottish whisky distillery.  

 T being her usual awesome photographer self.

We saw some pretty incredible scenery (this is about an hour and a half north of Glasgow)....

And some other pretty incredible sights (this is in St. Andrews).

We even got rescued by a Scottish farmer.  (How we got our rental car stuck in the mud in the middle of a Scottish field on New Year's Day is...probably a story best told in person.  One of those "on the way to find this castle" kind of moments.  But definitely a New Year's I'll never forget. :))

All in all, it was a great time of exploring, hanging out, drinking coffee and horsin' around in Scotland and Ireland (this is on the west coast of Ireland - in between Galway and Limerick).

So, definitely a great start to the 2011 (thanks again for coming, T!).

Now, go on, get outta here....

Until next post, anyway.  : )

 

End of Year Recap! (Or end of semester, anyway)

So, it's been a while.  BUT.  I've been very good with Facebook (picture-wise; I think so, anyway); pretty good with school writing assignments; and so-so with email (admittedly, not great but I have my moments).  I guess this blog is just one outlet too many for me these days.  And so it goes.

But I did want to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry (or Happy, depending on the continent) Christmas.  I don't have any big plans next week, but a few days AFTER Christmas, I have great plans.  Friend T is visiting from China for 10 days, and we hope (weather permitting!) to wander up into the highlands and check out more of this fine country.  We'll also head over to Ireland for a couple days, and I'm picking her up in England, so it should be a very multi-cultural experience.  : )

So, that's what's on the horizon with me.  Then the second semester will start, and I'll be back to my ol' tricks of reading and writing.  Which is what I've been doing for the past couple months (to catch you up to speed) and what I continue to do with most of my time now, even though I'm on semester break.  Luckily, it's a enjoyable routine.

And...I guess that's about it.  I've tried to keep my reading list up to date (right side bar) during the semester, and I've cleared most of the books from semester one to make room for the next batch.  And pictures are easier to upload onto Facebook, so you can keep checking there for the most recent.  But I will end this post by inserting a few of my favorites from the past couple months.  And probably my next post will be in the new year.  So, until then, hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year!

Edinburgh Castle.  

Classic phone booths shot.  A photo album of the UK wouldn't be complete without one.  : )

Overview of Edinburgh.

Glasgow in the snow.

 

Glasgow, city center, at night, in snow.

And lastly, a picture that can sum up my life here: books and coffee.  : )

So, there you have it.  See you next year!

I'm Here!

The good news: I have been writing.  The bad news: not on this blog.  For which I do apologize.  I have been a lot better about giving a quick update and throwing some pictures up on Facebook, so if we're "friends" (by Facebook's definition), I haven't been completely MIA (and if you're on Facebook and we are not, yet, "friends," let's put aside our differences and become so!).  

However, whether or not we're friends on "the social network," I realize that I should still make an effort to keep this blog up to date (I must admit that it does have a much more homey feel than a FB wall), so here I am - jumping back into it after a month's absence and a move across the Atlantic.  

First of all, some housekeeping: I have moved a few things around and updated some things on the sidebars.  So, check out a few new photo albums, which are now on the right side (the newest additions are "Glasgow (Fall 2010)," "Washington-Brush Prairie Farewell (Summer 2010)" and "Washington-Rialto Beach (Summer 2010)."  I am also going to try to update my reading list more frequently so, if you're interested in such things, you can see what books they're requiring in school these days (or in this master's program, anyway).  Also, my sister, the Photoshop wiz and all-around creative genius, has told me that it's time for a new banner and has promised to make me one once I send her some pictures that reflect my current "station" a little better than the current ones that are up there, so hopefully, that'll be coming soon.  I do love the current banner with the pictures of Vietnam and Thailand, but I guess she's right - I'm in Europe now, so I guess it's time to move on to the right continent.

Ok, so that pretty much brings us up to speed as far as what's happening with this blog.  There are, of course, many stories I'd like to tell, but so far, most of my energy has been taken up with writing them for classes.  However, as I begin to get more settled and back in the school groove, it'll be fun to continue to share adventures from this journey with all of you who have been such great travel companions (whether physically or in spirit) over the years.  As always, I love having you along for the ride!  After all, I'm just kind of along for the ride, myself.  : )

The noteworthy happenings that come to mind that I'd like to share a little about with you can, per usual, most concisely be said with pictures:

My niece Addie (Adelynn Harriet Staely) was born on September 12th.  Obviously, I think she's the cutest thing in the world.  Since I left the U.S. for Scotland on September 1st, I haven't seen her in person, but from pictures and Skype, I can tell she's a keeper.  (For more pictures, check out my sister's blog.)

Before I left the States, in general, and the Pacific Northwest, in specific, I got together with some ECHO friends on the northwest corner of Washington's Olympic Peninsula in memory of our friend Cheryl who I wrote about a couple of posts ago.  It was a great time of sharing memories and being together.  It was also a very cool-looking beach and area, and, for you Twilight fans, very much what you would expect from the setting of a series based on vampires (the nearby town of Forks is where it takes place).  (And, yes, I realize that I've now made reference twice on this blog to the Twilight series.  I still haven't read them, but I'm not passing judgment either way.  It's just sometimes hard to escape the fact that when you're from Washington, the Twilight connection is going to come up once in a while.)  For more pictures from this trip, check the right sidebar for the "Washington-Rialto Beach (Summer 2010)" album.

My family threw me a wonderful farewell party the night before my departure, and I'll carry the memory of salmon, key lime pie AND boston cream cake and, of course, the love of a great family with me during the next couple of years that I'm away.  For a few more farewell pictures, see the photo album to the right called "Washington-Brush Prairie Farewell (Summer 2010)."

And lastly, Glasgow.  I've put some pictures that I've taken thus far from over here up in the album to the right called, appropriately, "Glasgow (Fall 2010)," but hopefully, I'll be able to share more specific stories soon.  Until then, I'll just highlight a few that kind of sum things up so far:

 Here's the skyline of Glasgow.  So far, I quite like the city.  It reminds me of Portland in a lot of ways...and maybe someday I'll write about why.  But for now, suffice it to say, I like it here.

The first, and so far only, castle I've seen over here.  This is Inverary Castle, about an hour and half northwest of Glasgow.  It's the only trip I've made outside of Glasgow, but, of course, hopefully, there will be more to come.  And I look forward to seeing more castles.

 On that same trip, I got my first real taste of the Scottish countryside.  And, yes, I look forward to seeing more of this, as well.

And lastly, the house in which I live:

I don't have time (or energy, thanks to my current head cold) to tell the story of my apartment hunt just yet, but I will eventually...'cause I think it's a pretty good one.  Most importantly, though, I ended up finding a place, which has turned out to be perfect for me.  As I currently sit here typing this while looking out my window at the neighbors playing fetch with their adorable little Bichon Frise named Baiser (pronounced Beezoo), I think I couldn't have found a better place.  Since it seems that I'll be spending most of my time right here (writing at my computer), it's nice to be in a homey-feeling and inspiring place.

Alright, I think that's enough for now.  I hope that all of you had a wonderful September and that you're welcoming fall in with a nice pumpkin-spice latte or hot cider or some such thing as you watch the leaves begin to change in whatever neck of the woods you're in.  For me over here, the colors of fall are looking bright! 

 

Goodbye to Portland

My time here in the Pacific Northwest is once again coming to an end (for now).  In five days, I leave for Glasgow, Scotland, and the plan is to stay there straight through the two years it'll take to complete my master's program.  I'm excited, of course, but, as always, the toughest part about moving is the goodbyes.  I don't know anyone who likes goodbyes, and I'm no different.  I'll miss family, friends and the Pac NW, but I'm thankful that I've had this summer to spend here, being with people and creating new memories.

I also feel like every time I return to the Pac NW, I get to know and grow to love Portland more and more.  Granted, I still make plenty of wrong turns or end up on the wrong bridge or freeway while driving around it, but still, it's a fun place to come back to.  Along with hitting up the classic haunts (Powell's Bookstore, Montage, Mio Gelato, 23rd Street, etc), I've been enjoying checking out some new hikes along the gorge, frequenting some new shops and finding some great new eateries.  All while spending time with people.  It really has been pretty great.

So, here are a few pictures from some recent P-town outings.  Good times!

My bro-in-law and sis and I enjoyed this new hot pot & sushi place by IKEA.  I think the name of it actually is "Hot Pot & Sushi."  We had both...and both were good.

My sister and I took in the view of The City of Roses (one of the nicknames for Portland; others include Stumptown, P-town and, if you're a Blazer's fan, Rip City) from one of the many bridges over the Willamette River as it was being raised to let a ship pass underneath.

The Cheesecake Factory may be a national chain, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.  My sister and I checked out Portland's.  And, yes, it passed the test.  : )

Sis-in-law, sis, friend E and I loved this Vietnamese restaurant in the Pearl District.  If you know Pho Van's, it's similar since it's affiliated with them, but this one's called Silk.  Definitely worth checking out. Big thumbs up on the clay pot caramelized pork and crab & asparagus soup.

And I was obviously very excited about Mojo Crepes.  This was my first time there...and now it may have to be one of the first places I hit up whenever I return to Portland.  Seriously.  Fantastic Asian-style crepes (I got bavarian creme & chocolate-filled), and then we tried this Taiwanese shaved milk ice stuff with Captain Crunch and blueberry sauce and all sorts of craziness...and it was pretty tasty, too.  (But seriously, you can't beat those crepes.  If you like crepes.  Which I do.)

And, of course, no post on Portland would be complete without a picture of Powell's Bookstore.  I can (and often do) spend hours in any bookstore, but nothing can beat the City of Books.  Love it.

 

I'll try to do one more post before I leave on Wednesday, but if not, I'll definitely try to keep this updated with news & pictures of my apartment hunt and first glimpse of the campus and getting settled into Glasgow and all that.  Castle pictures can't be far off.  : )

The View Up There: Mount St. Helens

This past week, I hiked/climbed/scrambled my way to the top (or, more accurately, the crater's rim) of Mount St. Helens.  It took about 3.5 hours up; 2.5 hours down; and another couple hours just to hang out up there and take in the view.  Pretty spectacular.  I've added a photo album at the left sidebar [under Photo Albums called "Washington-St. Helens Hike (Summer 2010)"], so feel free to check it out if you've ever wondered what spending a day on an erupted volcano might look like.  Let me tell ya, it's pretty cool.   

And I'll point out a few of the highlights here, as well....

We left the house at 4:30 A.M. and started hiking at 6:00.  A little too early for my liking, but...it was definitely peaceful as we set out.

A group of 19 of us went: family made up 7 and the rest were friends or friends of friends.  I hiked much of the way alongside my sis-in-law and mom.  'Twas a good group.  (My dad, older and younger bros and bro-in-law were the rest of the family members that went.  My over-8-months-preggo sister wasn't quite feeling up for it for some reason. :))

Looking down into the crater.

From the top, you could see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams in the distance.  Pictured here are Mount Rainier (on the left) and Mount Adams (on the right).  

Looking along the rim.

When you wake up at 3:30 A.M., drive for an hour and then hike for several more hours, you're ready for lunch and a nap up at the top.

After living near the Rockies for the past year and a half, I generally assume it'll be cold at the top of a mountain.  Even though it was in the 80s down below, the wind at the top made me glad for my trusty stocking cap and jacket (though I did shed them both on the way down).

The fam at the top.  Sister Steph and all the kiddos were there in spirit.

It's a lot faster going down when you can slide down a mountainside of ice.  It may not have been more graceful, but it was certainly more fun.

And views like that make me smile...

...like this!

So there ya go.  My consensus?  Two thumbs up for St. Helens.  It really is a blast.  : )                 

To Honor a Life

My friend Cheryl's funeral service is tomorrow in Tennessee.  And though I won't be able to attend, I am, of course, thinking of her and mourning her passing.  And it's got me thinking about how to honor a life like hers that was so well-lived and will be so very missed.  Honestly, it's easy for me to be overcome by the sadness of it.  It's sad, and it's painful, and that's not going to change.  It's always going to hurt, and people who knew and loved her are always going to miss her.  And I think it's right that our hearts break and are angered at the suffering that evil causes.  And yet we have to keep functioning in daily life.  And not just functioning but thriving, celebrating, loving & helping others, sharing truth & hope and living the lives that we are created to live.  It seems strange to go about with the normal day to day happenings, but I know that my God is the God of the high times, the low times and all the times in between.  That doesn't change, either, and for that I'm thankful. 

So, for me, I choose to honor Cheryl's life by pressing on, by picking up the torch and carrying it for as long as my Father in Heaven enables me to and by not forgetting a life lived in love, joy, truth and hope.