Ireland and Scotland- It's a wrap! (Janine)

I just finished reviewing every blog post, and I can now say it's official: we had the most fabulous trip ever! It was such a joy to lead this trip and get to know the terrific people in our group!

Since I spent so much time taking Happy People pictures and Group Shots, I've decided to share some of them here.

Thanks to our tour guide Barbara and my co-leader Stephanie. You were both beyond wonderful! And thanks also to Nicole Gable, whose meticulous attention to detail made this trip such a rousing success!

And now for some pictures . . .

Eric Cosmides Day 9

Captain's log, stardate 52315.9,

Final day of the trip, we woke up at 05:00 to eat and load the bus by 06:00. We then departed for the Glasgow Airport. Our tour guide saw us off at the airline check in desk and we worked our way though security to the gate. We got on the plane and the flight lasted about 7.5 hours and we landed in Philadelphia. After the perilous journey through what is called "U.S Customs", we approached the gates of oblivion, better known as "U.S Airport Security" the goblin like gate guards, also known as "TSA Officers" made sure that I, as a traveling diabetic, wasn't attempting to smuggle illicit goods into the country. We then took a bus though the god awful airport that stole our US Airways hub from us, to Terminal F, where we boarded our tiny jet back to Pittsburgh. I would like to thank our tour guide Barbra and our faculty Dr. Bayer and Professor Illig for getting us there and back in one piece. I would also like to thank La Roche College and Nicole Gable for providing us the opportunity to travel abroad. I am glad to be back Stateside, but I can say that I already miss the atmosphere of Ireland and Scotland.

Eric Cosmides Day 8

Captain's log, stardate 52215.8,

Today we toured the Scottish Parliament which was quite interesting because it is a relatively new building. The Scotland Act of 1998 gave approval for the construction of a parliament building in Edinburgh. Architects designed the campus area of the parliament to look like a branch of a tree with the buildings designed with leaves on the roof. The buildings have a lot of windows on them because the Scottish government believes that their governing process should be transparent. Therefore, they invite people to come in on any day that parliament is in session to view the proceedings from a gallery area. We were able to go on to the debating floor, which provided an interesting view to the seats in the debating chamber. After our tour we began to hike up Arthur's seat which was a very intense activity. The summit is about 850 feet high which does not qualify it as a mountain but it sure felt like I was climbing one. Once we reached the top, the views of Edinburgh were spectacular, you could see every part of the city like it was one giant panorama photo. We stayed to enjoy the views and began our decent. After we got to the bottom we walked to the Prince's Street Gardens which was kind of a let down seeing as none of the flowers had bloomed yet, but we did see the Scott Monument which was pretty magnificent in its size and architecture. We then went to the hotel to get ready for our final dinner in Scotland, we ate at The Beehive Inn where we had salad and chicken for dinner. It was a nice way to conclude the day.

last day-Tina

Wow I cannot believe are trip is already over. This trip went so fast it's crazy. I had so much fun on this trip. Our tour guide Barbra was amazing she was very funny and it was very interesting hearing all she knew about where we visited. Ireland was so beautiful I really enjoyed the cliffs of moher it was beautiful. I really enjoyed Scotland as well. Climbing Arthur's Seat was nerve racking but  I'm so glad I did it. The views from the top was amazing. I really can't believe It's over already. I would definitely like to go back to both Ireland and Scotland one day. it feels good to be back in Pittsburgh. I had a lot of fun these last ten days with the whole group.  I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to come on this trip. I really had a blast. 

Last day--Erin Parkinson

This entire trip has been so amazing! I'm so grateful to have had this experience and be able to go to two countries in ten days! It's so awesome that I have been able to see so many places and learn so many new things about Ireland and Scotland, and their history, cities, and citizens. I am so grateful for everything that Barbara, Janine, Steph, and Nicole planned, they were outstanding leaders on this whole trip. Traveling has been a little tiresome but every flight went without issue which was great! I'm just so thankful for this amazing opportunity. I have made so many memories and have had such a great time with everybody! Home at last after this day of traveling!

Ethan Heinl Final Remarks

I can truly say that this trip has been an incredible experience. It allowed me to explore the world in a way I never would have been able to otherwise. My favorite events/moments from the trip were:
·Viewing the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland
·Exploring the city beneath Edinburgh through Mary King's Close
·Exploring Edinburgh Castle
·Shopping on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and interacting with locals
·And last, but surely not least, learning authentic Scottish dancing with Hollie
This truly was an amazing experience, and I am grateful I was able to finally explore the world beyond our own country and truly experience it.

Signing off for the last time,
-Ethan Heinl

Flight home - Erin D

It was an amazing trip. It was definitely a once in a lifetime and an experience I will never forget. I made new friends and became closer with ones I had previously. I'm sad to be going home but also happy as well. I hope one day to go back but who knows! We had a great tour guide and our professors were beyond amazing!!!