Category Adventure

My first munro

Okay so not everything has been down hill since, but the pun was too good and it did kind of work since after my weekend trip I had the pleasure of jumping right into revising (studying) for exams (finals). This post is incredibly late but about 2 weeks ago on the weekend of the 28th of November I had a little adventure up into the Scottish Highlands to where this picture was taken at Glen Affric (close to Loch Ness). I went on this Christmas trip with the mountaineering society from Friday to Monday and managed to keep up for one of the hiking days making it up to the top of the mountain while the second day I got to take this picture while doing some light walking and making it back to the cabin we were staying in, to do some writing of my own while having the joy of looking out of the window and seeing a picture that looked like it was taken from the lord of the rings or some other fantasy land. The cottage

I kid you not, this place made me feel like old Sophie trudging through the wastes from Howl’s Moving Castle while I slowly trudged up the hill pushing against the wind always following a bit behind the rest of the group hunched over and thinking “I am too old for this” even if I’m really not, just too out of shape for it. Sophie’s line “when you’re old, all you want to do is sit and look at the scenery” constantly ran through my head along with “I’m fatter than ever yet the wind blows right through me.” All that aside, it was absolutely beautiful with good company and great weather (for Scotland).

Watching some of the other people on the trip practically be able to run up the mountain, I couldn’t help but think that I’m the type of person who will write about adventures and intensity, while the people I’m with will be the ones who actually live them and I was in awe. I realize I love the physical activity and adventure, but I seem to prefer to take pictures and do things like admire the way the clouds form in the sky and how the mist consumes everything. I spent the weekend looking up to people my own age and just admiring their immense confidence in themselves and what they were doing. It felt almost like I was in a movie, but a supporting character instead of the main which I am completely okay with because it means I get to come along for the ride, enjoy it, and just concentrate on showing myself a really good time. Overall an extremely inspiring weekend to then go back and start studying…

one last picture.

I think the hardest part about riding a bike in the UK is going to be learning to drive in the US. Seriously, I was having issues with it before, now not only am I going to have to look out for cars, try and obey traffic rules now my instructor will also have to continuously be telling me “KEEP TO THE RIGHT.” I have found a new respect for people who bike huge distances, I have an even bigger respect for people trying to bike in San Francisco (either that or I’ve lost all respect I had because of how crazy an idea it is), and I have realized that even if you have a bike, if your class is across town you cannot leave your room five minutes before class starts and expect to get there on time. On the other hand, you can expect to be outrageously early every other time.
Some things I have found I want to do more often here are go on nature walks, watch the sunrise on the beach, go on recreational bike rides, and dance in the rain. I am missing my camera back home which I’m realizing did take nice pictures but I’m trying to make do with an Iphone (the picture here was taken by an Iphone and it was my favorite from my nature walk)
Lastly, I am constantly wondering if maybe if I ignore the school work for long enough it will go away but the metaphorical piano hanging over my head would probably say otherwise so I am steadily trying to work through it.