Good morning, Edinburgh

The guy in the center of this photo was standing there drinking a cup of coffee, taking in one of the nicest little views in Old Town. This is one of the million reasons why this town is A-O.K.

Perhaps my brain got a little warped over the holiday break or something, but it's clear that taking the 10 day trip home, in order to return refreshed, really did the trick. Or it's a trick of the light. Either way, it's good to back in Edinburgh. I've said it about fifty times, but I really am happy to be back to a routine of classes. Perhaps after working a regular full-time job for almost five years, I've become more accustomed to having to be somewhere most days at a certain time. Over the six or seven weeks that I was on break, even though I was 'busy writing a paper' and traveling a little, I felt aimless and sort of stupidly useless. But now! The sun is out, the temperature has been more than tolerable (crossing my fingers it stays that way), classes are off to a good start, and it's good to see everybody again. And I'm taken again, anew, with the beauty of this city.

This term, I'm taking two classes that are strongly related to curating. One is a history of Scottish Art since 1960, which is to say most of the artists we will be studying are still alive and working, so there's the added dimension of display and the process of the artist as well as the historical significance of their work. I'm also in a class called the Cultures and Politics of Display which will explore the theory, politics and types of exhibitions. This museum and gallery-geared work is much more up my alley than the heavy theory and methods-based approach last term, so I'm pretty stoked.

I'm betraying my art nerdiness here, forgive me. Like I said, the sun is out, so it might be a trick of the light. ;)

Cheers!

Kate xx

Get back to work!

Well, well, well... my second/final term of classes begins today! I arrived back in Edinburgh last night and slept for almost thirteen hours after (miraculously) unpacking and cleaning up a little. One should never underestimate the joy upon seeing a made-up bed when arriving home from a long flight. I'm so glad my mom taught me to make my bed (most of the time, but especially before trips)! I might be fighting a bit of jet lag and residual stress from all the goings-on during my visit home, and I feel like Monday sort of didn't exist at all, but all is well and I'm ready to jump back into a routine and whatever comes next. 

This week is busy, and they'll only get busier. I might not be as present here as I have been the last few weeks--I had so much more time! But I'll try to keep posting as much as possible. This blog and all of your lovely comments keep me grounded, and that's something I can't understate. It's surprised me a little bit how much blogging, even when I feel like I 'can't be bothered,' really helps me get through--whether it's just a long day, or a heavy school workload, or stressful times, or long layovers in airports--you name it. Even if it means posting a picture of a cute kitty or a bright blue sky to make myself feel better about this thing or that, the point is that I do feel better when I blog. And on the flipside, it's so amazing to blog about things I see and learn that I thoroughly enjoy -- being able to share it is just the coolest. And I love hearing from you all. :) So thanks!

Cheers,

Kate xx

(By the way, that's England through a very scruffy window yesterday morning!)

Springtime in December

The weather has been so strange this week. It is so mild today that it feels very much like spring, and the weather, in true Edinburgh style, could be considered much the same. But I think the weather, changeable as it is, is a year-round thing here ;) Today there's a little sun behind heavy clouds that sometimes drip a little bit, but it's 55F!

I've been trying to narrow down a dissertation topic (the paper that I'm responsible for writing over the summer, a third of my assessed work for my degree), and after taking a brief hike to the art school library this morning (and passing a pretty high-falutin' fashion shoot on the way) to return a book and check out another, I popped over to Starbucks for a coffee and some good old-fashioned reading time. View from my seat, above... Starbucks is not necessarily my favorite place to get coffee, but for studying purposes I'm much more likely to find a table in their relatively large seating area, even when it's busy. And the odds of getting a table by the window are also usually pretty good, because they're almost all window seats.

I've been narrowing down my field of interest to Celtic art, or more correctly in scholarly circles (oooh), Insular art. A couple of faculty members at Edinburgh specialize in medieval illuminated manuscripts, but I'm thinking potentially more along the lines of Irish and Northern British metalwork, or perhaps a focus on the stone carvings and symbols of the Picts. No matter what, we're talking about some pretty old art here... well over 1000 years old. And it's so exciting! I think that officially makes me a nerd?

There are so many periods and movements and eras of art history that I'm interested in, but it seems to always come back to the old stuff. For some reason, the older and more mysterious, and the less information available, the more I want to study it. I'm only three months into this program and I can already tell that it's going to be of great value to have a well-rounded look at many periods of art, and all the better to narrow down what I really want to research. There's a difference between things I like, and those I actually want to devote hundreds of hours to studying!

I'd better get back to it. ;)

Cheers!
Kate x

Some thoughts...

I probably risk sounding a little moody by getting a bit more personal than I ever usually do, but I hope that I can share just a little bit of an emotional recap without sounding too morose. ;) The past few weeks have brought on a slew of emotions ranging from supreme contentment to paralyzing anxiety, and maybe a little homesickness thrown in there as well. Sometimes it's possible to have an exceptionally good morning, and a downright awful afternoon--or the other way around. It's all a part of the process, and I'm typically pretty good at taking everything in stride.

I view everything as a process, an ongoing journey from not just one point to another, but from point to point to point to... you get the idea. Often, one point is no better or worse than the last, but that it's different is the key. Edinburgh, so far, has been yet another (arguably major) stepping stone. There is yet quite a bit that I'm getting sorted out (such as the 1/3 of my program, ie. the internship that has yet to even begin, and we're already halfway through the term). I'm still getting to know people, and settling in with friendships... Additionally, I inevitably worry that I've taken out a grandiose student loan for something that I, now in the thick of, feel suddenly wary. This is natural, I know. It would probably be even more alarming if I felt as though I could cruise through this year unhindered by finances or academic anxiety... but still. That invariable cliff just looms there... what happens next September? What's over that cliff?

Perhaps I'm looking at it the wrong way. It's not a cliff, or as I've likened it in the past, a black hole. Instead I should probably see it more like some sort of obstacle, or lack of a bridge to the next place I need to get to--the bridge that I, right now, am in the process of building. But in the back of my mind, I always try to remember a very moving keynote speech that author Neil Gaiman made in 2012 to the graduating class of the University of the Arts (video below), and the segment about the mountain:

"Something that worked for me was imagining that where I wanted to be – an author, primarily of fiction, making good books, making good comics, making good drama, and supporting myself through my words – was a mountain. A distant mountain. My goal.

And I knew that as long as I kept walking towards the mountain I would be all right. And when I truly was not sure what to do, I could stop, and think about whether it was taking me towards or away from the mountain."

It's also true, that "the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain," in the words of Khalil Gibran. I think now, being in the middle of something that I've been anticipating for a long time, I'm faced with realities instead of hypotheticals. It's sort of a shock to the system.

However!

I have been fortunate to meet some amazing people. I'm attending a top-notch university. My classes are exceptional and I couldn't have asked for a better first semester to jump back into the land of academia. And there are so many little trips I'd like to make. It's only now being here that I am able to see what comes next more clearly, so the process continues processing...

Just some thoughts. ;)

Cheers!
Kate x

P.S. (Whenever it's gloomy in Edinburgh, I do like to look at that picture up on top. I store the sunny photos away for rainy days!)

Packers and a postgrad

I'm within two weeks until departure (13 days!) and firmly in the get-it-in-before-I-go phase. Hanging out with various people, stopping into particular restaurants, taking certain trips, and--going to a Packer game! Preseason, but still. It's Lambeau! It wasn't something I planned, but I haven't been to a game in a couple of years and the tickets were complements of my grandparents -- and club seats! Can't really turn that down. The only downside being that a can of beer costs almost $10. ;) At least it's damn good beer.



I was raised twenty minutes from Green Bay, so it's really no contest when it comes to where my football loyalty lies. Every season there's usually a game or two that I have the option of going to see, but it's been a while. So I'm happy to get a game in before I left, even if we lost big time. :(



Can't go wrong with that view... brand new stadium addition and all.

Anyway. It's not like me to go on about football, so... I won't. The Predator is about all you need to know. ;)

_._._._


As for the next couple of weeks, and what comes next: wow. Are big changes afoot or what? It's finally starting to sink in that I'll be moving abroad for a year at the very least, with no clear idea of what comes after that. But this next year will undoubtedly reveal a lot about where I'm headed, and get me on that journey. I don't particularly have one place I aspire to end up, or one thing I must do... I view my career and schooling as a series of little islands I get to hop to -- kind of like life. Here and there, for this and that. Whatever makes me happy is about where the ball stops! ;)

I've started receiving notifications of meetings and welcome events to the Edinburgh College of Art (or ECA). The week before classes begin is known as "Freshers Week" in UK parlance, but in the States is what I've always known as "freshman orientation," ie. chock full of activities, picnics, outings and getting-to-know-you events. But in my case, and other postgrads (another US-UK difference: I'm a postgraduate student, not a graduate student) mostly an opportunity to meet up for various ECA events and to prepare as much as possible for the upcoming year.

My official program title is the MSc History of Art, Theory and Display. I've chosen a few classes that I'm interested in taking, so my schedule tentatively looks like this:

Semester One:
Research Theories and Methods
Scottish Medieval and Renaissance Architecture
Internship

Semester Two:
The Cultures and Politics of Display
Rome Across Time and Space: Visual Culture and Cultural Exchanges c. 300-1300
Internship

Summer term:
Plenty of dissertation-ing

Something that I had to consider when choosing this program was whether I wanted to pursue a taught masters or a research masters. The distinction doesn't exist in quite the same way in American universities, but a taught masters degree functions similarly to an undergraduate degree where one attends classes and is assessed by group projects and a dissertation. A masters by research is one that is more independent and sets one up on a clear path to the PhD--usually with a more specific focus and independent academic approach.

Since I'm not quite sure that a PhD is the path I'd like to pursue immediately, I wanted to take a somewhat general course to get not only an opportunity for research, but vocational experience as well, through the internship opportunity. I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a straight-up academic/scholar, so the value of that vocational aspect can't be overrated. I look forward to seeing what kind of opportunities this year presents!


Days to Edinburgh move-in: 14

Take it or leave it

I really like clothes. I'm no fashion guru, and I don't read Vogue magazine every month, but I really like to get dressed. It makes it very difficult to think about parting with things-- even the things I never, ever wear (anymore). Additionally, I've never left an apartment without planning to return to it at some point, and therefore had to consider that everything must go. It has to be packed to take with me, shipped to me, sold at a rummage sale, donated, or simply thrown out.

Thus, the challenge begins. I attempted to "begin packing" by throwing all of my winter garments in my suitcase. Essentially, my suitcase now has two jackets and a ridiculous mountain of wool scarves, none of which I feel I can part with. My suitcase has taken up a home on my little-used couch and my cat loves to try to sleep in it.

I like to avoid throwing things out for simple environmental reasons -- if someone else can use it and it's still in nice shape, at the very least I'll donate it. It only makes sense, since probably half of my wardrobe consists of secondhand apparel anyway. So, I've been compiling boxes to price and try to sell at a garage sale, and a few more to simply donate.

Anyway. Today marks the beginning of a concerted effort to pare down even more than I already have. I feel that this process is best tackled a little bit at a time.

More challenging and intimidating in the take-or-leave decision department are my books and records. I've worked at a bookstore for the last 4 1/2 years, and in that time I've amassed a pretty decent library of art books, records and other various history books and niche items that I'm hard pressed to get rid of, so logistics will prove interesting. However, I think that's a challenge for another time...

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 73

Par avion!

It's really difficult to make a piece of paper look exciting, I know. But holy cats! I just got my first piece of real mail yesterday from the University of Edinburgh and for the very first time in this whole process -- even the filling-out-the-visa part -- I feel like this is actually happening. They sent me my ID card application, to which I have to affix a passport sized photo so that when I arrive on campus, I'll be able to pick up the card. My own UE identification card! Should I be this excited?

It's also the little differences that are so amusing -- the standard copy paper size in UK is A4, so all the papers are a little longer. It really is the little things, isn't it? Ha! I am really easily amused, it seems. Remembering these minute details brings me back to when I studied abroad in London seven (seven!!?) years ago, and it makes me all the more excited to get back to the UK and do it all again, except better. Cooler!

Glancing at the calendar, I realize just how quickly time is going to fly. I have so much going on between two jobs, my upcoming trip with my sisters to Glacier National Park, the UK visa process, and having to pack up and move out and away. All within a little over two months! Insane! I remember when I was staring at the countdown widget on my phone and it said something boring and uninteresting like "226 days"...

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 79

The good life

(photo)

I think I may be mostly back in Normal Mode after my luscious weekend consisting of my sister's marriage and Father's Day, all of which feels as if it was wrapped up into one weekend-long celebration of family and love. If I could sound any mushier, I would, because it was just that sweet.

I've been back at work for a couple days now, surprisingly surpassing the sort of back-to-work bewilderment that often accompanies the return after a few days off when I've been so totally mentally elsewhere. Only once did I sit blankly in front of a computer screen at one point and think, "What the hell is my password?"

Anyway. All is well! Fantastic, actually. Sometimes I wonder how it has come to be that I'm so damn lucky. Looking forward to camping with my sisters in about a week and a half -- we're headed on a sibling road trip to Glacier National Park in Montana! Simply can't wait for that.

And on the topic of not being able to wait, I'm starting to really anticipate the Scotland move now, considering I have an address to visualize and a suitcase that has magically filled up with scarves, sweaters and jackets. Other than that, how does one pack to move overseas? Is it better to pack suitcases or ship packages of extra stuff? I've packed for long trips, one that lasted a few months, but never to the extent that I was emptying an apartment and taking as much with me as possible abroad. This is going to be a learning experience... recommendations and suggestions are more than welcome!

The first stage of my UK visa application has been submitted (and paid for, yikes!), so next we're talking a new passport sized photo and a brief trip to Milwaukee in early July for what they call a "biometrics appointment," ie. fingerprints. Then I send all that paperwork mumbo jumbo, along with my passport, off to New York and get a visa in return. All in due time!



Days to Edinburgh move-in: 81

Bon week-end!

Is the English saying "toodle-oo," as in, "adios!" derived from the French à tout à l'heure? I've been brushing up on le français and came across that phrase for the first time (why was I never taught that one?) and when I said it out loud a few times, I couldn't say it without laughing. Regardless, a little sleuthing revealed that it's probably not -- that "toodle-oo" is as much a British derivation of "toddle" or "to tootle" someplace (as in "tootling down to the local pub"), but it can't just be coincidence, right?

Anyway.

The photo is from my first trip abroad in 2006, from an extremely long evening walk through Paris on one of the nights we decided to see as much as physically possible on foot.

+ + +

A small piece of pertinent Scotland info: university finance queries and documents are starting to roll in.  I know it's not very exciting -- at all, actually -- but it does indicate that this is real, like. Real-real. I've officially declared intent to enroll, so it's all looking a little more official as the days pass.

The anticipation of summer sometimes feels equal parts stressful and carefree, simply because everything seems to happen in the summer and you also want to be able to do so much. It's going to go by very quickly, but come the end of July, most of the work will be done, and I can seriously start looking forward. And perhaps a little short trip to Paris will be in order... de pratiquer la langue. ;)

A tout à l'heure!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 105

The left and the right...

(photo)

As I checked my email today and learned, disappointingly, that I was not chosen for one of the three major scholarships I applied to for my year at the University of Edinburgh, I realized that I have plenty of reasons to be anxious as well as excited about the upcoming school year.

My mind is made up; I'm going. I made that decision well over a year ago, but now, as we get into summer with a little over three months to departure, I'm getting that sort of anxious, curdled feeling that comes with worries and woes about money and "the future" and "my path." My right and left brain are constantly at odds: one part of me wants everything planned out ad infinitum, and the other part of me prefers to go with the flow.

I suppose there's always going to be anxiety about making any kind of life-altering decision. This masters program only takes one calendar year, which my left brain is really happy to know is totally regimented and planned, but the material point is that once I've done it, I can't really go back to the way things were/are. Student debt is a killer. And I have a hard time not picturing a giant black hole of life/career uncertainty after I graduate. My left brain wants to make sure I have a fallback plan; my right brain is sure something will work out as long as I'm smart about my choices and work my hardest. Both are probably correct.

I'm awaiting word on two more major scholarships, and one other smaller external one. Crossing fingers, but money isn't everything. If it was, I'd not have chosen to be an art historian!