vade mecum

hello all! so, today was the first official day of classes. i had planned on writing a post yesterday, but was antsy, and rushing to finish readings ahead of class, and thus decided to put it off until today.

it's been a good week, all told. mostly i attended study initiation/advice sessions and university welcome sessions. very informative, and also a little frightening. for example, a grade of 70% is a good thing. not only good, but excellent. that and the fact that just about the only time i'm going to have off in the next twelve months will be specifically to catch up on reading. resulting, not surprisingly in me thinking more than once, "what am i doning?!"

to be honest though, it is going to be a great year. something that i can say with some confidence having now met my classmates and gotten a look at the work i will be doing here. i am the one and only american in my programme, which leaves me with a lot of exposure to international influences. my professors have a range of expertise and are all eager to reach across traditional barriers and lines of disciplines, something that is going to suit me quite well. and all of my classes are socratic seminars, and not just in theory, which is going to be marvelous. and to top it all off, here is the building in which i will be studying:

the "old college"

(here's a look at the "new college," just for good measure)

law has been taught at the site of the "old college" for over 300 years, and you can feel it in the very ground. it is amazing.

this last weekend, i went to the portobello beach, to explore and relax a bit before i'm buried in books. and it was beautiful. warm for the region, and the sun even came out, a rare and pleasant treat. below is a photo of the rainbow that emerged as i reached the beach, and evidence of my wading (or rather, paddling, as they say here), and the shoreline and town. it's a beautiful place and only about a 30 minute bus ride from the center of edinburgh.

this week begins the long dive into learning that i came to edinburgh for and i think that i am going to treasure those moments when i can climb a hill, or play at the beach. they will be much needed breathers in my study and i'll post details of those adventures as they happen. for now, i am going to focus on readings and, perhaps, visit the camera obscura later in the week. i am ready, nervous, and excited. wish me luck!