Thanksgiving in Scotland

Today was Thanksgiving and my first major family holiday away from my family and friends. It was a good one, the students helped prepare a meal and set up the whole thing. It turned out really well and I enjoyed myself. After dinner, and the traditional turkey coma nap, we had a ceilidh, which is like a Scottish square dance. This meant that I got to eat good food and dance around like an idiot, which means it was a good day.

I hope you all are enjoying your day as well. Thinking of you all makes me smile.

Thank you all for being people worth being thankful for.

One month left

Its hard to believe that a month from now I will be going home.

In fact, its so hard to think about that I am unsure what to write. I have done a lot, but still have a lot left to do. I am sure I will never be satisfied with my travels, its an itch I don't think I can ever scratch enough. I am excited in a lot of ways to go back to the Pacific Northwest, it helps I am fortunate enough to have so many wonderful things to come home to. On the other hand, I am unsure when I will get back to this side of the pond and just enjoy the life here.

This is a good problem to have.

I know I will get back. I know I will travel more. So really, all that is left to do is finish working and just take it all in for this time around. I'll reflect later, when I have time to burn.

Yes we can. Yes we did. Yes we will.

Someday, in the future, I get to sit my children, and eventually grandchildren, down and say, "Kids, let me tell you about when I saw the world change. When I saw progress happen that once seemed impossible. In a nation that has its problems with hate and oppression, we as a people saw the possibility for change, unity, and a better tomorrow, and said 'Yes, We Can'."

Yes, We Can.

Yes, We DID.

Never before, since I have truly understood what it meant, have I been able to say I am proud to be an American. Last night, when the polls on the west coast closed, I was able to. I was half a world away and I witnessed my country change; I witnessed the world change. Disbelief, shock, excitement, joy, and most of all hope swelled up in me. Barack Obama was President Elect.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the opportunities that I have received from being an American, but the pride was never there. It was always different, always a feeling of frustration with how things worked out. That all changed when Obama got 270 Electoral votes. This wasn't just something that I saw, or the people who voted for Obama, but the way world looks at America has changed, the way they feel about America has changed, the votes of the American people did so much good for American foreign policy last night. In all of my travels and all the people I have met I can tell you, without a doubt, that the world is celebrating with us. They are rejoicing at what is seen as, and hoped to be, a gradual change on a large scale, a shift from a unilateral unjustified war. A shift from the assumption of superiority. A shift back to America being a leader in the struggle for human rights, which includes the shut down of Guantanamo Bay and reestablishing the damage done to Civil Liberties. These are hopes that not just the world feels, but many Americans. They showed this with their vote, and this is what has made me so proud.

Obama spoke last night and, as only he can, took this momentous achievement in stride and used it as a moment to unify us. I will not try to paraphrase his words, for they are too perfect to be touched:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

If you missed this speech, please watch it. The entire thing gave me chills, made me so thankful that this all happened, and drove many people I know to tears. He spoke of unity in a way I have only dreamt of, and found a way to make that dream seem achievable. He was honest and eloquent, everything we have come to know and expect of this man. He was the embodiment of change, the change we are all apart of.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

This has been one of my favorite parts of watching Obama, the beautiful and honest way he has continued his call on all of us take part in this change. This is not something that can happen without you and I, without Joe the Plumber and Hockey Moms. We are, more than ever, a government for the people and by the people. We all have a part in this, and it is our duty to remind ourselves and others that we can be a catalyst for change. That we have been and are a catalyst for change. "And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."

Change is coming, and we will be a part of it.

Yes, we will.

10 Day Holiday

Part of the program I work for has a 10 day break in the middle of it for the students to go and travel, which equates to me getting the same break since my boss is awesome and covers that time as well. Deciding where to go was a bit of a process since, even on my meager budget, all of Europe was within my financial grasp (gotta love budget airlines). After some debating and a lot of recommendations I decided on two places in Italy and Vienna, Austria to visit a certain lady who just so happened to be visiting there. Here are some of the details:

October 19th-22nd: Manarola/Cinque Terre, Italy
5 tiny fishing villages on the northwest coast of Italy was were I started my journey. It had been recommended to me by several different people when they asked where I was planning on traveling, and man am I glad I took their advice. I stayed in a hostel in Manarola, the second village of the 5, and was awoken each morning at 7am by church bells that were literally 20 yards outside my window. Normally, this may have annoyed me, but I thought it was a perfect part of the experience of how religious this region of the world is and served as a great alarm clock. My first day there I got up at 7 AM, at breakfast, and set off to walk the coastal trail that connects the 5 villages. The trail at times was a bit treacherous with rocks jutting out all over and its width reduced to roughly 16 inches at points, which made for interesting times when I passed the 70 year old tourists coming the other way. Besides the danger, the trail was beautiful and allowed for far too many picturesque scenes with the Mediterranean on my left and the hills and vineyards on my right. I spent all day walking the trail and hanging out in each city, taking time to just explore anything that seemed interesting. Each village (the 5 are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) each had a similar feel and architecture but each had its own charm to be discovered. At the end of the trail I sat on the sandy beach in Monterosso and just watched the Mediteranian and basked in the sun while eating gelato. Corniglia was the only village not directly on the coast and sits on a cliff about 100 meters above sea level.

The second day I was there I just lounged around. I walked part of the trail again (getting by with my day old pass for most of it), stopped and enjoyed the scenery, wrote a lot, read a bit, took photos, and climbed random rocks while exploring the coast. It was a great day and just felt right in that environment. Its a place where you don't feel the need to run around, but encouraged to just lay back and soak it all in. Which reminds me, I also went swimming in the Mediterranean this day. It was as bluer and clearer than you can imagine, plus the high salt content allowed me to just float on my back and enjoy everything. Moments like this just cause you to smile and think about how good life is, and I did plenty of that.

Cinque Terre Recap: All in all, a great little place to start my trip. The whole place was just relaxing and calm, as you would expect from such a small and quaint place. I am glad I went when I did, though, since from what I gathered these little villages get a lot busier and crowded during the peak seasons. I recommend this place if you are looking for a place to just relax on the Mediterranean, eat some good food, and partake in some very pretty hikes.

October 22nd-24th: Rome, Italy
I left on a train for Rome about 10 AM on the 22nd and arrived in the Eternal City at about 2PM. This was where I really started to geek out. I, like many of my friends and other young people, studied and was enthralled with ancient Rome and its history in middle school, junior high, and early high school. I did projects on it whenever given the option, even making my own version of the Coliseum out of plastic canvas once. Now I was here. In what some people refer to as the birthplace of Western civilization. This was just another dream that I was now realizing.

The hostel I was staying at was in a pretty good location. It was across the street from the Vatican. No joke. I walked across the street and bam, the heart of Catholicism. I pondered the fact that so many people would kill, and actually may have, to be where I was now. I let it pass and moved on. There were a few students I work with in Rome so I got a hold of them and meet them at the Trevi Fountain. I made sure to throw my coin over my right shoulder into the fountain to ensure I would return and was blown away by the size of this fountain, especially when you compare it to the plaza it is in. It just seems to crammed in, I guess I always pictured it in a large open area. This, I would soon observe, was something that was very common in Rome, things were just crammed in everywhere and large, old, historic places would just appear out of virtually nowhere. Much like the thing I saw next in Rome, which turned out to be tied as my highlight for the city, the Pantheon. This building, this work of art, blew my mind. I saw a sliver of it when we turned a corner looking down an alley and could not believe it. The Pantheon, the Temple of all the gods, was right there in front of me. The size of it was the first thing I noticed, I guess I had always pictured it a bit smaller mainly because I always put it side by side with things like the Coliseum. But small it was not, in anyway. Walking in you are just overwhelmed with astonishment, not by the artwork or Raphael's Tomb, but by the ceiling. The curved dome is something that is truly hard to comprehend, I struggle to think about how we would create such a structure today, with modern techniques and tools, and to know that this was constructed without those boggles the mind. I have trouble now finding words to describe it properly, so I will just say this: Go and see it for yourself, we can talk later to attempt to find a way to describe it adequately. After the Pantheon I got to achieve any Pulp Fiction fan's wish when in Europe, I ordered a Royal with Cheese. Well, it is now called a McRoyal with Cheese, which works much better with McDonalds McNomenclature. The burger tasted just like a Quarter Pounder, so nothing exceptional there, but I got to say "that is one tasty burger" which, I know, is a reference to a Big Kahuna burger, but just felt right to say. That night I went out in Rome and had some fun enjoying the scene meeting some other travelers (some very cool Kiwis) and also got to see the Coliseum at night, which made it all the more impressive. I had planned on seeing it the next day (more to come on that soon) but seeing it all lit up against the night sky just added more to how impressive it was. This was, tied with the Pantheon, my favorite part of Rome.

So the next day I met up with the students again and we did the Vatican thing. I can honestly say that after seeing all it has to offer I can understand why people found religion here, either out of inspiration or intimidation. St. Peter's Basilica was just monstrous in size and grandeur, making you wonder how such a place could have been created without the help of some deity. I walked around the placed trying to absorb how big it all really was, but also enjoyed seeing the look on so many others faces. For some people whom I saw, you could tell this was the highlight of their life. This is their Mecca, the place were so much they hold dear started. Without making any judgment on religion at all, it was cool to see that look in their eyes and observe it in the way they took in the whole place. I just hope they take the happiness and inspiration it filled them with and spread it to the world in a positive way. Also quick little side note about St. Peter's, don't go into the museum that is in there. It is not the Vatican Museum and is a waste of 6 euro. The actual Vatican Museum's are very cool. Hallways filled with priceless busts, sculptures, and paintings. Yet, all I could think about was how this was what they choose to have out in display, what other works of art adorn the churches many private rooms and vaults? If I had 3 wishes, I think one of them would be to have full access to everything in the Vatican. I am sure they even know who killed JFK and if we really did land on the moon, which would really just be nice to know once and for all. The highlight of the Vatican, without a doubt and not surprisingly, was the Sistine Chapel. No pictures (which they don't let you take unfortunately) can do this place justice. To think that one man, one man, painted the ceiling and the massive fresco behind the altar is insane. It makes no sense. Especially when you consider that he didn't even want to do it, he thought it was an attempt to make him fail and bring him down (Michelangelo always thought he was more of a sculptor than a painter). It is said that one can truly have no idea what a person can achieve in their lifetime until they have seen it, which is the most fitting way I can think of to describe it. So after the Vatican we went to the Coliseum which was as awesome as you could of imagined. Not only is it such an iconic image and one of the new 7 wonders of the world, but there is just this atmosphere about the place that makes you just stop and stair, imagining how it looked before, picturing the massive structure packed with Romans of all classes, and men battling exotic beasts and each other for survival. This daydreaming and feeling of wonder by the Coliseum rounded out a very full second day and I retired a bit early to be sure I could trek around a bit more tomorrow.

And trek around I did. I ventured back towards Coliseum area had brunch, and toured the Forum and Palatine (think ancient Rome Beverly Hills). Both places were cool, but not as cool as what I say the day before. Probably because they are just not as labeled as well, I am sure it would have been better if I had taken a tour, but that would have been less money to see other things with or eat. After wandering around there for a few hours I went back to the Pantheon, since it was free and I feel in love with it, and had gelato (in fact I had gelato everyday I was in Italy, a habit I would like to continue). I wandered around for a bit more, went to Piazza Navona and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and just kept wandering Rome, killing time until my train ride which would tale me to Firenze then Vienna.

Rome Recap: What can I say? It's Rome. Everyone should come and see it for the sites and tourist stuff because it is worth it, then just wander around. You discover things around every corner and really start to get a feel for the city. It is an extremely interesting place that has the obvious attractions and historic things going on, but beyond that it has a vibrant night life and social aspect that is great. There are tons of other tourists around that you can mingle with and swap places to go and share travel stories over a meal and drinks. Don't be shy, I mean, When in Rome (you had to know it was coming).

Italy Recap: A wonderful country that I feel I got to see both sides of, the calm small villages of Cinque Terre and the hustle n' bustle of Rome, both of which are very Italian. It is a bit expensive, so plan on spending a bit on each meal, but well worth the time.

October 25th-28th: Vienna, Austria
So the night of the 24th I took an overnight train to Vienna, which wasn't bad but was 11 hours on a train and sleeping sitting up, so it was nice to get off the train. From their I took a bus to the Vienna Airport to wait for a wonderful person, whom showed up and made me very happy to see her. From their we ventured to out hostel in Vienna, which was very nice. We then met this guy John for hot drinks (its not coffee since I and John had hot chocolate and Claire had a latte) that I had met in Cinque Terre, whom is studying in Rome and was traveling in Vienna. It was a nice chat and he was a cool guy, it turned out we had a lot of common. This just proves, once again, that the best part of traveling is meeting people. So we had hot drinks with him and he showed us all the cool place to go. We then parted ways and Claire and I just wandered Vienna at night which was very pretty. The city has a very Eastern European feel to it, which was very different from the Italy.

The next day we just wandered around Vienna and saw some sights and had lunch. A funny thing about lunch, after we had our meal our waiter brought us out these two small, uniquely shaped, glasses and said "Its to keep you warm, on the house." Claire then said, "Its warm water," laughed and took a big swig. Now, I have never seen water come out in what appears to be a fancy shot glass and to this day, I still have not, because it was vodka. Claire found out the hard way and started coughing. She took the swig right as I said, "This is Vodka, not water." I had a good laugh at her expense. After lunch we went and saw Stephandom Cathedral. It is an old Gothic style church which was interesting to see and compare to all the Renaissance churches I saw in Italy. We got to go on a lift thing up to the top of the church for a panoramic view of all of Vienna. We then went to Sacher Eck hotel and had their famous chocolate torte, which was delicious. From there we just walked around the city some more and just enjoyed the scenery.

The next day we hung out and then went to a Van Gogh exhibit, which was excellent. It was the second Van Gogh exhibit I have seen and his work continues to impress me. I am not super into art by any means, but I am a big Van Gogh fan. I just love how much paint he used and how it all created his unique image of the world. The exhibit was held at the Albertina, which also has some other very nice art in its galleries. I actually didn't see them, only Van Gogh, but the brochures looked nice. After that we went to this awesome converted underground wine cellar called Esterhazy-Keller. This place was awesome, it was huge and probably a good two stories underground. The walls were all brick, including the archways overhead. The place just sprawled out in all directions, long tunnels with random little alcoves that once held wine and now serve as sitting places for larger parties. This place was probably my favorite spot in Vienna, mainly because I enjoyed some wonderful beer and had some amazing company to share it with. Good conversation, with good beer, in a great location is tough to beat.

Vienna Recap: A very fun city, that seemed to be somewhere between Rome and Cinque Terre for me. It wasn't as busy as Rome and not quite as relaxed as Cinque Terre, but a good mix that allowed you to take it all at your own pace.

The next day I packed and left back to Scotland, which turned out to be much harder than I planned since there was snow in London and my flight to Edinburgh was delayed 5 hours. I got home, after a 30 pound cab ride, at 3:30am. All and all it was a wonderful trip that I enjoyed. Plus, I can't really complain because I got to come back to Scotland and hang out here for the next 7 weeks. Oh man, my life is so hard.

A few words about Scotland

Many of you have been asking me about how I am liking Scotland so far and have been unsatisfied with my response of "its cool, I like it." So in my opening post of my blog, I will do my best to try and put into more detailed words what "its cool, I like it" means.

I have been here now for just over 11 weeks and it is still surreal at times. Many of you know that living in the UK has been a dream of mine for a long time, and to actually be realizing one of my dreams so soon in my life still makes me pinch myself. There is just an atmosphere to this place, an overwhelming sense of history, culture, and modern life all coexisting. Around almost every corner in Edinburgh there is a building that can be anywhere from 100-300 years old; the bottom floor now converted into some kind of small shop or office, while the upper floors still retain their original architecture. It is actually quite the obvious and fitting metaphor for Scotland: a nation adapting while retaining its rich and long history.

Beyond the aesthetic piece, the people I have met have been amazing. Friendly, kind, helpful, and eager to chat. This is especially true in the pubs, where everyone and anyone will chat with you and jump into a conversation. The feel is very different from bars/pubs back in the States, where people seem to keep more to themselves and talk amongst the people they came with. I really like it and recommend that anyone who comes this way should find the closest local pub and set up shop there for a few hours, you are sure to be entertained and find out where to go and what to do. Another great things about pubs here, is that if there is a Football game on, proper Football that is, it is on and people are paying attention to it. They know the players, the teams, and usually dislike one of the teams for one reason or another. Personally, this has been one of my favorite parts of being over here since Football is not as appreciated back in the States. Sure it is getting better, but during the last World Cup I would mention something to someone about it and many of them had no clue what I was talking about, so needless to say this bit of Scottish culture is very different and awesome. Speaking of Football, I support Celtic and got to go and visit Parkhead (Celtic Park) which was probably the equivalent of Mecca for me, or Lambeau Field for some people. Walking through the tunnel and onto the pitch was one of the coolest feelings I have ever experienced, it took my breath away.

I have been able to do a bit of traveling since I have been here as well, which has been awesome. Most notably I went to the Highlands for 3 days with the program. We did a lot in 3 days, going from coast to coast and all over in between. So many places just had this untouched and historic feel to them that you could not help but be in awe. Rolling green hills surrounded in fog, lochs doting the land scape, herds of sheep everywhere, and so much to learn about. Hands down one of the more beautiful places I have been, and combined with a magical aura that you feel while being there it is a must see. I recommend it to everyone. My other travels have mainly been just hanging out and exploring Edinburgh. I have been to Glasgow a few times as well. I promise future posts will be more detailed in regards to the trips. But in typical John Wilkins fashion this blog was supposed to be started in week one, so summing up 11 weeks is hard to do in detail.

In other news, I enjoy my job. My boss is awesome and the students are cool. Can't ask for much more in that department.

I miss you all and hope you are doing well. I am off to plan more for my trip to Italy (Manarola and Rome) and Vienna, Austria! Life is good.

P.S. Its Thursday. I hope you are all at an 80's Night dancing your ass off.