Toastie Bar!

So...what is there to do on a Friday night in the quaint town of St. Andrews? Clearly, the Toastie Bar.

For those of you who don't have the elite pleasure of knowing what a toastie is, well don't fear. The toastie is a quality British favorite. Not unlike the famous 'John Headland Waffle Iron Sandwich' the toastie involves white bread, smothered on the outside with butter, filled with various surprises and then thrown into the toastie grill, where the separate pieces that create the sandwich are then congealed into a solid form. It is heavenly!

Last night, I went to a brilliant meeting at the Christian Union. A man speaking was a guest from New Zealand who had attended St. Andrews as an undergrad about 10 years ago. His talk was moving. I won't go into full details, but at one point he addressed the christian students in the crowd and pleaded 'do not kid yourselves, this life is not about your comfort. Don't miss God's purpose' or at least something like that. I really felt like it was addressing me. I have been more and more desparate to understand the reality that it is not about me.

Thus, you won't be surprised that I then spent the rest of the evening (till past 2am) cooking toasties for crazy drunk students who were out partying last night. The best way to think of the toastie Bar is as a soup kitchen for drunk people. The hope is that by cooking these kids good food...which they are desperate for after a night of drinks...we might be able to strike up a few good conversations.

I had a blast.

My Highland Tour!

Ohh, the highlands! You can't imagine them till you see them for yourself. This past weekend I went on a tour of the upper country of Scotland. What a joy to see a terrain so different from anything else I have every experienced! Much of the weekend we were in a coach bus. Being on the road brought back so many memories of the road trips of my childhood. All the Headlands would pile into our station wagon and drive to the Shenandoah mountains, gazing at the countryside as George Winston's December played reflectively in the background. This weekend, I also listened to December (I was cheating since it is an old family rule that December can't be played until after Halloween). At first, driving through the highlands only made me miss home, and the joy of sharing Fall with the people who share the same passion for it as myself. But after a while looking at the land which was so undeniably different from any that I have seen I realized that God has limitless passions and joys that He wants me to experience just between the two of us. In that way I will find a new experience of security and beauty that is just between me and God, creating a truer bond between us, even truer than the bond I have with my family.

The first day out, we had the opportunity to watch a Shepherd herd sheep with his sheep dogs! It was incredible! You can't imagine the loyalty and obedience of these dogs. All the tourists would try to get the attention of the dogs through whistles and kissing noises, yet they would not flinch. They only heard the Shepherd's voice.

To the left you see me trying my hand at sheering sheep. What a natural! I went ahead and got the Wellie's I've been dreaming about over the weekend because I've decided when I become the Lady of the manor, sheering sheep will be one of my favorite pastimes, and a proper set of green wellies will be an intergral part of that experience!

During the tour I had the pleasure of sharing a room with 5 other fabulous girls! We all shared a love of travel, dorky behavior, and a proper night of sleep! We were laughing the entire weekend. On the far right you can see Allison (my roomate from orientation who I talked about! A fellow lover of Jack Lewis, and Oswald!)

And here I am out in front of my future home!

Scone palace was wonderful! There we watched a falconry display and viewed the Stone of Scone where the Kings of England were crowned! I think I fit in pretty well if I do say so myself!

Below you see me on top of Perth mountain. It's the highest spot in the UK! We took the funicular railway (which unlike Gondola's has no ice picks), and when at the top of the mountain enjoyed a splendid cuppa hot coco!

This picture cannot capture the absolute splendor of the peaks! The view was to die for.

On our second day we took a tour of a whiskey distillery. This picture is about two seconds before I took my first (and last) sip of whiskey. The picture of that isn't so pretty.

On our final day we took a boat ride on Loch Ness in hopes that we would be the ones to find Nessie! And though I may not be a cryptozoologist I think I have the best proof yet! (see image below to locate Nessie!)

Take that Sasquatch!

Thanks so much for reading! I must go write a huge essay on ancient Anglo-Saxon archeology! Any prayers would be greatly appreciated!

lots of love...

and cheers!

The Opening Ball

The Opening Ball. What a beautiful tradition here in St. Andrews. Last night I attended the Kate Kennedy Charity Opening Ball with two other girls. The Kate Kennedy Club is a society of the sixty most elite boys in the Uni (university) and has been around since 1926. They throw a ball every October to mark the beginning of the social year here at St. Andrews.

Just picture the scene. We walk towards St. Salvators Quad. At the entrance of the ancient stone archway are bagpipers beckoning students to enter. Once in the Quad you walk past fire jugglers and various KK members (I don't think the Brits see the issue with this abbreviation) who are all dressed in full Kilt attire. The Quad is lit up with yellow search and blue flood lights. And this is all before you have even entered the Ball floor.

As we entered the Ball tent each lady was handed a white rose and every guest a glass of Champagne. The Tent, covered in roses, balloons, and lights, was also filled to the brim with students, all in their very finest attire.

Ok now. Onto reality. Although the ladies are in ball gowns, and the gents in kilted suits, we are still the youth of the 21st century. We might be surrounded by ancient ruins, be at the University of Princes, and hear the faint groan of bagpipes, but lets not forget to prove that in the new millennium entry into adulthood (and the according behavior) doesn't happen until at least the age of 35! (see picture of dancing kilts)

That being said, it was a fabulous night. I had one heck of a time with my new friends (Allison and Emily). We danced the night away in good fashion, and ended the evening with the ceremonial (and experimental) tasting of a Scottish delicacy, namely the deep fried mars bar!

Thanks for reading...more soon to come.

Cheers!