Cafe's are without a doubt, hands down, THE best place to write. Now I see what J.K. Rowling was talking about! Perhaps that is why I've now bumped into my professors three times (in different cafes, on different day)! The cat's out of the bag.

Two or three times a week it's my 'fun homework adventure' to get a cup of tea and do work in a cafe. It is such a great place to do work, and it's easy to do it there for long periods of time. When you stop writing and thinking, there's stimulation around which helps break up the monotony/length of time, but at the same time, there's not enough that it's a distraction. There are so many little joints around here, so it's so fun to pick one. Besides a costa cafe and a starbucks which I never go to, they aren't chains. There's such a varied customer in them.

Anyhow, I went to my favorite one f0r 2 hours today, and handwrote half my essay. That's right. Four pages typed! And not half-bad! Right now I have very general, but I think a quite convincing argument against historicism (basically, looking at the history surrounding the time the author lived and the book was written) in Jane Austen. Her works do surprisingly allude to the French Revolution, but they never mention it by name. I haven't started how Mary Wollstonecraft also seeks to 'transcend time,' but that will be challenging. I don't necessarily agree with what I'm writing, but it's usually more fun that way :)

I don't know how I'm going to write a senior thesis without cafe culture now though (part of the reason I try to only go 2x a week)! I will surely miss these small, friendly, and character infused joints!

Some other random things I'll miss about Scotland/St. Andrews...

2) The library. As the school is soon (2013) turning 600 years old and has an excellent reputation for academic achievement, it has collected quite a collection. There are rare illuminated manuscripts, and tons of books on obscure topics. It just goes so far beyond anything you could ever need.
3) Making my bed. It's SO easy here. Three seconds at most. It's just a bottom sheet, then a duvet. No middle sheet, since UKers wash duvet covers. All you have to do in the morning is straighten it out.
4) The emphasis on sport, yet at the same time, the accessiblity of all students to it. From the club sports, to inter-residence hall games, to the lessons or 'drop in sessions' that the sports center runs (ie show up, pay a pound, and play basketball every tuesday etc), there are so many opportunities.
5) Funny birds and animals, from the massive swans to the puffin-like birds, to the highland cows even those crazy seagulls. I always wonder if they get tired of listening to themselves squawk.
6) The range of shops. Because there are so many shops owned by locals, they're all so different.
7) Tea. It's so good here.
8) Character of the dorm. Each dorm is so different, and no two rooms in each dorms are the same. Some have three windows, some have one. Some are square, and others are rectagular. Some have fireplaces, some have mantles etc. It's SO cool, because it feels like it's really yours. And the lounge furniture is none of that standard american university cheapo depot kind (any college student knows what I'm talking about. Same style, different colors) . They're real chairs and couches (albeit sometimes mismatched:), and it's really a comfy cozy place to congregate.
9) The food. As it turns out, I really enjoy fish! And I love how healthy everything is, and different, and delicious.
10) Thirty to fourty-five minutes for meals. It's nice that it's like a family gathering everyday for meals, and you can just walk down and expect that there will be people that you know. McIntosh rocks!

There are things I look forward to about home, though. Mainly, HOME, and seeing the fam and old friends again. I'm also excited about

1) Class discussions!
2) My old teachers!
3) Anatomy and physiology (in case I haven't mentioned it, I LOVE human biology type science).
4) Cooking on weekends.
5) Finding an Occupational Therapist to shadow for 20 hours.
6) Working in the Early Childhood Center.

It's good when you can find things to like about every place and situation, I think. Then it's always a win-win situation!

*Update to the entry: About two weekends ago, my roommate was told that her grandmother had 48 hours left. Luckily, she beat those odds, and Helen was able to talk to her one last time on the phone. I know she was really hoping that she'd make it to christmas, but sadly, she passed away this afternoon. Her grandmother had a lot of spunk, and we've had a few laughs already about some of the things she's said these past few months. Helen will probably be going home this weekend, and staying through to break (that means miss next week). Just for that update about what's going on.