Carbisdale Castle, Loch Lomond and Loch Ness

The Highlands are obviously called the highland cuz they are up north and high up in the mountains, which is why there was like a foot of snow!

There were a million pine trees!

The bus was sliding on the ice and we slid into a bush, which is the green stuff in the picture.

Me, Katie, Ashlee, Lindsay, and Lucy.

Ashlee slid down the bannister.

Carbisdale Castle, 150 of us slept there.

Strange footprints at Loch Ness...could they be Nessy's??

Me and Ashlee at Loch Ness

There were thousands of mountains and they were all HUGE. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Katie, Ashlee and Lucy in a graveyard we found at Loch Ness.

Ashlee on her death bed.

Lindsay, Katie, Molly and Ashlee.

Loch Lomond! Tartan (plaid) Carpet!

Even the benches were tartan (plaid).

We were convinced one of those books would open a secret doorway.

I shared a room in the Hostel w/Ashlee, Katie, Lindsay, Molly and Lucy.

The bus ride to Carbisdale castle was about 5 hours total. Luckily we stopped at Loch Ness and Loch Lomond on the way. (Loch=lake) The lochs were huge, Loch Ness went on for 24 miles. (I wanted a souvenir, so I stole a small rock from the water of each loch). I hung out w/the other Americans in my group and 2 other americans they know. I don't know exactly what it is about Lindsay, but I just don't like her, no particular reason, its just something about her irks me and I wish I knew what it was. They are nice, but I of course didn't talk until I warmed up to them on the bus ride home, yeah great time to warm up to ppl, just before I say good bye. I hate that I am like that.

At Loch Ness, Ashlee, Katie and I were in a rush to see the loch so we went ahead while Lindsay, Molly and Lucy got something to eat in a little restaurant. We were told to pack our lunch, but I didn't have anything to pack but a few pretzels anda granola bar, so i was really hungry and we went back to eat with them. They had already gotten their food, and apparently all 150 other students had the idea to eat at this little place. Katie just wanted a drink, and Ashlee started to eat some of her sandwich she packed and the waiter kicked them out! I stayed and ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. We had only had an hour and time was ticking so Lindsay, Lucy and Molly left me to go see the loch real quick before we had to leave. Luckily the other IFSA-Butler girl, Mackenzie was in the restaurant w/her roommate and they invited me to sit with them, which was really nice, they talked to me and we had a conversation. I've noticed some ppl are good at including ppl in things (talking to them) and others are not. I think I am the kind of person who tries to make conversation w/people who maybe feel awkward, just cuz that's how I usually feel.

We were supposed to have a Ceilidh dance, but the band got stuck in the ice and never showed up. So we stayed in our room and played cards and talked all night. The next day we got up early to go for a walk and explore the castle, which was alot of fun. On the way back, for lunch we stopped at a Morrison's groccery store and bought lunch, then again at some toilets (they don't call it bathroom or restroom) and I had to pay 30 pence to use the bathroom and was issued a small ticket stub to say I paid. I actually did some of my reading on the long bus ride and Katie and I had guide books for Italy so we did some planning for our trip. I feel like we were mostly in the bus for the entire trip.

I was really mad at myself for not being sociable on the trip, but when I got back to my dorm, Paula invited me to go w/her, Becca, Becks, Sophie and Debbie for drinks at the pub next to Cairncross. I went, and was suprisingly comfortable and chatty with them! It felt so nice to talk to them. There was a guy who asked us to have a snowball fight with him in front of the pub, so we did and it was freezing, it had been snowing alot! There was also a live jazz band that was playing and we listened to them. Then the guy kept hanging around us, and wanted to buy us drinks. He was pretty nice, but I decided to leave with Paula and Debbie. Then, today, Paula, Becca, Sophie and Emma invited me to get coffee with them at noon! I had a pretty good time with them then, too! Next I meet Katie at the Library and we spent 5 hours there, but we made all our plans for our week in Italy next week! We got some pretty good deals, for eight days, altogether we only spent 400 some pounds! While I was at the library, I let Emma use my laptop to watch a movie, and she also used it to go on Facebook! (I leave my email address saved and when I got back her email was on facebook and mine was signed out!) Good thing I was at the library all day and didn't need it. Paula also invited me to go w/them all to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then out for drinks (they are calling it the perfect date w/out a guy night, I guess they are fed up w/guys. Plus we all have Orange (AT&T in U.S.) phone network and apparently if u text a certain number you can get a buy one get one free movie ticket deal on wednesdays).

I should go write all the ridiculous essays I have been putting off, since I only have this week to do it and they are due the day after I get back from Italy :(