Out and About

My last few days in Glasgow were packed with sightseeing and exploring more of the city, but most importantly: meeting up with amazing friends! God puts so many people in our lives that support, challenge (in a good way), and encourage us. But, as life changes so do the people around us.  

This is a simple, yet profound message we can either chose to reject, ignore, or accept it and embrace the change.

It is best said like this.....

Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: 

a time to be born and a time to die, 

a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted, 

a time to kill and a time to heal, 

a time to tear down and a time to build up, 

a time to cry and a time to laugh, 

a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 

a time to hug and a time to stop hugging, 

a time to start looking and a time to stop looking, 

a time to keep and a time to throw away, 

a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, 

a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out, 

a time to love and a time to hate, 

a time for war and a time for peace. 

I will never forget the people I met and the places I've been! Heres a glimpse of how I spent my time........

Glasgow Coat of Arms

Glasgow from the Clyde 

Museum of Modern Art 

Modern Art 

Central Station 

Necropolis 

Cathedral 

Botanic Gardens 

Fossil Grove, Victoria Park

Sunset at Mukdock Country Park 

Discovering Glasgow

The city I saw from the plane is now coming to life as I explore and discover its wonders. I still cant grasp just how big it is! (compared to small-town Chester and Halifax) 

To get around I have been walking, which can be tiring, but it allows me to navigate (and see) the city a lot better than with public transportation (I know where I am, where I'm going, and where I came from!). 

The Clyde (and Kelvin) river is a central part to the city and is a great navigational aid. I have discovered a walking path that takes me from residence to the city, close to campus, in about an hour. It is a beautiful walk with sounds of the birds chirping and the river flowing alongside. 

The end point to the walk is the Botanic Gardens where many plants, trees, and flowers are kept and displayed from around the world. 

If you are looking for people the best place to go is the city center where the shops are! Whether its for food, clothes, gadgets, or just about anything else the streets always seem to be crowed with people shopping. 

Other common spaces are the museums, mostly along the Clyde. My first stop was the Tall Ship, Glenlee. A ship with a lot of history (survived 4 circumnavigations, many rough seas, wear-and-tear as a training vessel, and finally abandonment) has finally come to rest alongside the Riverside Museum of transport. 

With all of the sights in and around the city there are still lots of places to be discovered!  

Landed and On the Go

I arrived safely in Glasgow on Thursday evening and made it to the residence by taxi. The city was well lit in the dark of night and traffic was high as people rushed home at the days end. I was glad to be on the ground again, but didn't know where I really was or what the city looked like. 

My day Friday was packed as I headed to campus for a bus tour to Edinburgh. This tour was wonderful and I was amazed at how vast the landscape is, fitting every thought you may have of what Scotland is like. The following post will delve into a bit more of Edinburgh and the sights.

Upon returning I had supper with new friends and enjoyed the quiet time to rest and talk to family. After a good nights sleep and a hot breakfast in the cafeteria I set out to see the city. There are so many places to see, but I chose to go straight to campus. The best way for me to describe the campus to to compare it to a Harry Potter school in age, style, and feel. However some buildings are modern and more spread about the city. 

I had hoped to go a bit further in to the city center but didn't quite make it that far. I stopped at the library for a quick rest, picked up a few snacks, then headed back to residence for supper.

 

The instant responses I have been receiving over iMessage, Facebook and FaceTime are incredible and I have fascinated my father with the use of technology. I am thankful for that and for the support/encouraging messages I have received over the past few days. 

Sunday was quiet and I certainly needed the rest before classes start. I spent the morning with Leo, she showed me the local area around the residence and some facilities I have access to, including a lovely walking trail/park along a river. I finished the day by sorting out my class, resting, and unpacking to prepare for the first week of classes. 

Where in the World...

If you were to go anywhere in the world where would it be? 

I was offered a single term exchange to the University of Glasgow and took it! What a bright way to start off the new year....emails and web searches, forms and more forms, long line ups and huge luggage bags. And that's only the grunt work before I go. 

Traveling is never difficult, some people just end up with unfortunate flight combinations and end up running between terminals in huge airports only to find out .... its delayed. If you cant relate turn on the news during a blizzard in December/January or spring break. 

I am ready (I think) and I pray that all goes well from Halifax to Philadelphia to Dublin to Glasgow.