Surrounded

I am now three months and ten days away from Scotland and the anticipation is starting to eat me alive. Right now I am the library of UM- Flint, waiting for my next class, and how do I spend my time? Certainly not doing the two research papers I should be doing. No, I am researching the two towns that will less than a mile from Stirling University. I have already researched Stirling to death. Its now a university city with 20% of the population being students. But what I am more excited about is going to the William Wallace monument and going to see the famous Bannockburn. Its only one of the most famous battlefields in all of Scotland and I will be able to see whenever I want. *Sigh* My heart is racing here in the fluorescent lit cubbie hole of the library just thinking of the wide expanse of field and the feeling that I am standing where men gave their life for their country. I am sorry that I have never had that feeling here in the US. I have been to Virginia, live there even, and never not once felt any sort of connection. Does that make me unpatriotic, I don't think so.

The second city next to the university is Bridge of Allan. It seems like a beautiful town, less than a ten minute bus ride from where I will be. Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have written some of Treasure Island about the town. I am excited to be somewhere new and to finally shake the apathetic feeling that has plagued me for months now, maybe even years.

Finances-Lacking or otherwise

I have become quite a staple at my university's financial aid office. I first went there to hatch out a budget, which was required and now I have experienced the ups and downs of hope. When I first spoke with my fin aid advisor, I was getting a loan large enough to cover my Scotland costs, except for meals and spending money. I was ecstatic, I went from having to pay about $6,ooo to paying maybe $1000. Then my advisor found out I was taking spring classes, and the other shoe dropped. Apparently this changed things and now my loan has been reduced by almost $2000, but that money also goes towards my spring semester. That helps me still(any money I don't have to pay right away is fine with me), but there is still one big problem. I won't be getting my loan until a week before I leave for Scotland. My payments have to be paid before that, and I certainly don't have that kind of money laying around.
Ugh, why did I choose the worst economic recession to study abroad, when no one is lending money?

Background

I am less than four months away from leaving, and I still can't believe its really happening. I am not usually who likes to step out of my comfort zone, so the fact that I actually applied still baffles me. All the red tape I had to go through in order to even send the application was enough to make me want to quit. In two weeks, I saw three different advisors, the head of the history department, two women from the registrar's office. Not to mention I had to petition to the Academic Standards Committee. Apparently I am too far into my program that the credits I will be taking in Scotland would put me in violation of a rule at University of Michigan Flint. After all this (I can't believe I went through all that now that I see in it in writing), I was accepted into the program.

I am going through EuroLearn, and so far everyone has been so helpful. At my school no one has even mentioned studying abroad, unless you are doing it through your program. I have been at financial aid three days in a row, trying desperately to get the funds needed in order to travel. I have a quote for travel health insurance, and I found the cheapest plane ticket after months of shopping around. I went to the British Airways website and found a ticket to Edinburgh for $710. Every other ticket was around $1200. I am so excited to go and a little nervous about what else I need to get done before I finally get to travel overseas.