Take to the skies

I know, I know... an airline ticket in itself isn't much other than expensive ($$$), but purchasing airfare yesterday was like the icing on the cake of the last year and a half.

I'm not sure I ever mentioned that this whole grad school idea was actually concocted in the fall of 2011, when I had hoped to attend university in the fall of 2012. It was not to be, as I was well into debt from prior student loans and just couldn't stomach the cost out of pocket at that point (with loans, but still). So, I prudently waited a long-ass year and applied all over again, and here we are. It's been a long wait. So having a travel itinerary in my hands is tangible evidence that this is happening. I'm moving to Scotland. I'm leaving September 6. I couldn't be more excited!



As I was out photographing the break in the clouds (more for effect, I admit, than an exhibit of any actual photographic prowess on my part), I noticed that the tomato plants in our back yard are EXPLODING. Thanks to lots of rain and a slow start at the beginning of summer, everything is just freaking out. We've already had a couple of ripe yellow tomatoes, and they are amazing.



And it wouldn't be a walk around outside without one of the kitties. Scamp decidedly needed attention this time. Old, fat, arthritic fellow he is... he's always been my favorite. <3



Looking forward to a veeeery busy weekend through to Monday. But then, I'm telling you, I'm so excited for an entire day off that I might even take some real photos. ;)

Cheers!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 43

"The earth laughs in flowers."

I'm just a leeeeeettle obsessed with how much the flowers have just gone bonkers suddenly! It's spring! It's spring! It feels like summer, but my, how it is spring. It was worth the long wait. It seemed to take forever for the trees to turn green, let alone for anything to flower, but with a couple days of good rain followed by sun and summer-like temperatures... the neighborhoods are heavy with unbelievable blossoms. I don't think I've ever noticed them so intense. And our own little lilac bush, never in the sunniest spot, has more flowers on it than I've seen in recent memory.

Just a little obsessed. ;)

All of these were taken around the house. The plant life is simply taking over. I love it! And the quote in the post title is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson.

On a separate, less lovely note, I was unfortunately not selected for the majorest of the major scholarships for school. Although I'm awaiting the verdict on one last opportunity, I'm pretty set to throw in all my chips and take out loans. It's the way it works, but at least from here on out I can focus on the school-and-travel aspect of things -- visa, airfare, accommodation, etc. -- rather than money, money, money, all the time money. It really is tiresome, and there is so much more to be enjoyed and looked forward to than how much it's all going to cost.

It will be worth it!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 110

Good morning, sunshine.

Nothing beats the beauty of early morning in the spring and summer. It has always been my favorite time of day, although I usually begrudged having to wake up early to enjoy it. It's a Catch 22, you see. However, I've been waking up much earlier recently.

When I was young, and traveled to art fairs with my dad in the summertime, we would be up super early to go set up his paintings at the show. We'd sometimes grab a doughnut, or waffles at Bill Evans, but it was that sense of purpose, early in the morning when the air was already warm, that I still feel when I get up early.

And sometimes I think about a weekend trip I took to the Welsh countryside in Spring of 2006, where, staying at the amazingly-located Baskerville Hall Hotel in a bunk room with seven other girls, I got up at the crack of dawn and went for a walk by myself down winding roads, around quilted hills. It was magical, and I remember it still today. It's those little moments that mean the most, and something about the promise of a new day and the clarity of the morning sun make morning an experience in itself.

P.S. The cat is a family cat, Roxie. She was curious about the flowers this morning, too.

Days to Edinburgh Move-In: 123

A little trip into spring.

“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to.”
― Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel

If you're even remotely interested in the philosophy of travel, I recommend Alain de Botton's book, quoted above. In fact, I recommend just about all of his books, not all of which I have read (most of them, though!), but I'll hazard a guess that I'd recommend even the ones I haven't. His writing style is enjoyable to read, and his subject matter is diverse. The Art of Travel expounds on everything from the peculiar significance and even beauty of motorway service stations and airports to the impact of art on travel and vice versa. 

I think some of the best trips can be the least fancy. This could be a special trip to the country for that must-have meal at particular far-flung restaurant, a day trip to another part of the state, or, like today, a simple walk in the back yard. No matter whether the trip involves two weeks in Europe or a stroll down the sidewalk on the street I grew up on, the difference between a good trip (or stroll) and a crap trip is one thing: the spirit of discovery.

It's absolutely, 100% possible to walk down a street I've lived on for the better part of a quarter century (give and take a few years here and there for college, or living nearby), and see something new every time. Little Peter Cottontail isn't ever going to be as exciting or awe-inspiring as the Trevi Fountain or Stonehenge, but it's the mindset that counts, and I tried to get myself into that mindset this afternoon.

We're almost a week into May, and much of the landscape is still brown in Wisconsin, although rain the last couple of days has really given the grass something to work with. It's insanely green! So while the big oak trees in the woods behind my house are only just starting to bud, homeowners are tackling insta-thick green lawns. 

Today was a gorgeous day, so rather than dwelling on the as-yet mostly-leafless trees, I thought I would take a trip into my own back yard to see just what was happening. Spring has finally sprung.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Days to Edinburgh Move-In: 125