I know that it's a good day when I see both Scotland, and Davis

It had been nearly 24 hours since I last rested my eyelids, but somehow, the spirits of Scotland and the presence of Davis granted me a second wind.
Davis was nice enough to wake up bright and early to meet my mom and I at the Edinburgh Airport, where the three of us took a red, double-decker bus from the airport to the train station.
Seeing the old, stone buildings, churches, houses and castle on our drive to the station was only a preview for a trip we will take later in the week.
An hour train ride dumped us in St. Andrews, where a taxi driver, with the thickest of Scottish accents shuffled us to Hebburn Gardens - a bed and breakfast where my mom was going to sleep for the week. Hebburn was perfectly placed at the end of a long, pebbled driveway, walled by high, green bushes.
Davis said that we could walk from the bed and breakfast to his flat. I was completely unaware of how small St. Andrews really was. With only three main streets parallel to each other, St. Andrews can be walked in an hours time. I wouldn't be surprised if Tiger Woods could hit a golf ball across the small town.
After meeting two of Davis's four roommates, Quinton and Skyler, and then dropping off my luggage in Davis's family room, Davis led us on a walk through the pretty town.
The first place that I wanted to see in Scotland was the Old Course, where the great game of golf was invented. So, after a beer and some pasta at 1 Golf Place, a pub chipping distance away from the St. Andrew Club House, Davis, my mom and I walked to one of the most breathe-taking images in the world - the 18th fairway and green at the Old Course.
Bleachers surrounded the 18th hole where thousands of fans will be sitting on July 14, to watch this year's British Open.
It's odd being able to walk right up to the course (I was literally 10 yards from the green, where a foursome just chipped onto the green from the fairway). Most prestige golf courses, like St. Andrews would fense in their courses to restrict pedestrians from waring down the fairways and greens. St. Andrews encourages spectators by interrupting the 18th fairway with a public path that anyone can walk on. When the three of us walked through, a golfer's line-drive approach shot sliced towards our heads. Fortunately, we dodged the shot that would have put a large dent in one of our heads - close call!


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Live From Scotland!

After six hours of a dark, sleepless plan ride, my mom, sitting next to me, opened one of the airplane's eyelids to the sunshine of Scotland. My squinted eyes bubbled to the beauty.
three-thousand feet below the plane, and as far as the horizon was uninterrupted green. A truly remarkable sight!
I stared down the dozens of shades of green that don't even exist to Crayola Crayons.
A light shade of green blanketed the countless mountains, while dark green forests patched the landscape. Dots of white sheep sprinkled the mountains.
The endless sea of green was the first indication that we had traveled long and far.

Living Simple

This entry was written on June 11th.

Do I really need this?
This simple question never seemed so difficult as it did today, when I began moving out of the house in Greensboro.
While packing my belongings, this question pounded my brain. For my life's next chapter I want to carry a smaller load. To do so, I needed to get rid of some extra baggage. I threw away some of my oldest, worthless, but priceless artifacts that once served a great purpose, but now are aged, damaged, and overgrown. I donated two-and-a-half garbage bags of clothes to Goodwill. These were the clothes that once covered my back, my feet and legs, but now are too small to cover my bellybutton, ankles and heals. They will now become someone else's clothes.
I got rid of the pit-stained undershirts, the unmatching shoes and the swiss cheese socks. But I donated the middle school hand-me-downs, the ripped, button-less pants, and out-of-style sweaters.
The point in this donation was that I need to get used to the minimum - both in life, and on this bike trip. In both occasions, I have to be prepared for the worst. If I fail to find a paying job after this trip, I will need to survive without things that I have never lived without. Similarly, if Chet and my camp gear is lost or damaged, and we can't find a camping store before nightfall, we will have to become as comfortable as possible with what we have.

Celebration and Preparation

The humid summer morning breeze seeks through my open window where my head rests. The breeze on this Monday morning carries a flavorful smell that satisfies my nostrils and rumbles my empty stomach. The smell is grilled charcoal, which on the last Monday of May, can only mean one thing: a Memorial Day celebration.
As I honor the men and women who died for our country, I count down the prescious days before Chet and I jump on our bicycle saddles for the 3,000 mile Eastern American / Canadian Tour. We depart from Point Judith Rhode Island in 26 days. The tricky part is that I have to be completely prepared for the trip in the next 12 days.
Before Chet and I depart on our American / Canadian bike tour, my mom is treating me to an adventure outside the United States, to United Kingdom's St. Andrews, Scotland to visit Davis, my friend of 15 years. Davis is graduating from St. Andrews at the end of June, which means that this trip is our last chance to fulfill our agreement to visit Davis at St. Andrews. I am excited for this trip for many reasons; I get to see beautiful Scotland, I am able to spend time with my mom, and most importantly, I get to hang out with Davis. Also, because my mom and I fly out of Newark National Aiport, I made plans to drive up on the 11th to see my sister Lindsay and her husband Kyle in their new home in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Not one hour of my life between graduation and June 11th has gone by without thinking, planning or dreaming about Scotland or the bike trip. As much as I am eager to witness the Scottish culture, and curious to ride the open roads in 14 states and two countries, I am nervous for the short time to prepare.
There is a laundry list of things to complete, equipment to buy and people to talk to between now and the 11th. First and foremost, I have to make sure that I have enough money to finance the bike trip. After talking to experienced bikers, reading other bikers' blogs, and making our own calculations, Chet and I estimate that we will need to save $1,500 for our trip. By working at Jimmy Johns for the past year, I am financially prepared.
I also need all the necessary equipment. With the help from our dads, who both are experienced bikers, Chet and I put together an equipment list. All that is left for me to buy is a storage rack, bags for the rack, and a sleeping bag and pad.
Because I am leaving two months prior to the end of the lease on our house, which I rent with Chet, and my other college friends Jeff and Alec, I need to move out completely before the 11th. This is a project that I will start in the next couple days.
Lastly, and most importantly, I need to get my big ol' butt on the bicycle saddle and get my rear in shape. I have biked sparringly this summer. Because I've been working so much, I haven't had time for long bike rides. Between now and the 11th I need to bike more. Chet and I plan to average 50 miles per day on the trip. Chet nor I have biked this distance. Biking between now and the 11th will put us in greater shape, and will allow us to gain a better understanding for bike maintainance.
I have learned that setting personal goals pushes me to accomplish what I need to get done. By June 3rd, my goals are to have all the necessary equipment to begin the bike trip, bike at least one 20+ mile ride, and pack all my belongings in boxes for my move-out day.