The ball starts rolling

This morning I checked my email first thing, like I usually do (because at 6am, it's noon in UK!) and was happy thrilled to see an email with an offer of accommodation!

!!!!!!!

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Yep. That's right. I have an address, and it ends in "Royal Mile, Edinburgh." Ahh! Couldn't be happier. And soon I won't even have to post dreamy photos that other people took! ;)

I had three days to decide whether or not to accept, but it took me all of about ten minutes to go through the process of securing my place. It was my top choice, and I'll be in a flat of five students. I think that many people in one flat is wonderful, because there's so much opportunity to get to know other people, and also to not be stuck with one roommate, if that roommate turns out to not be ideal. It's in arguably the best location, in a historic building, and is also the cheapest university accommodation I could get. I'm delighted with that combination of qualities.

On the other hand, of course, a couple hours later I received an email informing me that I had not been selected as a recipient of the College of Art scholarship either, so that's strike three and I'm full-on borrowing for this baby. All that will start to come together soon, and yet again I have to remind myself to keep from stressing too much about the money... it's a big investment, but that's what it is: an investment. And I know of people in faaaar worse financial shape student debt-wise than I am. So really, no actual complaints.

;)

Anyway. The excitement of getting my top choice accommodation outweighs the scholarship hiccup, so onto the next thing... whatever that may be!

Cheerio!


Days to Edinburgh move-in: 94

Edinburgh teaser!

For the sake of making myself feel more cheerful on tiresome, overcast and rainy days (such as this one here in Wisco), it helps to think about where I'll be going in three months. Ironic, really, as Scotland has a reputation for being cloudy and rainy and cold. Alas, I am in Wisconsin and that is Scotland; this is here and that is there. It makes all the difference.

And I'll be in college! Again! I'll no longer be working at my current jobs, or eating at the same restaurants, driving the same route, or shopping at the same stores. From experience I know it will be easier to set aside how tiresome rain can be.

When I applied for university accommodation a couple months back, this was my first pick:

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Mylne's Court. It's super close to the art college and right smack in the middle of Old Town. At least as far as I can tell from the map. ;) All of my housing choices were in older buildings, even though the university offers several very modern options. Weighing convenience, location and cost, not to mention character, I went with the older ones. They're just more fun! So we'll see if I end up here, or if another choice wins out.

I spent a good chunk of time yesterday going through all of the technical rigamarole that is the U.S. FAFSA (Federal student aid), so that Edinburgh is free to dispense the loan amounts as soon as they are able. On one hand, it's lovely to know that the U.S. can put up loans for me in order to allow study abroad -- apparently this wasn't the case until 2010, so even if I had wanted to go straight to the UK right after college, it wouldn't have been in the cards no matter how hard I wanted it. On the other hand, however, going through what they call "entrance counseling," where you calculate your projected loans and then your living expenses over the course of the next year (yikes!!), and then calculate how much you should earn afterward in order to repay your student loans... well... Let's just say it's been knocked into my head that there will be NO SLACKING after this year is over. And this might be a good time to mention that I won't be slacking during the year either. ;)

Taking each little step one at a time...

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 102

Packing up winter.

When I say I've packed all of my winter clothes already, what that actually means is:

There is a coat in my suitcase.

It's early days yet, at least as far as packing and actual travel planning goes, but I'm starting to think about it more regularly. In a couple months my sister(s), mom and I are hoping to have a rummage sale, in which I hope to get rid of a bunch of clothes I'll never wear again (or never wore in the first place). Sweaters and long-sleeved shirts have definitely passed their use-by date until next fall, so I could start packing a few things to get them out of the way. The catch is that starting to shove all that stuff in the case puts me in about-to-move limbo mode, and I don't know if I'm ready for that yet! ;)

This departure feels different than any other big move I've made because I don't have a place to come back to when term is over, like when I was an undergrad. No matter where I end up, or what I do after I graduate, I'm not planning to come back to the same place. I've decided to downsize pretty massively in order to accommodate the uncertainty and the very good chance that I'll be moving around a little in the next few years. One just never knows.

In about three weeks or so, I should have heard about my financial aid and student confirmation information from the University of Edinburgh, and then can apply for my visa in pretty short order. That requires a quick trip to Milwaukee, the nearest visa application office, for an interview. I'll hear about housing in July (pretty excited about that, actually), and then things really get rolling.

For the first time in this entire 1.5-year process (yes, it has been long and ongoing), I looked at a photograph of Princes Street, Edinburgh the other day and thought, "Holy cats! I'm going to be there! Soon!" It was a nice, exhilarating feeling--the kind I thrive off of when it comes to travel. There's nothing like that particular anticipation! I'm planning on shooting across the pond a few days before move-in to hang out in London, check out some galleries and museums, and revisit some old haunts. Can't wait to book my flight!


Days to Edinburgh move-in: 109

The left and the right...

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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!