Happy FSAT Eve

 Hi everybody! It is currently the night before our flight to Scotland. As I am running through my mental checklists of making sure I have everything I need, I am also thinking about what I am looking forward to on the trip. For this blog post I figured I’d talk a bit about some things I’d like to do in each country we visit. 

First: Scotland. I am incredibly excited for the trip as a whole, but I am extremely excited for Scotland in particular. I have heard that it is absolutely gorgeous, and while I don’t think we will get to see much of the countryside, I think the castles will be astonishing. One thing I am super excited to see is the castle that Mary Queen of Scots stayed in. I am also excited to see all the Harry Potter attractions that are scattered around Edinburgh. I have been a huge Harry Potter fan since I was in fourth grade (I mean a real fan too— not just someone who likes the movies), so anything Harry Potter related will make me happy. 

Next: England. I have never been more excited for anything than to go to London. When I was younger I had an England themed room and I still have a small shrine dedicated to Great Britain. I have always loved the Royal Family, the accent, the poshness, the history, and so much more. My one dream or goal in life has always been to visit England, so the fact that I have the opportunity to go to London (and will be there within a few days) is absolutely mind blowing. I’m very excited to do all of the classic tourist things in London like see Big Ben, the London Bridge, the London Eye, and more. As basic as those are I feel like a trip to London would not be complete without it. I also can’t wait for the shopping. I plan on going into a Burberry and Harrods. Considering the fact that I am a college student that has not worked in months, I do not plan to buy anything at either place, but luckily they are free to enter. 

Lastly: Ireland. I had never really thought about going to Ireland until recently, and now I can’t wait. Since coming to Mercyhurst I have made two great Irish friends, and I cannot wait to see Dublin and talk to them about it. As basic as it is, I am most excited about touring the Guinness Storehouse. I have very low expectations for the actual Guinness itself (I’m sure it’s great but I am not a beer drinker), but I still plan on drinking the entire pint for the experience. I’m also excited to see actual Irish pubs and hear live Irish music. While we do not have a lot of free time in Dublin like we do in Edinburgh and London, I plan on trying to make the most out of the time I have by exploring the city. 

Overall I am consumed with excitement about this trip. I have never even been out of the country, and I think this FSAT is the perfect way to start traveling internationally. While this blog post is incredibly informal and I sound like a broken record saying “I’m excited to…” or “I can’t wait for…”, there are no other words to express how I feel. Well there are other words like exhilarated, ecstatic, or elated, but they sound too formal for this. Anyways, I am ecstatic for this trip, or should I say “holiday”, and to be able to experience all of this with some of my closest friends is going to be something I will never forget. 

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