One year!

One year ago today, I arrived in Edinburgh with four suitcases, a student visa, nowhere to live, no local bank account, and the determination and resolve to make this work.  Now, one year later, I've discovered where the decent and not-so-decent places to live are (the hard way), met some interesting new characters among my classmates, flatmates, and various traveling companions, been to new places including Tiree and Shetland, and finished an entire Masters degree.

My Masters dissertation is the single hardest bit of academic work I have ever done.  I can say without exaggerating that I've never worked so hard on anything before in my life.  And I think it paid off, because I turned in a finished product that I'm quite proud of...and a day early, no less!  I learned a new skill in qualitative analysis, and I've learned quite a bit about where my own interests and priorities lie.

This past weekend has been one big party.  I went to dinner with my classmates and a Peatbog Faeries concert with Ewan and Kath on Friday, to the Edinburgh Book Festival, where I met Garth Nix and he signed my well-worn, well-loved copy of Sabriel (AAAHHH fangirl moment!) during the day on Saturday, and out drinking and to a nightclub with my classmates on Saturday night, and to the Tattoo last night.  I also went to a comedy show yesterday, put on by the same girl whose comedy show I saw last year, on my first day in Edinburgh, which seemed like a great way to come full circle on this year.  I have free time for the first time in a month, and I don't know what to do with myself.  And it's great.

I don't know what the next few months are going to have in store for me, and I find that genuinely exciting.  I'm at the point now where I'm going to have to make some decisions about where I'm going to live and what I'm going to do, and I feel like the entire world is at my feet.  Many are the options.  And I'm thrilled.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

Cheers, y'all.