Kelpies, Kelvingrove, and the Lion King

I went exploring!

Sorry in advance for all the pictures used in this blog post (oops)! I got a wee bit camera excited as I explored outside my 1km radius, (which usually only traced my residence, university, the grocery store and local bars) but was I ever happy that I had the chance to see more of Glasgow and Scotland!

I've had the chance to visit the West End and City Centre of Glasgow as well as Falkirk, Scotland this past week! I feel like I have already seen so much of Scotland - but I know there is so much more this country has to offer!

It is so exciting but also slightly alarming knowing that I am not just on vacation in Scotland but I am actually living here for four months. I have began to create a bucket list filled with personal goals I want to set and achieve whilst I am abroad. Hopefully I will be able to write them into a blog post so I can share those goals with you all soon. The list just keeps growing and growing as I learn more and more about this amazing place.


Here are some photos I want to share of my recent adventures!

The cutest statue situated in Buchanan Bus Station - just a ten minute walk from me! I always mistake this statue for a couple having a long awaited smooch and I always apologize as I almost run into it, oops!

Glasgow City Chambers is such a gorgeous building. This photo was taken during a city tour and scavenger hunt - sadly my team lost and we didn't win the amazing prize, (a basket bigger than my head filled with chocolate) I know - I'm disappointed too. But at least I went on a big explore of the city!

The Riverside Museum was filled with exhibits focused on transportation, fashion, and culture. This picture also showcases a Tall Ship which is anchored at the Museum, I couldn't help but think of home when I saw the tall masts anchored on the water!

The gorgeous West End <3 one of my favourite places in the city. And look at that blue sky!

Cobblestone alleyways and Steve Madden boots, feeling trendy and all that. I still don't know how I managed to take this photo all by myself haha. Tumblr and Pinterest would be proud.

The gorgeous fountain in Kelvingrove Park - the water just started spurting as Sarah took this picture!  Perfect timing if I do say so myself.

The Kelvingrove Museum in the West End, our Spanish friend Marina who studies Sociology full-time at GCU and was an exchange student at SMU last semester was our West End tour guide. Thank you Marina!

The floating heads exhibit inside the Kelvingrove Museum.

Glasgow University - which looks like Hogwarts. I can't wait to go exploring whilst wearing my Gryffindor quidditch jersey, a cloak, and waving a magic wand - don't think I won't actually do this because I will.

It wouldn't be a proper adventure without having a selfie to document said adventure, would it?

Photo credits to Sarah Nickerson for this awesome picture

The cutest street I have ever seen called Ashton Lane located in West End, Glasgow. Sarah, Adam, and myself (all Canadians) had a delicious dinner here to finish off a lovely evening. Goodbye West End! See you soon. 

Welcome to Falkirk, Scotland home of the Kelpies!

Meet the Kelpies! These gorgeous steel statues are reminiscent of Scottish fairy tale creatures sharing the same name. Kelpies are believed to be mythological water demons who can shape shift their form to confuse their prey. As soon as a human got close enough to touch the Kelpie it would clasp onto them and envelop them in water, so it could later feast on their flesh. The Kelpies often take form of a horse to confuse wandering humans - one family in Scotland boasts that centuries ago they had captured a Kelpie. The family claims they had stolen the beasts reins in order to control the creature. The reins have been passed down for years and years as proof that these demons can indeed be tamed.

The Kelpies stand 100 feet tall and are constructed from 464 plates of local steel. The Kelpies have been named Duke and Barron after two neighbouring Clydesdale horses that artist Andy Scott used as models for his breathtaking sculptures. 

Scottish pounds are so weird to get used to! Sorry to all the cashiers who have had to watch painlessly as I count out all my change three times yet keep confusing a 5 pence piece for a 10 cent dime! 

Welcome to the Callendar House - a very lovely and regal estate. I cannot get over how historic and old (I wish I had a better adjective to describe it haha) everything in Scotland is.

A beautiful tree right outside of The Callendar house, which is also located in Falkirk. This tree reminded me of the tree that Rafiki lives in during The Lion King movie. 

**I am inserting the "Circle of Life" lyrics here because it is currently blaring inside my head**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc&spfreload=10

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba  [Here comes a lion, Father]
Sithi uhm ingonyama           [Oh yes, it's a lion]

Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama

Siyo Nqoba                    [We're going to conquer]
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala    [A lion and a leopard come to this open place]

I also visited Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, over the weekend and happened to be there for Robbie Burns day! The whole day was an absolute dream come true.  Buuuuut I have far too much I want to share about my day in Edinburgh, so unfortunately you will have to wait to see, hear, and read about that adventure!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Meagan

Just A Canadian Girl, Living In A Scottish World

I AM IN SCOTLAND!!!

I have a confession to make, I may have teared up a bit when I first arrived in Scotland. After my amazing airport send off (my lovely family and boyfriend's family all saw me off at YHZ), questionable airplane pancakes with "strawberry" sauce, and the hectic Heathrow connection (which really wasn't as hellish as I imagined), I couldn't help but shed a few tears of happiness. As the tiny British Airways plane began to break through the white fluffy clouds and I could see mountains (real mountains!), green grass, bright blue skies, and a vibrant city in the distance; I couldn't help but smile as tears streamed from my eyes. After fifteen longs months of planning and over fifteen years of dreaming to one day visit Scotland - I was finally there.

Blue skies! I was completely flabbergasted, I could not believe that the sky was a beautiful lapis lazuli blue in Scotland! But sadly, my good weather fortune was very short lived. As I exited a little tiny purple bus (all airport buses in the UK seem to be purple - it's awesome) and thanked the driver, whose accent was so thick that I couldn't decipher whether he was asking my name or destination, was when the skies turned a dark and daunting grey.

I followed very unclear "directions" from the bus driver whilst big fat flakes of snow began to fall all around me. As I lugged two fifty pound suitcases and a twenty pound back pack uphill, lost, in a snow and hail storm, was when I began to curse the weather gods.

I think the Canadians may have brought the snow with us- oops! The locals said that it was the most snow Glasgow had received in three years! Although it barely even looked like a dusting to us Canadians! At least it stopped snowing so I could get settled into my home away from home!

These past few days have been an absolute whirlwind;

-Meeting people from all over the world
-Disinfecting our residence (who knew uni kids were so messy)
-Already trying haggis twice (deep fried haggis is where it's at)
-Being able to access UK Netflix (someone will have to drag me out of my room...)
-Going downtown to a club called Bamboo on 1 pound drink night (dangerous...very dangerous)
-Being told that Canadians really know how to dance (first time ever, I have never been so proud)
-Eating cheese and chips (chowing on fries and cheese at 3am...twice) THEY DON'T HAVE GRAVY
-Organizing classes
-Buying my own groceries and cooking them...I have so much more appreciation for my parents now
-Touring around the most beautiful city that is both modern and historic!
-Realizing that the Glaswegian accent is even thicker than a Newfie's
-Almost getting hit by a double decker bus (I'm okay!)
-Realizing the local movie theatre has eighteen screens!
-Adventuring all over the city
-Discovering so many shops we don't have in Canada (weeeee)
-Running around the city on a Scavenger hunt
-Buying 2Litre bottles of Strongbow for only 3 pounds (6 dollars)

-Hearing Don't Stop Believing by Journey at the bar

-And so much more :)

Although this week has been crazy I would't change anything about it. It is so exhilarating being in a completely foreign place with people who are equally as excited and experiencing the exact same things as you.

I have already fallen in love with Glasgow and can't believe how lucky I am to be an exchange student in such a vibrant city!

HELLO GORGEOUS GLASGOW!

Good bye Halifax, see you in six months!

Heathrow Airport...with only two hours to make it from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5 but we did it!

I think Sarah and I may have overpacked a wee bit...

I want to take a suitcase of Strongbow home with me, wah. Also why don't Canadian groceries stores sell alcohol? Get it together Canada!

Mmm chips and cheese, this will be dangerous after 1 pound drinks at Bamboo! I think Kings will become my late night kryptonite.

My cute little communal kitchen! So far six people share this kitchen; a guy from Alicante, Spain, two East Coast Canadians, a girl from Paris and a guy from Marseille, France, and another young guy from Hong Kong! Today we all ended up having breakfast together in the kitchen, it was really nice. I am attempting to learn Spanish - but I am not very good! 

My room in residence! Sarah and I share a twin room with an ensuite bathroom (equipped with a shower) we live in Caledonian Court in the Eldon Building, on first floor - which in the UK means the second floor NOT ground floor. Sarah and I made that mistake on the first day when we walked into a room with someone sleeping in it, oops!

Stay tuned for even more adventures!

Cheers,
Meagan

Goldilocks' Suitcase Dilemma

Packing will forever be the bane of my existence. I am like Goldilocks where everything is too big, too small, and rarely just right.

My first dilemma was that my mother has taught me how to roll pack, which is when you roll all your clothes for optimal packing precision. Roll packing has both its benefits and flaws. The benefit is that you can roll almost your entire wardrobe into a cylindrical army of attire to jam into your suitcase. The one teeny tiny flaw, you then need a crane to lift said suitcase.

The changing of seasons was my second dilemma. Unfortunately I will have to pack for multiple seasons; winter (with minimal snow), spring (with too much rain), and summer (please can I wear my shorts today), which makes packing extremely difficult. Especially for a person like me who can't decide what to pack and what to leave behind. If I had it my way I would have four suitcases, a crate of Kraft Dinner, and a carry-on for my cat, but sometimes life and AirCanada do not see eye-to-eye with my wants and needs.

I mean come on, what if I go to a Batman themed party and all I can think of is how I have the perfect XL Mens shirt (dress) sitting at home?!

As I was packing, repacking, and weighing my suitcase I realized (with much assurance from my mom) that I can always buy what I need when I get there. After all, it's really not the end of the world if my leopard print housecoat and Magic bullet don't make it for the voyage across the pond.

My third and final dilemma, was attempting to squeeze everything I would need for a sixth month adventure into one large suitcase, a carry-on suitcase, and a tiny backpack that looked like it was purchased at Baby Gap. After much sweating, heavy swearing (sorry mom), almost breaking a zipper, and whilst laying on an unzipped suitcase to realize I still hadn't packed any shoes was when I had an epiphany!

Late on Friday evening after heavy exhaustion and rolling clothes until my fingers were numb, mom and I came up with the most brilliant, ingenious, life changing plan-



That I will check two large suitcases instead of one.

Cheers,
Meagan



Watch this Video About the Coolest Travel Hacks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gvA670PKaQ


Watch this Traveller Pack Like a Pro!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5UlxHsgD58

All packed and ready to go! T-minus 2 days!!!

King Taz doesn't quite understand why he isn't going to Scotland with me...

All You Need is Love

I have decided to write this blog post as a thank you note to all my friends and family who have been so supportive and amazing throughout the last twenty-one years of my life! 

And yes, I did just quote the Beatles in this blog title. 

I am extremely lucky to have such a big and loving family that will always support my hair brained schemes. Even at age four when I proclaimed that I wanted to be a cow girl when I grew up! Well with my cow girl hat, fur chaps, and boots I was the cutest little cow girl Fall River has ever seen! I still think my mom is secretly very happy that I decided to go to University and not enrol in cow girl school. But I know that no matter what, as long as I am happy and smiling my family would support any decision that I make. My family consists of so many loving and amazing people; Lockhart's, MacLeans, Theriault's, Hedington's, MacPherson's, Burch's, too many to name! I think that Clan is a more appropriate word for defining the group of people who continually support and encourage me. 

clan

klan/

noun

1. a group of close-knit and interrelated families (especially associated with families in the Scottish Highlands).

For any of my blog readers who haven't had the pleasure to meet my Nanny Hazel, better known by her alias Sergeant Major MacLean, you should know that we have all been raised to enjoy good company, music, and oatmeal brown bread. Nanny Hazel is the amazing head of the clan, and I have had the extreme pleasure to spend lots of time with her over these last weeks as I get ready to embark on my journey. Nanny and her sister (my Aunt Alice) had the chance to travel to our homeland of Scotland and Ireland four years ago and I cannot wait to travel to Scotland myself! I hope to visit both the MacLean and MacPherson castles to honour the amazing people who have made this all possible. I would also love to give a special shoutout to Momma O and Daddy Phil who had to endure all the crying fits of "but I'm not good at anything!" as I wailed that I hadn't quite found my little niche in the world. I was only seven I swear! I apologize and thank you for laughing at me and helping guide me in the right direction. 

I am also very fortunate to be surrounded by lots of hilarious, outgoing, and amazing friends. As cliche as it sounds I am going to use the quote, "friends are the family that your heart chooses" (I'm sorry I know I am a sap!) but I thought it was the most appropriate. I am a true believer that you should surround yourself with the people who make you happy, wholesome, and help you strive to be a better self. The people I love to surround myself with are the people I can laugh with, you know who you are. Trust me, you're included in my Clan too. 

Finally, I would love to express a huge thank you hug (my arms are open thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis wide) to everyone who has supported me; family, friends, peers, colleagues, cats, dogs, babies, readers of this blog, anybody! It truly means the world to me, I wish I could write all your names in the sky but sadly there isn't enough sky. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to read these little posts, I love being able to share my experiences with you on my little piece of internet. Every single one of you are included in my Clan!

If you are one of the Kanye West fans who haven't heard of; John Lennon, Paul Mccartney, or the Beatles, I encourage you to take a listen. Because I can assure you that through all the ups and downs life has thrown at me I have learned that all you really need is love.

Have a listen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9_vhYpR9xo


Cheers,
Meagan

Meet some of my family!