September 1-3: The Beginning of An Adventure

Goodbye Summer!

     For those of you who don't already know, this semester, I will be studying at the University of St Andrews. This is an invaluable opportunity, and I am so grateful for God's goodness in bringing me here. God is a God of restoration. Not only does He work a plan in our lives, but in His gracious goodness, also gives us every good thing. God is so good, and I am so grateful to be here. At St Andrews, I hope to study perception, cognition, neuroscience, the reformation, and early modern theology. I'll have the opportunity to learn where students have been studying for over 600 years - students including William and Kate, John Knox, John Witherspoon, Patrick Hamilton, and others. 

     I'm excited to go to Scotland. But, wow. Has this summer has been meaningful, purposeful, and overflowing with blessings. I spent my summer with incredible people, I loved my jobs, and most importantly, I grew so much in my relationship with Christ. My prayer as I leave for Scotland is that I will continue that growth in a purpose-filled life. 

     I had said my goodbyes and packed my bags in preparation for our drive to JFK this afternoon. But we weren't even across the bridge when our 15-minute journey came to a jolting close. "I wonder why that truck has spikes on its wheels," my mom mused, only minutes before those very spikes gashed into the side of our car. No, it wasn't a little love-tap, but a surprisingly long nudge, as the spikes pierced the side of our car and chunked off a large portion of our bumper. Exciting. Luckily, in the Paynter family, we always plan enough time for emergencies. While we had teased my mom for wanting to leave 6 hours before my plane would depart, it turns out Mom knows what she's doing! I called 911, a nice policeman came to our rescue, and we finished our journey to JFK. Despite our rocky start, I remained feeling thankful, peaceful, and excited for the start of this exciting journey.

 Short Stops in Dublin and Edinburgh

    I flew across the Atlantic, and soon, I had arrived in Ireland. Look at that stamp! It's my first stamp in my new passport, and I hope to have many more very soon. My impressions of Ireland were vague, as I did not leave the airport, but everything was very green - not only the landscape, but the text on the signs, the decorations on the walls, and even the tinge of the glass. How patriotic of them! I was absolutely enchanted by the accents of the flight attendants, and I even won over some new Irish friends during my layover with my Doctor Who apparel!
    When I arrived at the terminal, I was surprised to find, not airplanes, but buses. The bus took me to a small plane, which took me to a bus in Scotland. That bus brought me to a terminal, and from there, I took a bus through Edinburgh to the Waverly Train Station.
     I got on the train and took a beautiful hour-long train ride to Dundee. The train took twists and turns through the beautiful, green, hilly farmland of Scotland, which only the white sheep and little towns scattered throughout the hills relieved. On the way, I made a friend! An old man named Ronnie talked to me the whole way there, and I feel that I've made a great friend. He is attending night school at St Andrews, so I'm sure I'll see this kindred spirit again.

Dundee

     I arrived in Dundee, and my phone wasn't working, so I couldn't call for a taxi - I decided to walk. I soon discovered that this was a mistake. I hobbled down the street, burdened with a gigantic
suitcase with a broken wheel, a reasonably sized suitcase, a backpack stuffed to the brim, and a bag that felt like it was filled with rocks. Before long, I decided it was worth trying to hail a taxi.
My taxi driver was very nice, and when I checked into my hotel, I collapsed onto the bed. I had every intention of spending the rest of the night in my room, as I had hardly slept since the previous morning. But what sort of attitude is that in your first night in a new city? I changed, drank a cup of coffee, and ventured out into the city.
     I hoped to find some authentic Scottish cuisine, but my food options seemed only to include a Dominoes, italian food, chinese food, cafes, and a KFC. Authentic! Despite striking out with food, I scoped out the shops and got familiar with the area. Scotland is beautiful. The stone buildings are all so old and important-looking, that I could hardly tell what was office space and what was a historical attraction.
     I rose early the next morning and ate breakfast at the hotel before I ventured out to begin my shopping. I first bought a pair of "wellies," or rainboots, and proceeded to buy all the rest of the other things I needed at a pharmacy nearby. I was finished by 10:30! I came back to the hotel to drop off my bags, read the bible, and research things to do in Dundee.

     The most promising Dundee attraction seemed to be the McManus museum, which was... interesting. I'm very spoiled by New York museums, but my any standard, this museum was strange. One exhibit featured a few shards of pottery labeled, "This was donated by ---. Unfortunately, we're not sure what it is." Um.. okay? Next to it, a preserved dead red squirrel carcas, and on its right, a 1960's hairdryer. Despite its randomness, it was housed in a beautiful building.

     I next visited St Paul's cathedral. It was beautiful, and it was a very nice place to pray. I explored further around the city and visited Caird Hall, a famous music hall. I had lunch in a lovely cafe and went shopping in the mall nearby. 
     The only things left to do were all the way across the city, and I felt that I had seen enough of Dundee to know what it was all about. So I came back to my room for a nap. Feeling very rested, I went to a book shop with a cafe, and I researched things to do in Edinburgh - there wasn't much left to do in Dundee! I planned a day trip to Edinburgh, and I could hardly sleep that night for the excitement of the next day!
     After the cafe, I managed to find a more authentic Scottish pub called "The Capital." I ordered haggis for a late dinner, which really
was not bad. Appaulingly bad for you, but not bad. A really nice day, all in all.