!!!scotland!!!

happy new years!! its been awhile since ive written an update, and bcuz of that, i have soo much to write about, but will make it as short and sweet as possible. so.. over i spent Christmas and that whole week up in northern ireland with some friend and families that i know.. was brilliant.. was amazing, i could write a book about it, but am going to focus this email on my trip to scotland.

so, my roomate and i found tickets for 20 euro to fly to scotland for 4 days.. booked them, and then realised that we knew nothing about scotland, didnt know anyone there, and had not a clue where we were going to stay or what we were going to do.. off we took at 4am on friday morning.. and get there only to realise i forgot my stuff i need to fly. i have nerve damage in my cheek that happened this last year after my nose surgery, that makes it excruciatingly painful for me to fly and the specialist doctor gave me all these perscriptions and stuff i need to take in order for it not to be horrific. well, i forgot them. so here i am at the airport.. in absolute fear. we start to pray. and keep praying about the whole weekend, cuz pretty much, our adventurous little souls had just booked tickets to some country over the busiest weekend possible and hadnt a clue.. so.. may i just say, God is so good.. as you read about the trip, you have to understand, that every second of our entire trip was directed and looked after by God. we did and saw things that we could not have planned better if we had tried and got to be a part of things that caused our mouths to be stuck open in awe the entire trip, without exaggeration, it was completly crazy to see the hand of God in everything we did.

so, were are about to go thru security, only to realise how huge our bags were, and we werent going to check them, so again prayed, and we got thru with out an eyebrow being raised. (God is amazing) then, board the flight, get the exit row seats, meaning all the room in front of us in the world.. and 50 minutes later were in glasgow, a perfect, somehow completly pain free flight, not even the slightest problem. (glory to God), we arrive and are in this huge, beautiful city.. we found our hostel rite in the middle of town (amazing), left our stuff and away we went. snapped pics every 5 minutes, and looked around in amazement as policemen on horses were all over the place, and ppl sounding like mike myers on shrek were everywhere.. there were dudes in kilts everywhere.. and so we grabbed a map and off we went.. orientated ourselves to the city and walked around literally for about 12 hours.. ended up finding the biggest festival in glasgow, got in for free.. met amazing people (with the coolest accent i have ever heard).. and just had a pain free, rain free, gorgeous day exploring. our hostel was brilliant, we were in with 16 other ppl, and instead of being stuck in a room where everyone came in drunk and loud on a friday nite, we had all 14 other ppl in bed by 10pm on a friday nite! (which was amazing for us cuz we were takin off the next mrng early for edinburgh), was brilliant. (glory to God).
THEN
we got up, had a free, huge breakfast, provided by the hostel, (amazing in itself).. then "just happened" to be rite on time for the bus to edinburgh. in we go. its pouring rain, the entire way to edinburgh.. which, was a beautiful drive.. the scottish highlands are like something out of braveheart (probably cuz it was filmed there, but it actually is like that), was so beautiful.. so, rain, rain and more rain.. and then we arrive in edinburgh, and the moment we step out of the bus, it stopped, and the clouds went and this gorgeous sun came out. we were like this is not going to last long, and yet.. the entire day. bright, gorgeous sun, with a beautiful sunset (again.. thanks God!!).. so, we get out.. have our huge bags, and all the suverneirs we had bought in glasgow and were standing in the middle of edinburgh city centre and didnt move. both of us were literally standing there, mouths open, cameras out, and poking each other, going, samaria look.. shawnda look.. were in the city, and up on the hill is a cliff, with a huge castle on it.. then as you keep looking, theres these medeval/gothic style buildings everywhere, and every building, monument, church, bank, and everything looked like a castle. everything was made of stone, that was stained black from all the chimney smoke, and there was a river dividing the city.. and literally, i cant even descibe it, but it was the most grandeur place i have ever been. we just stood there. not moving more than a 360 degree turn with our heads and cameras. it smelt amazing, cuz there was this huge festival going on. and all you see were castles and kilts, and all you can hear was bagpipes, from all the guys on the streets playing them.

ok, so this is our first 10 minutes there, we knew it was going to be a good day.. again, having no clue where we were.. we asked someone for directions to our hostel, (and in their very cool accent), we get told its rite up on the hill (rite next to the castle!!!) (God's amazing)
so, up we traunt, stopping every 3 minutes for a picture (and by the way, travelling with someone you live and work with could potentially be stressful or try your patience, but samaria and i were like 2 peas in a pod and enjoyed every second of each others company.. amazing!), but we found our hostel, and could hardly throw our stuff down fast enough to get outside and explore.. so we spend the day walking around, touring the castle, enjoying the sun, talking to all the bagpipe players.. and just seeing as much as possible. met amazing ppl. found our way around. decided to eat.. found really really cheap chinese buffet, and chilled.. and then we walk out, happy with our 7 hours of walking around, and get out and its dark out, and all of a sudden are in the middle of 15,000 people with these huge torch looking candles.. we asked some cops what was going on and we had "just happened" to wander into the part of town that hosted the biggest commencement of new years festival in all of europe and were in the middle of a thousand year viking tradition. (are you serious?! -- praise God!!!) we couldnt believe it, hadnt a clue, and just were in the rite part of time, at just the exact rite time.. so we marched in the middle of these 15,000 ppl, there were bagpipes and drums and dancers and what seems like the whole of europe. we could not stop smiling.

so, here we are, no idea where all these ppl are going, but just goin' with it, well, we arrive about 2 miles later up this hill at the top of the city, with a colliseum, and basically, all the ppl with torches were going to set this dragon boat on fire.. so they lit it.. then we kept following everyone and we are on top of edinburgh and could see the entire of the city.. and all of a sudden these drummers start drumming, we start dancing and this band of bagpipe players come marching thru.. we just were dancing and snappin' fotos and in awe (amazing!!).. and then the bagpipe players ended and all of a sudden above this collesium were the most fantastic fireworks display i have ever seen. usually im not so impressed with firework.. but, whoa.. edinburgh's were for all of europe to see and i have never see anything like it.. these thousands and thousands of ppl were cheering and, oh my word, we could not believe that we were a part of this and could have easily missed it if we hadnt walked out of that chinese from that part of town, at that exact second, (glory to God).. whoa.. so everything eventually finished.. and we spent some time in the festival.. just in awe.

were walking back to the hostel only to hear this dude singing inside of the pub rite next to our hostel, so we just walked in, and "just happened" to walk into the most scottish pub in scotland with authentic old songs being sung by these men.. it was amazing.. im pretty sure we got proposed to like 12 times that nite.. haha...

then, we go to our hostel, so tired, but so happy.. and meet one of the ppl in our room. he was from korea, our age, and didnt speak english very well, but he started to tell us how he was here, he was a missionary, and was just travelling around, and it was just crazy to meet a korean Christian, in our room in edinburgh, it was amazing talking with him.. and we just kept praising God.

wake up the next morning, (at what turned out to be the perfect time for a free 3 hour walking tour that our hostel puts on.. wow!! (we were getting all these experiences for free, and just handed in our lap!) -- go God!) so, they let us keep our stuff there all day (amazing, cuz we had to check out, but they let us so we didnt have to carry our bags all day).. so then we go in this group of about 70 around the city, with a tour guide and went to all these amazing places we would have never found on our own, hearing the history and everything. it was just amazing..

found another cheap buffet.. had more amazing hours.. made our way back to glasgow.. still gorgeous weather.. met amazing ppl along the way.. every single connection was perfectly timed, like bus to train, train to bus, bus to airport, we "just happened" to arrive at the moment they all were leaving.. we spent the nite in the airport.. it was hilarious. after about 1am, there were about 70 of us sleeping on the floor.. well, i slept for like an hour.. and then, (samaria and i bought alot of stuff, and we had already come with too much, so were like, well.. everything has been looked after so far, we just were like ok...) so off we go.. 4am, got up.. went thru security. not one problem.. haha.. just amazing.. only to arrive in dublin with the most beautiful sunrise i have seen in awhile.. so.. there ya go..

phew, i tried to make it short, but it was a brilliant weekedn. im pretty sure edinburgh's my new fave city. absolutely amazing.

i start work tmrw.. whoo hoo.. (= God bless