Scotland, MY NEW LOVE

Hello Friends. It has been too long. I am going to let you in on a little secret. I LOVE Scotland!
Last weekend 2 of my friends and i left for Edinburgh Friday morning. Also we slept in the airport thursday night to Friday, Gahd that was the best sleep ever... NOT! Anywho we arrived in Edinburgh at about 8 Am and took a bus to our hostile. As we were walking outside i glanced to my right and saw this huge beautiful castle up on the rocks!!! Can we talk about A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I basically decided that, that is my new house in the future. As we continued walking we saw more and more of the old town. It was so magnificent. That type of olden preserved style is my favorite. I am so happy they restored and kept most of the town the way it was back then.
Next we went on a free 4 hour walking tour!!! Pure Rompous! Our tour guide was from Chicago so we were able to understand her. She took us all around Edinburgh and told us the history and present. We saw the elephant Cafe where J.K. Rowling created and wrote Harry Potter. it was cool because if you walk around the cemetary you will find some of the names used in her books on the gravestones... Also we saw a wall made out of "Supposed" witches ashes!!! CREEPY! Also we learned about Friar Bobby. He was John Grays dog who was on watch with him. John Gray died and Friarbobby stood next to his grave for 12 years never leaving its side. TRUE STORY!! Gahd i Love animals so much and this story makes me love them even more! So that was pretty cool. That night(Friday) we met up with our new Australian friend, went out to eat, and hit up some scottish pubs and clubs! It was a blast!
Saturday morning we were off to Glasgow to meet mary, my grandmas pen pal of 60 years and her 41 year old son Robert. Mary is just the cutest thing ever, next to my 2 grandmas ofcourse! Her and Robert had lunch reserved for uus then took us on a walking tour of Glasgow. Robert worked in the tour industry for many ears so we had our own personal tour guide. Also for mary being 72 she kept up with us climbing the hills never complaining or needing to sit! What a champ. Then we headed to her home in Lanarkshire where Robert served us a 3 course elegant meal with white wine. We were in Heaven!! Also we had a nice warm shower and bed to sleep in. I have not been in an actual house for over a month. it was so nice. What really made the trip for me was when after dinner we looked through picture books till 1 a.m. in the morning of Mary and all my relatives. There were pictures of her holding me as a baby. Even pictures of her and her husband Robert with my relatives i never met because they passed aways before i was able to know them. It was so crazy and emotional. It is one of those moments that you never forget.
The next morning we went to some museums and the oldest house in Glasgow which dates to the 1400's-Now thats some old rompous!!! It was hard saying goodbye to Mary and Bill Because i consider them part of my family! We were off on our way back to Edinburgh- I was so pumped to see the castle again!
Sunday night we met up with some Scottish friends and went out to eat and then on a ghost tour!! it was so awesome. We climbed the hill and had a look of all the lights and city at night. it was perfect. Also we were told quite a creepy story that took place in 2004. if you ever want to know it, just ask... its totes creepy! Anywho then we wandered to some pubs and listened to live music ending our night by going to a 4 floor dance club called "Espionage" The next morning we hit up some museums and did a little window shopping-although i wish i couldve bouth everything!!! We flew back to Dublin late that night.
Overall i am in love with Scotland and its beauty... Ireland now has competition!!! SO if anyone is wanting to visit me... we should take a trip to Scotland. it is very cheap!!!! Wish you all could have traveled with me, but if you ever have a chance someday take my word and journey to Scotland.
I am missing everyone more and more. Happy Valentines Day. Tonight my neighbor Ryan made a huge nice dinner for us all! he is so sweet. I also attended a wine and cheese and chocolate party. It was so posh!!
I love you all! Stay in toch. I love hearing from you!!!

Well hello, almost one month!

ROMPOUS!!! I cannot beleive that in only 2 more days i will have been in Dublin for a solid month! Holy Cow. Time is flying by even though it seems like i just arrived yesterday. I am still fighting with my heater to not make me feel like a fat man on a leather couch when it makes my room so darn hott. I have still yet to get use to washing my clothes in the sink. I feel by the end of this trip i will be more civilized. My Mom will be proud. So i have been quite proud of myself in that i have been sauteeing vegetables and cooking stuff in the oven. This is a huge step for me!!!
Also I have been wandering around the city by myself lately. I feel so much more independent than i ever have. I like to go into a coffee shop get a hot chocolate because i dont like coffee(ALthough i wish i did) and sit and write lyrics. It is so relaxing. I love obseerving all the people especially the cute elderly Irish man who call everyone "Love." I will miss that. I also have been wandering into grocery stores comparing prices, i feel like a mom or something! haha.
This past weekend a bunch of us went out to the pubs in the Temple bar area because Tradfest was going on.It was packed everywhere!! It was all weekend and involved music and dancing! It was really neat, although i wish i could've seen more! Oh yes, and i lost my cellphone at a club, that was grand, NOT!! For the record i had nothing to drink and still misplaced it! Gahd i was upset. But my mom always tells me "You cant sweat the small stuff." My tonsilitus ordeal that has been lagging on for hmmm lke the entire time i have been too is getting somewhat better. I can breathe and swallow again. Yipppeee-time to hit up some Irish scones!!
As mentioned i am heading to scottland this weekend with two other girlfriends. We will be visiting Edinbourgh and Glascow. I am excited to meet my grandmas life long pen pal Mary and her son Robert. They will be able to give us a true Scottish tour! They seem like such kindhearted people. I cannot wait! I also booked a trip to Berlin for a weekend and Budapest. Budapest was reccomended to us by a lady working with us. She said it is so cheap there and beautiful. I'll feel cool saying i've been to Budahpest! hahaha During our reading week which is only a few weeks away i am heading to Italy (Rome&Athens&Santurini(the place where "Sisterhood of the traveling pants" takes place)) I WANT TO GO THERE. Also being on that island will make think of Mamma Mia and i might just break out in some Abba tunes. I will get to see Jason in Rome!! uhuhuhuhuh I am hoping to make it to London and paris as well!
I am so fortunate for my friend Allison who is this mighty master at trip planning even though she says she's never done it before. I admire the girl! Its the 2nd week of classes so hopefully things are figured out. I am ecstatic to let you know that i can finally find all 3 buildings by MYSELF now! Yes it was a big thing for me! With all the darn winding streets all changing into others thing can really mess a person up.
Today i received a package from my mom consisting of hot chocolate and other munchies! THANK YOU MOM!!! It made my entire day! Well folks i miss you all more than you know and wish everyone could come visit me and cross all the bridges there are to cross here with me! Maybe someday when i get that castle! hahaha
Hope all is well!
"Tanya Sue Loves You"
xoxoxoxoxo

Wondering what castle i should live in when i am older!

Good evening followers! Top of the morning to ya! hahaha!
This past week i was able to tour the Dublin Castle. I was so excited to go inside because i love looking and touring old places that have a history. Goodness gracious the stairway inside reminded me of the titantic staircase. I was pretending to be Rose walking down to my non existent Jack. I Wish!! The inside was so gorgeous with high painted and detailed sealings with carpteting that matched so well with the decorations. I loved how in the party room, there was mirrors on both sides of the wall to reflect off oneanother, 1 to help by giving more light and 2 for making the room seemwider rather than so narrow!! The castle was started back in 630's by the vikings and was later built over by the Normans followed by the English. In August 1204, King John of England commanded the erection of a (larger) strong castle. A fire brokeout igniting the gunpowder and burned down most of the castle. So it was built over once again. The tour guide took us to show us the remains of one of the four towers that had been there. It was so cool. There was the original stone steps and even the original building from the vikings beneath the british building. Also the water that once flowed around the entire castle is now under the town here. Although we were able to see some of the stagnant water under us. Loved it! it
What else is new? Well i am sick once again and have no voice this time!! haha But that happens. I am not having the "luck of the Irish" with my health. Maybe its because i havent found that lucky charm guy yet. Ill have to look into that.
This past weekend i also went to Killiny Bay and Dakyl, towns just south of Dublin. They are so easy to get to with the train. They were along the coast and so beautiful, for a second it reminded me of Florida but then i remembered how my body wouldn't feel frozen in Florida!! It was a lot colder near the coast. There were remains of some rock castles that were so beautiful and made me imagine what they once looked like and what took place in them!
So after seeing these castles i am imagining what mine will look like someday. It will have a lot of purple and Cheetah print(Fake ofcourse) and don't worry id make it classy. i also envision a possible waterslide but i am only at the begginning of my planning! A girls gotta dream!!!
Anywho I love you and miss you!!
P.S. I am heading to Scottland on Friday!! I AM SO PUMPED!!!!!!! I get to meet my grandma Sue's lifelong penpal and her son. It will be so cool!
toodles!
Love always&forever,