First steps (posted June 12, 2018)

Here begins a large adventure--a year of study at the Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen, immersing myself in Scottish ethnomusicology and folklore. Although I don't actually leave the States until early September, there's a long list of to-dos before I can actually get on the plane. 

Later this month, I'll apply for a student visa, so I need to have all my financial and other paperwork in order. I just paid the deposit on my postgraduate student housing dorm space, so at least I'll have a place to sleep!

Update (July 16): I'm using a different application for this blog, so I'm putting this post in a second time... Thanks for reading!

Have visa, will travel...

Another milestone! Last week I got my passport back from the British Consulate (whew), with a lovely new student visa pasted inside it. This is feeling much more real now.

No more travel until I actually board the plane on Sept. 1. That means I can leave two suitcases opened and start thinking about what to put in them, and how to make everything fit. I just need to keep remembering that there are lots of stores in Aberdeen--no need to take everything I own! Just be sure to include the wellies, warm socks, and good raingear...

More later as the departure date grows larger on the calendar!

A new start on this journal...trying out Blogger

I'm new to this particular technology. Writing is natural for me; blogging is not. I'm still getting comfortable with the technology behind what my words look like on this screen.

This pictures approximately what I think will be happening in about 6 weeks. A flurry of activity in the meantime--selecting what to bring with me (warm clothes and good rain gear are way up there in the priorities), packing it all into two suitcases, one large and one small. Removing and repacking to make it all fit. Making lists of things. Figuring out which music books and paper I can leave behind, or better still, scanning it onto my iPad. Pondering what to do with plants that live on the porch and outside...I have a feeling my loving and supportive husband would prefer not to have to deal with their peculiar watering needs! They might just have to adapt to even more neglect than they've had.