Becoming a local.

I have been here six full days at this point but it truly feels much, much longer. I have settled in quite quickly and things are definitely going smoother now than when I wrote my previous post.

I used Sunday and Monday to wander around Edinburgh, get my bearings and take in the touristy attractions of the city. I did not notice the beauty of the city my first afternoon here but once I stepped out of my flat I couldn’t help but see how uniquely picturesque it is. The old (up to a thousand years) buildings are almost magical and beyond anything you would be able to find in the US. The sheer size and detail of these building just boggles my mind considering how long ago they were built. I constantly find myself feeling as if I am walking through a movie set or perhaps Harry Potter's Hogwarts. 

The past few days I have had introductory meetings for my College (College of Humanities and Social Sciences), School (School of Social and Political Science), Centre (Centre for African Studies) and Programme (MSc in Africa and International Development). In addition I have had to register with a doctor, set up a bank account, set up a phone plan, get my baggage back from British Air, pay my tuition (so painful) and other various administrative tasks necessary to get myself established here. Every single one of those tasks ended up being way more complicated and lengthy than anticipated but I am happy that I now have them out of the way. It has been a lot to take in but I can honestly say it has been an easy transition for me thus far and I can already tell that I will gain so much from my upcoming experience. 

One thing that has helped is that I am very happy with my flat mates. There are six of us, all postgraduate international students.  Sarah and Amy are both from the States, the first an English Lit major and the later an International Business major. Evie is from Puerto Rico and is studying Animal Behavior. There is another girl from South Korea who is studying Sustainable Energy. The sixth girl is from India and I am not quite sure what she is here for. We each have our own room but share two bathrooms, a kitchen and tiny dining/living area. We are a pretty diverse group but I guess the fact that we are studying here means we have a lot in common as well.

While the city of Edinburgh itself is still growing on me, I am already in love with the University atmosphere. I keep questioning how I ended up here because everyone else seems so intelligent and interesting! So many great people entered this college before me; Sir Walter Scott, Alexander Graham Bell, Julius Nyerere, Charles Darwin, David Hume. The list of notable alum is truly impressive. The people I will be studying alongside all seem great as well. There are about 20 people in my programme and they come from all over the world. Some are recent college grads like me with little 'real world' experience, others have worked for many years and just now decided to go back to school or change careers. We have someone who has worked in the mental health field for 30+ years and another guy that has worked on aerospace engineering for quite some time - so we definitely come from varied backgrounds.