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!)

Last day, waiting...

Trying to stay warm!

Here it is, the last day of my visit to my home state, the old freezing Wisconsin. Midday tomorrow I'll be on another plane, first to Chicago, connecting to London, and then up to Edinburgh where I'll arrive sometime around dinnertime on Monday. It's going to be another loonnggg 24-ish hours of travel, but in every single way this trip home has exceeded my expectations. I mean that literally; some things I wasn't expecting at all.

First, there was the cold. Nothing like coming home to a polar vortex. I had no right to complain about it being cold in Edinburgh. Ever. I promise I will never do it again. (!!!)

Then, food. Seriously, I sometimes don't realize how much I take for granted the restaurants and availability of foods that I can't get elsewhere. Take Mexican food for example... there just aren't that many places to choose from in the UK, and even then, it's not what I'm used to. Not to mention the soul food restaurant I went to last night (where in the UK can I get hush puppies, cornbread, and BBQ chicken with lemon pepper fries and 'hell sauce'!? TELL ME.) And it should go without saying that my dad's homemade pies and second-to-none breakfasts are something I sorely miss at times.

Catching up with friends is always amazing. Since I'm home after the holidays, most of the people who now live out of town were already gone after visiting, so I didn't get to see a lot of people. That, and time was short, so there are many others I wish I could have seen and didn't. However, being able to connect with some close friends, even just one or two, after four months apart was just what I needed. There's really nothing like being around people who just 'get' you, friends and family both.

And of course, where family is concerned, this trip is epitomizing the emotional rollercoaster of welcoming a new family member! My younger sister, Ali, is gonna give us all a little bundle of joy sometime TODAY!! Her due date was tomorrow (the day I fly out -- I know, I know, ugh.) but we poked and prodded and whispered and wished for her little bun to arrive a little early and yayyyyy. It's her first, so labor is taking a long time, and we're as patient as we can be, but... how patient can I seriously be? I'm going to be auntie for the first time! Looking forward to my other sister arriving home from college for the weekend so we can all be here to meet the little gal or lad (even Ali doesn't know).

Otherwise, I'm just trying to stay warm, get a few school things taken care of before my second and final term starts this week, and my oh my... life just keeps on keeping on.

Happy weekend!

Cheers,
Kate xx

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!)

Where did I pack the...?

Here goes: one of the only posts I'll probably ever do that does not include a photo! I'm pressed for time, you see. And technology. I don't know where my camera is at the moment--oh wait, I do, but it's buried in a carry-on bag full of things I couldn't fit in my regular suitcase. In fact, I don't know where I put the toothpaste, but I'm trusting it's in one of the bags, somewhere...

In a nutshell, I'm about to depart! Thought I'd throw out a quick update since I suddenly find myself with about an hour to spare and nothing more to pack. I could cuddle with my cat for a while, but he's napping and it would probably just piss him off. I got in a really nice last-minute coffee date with my mom and nana, and said goodbye to my sister and her lovely coffee shop. That's one place I will definitely miss -- the regulars there are like none other. Seriously, just about everybody knows everybody. There's some serious value to a place like that.

I finally started getting "nervous tummy," which my sister corrected me (correctly) and called "excited tummy." Not really wanting to eat anything, feeling a little anxious about all of the little things that really aren't all that important, but somehow seem hugely significant right now: Is my suitcase below the weight limit? Do I really need to bring that extra purse? Is mascara considered a liquid? Where is the toothpaste?

All in all, though, I feel really good. I feel prepared, and that's about all a person can ask for when she's about to embark on a big trip. And not just a big trip, but a long stay. A move, but a university move, which isn't really the same thing--but kind of. I find that the more I tell myself to go with the flow, the better I feel. So, to leave you with, three little day-of-departure tips that I'm finding useful right now.

1) Daily routines are important. I was distracted enough this morning with packing that I totally forgot to put makeup on. And not that makeup is a necessity -- I don't mind not wearing it. But the point is that it's a regular morning routine, and I didn't do it. So, to my surprise, late in the morning I was surprised by my appearance in the mirror, and felt like I had forgotten something. Moral of the story: stick with your routine and you'll feel better about the excitement and uncertainty that lies ahead.

2) Do a last-minute cull. You're getting down to the wire and you think your suitcase might be a little heavy or overstuffed. Open it up and make a snap decision or two about a few things you don't need. If you're like me, your last week or so has been, at least in some part every day consumed by thoughts of what to bring, what not to bring, what fits, what's too heavy, etc. When you've got a deadline (ie. actually have to getcho bad self to the airport), it's easier to just be done with it. Stop thinking, just pull a couple things out. It's so much nicer to have a little wiggle room in the suitcase.

3) Take some time to just relax. Scan your Facebook feed, have coffee with your mom, read a book, watch TV... just chill. It's good to get your mind off things for just a moment--just to pause--and refresh a little bit before hopping on the plane.

See you there!

Kate x

Second to last

To bring the blue velvet tennies, or no? The hardest part of packing has been limiting myself to things that I actually wear on a regular basis, since my wardrobe contains things I don't wear all the time, but am loathe to part with. Thus, the velvet tennies question.

My bags are mostly packed and still within weight limits, so I don't think it should be too hard from here on out. I've donated a bunch more stuff to the thrift store, gotten a haircut, packed away a bunch more stuff, cleaned some more...

I've been spending a good deal of time with this guy. 

And I'm finally starting to cross items off the list faster than I can add them. It's starting to look really good, actually, and with that, I'm feeling a little more at ease. It was really wonderful to go visit my favorite Kate at Shear Chaos Salon, a little treat from my mom as a last-minute get-ready-to-travel bonus. Is there anything quite like a really good shampoo/head massage? Pff, not likely!

This may be my final post Stateside, so perhaps the next you'll hear from me, I'll be travel-weary and exhausted, but excited beyond comprehension to finally be in Edinburgh. :D

Cheers!
Kate x