After three flights (Pittsburgh to Chicago, Chicago to London Heathrow, London Heathrow to Aberdeen) which added up to almost one full day of travelling, I finally landed in Aberdeen! I did not sleep on any of the flights so I was feeling pretty jet-lagged. After getting my bags from baggage claim, I was directed toward the taxi stand by a student ambassador from the University of Aberdeen. The girl in front off me in line was going to the same place so she offered to share the taxi ride with me. This cut my cost in half and I was thankful for her offer. She was extremely nice to me and took me to the housing desk to pick up my key and even showed me to my room. I was so grateful for her helpfulness. After arriving in my room after a long day of travel, from previous experience, I tend to lock myself in and will not even eat because I am too afraid to look for a grocery store. Not this time. After unpacking a bit, I walked to Lidl to buy groceries (only an 8 minute walk) and then made dinner. Later that night, I got my bedding delivered to me and I could finally sleep after all this traveling.
The next day, I woke up and made breakfast. I decided that I would go and try to find the University. I explored the buildings and the town. My walk to Uni (as all the students say here) is about 15 minutes and I walk through a lovely park. All of the streets are cobblestone and the buildings are all made of granite. It feels like I am going to college in a castle. What is interesting to see is the new library. The library is this massive 7 story square-like building with a very modern design and is in the area with all these other old buildings. I find both the modern and classical aspects of the city very intriguing. Later in the evening, I went on a group shopping trip with other international exchange and Erasmus students. Bed linens and kitchenware were not provided with our accommodation so many students needed to purchase these items. Thankfully, I already have these items, as I pre-ordered my bedding before I came and I brought some basic kitchenware with me. I attended this shopping trip so that I could meet other students and learn how to use the bus system in Aberdeen. Buses are extremely expensive here so I think that I will be walking most of the time. I did meet some cool people on this shopping trip and I am glad that I went.
Monday was our big orientation day. From 9:00-5:00, it was surely a long day. Although long, orientation was very informative and I was able to meet even more international students. I was surprised to hear that the University of Aberdeen is comprised of students from over 130 countries and only 1/3 of the student body is from the UK. This comforted me, knowing that I was not the only one who was living in a foreign country. I hope with this much diversity, I am able to meet a lot of people.
My Tuesday was filled with meetings. I had to get my Visa checked, meet with my adviser, a German professor to discuss courses, and attend a travel meeting. I also got a tour of campus from a current international student. Many of the international students are not used to the weather in Aberdeen because they come from warmer climates. I feel right at home here. There is always a grey sky and rain in the forecast. The temperature is about the same as it is in Pittsburgh as well. It is a bit windier here. I am looking forward to spring because it is dark at 4:00 right now.
On Wednesday, I headed into town. This is where all of the shopping is. It was comforting to see American food places such as TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, Burger King, Subway, KFC, and McDonalds. I was happy to see that my two favorite European clothing stores (Primark and Zara) are in the city center. During my time in town, I picked up some things that I did not bring with me like a laundry hamper and a UK wall charger. I was under the impression that the UK would have the same wall plugs as the rest of Europe but I guess not. They use a three prong charger where as the rest of Europe uses the two circular prongs.
On Thursday, I went into town again with two friends that I met at orientation. The walk to town is about 40 minutes. I am definitely getting my exercise here. There are shops for everything you could imagine. I will have no issues finding something that I need in this city.
Friday was just a chill day. I stayed inside most of the day and did some school work. I met up with my assigned buddy who was extremely helpful and showed me where all my courses were around campus. I would have been lost on my first day if she hadn't shown me.
Saturday was an exciting day. Myself and the two girls I met at orientation left our student village at 9:00 and headed to town to catch a bus to go to Dunnotar caste. Arriving at the bus station, we were looking around to see which platform to stand at to board our bus. An older man in front of us asked where we wanted to go. We told him and he said that we were in the right place and that he would yell out when to get off for the castle. He even helped the people behind us who were also confused. I am extremely happy that Scotland has so many friendly people. People greet me, smile at me, and are willing to help me. This is such a pleasant change from my semester in Vienna. I hope this trend continues. The bus ride took about 30 minutes. We were able to sit in the front seats of the double-decker bus and got a panoramic view. After being dropped off, it was a 10 minute walk to the castle. The castle is actually ruins of a castle. We paid the admission fee to go inside. Seeing the remains of the old rooms such as the kitchen, prison, and chapel was amazing. The scenery around the castle is also stunning. The castle sits on almost an island. The cliffs and sea behind provide a beautiful backdrop. After the castle, we walked for about 40 minutes to Stonehaven to eat lunch. We indulged in the world's best fish & chips and a fried Mars bar. Look out for my post about traditional Scottish foods!
Overall, I am really enjoying my time in Scotland. Courses start on Monday so I am sure that I will busy. I hope to see how my course load is so that I can start planning other trips.
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