Joie de vive

What a joy to finally be free from the tyrannical grip of exams. I’ve been back in Scotland for about a week and a half, though it only feels like a day or too. For as soon as I got off the plane and was again trotting on British soil I had to begin to study for my final exams. For some unknown, and most likely sadistic, reason St. Andrews has exams after the Christmas holiday. I guess they expect students to be able to handle large quantities of John Headland lamb and figgy pudding, without it affecting their brain capacity to recall the minutia of lessons taught a month ago. All right, enough sardonic-ness. Anyways exams are done and over and I can finally begin to enjoy the beautiful St. Andrews around me!

This morning when I woke up it was snowing. So after my morning nose bag, and a quick word or two with the big guy, I charged into the white abyss. I was properly armed (with wellies and umbrella) for my task, which was little more than window-shopping and bookshelf perusal. Though I must say on my own behalf, this act can be somewhat of an art. I went to a few of my favourite spots: the interior design shop, the import food store, the fromage shop.

I popped into the bookstore to see if I could find a good biography for my ‘holiday’, but got delayed in the cookbook section. I love looking through cookbooks. It is such a joy to read about good food. One of my favourite chefs is Nigella Lawson. I started reading through the intro to one of her books, and gaining an understanding of her ‘cooking philosophy’. I learned she’s not a trained chef, but that she was once a food critic, and a food writer for Vogue, Gourmet, The New York Time, the London Times, and the list goes on. How inspiring! I woman who writes about what she loves, and gets paid for it! As I continued walking through the cobblestone streets I got giddy thinking of all the possible futures my life could bring. Whether it be writing for a travel magazine, or perfecting the family art of speech writing, I can always celebrate my Joie de vive!