If I become a stranger

Normally I wait until I'm close to my bedtime to start blogging, but after a pleasant encounter with a local and some interesting conversations with the sis, I deemed it appropriate to start now. I went grocery shopping in Tesco (the wal-mart of the UK...seriously they're freakin everywhere!!!), and I was in the check-out line, just minding my own business and waiting for 2 of my flat mates to finish checking out. Then, I hear this chipper-sounding "HELLO!" I turned around behind me and this guy whom I have never met before extends his hand as if for a handshake. So I smile and say hello back, but then he proceeds to move a little closer, smile at me more then put his head on my shoulder. I just stood there, not really knowing what to do until someone he was with told him to leave me alone. She then proceeded to apologize and I said it was no problem. To be honest I thought it was rather sweet; I'm almost certain this guy was...."not all there" if you can see what I'm saying. Ok enough about that.

In the midst of my paper writing procrastination, my sister popped me on Skype and we just started talking, mostly about going out and stuff that our flat mates have done. And I proceeded to tell her about my flat mates and the things they do. It's nothing bad; they just like to party a lot. Now if you've known me for longer than 2 seconds, you know that that's really....not my scene. Sure I go out to pubs and stuff with friends, but I don't drink alcohol. And the friends I'm with, praise the Lord, have been very respectful and understanding about the fact that I don't like alcohol. Now not at all have I felt pressured to do anything I don't want to, because I know who I am and I have held true to the standards I have set for myself. Anyway, onto our conversation. I was telling my sister that when the time comes that I return to the states and one of my friends or my mom asks me what I remember the most, I want to have a humble and honest answer, so here goes.

I want to remember the beautiful country that is Scotland. I want to remember the beautiful days of cool weather, a nice breeze and the sunshine not beating down on my poor sensitive flesh. I want to remember the awesome friends that I have made and I want them to remember me for who I was...not the random girl at a nightclub with a drink in her hand. I want to remember the plethora of places that I saw and the thousands of pictures I took. I want to remember the random and goofy conversations we shared so I have stories to tell my parents, grandparents, and friends back home. I want to remember singing karaoke and having total fun without being under the influence of anything but joy and the freedom to sing badly. I want to remember going to Sunday night pub quizzes and making up stupid team names (Pudding Snatchers and Sex, Drugs and Rock n' Roll) and writing down stupid responses for questions we didn't know. But most of all, I want to remember the primary reason why I even came to Scotland in the first place; to widen and expand my college education beyond the states and to explore topics that are not available in Berea. I want to be remembered for that one international student who tried her hardest and comes back home to the states to family and friends that say "I'm proud of you." And of course, I want to give God the credit that is due, because without him I wouldn't be here in the first place. I would probably be drinking a pint instead of a Coke or an Irn Bru (the Mountain Dew here is rubbish!). I want to remember that I didn't follow the crowd and instead enjoyed every moment possible while all the while maintaining my conscious.

To close, I am going to post a simple quote: "I am because I choose to be." Cheers!

:]