A change of season

Hi people,

I realise its been a couple of weeks, but these last couple weeks have been pretty hectic i have to say! I know it might seem like getting chauffered around the Highlands of Scotland in a bus for a week might seem like a holiday, but i can tell you its not quite like that.

Don't get me wrong, i had an amazing time, met some awesome people and saw some wicked places once again (even went swimming in Loch Ness!!!), but the weather was unfortuneately pretty shite. We couldn't see most of the stunning mountains and views there were right in front of us, so i had to resort to looking at postcards! LOL Apart from the fog and clouds and sideways rain we experienced, Scotland was definitely one of my favourite places ive ever visited. It has a majestic feel about it, and the people are unbelieveably different from the English considering how close thier ties are.

Once again i was blessed with incredible tour guides who were exceptionally enthusiastic and knowledgeable about Scotland and its turbilent past. As with Ireland, i felt so ignorant about the goings on there, it was almost like the 'ethnic cleansing' that occured with the Jews. The highlanders were outcast and slaughtered like animals and one of our guides was saying that the population there is only a fraction of what it would have been if all upset there had not occured. It was an amazing thing to think while travelling around the barren and uninhabited landscapes.

I absorlutely love to go back to Scotland and spend some more time there, though i doubt that its going to happen. I should probably let you all know that im actually planning to come home soon! I actually have a flight booked to Thailand on 1st December and then from there home on 14th December! I didn't say anything to anyone mainly because i though id change it, and it turns out that i am. Ive decided that i haven't had enough of Europe and im going to hang around for another 6 weeks.

I arrived back at the Museum on 4th November, and ill probably stay here until mid December, replenishing some funds, then take off on my WWOOFing adventures for a few weeks in Italy. Then i want to head to Austria because its one place i really want to go, particularly to see the Spanish Riding School in Vienna! I think it would be AMAZING. Ill probably do a few bits and bobs in Europe, then fly to Thailand in mid-Jan, then home about a week later!

Ive applied at a few Uni's for next year, so ill arrive back home just after the main round offers have been made (hopefully i will have made it in!) and ill have to make some final decisions about 2008. Ive applied for two different courses, both Bachelors of Science, one 'Health Science', which is a more broad degree but i can tailor it how i like, as well as 'Nutrition and Dietitics', which is a much more specific degree mainly for those looking to become dietitions. The latter is also alot more Sciency based, harder to get into and will probably take more study.

Im very interested in Nutrition, but im not sure if i want to be a dietition, so i might just be happy with the Health Science degree. Im also more interested in population and community health rather than individual health, if that makes sense, so ill have to figure out which is going to be the best for me. Anyway, i won't have to decide that until late Janruary after i get home.

I also realise im going to miss Christmas at home!!! Ive never missed a Christmas with the family so its going to be different. I looks like i might be out in the middle of Italy with some strange Italian family, sounds like a blast to me to see how they celebrate Christmas and New Year. It will be definitely be an experience if it all works out like i think its going to in my head! Ill have to see what happens when i apply to a few farms. Ill just give you all an example of the 'ad' for one of the farms i think ill apply to, it looks pretty cool....

4. Il Borgo della Colomba, via Colomba 16, Giucano, Fosdinovo, MS. Tel & Fax: 0187 628152 E-mail: cricri9@virgilio.it www.ilborgodellacolomba.comFarm (old mill) and agritourism (with 20 beds and restaurant) and 25 hectares of land. Olives, vegetable garden, herbs, chickens, donkeys, bees. Help needed in vegetable garden, cleaning around the house (garden, swimming pool, etc), with preparation of meals when there are guests, maintenance jobs, in olive grove & woodland, making fences etc. Accommodation in room, children welcome, contact: Gianni & Cristina Caraffa

Hows about that ey? =D I realise there might be a bit of work involved but it should be incredible to see the real Italian way of like instead of doing a flying visit of the tourist attractions, which ive now done. Also i doubt that Ty is going to come with me, simply because he won't have the time now as he is flying home on 30th November. Hopefully we might get to catch up for a couple of days before he leaves.

Ive just realised how much im blabbering on, i guess theres alot to go on about! Im going to try and upload some pics from Ireland and Scotland today, and i should get them all up by tomorrow or something i hope...this computer is just ridiculously slow! Ive been thinking about you all back home alot, id love to hear from anyone who is actually reading this gibberish...so whoever is id love you to write me an email letting me know whats going on, i promise to reply...i miss everyone!!

Hope you're all safe and well and enjoying the warm weather...ill be getting home right in the stink of it!! LOL that will be a shock to the system!

oxoxox