First Semester - check! (Almost)

I cant believe I am writing this, but in two weeks, first semester will be over! Half my time here will be done - that makes it sound like I’m in prison! I’m really not, for anyone who hasn't clicked on, I love it here! I just cant believe how quickly time is going! It seems like yesterday we got off the plane and attended our first week of classes. Yet since that day we have survived midterms, the stress of picking next semester classes and our Remembrance Week. With no break from the moment we arrived we have welcomed Thanksgiving with open arms this week! A nice relaxing week off eating plenty food. - nothing new there with the food side then, we are in America after all! ;). I would be lying if I told you this semester was easy and stress free, however, I’d also be lying to you if I’d told you I haven't been loving every minute! Whether its been the first basketball game of the season or the last football game! I’ve done it all and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Its already time for next years applicants to apply and to me, that seems crazy! I can remember getting the phonemail like it was yesterday! But to anyone reading this who thinks they may apply, want advice? JUST DO IT, FILL OUT THAT APPLICATION AND GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE GIVEN THE SCHOLARSHIP, EMBRACE IT! You’re about to take part in one of the best years of your life. Make Friends for life and make memories that will last forever. Have I missed home? For sure! But its only natural and human! I remember the day I was told I’d been given the scholarship, lying in bed that night crying, thinking”What the hell have I go myself in for here!?” but seriously, don’t let homesickness or thoughts like that stop you from applying. There are so many opportunities and people here on campus that can help you through it all, and trust me (sorry mum) but sooner or later you realise you need to forget about home and just enjoy your time here, and trust me, it may take a few months before you realise it. But you will realise it, the time goes quicker than you know! There are too many things for you to be involved with hereon campus to remember home. You’ll be back there soon, take in the ‘Cuse experience while you can! Yeah people back home will stop talking to you even if they said “We will stay in touch, like, all the time. I might even come visit OMG!” but its things like this that let you know who you’re real friends are!

This semester I have taken part in - White water rafting, Ice skating with a class, 3 point challenge with the ‘Cuse basketball team (AMAZING), Pepsi fan cam at the dome, and the most stressful work load ever, but the work load is nothing when you look at all the other amazing things I’ve been able to do! This could be you! This could be your brother or sister, or your son or daughter. 

You could spend a year meeting and spending time with some of the most welcoming families there are out there. One family I’ll never forget are the Monetti’s - Their son Richard died on the plane, the reason we are here is because they lost their son, yet they have been themes kind hearted people ever and will always have a place in my heart and as their son said “A good attitude is worth 5 points; don’t sit back, make the most of everything. Do all you can while you can. Life is a one time deal” Its opportunities like this that allow you to build a bond with someone you never met. They fill a place i your heart. Remembrance week will make you cry, laugh and remember but it’ll also make you eternally grateful! You’ll miss home but your remembrance fam will be there and you’ll love them just as much as your own family. I know I love every 36 other scholars that I spent my first semester with! 

But seriously, If you’re thinking about applying and are unsure, drop me a message, a comment, anything! I will do anything I can to persuade you this is the thing for you!

That tearful time

This week was Remembrance week and Friday marked our biggest even on the calendar for myself and my fellow scholars. I got up as normal, I went to my econ class as normal, yet what wasn't normal was the fact that I couldn't focus and take in what Professor Evensky was telling us about the Macro Economics system. (not that I understood much of it anyway). 

My mind was just elsewhere.

I came back to my dorm and started to get ready. I walked back and forth in my room reading the speech I had prepared for the ceremony. I felt confident. I ran through it all in my head, trying to take away the fact I got rather upset during the practice last week - today is a new day I kept telling myself.

12:45 arrived and we (the scholars) were meeting together at 1 inside Hall Of Languages where we would get our pictures taken and have our roses handed to us. I kept running through my speech in my head as we all congregated together. I knew this was going to be though, but just how tough? That I was unaware of. We all had fun taking pictures and chatting casually before all the seriousness began and people kept asking me if I was nervous and all I could say was “Im ready, I’m prepared in my head but when I get out there, anything can happen” and we would all just laugh off our nerves. 

Laying a rose for Andrew

2.03 arrived and we headed out in our separate paths down to the wall of remembrance where each of the 35 seniors laid their rose in memory of their student whom they were representing this year. I lay a rose in memory of Andrew McClune. A past Lockerbie Scholar who sadly passed away here in SU, 13 years ago. I introduced my rose laying by mentioning how “Andrew had dreams of joining the Royal Air Force and founded Syracuse University’s curling team. He was known for being highly ambitious and always on the move” before stating “I lay this rose of behalf of Andrew and act forward in his memory”. Myself and fellow Lockerbie Scholar Joanna Barrie were then introduced and invited to speak. For those of you who were not there, my speech went like this 

“I respectfully stand before you all, whilst we all take time to remember those affected and touched by the tragic event many years ago.

On December 21st 1988, Syracuse University lost 35 of its most outstanding students, my small hometown Lockerbie, in Scotland lost 11 residents and us as a community in the world lost 270 men, women and children on the Pan Am 103 flight. 

I am here today to act in their memory. To Look Back, Act Forward and to never forget. 

I wasn't alive when this tragedy happened and at the time of the disaster, my family was not living in Lockerbie, however,when you grow up in such a small, close knit town, you begin to feel like you were there that night and you share the heartache with those people who were there the night the plane landed in our small town and being able to come as far as we have today and have joined another community that is Syracuse, mourning the same tragedy 27 years on is simply surreal. I cannot thank any one person enough for this opportunity I have been given. It really is an honour and an absolute privilege.  

We are not only here today to celebrate the lives of the students we lost the night of the Lockerbie Air Disaster, but also fellow Lockerbie Scholar, Andrew McClune who sadly passed away during his  scholarship year here, 13 years ago. Andrew was a young curler just like myself and played for the Universities curling team. He is described by his friends back home “as a star, he was academic, sporty, fun and kind, everything that you would want a friend to be, it was him. He was without exaggeration the nicest, kindest man.” We cannot forget to act forward in his memory also. 

I now have a short poem written anonymously to share which I feel is significant for the reason we are gathered together today.

Fighting back the tears

“I thought of you with love today,

but thats nothing new.

I thought about you yesterday 

and days before that too.

I think of you in silence,

I often speak your name.

All I have are memories,

and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is my keepsake,

with which i’ll never part.

God has you in his keeping,

I have you in my heart”

Today, tomorrow and Forever, we must look, back, act forward. and never forget these outstanding people, whom we lost 27 years ago. ——

Thank you.”

This truly was the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do. To look up half way through my speech and see people I didnt know, in floods of tears and smiling back at me, was one of the most moving and heartwarming yet heartbreaking things I've ever seen. 

The tears ran down my face as I finished of my speech and a little more when the bagpipes were played as people were invited up to the wall to lay their own flowers in memory of any of the victims. We all then left and went to Hendricks Chapel for the congregation where myself and Joanna were presented on stage with lovely Lockerbie buttons. 

The most amazing people I've ever met! 

It really has been an honour to be a part of, I feel so lucky and so humbled by everyones comments from not only that one day, but throughout the whole week. To know how grateful people are for myself and Joanna to be here, really is mesmerising. We are the ones who are eternally grateful. 

Its time to Look Back and Act Forward

October 25th through October 31st marks this years Remembrance Week here at SU and what an absolute honour it is to be involved this year. In the past I've always seen previous scholars pictures and head about how much of a moving ceremony it is that takes place on our beautiful campus. Lets just hope the weather stays dry or doesn't snow!

This years 35 Remembrance Scholars have been amazing in involving myself and Joanna into their plans for the week and I cannot wait to be a part of it. 

This year, myself and Joanna decided that it would be a privilege to represent the Lockerbie 11 - the eleven residents of our small hometown in Scotland who were killed the night of the attack along with fellow Lockerbie Scholar, Andrew McClune. We both felt it was so important for these 12 figures to be remembered along with the 35 amazing students that SU lost. Back home, families were broken and worlds were shattered, and this year, its our responsibility to act while we are here, in honour of these people we lost. 

This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Lockerbie Air Disaster, 25 years since the Lockerbie Scholarship was set up and the 13th Anniversary of Andrew's death. And its just so coincidental that its suddenly came back in the news with the announcement of the two new possible suspects!How weird!?

I have tried so hard not only to remember Andrew through the work of the scholars and each even we have planned for the week but also, through knowing how much of an amazing and aspiring curler he was, trying to get a team set back up in his memory. Unfortunately, the ice rink south of main campus no longer affiliates for curling so there is nothing I can do on campus in order for a team to be organised. However, after meeting with Doc Mason, who's son played in the SU team with Andrew when he was here, he told me that before every game after Andrews death, the team would huddle, put their hands in and shout "For Andrew". I want to be a part of that. I want to do something for him. It seems that achieving second place in the 'Andrew McClune Memorial Trophy' back home 3 years on the run still isn't enough for me to feel like I've done enough. Something else needs done on campus and I'd love to be that person who solves that missing piece of the puzzle. 

Our week of remembrance begins with the homecoming football game on Saturday. SU vs Pittsburgh where the dome that is usually packed with people screaming "Lets Go Orange" will fall silent for a minute in memory of those we lost that night, 27 years ago. 

In memory of these people we must 'Look Back, Act Forward' and most importantly never forget! 

I cannot wait to be a part of it. This experience just keeps getting better and better.

Family Weekend! :D

As promised, a blog post dedicated to my Uncle Martin who made the long, overnight journey to come and stay with me this weekend for campus' family weekend! * big cheesy grin inserted here * After not seeing him or any of his family for so long, unless it was through the power of facetime, it was so lovely to finally see him again!

I had lots planned for us and there were a lot of opportunities here on campus that had been planned especially for family weekend. There was the Kenan Thompson the comedian from 'Kenan and Kel' or SNL as he is now on. The Big football game on the Saturday, Syracuse VS LSU (Louisiana State University). This was a big game due to the fact, Louisiana are number 8 in the nation and Syracuse are no where near that, yet we have been playing our best we have ever played in a long time this season and managed to secure a 3-0 form our past three games. All the acapella groups on campus help an evening for us to go and watch, along with loads of other things! - theres too many to name to be honest.

So, Friday night - Uncle Martin arrived at Judy's house as thats where we were both staying for the weekend, and I went there after classes on the Friday to go and see him. Uncle Martin had got himself a parking pass for South Campus, so it meant we could park the car and get the bus right onto campus, not realising that parking was free on campus all weekend! - DOH! However, we were able to park right outside my dorm and were then able to take advantage of the free food in Sadler dining hall - some more than other as Uncle Martin went back for seconds :P . We then met up with my roommate Katie and our friend Katie - the names weren't going to be hard for him to remember - and we headed to see Kenan Thompson! I was excited for this, even though I had no idea who he was, the Katies reassured me he was funny and we should go, so we did! And he was, just for a short period of time, which was disappointing. However, tickets were only $5. It should have been $20 but no one told me family tickets were $15 but nobody questioned it, so I shouldn't really complain.

A quick walk around campus to show Uncle Martin where I was living before the short drive back to Judy's and an early night before the big LSU game in the morning! I was so excited about this! So excited that I left myself half an hour to get breakfast, showered and ready for the game - I missed sleeping in a double bed that felt like clouds when you lay on it, not a single bed with a solid mattress. So I overslept a little, we still made it to the game and boy was the dome packed and noisy! There wasn't only loads of orange, like the scenes I was used to as I entered the dome. There was so much purple and yellow from all the LSU fans! I knew this game was going to be exciting.

Uncle Martin REALLY enjoying the football!

The LSU tigers ran out on the pitch, the dome echoed with screams from their fans and boos from us loyal SU fans. The tension built, "code orange" was displayed on the big screens and the place roared as the smoke rose and the boys in orange ran out. My goosebumps were huge, I just loved this! I was in complete heaven in this place! The game started and of course I still didn't understand a thing that was going on and us english had our own opinion about the 'lazy players who only ran for 30 seconds and needed to come off because they were tired'. We knew this wasn't the case but I'm used to rugby where the play is constant and there is no switching about. Dad had already raised his concern for me and Uncle Martin attending the game together and we are both just a gob on legs and dont really think about what we say, so there was a lot of "get up and deal with the pain you big bas****" I couldn't help but laugh, I was having a great time!

The scoring kicked off and both teams got plenty touchdowns, LSU sadly more than SU and they ended up taking the 24-34 win. 

A wonderful dinner at Judy and Ed's was had before we headed out to "An Acapella Evening" as mentioned before ^^^. It was so much fun and reminded us both so much of Pitch Perfect, which we decided was like THE best movie ever, although he hadn't seen the second one - he has now, he text me the other night telling me that it brought back memories from our weekend together :') 

Sunday came and we planned to go shopping as winter here is crazy cold and I had a few jumpers and a few hats. Basically, I was not prepared for what was coming, at all. So we decided to head to Costco - not like the one in the UK I can tell you that! - for the majority of our needed items. Between my uncle Martin and myself we have a pretty good sense of direction! So getting somewhere - with the help of satnav - wouldn't be an issue. We thought. We headed on the right road, everything was looking good! Neither of us had been to Costco in Syracuse before so we did rely a lot on the satnav which told us we were approaching our destination, an exit off the freeway appeared, yet it didn't seem close enough to where our final destination was so we decided against taking it and we would just take the "next exit". We then DROVE PAST COSTCO AND THERE WAS NO 'NEXT EXIT'. So we came off at the nearest exit and turned around, hoping that there would be an exit in a similar place to the one we should have taken, but of course, there wasn't. So another journey past where we needed to be, off the freeway and turned around AGAIN. We joined back on and took the correct exit this time. Costco was on the right hand side so Uncle Martin decided to turn right, thinking that it would take us to where we needed to be, bearing in mind, everyone else here was going straight on, however, we turned right, there was no one in the car park. It would have been just our luck that it was shut right? but it wasn't! We just went in the wrong way. Anyway! We got what we needed and headed out again after our free slice of pizza and a soda, all because I'm an SU student, how fab is that!? :D We then hit Walmart, Target and Dicks Sporting Goods in Destiny USA Mall. We managed to get all we needed bar some winter boots! 

Our weekend was then complete with dinner and Dinosaur BBQ and Gannon's ice cream! There aint no better way! It really was truly amazing with my fabulous uncle and I cannot thank him enough for making the long long long journey to come and see me! Love ya lots and hopefully see you soon! xxx

Myself and my Uncle Martin! - Cheeeeese!

Our first big job!

We knew that this title that we had been awarded would come with lots of responsibilities along the way and these started with talking to the press about how we felt about the opportunity that we had been given. I struggled at the start to think of what to say because by this point, none of it had really sunk in properly THAT I WAS GOING TO AMERICA FOR A YEAR!

Photographers came into school and took loads (and loads) of photos - but of course, they published the worst ones!

The Saturday after the announcement (Sat. 21st Feb 2015) we had our first official lunch / meeting with everyone on the committee, local Councillor Graeme Tait, MSP (Member of Scottish Parliment) Minister Paul Wheelhouse, it also gave our parents a chance to meet and talk about it too! - well for Joanna it was her mum and big brother Fergus who was clearly delighted to be there ;) - Joanna and myself made speeches in front of everyone that was there before we handed over a 'Looking for Lockerbie' book that was written by 'Doc' who - according to Fergus - is THE man that you have to be involved with when you're our there!

His book can be ordered from Amazon (here's the link) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Looking-Lockerbie-Lawrence-Mason/dp/0815681526

The afternoon was finished with a lovely lunch and a good wee chat with everyone who had taken the time to come and celebrate with us. We felt like celebrities, everyone was wanting to talk to us, hear how we felt and what we were excited, nervous and looking forward to over the next year! I had no idea what to say, everything had happened so quickly! 

One thing that we could both agree on though, for sure, was the fact that we werent going to let this opportunity go to waste :) 

What a weekend!

It all started with a little itch, an itch I didn't take note of or think anything serious of. Until that ‘itch’ became extremely red and inflated and even itchier than before! But still, I didn't think it was anything serious. Saturday morning arrived and it was time to head white water rafting! What an amazing day it was! It was probably the only time its rained and I haven't been bothered by it because I was already soaking from all the “ waves we were hitting and killin’ “ so the rain was really there just to make sure we didn't dry off - which we didn’t, not even once we were back and changed. It was disgusting but its all part of the fun! My ‘itch’ seemed to be sore but it wasn't exactly a pain I couldn't deal with and managed to ignore most of the time. We got back to campus and back to our dorms where I showed my roommate my ‘itch’. She was so shocked and told me that it was a spider bite as she had had one before and “that red ring around it, thats called a bullseye and its from spiders”! Smashing! I hate spiders more than anything and to have been bitten by one was not the best news i’d heard! That meant it was somewhere in my room, in my bed. Ewww! I spoke to my R/A (big sister/brother on our floor) who told me to keep an eye on it and basically disinfect my room, so thats what I did, everything on my bed that could fit in the washing machines, went in the washing machines.

An hour later, my sheets were washed, I hung them on the drying rack in my room and i hung my thick blanket/quilt over my curtain pole thinking, anything spider related would be dead from the wash and everything would be decent! Can you see where this is going? Literally as I hung my blanket over the curtain pole, the most hideous, creepy looking spider runs over the top of the blanket and somehow onto a towel I had handing on my wardrobe door. I shouted on my roommate who came running through, I pulled the towel down, screaming hysterically and jumping all over it. The damn thing still didn't die, not until I stood on it with my big size 5s anyway! Katie picked it up, binned it in the trash room and I pretty much slept with one eye open, crying all night.

I managed to get cream to stop it itching the bite, however over night it progressively got a lot worse and the mark I had on my back that I thought was literally just a mark, turned into the same kind of thing. ID BEEN BITTEN TWICE! This is where it gets more interesting, if you think being bitten twice is bad, just wait!

So, I called the medical centre on campus who diverted my call to a different number, the guy on the other side of the phone seemed lovely and I was ready to ask for some advice, thats all I wanted. Advice on how to deal with this bite or what to do. The call went a bit like this: “Hi Syracuse Medical, Can i take your name and your location and how can I help you?”. “Hi, my name is Ellen Boomer, Im in Salder Halls, room 241. I believe I've been bitten by a spider” “Oh okay, hem are you struggling to breathe at all?” “No I'm absolutely fine, Im only calling because I dont come from here and don’t know what to do with spider bites” “Okay, Ehm an ambulance will be with you  in about ten minutes and a doctor will come and inspect you. If you need anything or anything changes call us straight back, thank you!”

They directed me to the emergency ambulance on campus, now I was freaking out! My roommate wasn't in so I went across the hall to get my friend to come and wait with me until they got here. Right enough, 10 minutes later and ambulance arrives outside Sadler, the gurney is taken out the back of the ambulance and two student paramedics - as the ambulance service is student run on campus - come up to my room along with this huge DPS Police officer. Everyone on my floor is out, looking, wondering what is going on. I was so embarrassed. I firstly thanked them for coming, explained my situation before showing them my bites. They told me I could either go to the hospital were they would just give me more cream or I could wait till the medical centre opened on Monday and go there. Why could I not have just been told that on the phone!? Anyway, DPS took my SU ID and they left basically. 

Then, to make things even worse, I get a text message on my phone, about 10pm telling me there had been fraud on my bank account and they were freezing my account and cancelling my card. Fantastic! The week before family weekend when I'm planning to go shopping with my uncle, they cut off my card.

So, Ive been eaten by spiders, embarrassed on my floor by the paramedics and DPS had my bank account hacked into. I just wanted home. I missed my family and I just wanted them to be able to give me a hug and tell me everything was going to be okay.

Instead, I went on twitter and put on my own social media, where your personal views and expressions are supposed to be expressed and put that I was homesick. This then obviously pissed some people off back home who thought i was being ‘selfish’ and that I ‘needed to get a grip and realise what an amazing opportunity I had’. Oh trust me, I knew what an amazing opportunity I had but If you had all been through what I had in the space of two days, when your 7,000 miles away from your family, your friends, everything that comforts you. Would you not be homesick too? No one knew what a horrific weekend Id had and what Id been through, yet everyone was quick enough to jump and tell me I was in the wrong when I put I’d been a little homesick. Gob open brain engage later mum calls it. 

I am unbelievably grateful and cannot thank anyone enough for this fantastic experience Im having right now! Working with and meeting new people is amazing and experiencing all the fabulous things that SU has to offer is only beginning for me. 

1 month down.. 

71 days till my first UK visitor

90 days till my next 3!

Im having a blast! I love this place! But homesickness does happen.

A sea of Orange

Lets start with a bit of background. In June 1940, Syracuse officially adopted orange to be their official college colour after a ‘class of 1890 reunion’ where Frank J. Marion who felt he was responsible for the change in school colours from pink and blue, to Orange! This decision came around after they had attended a track meet with Hamilton college and they were wearing their college colours to represent themselves and felt that it didn't suit their reputation. They met with the Chancellor of the school after their meet who agreed that blue and pink wasn't suitable either. They decided on orange and olive green originally, however these colours had already been claimed along with orange and blue although Orange itself hadn’t, until Syracuse University claimed it and made it their official college colour (the blue we use is for lettering purposes only). 

As a student from the United Kingdom, sports teams and colours are only a big deal when it comes to the games being shown or you, yourself attending a game. Especially not University teams anyway, barely any of them in the UK have their own colours that people wear and parade around in. So when I arrived in Syracuse, moved all my things into my dorm and visited the bookstore - which at a first glance, doesn't look like it sells many books! - I was mesmerised by how many people were actually wearing orange and how much of a big deal it was here! I mean, I knew before I got here that ‘orange wear’ was the thing for Syracuse, and I did know that it was a big deal, but I wasn't prepared for how much of a big deal it actually was. It seemed that if you didn't have at least something orange in your wardrobe or even on your person, it was time to question yourself whether you were at the correct university. 

When I arrived, I only had one piece of ‘orange wear’ which was a big jumper, not exactly suitable for the hot weather that we are having at the minute so some shopping was definitely on the agenda, and it wasn't even shopping for just normal clothes. These clothes had to be orange! I felt like I needed a whole new wardrobe! 

You were welcomed into the bookstore, onto campus, into your dorm, even in shops such as ‘Target’ or ‘Wegmans’ by a sea of orange wear! It was crazy and got me extremely excited for this next year that I was going to be having! 

Judy - one of the organisers of the scholarship - always said that she felt bad for all the other universities in the area because none of them were as big as SU or got as much recognition as SU did. To be honest, I don’t think anywhere got as much recognition as SU did. I have never visited a place where everyone knows your colour and is extremely proud to show off that you are part of it! 

After recently attending my first American Football game - SU vs. Rhode Island. I feel like I experienced everything that the photos show. All the Freshman got free tickets to the game so our whole dorm was filled with people wearing orange, having their faces painted with orange paint and some students even went as far as wearing orange body suits - I for one would not recommend that in this heat and the heat inside the dome! 

This idea of ‘a sea of orange’ doesn't always come from the clothes though, even in the dome, the seat covers are obviously orange! Its officially my new favourite colour! 

Two weeks to go!

Two weeks to go and we will be living it up in SU! How exciting is that? Very if you ask me! Sorry updates have been slow, everything has been happening all at once now the time is coming a lot closer! 

Our flights have been booked and we officially head over for a year in America on the 23rd August flying from Manchester to Philadelphia and then from there to Syracuse! 

These past couple of weeks have been so busy with everything going on, I've even had the chance to speak to my new room-mate who lives in LA! How wicked is that?! I always said from the word ‘go’ that I wanted to be friends with someone from LA so that I could hopefully visit one day. :D Now my room-mate is from Los Angeles! Instant Bestos ;) if you ask me, haha! 

So far a few messages have been sent between us and I cannot wait to get out there! Judy, our surrogate mother, has been messaging us too, she is so excited to meet us which excites me too! 

Our courses have been selected for first semester, I have chosen to study - Arts & Ideas, Economic Ideas and Issues, World Cultures, Public Service Practicum and Sociology of Families. So far with my schedule the way it is, from what I've kind of worked out, I haven't been given a Place on the Arts and Ideas course, However theres always next semester to apply so I'm not too disheartened by it! Anyway, who would be with a room-mate from LA! ;) 

I've done most of the sad stuff now like saying goodbye to my friends from home as i know, with work and everyone going on their own little holidays and adventures, Im not going to see them before I start on my big adventure, but as sad as it really is saying goodbye, its only nine months.. and I know I'm going to have the best time ever! :D 

Mum and Dad have booked their flights so I've always that to look forward to as well as Graeme has booked time off work to come visit too! So already, for those wanting to come visit, December is fully booked, sorry! 

Anyway, sorry it was short this time but with emails to be sent and bags to be packed! I better go, i’ll blog again soon! 

Thanks for reading! 

Visa time!

After a lot of emails, skype calls and telephone calls back and forward from America and London, it was time for myself and Joanna to have our first adventure out of Lockerbie as Syracuse Scholars! We were off to London! It's finally time to make it really official and get our visas since its only 2 months until we become SU bound!

Day 1 - 1st June 2015. We met at Lockerbie train station around 9am for our train arriving on time at 9.11am. we then had to change at Cralisle before heading to London Euston. We met Claire as we got off the train and together headed to the underground. Within minutes of being in London we had set eyes on a celeb! Mathew Horne who playes Gavin, in Gavin and Stacey! Total buzz for a big fan of the show like myself, however i dont think he was much of a fan of my "OH MY GOD ITS GAV, HI!" reaction i gave as i noticed him. Once I had calmned down and got over the fact that he totally ignored us, we got on the tube, heading to our hotel, along the way having a lovely chat with Claire about SU and the exciting times that lie ahead of us. Claire had set out a fab dialy plan for us with maps of the uderground and places where we would need to be over the next four days. We got to the hotel, checked in and then Claire took us through the plan she had set up for us :) 
Myself and Jo then took s few hours to look through the maps and all the exciting things that we were going to be doing in the big smoke in the hotel room with a bit of classy Jezza on in the background before finding out where the stations were where we would need to be going in the morning. We took a walk and fouind them straight away - top students or what! Our first day was topped of with a great night at Pizza hut - which was so close to our hotel! :D :D - and of course you cant forget the ice cream factory!

Day 2 began with an early (for us students ) 8am start. Last night i posted on facebook that we were in London and thankfully my Uncle had noticed and wanted to meet up with us so this morning we were meeting him at Queenswater Station to go for a coffee and a well overdue catch-up before our meeting at the embassy. Starbucks was on him! :) After a lovely catchup we said goodbye and joined the longest queue ive ever seen, outside the embassy. A young woman mjst have overheard us chatting about going to America and asked if we were going to do camp america as she had done it years ago and was heading back over to do it again as a teacher this time. We spoke for ages - she was so chatty and lovely, didnt quite catch her name though hense the 'she'. We got inside through security - who had a slight me;tdown with my insulin pump, however, we got there! I was ticket number L115 and Joanna was N508. We walked upstaors and joined everyone else waiting to get there visas, it was honestly like going into a cattle shed! Anyway, us girls did what we do best and spoke away to pass the time, Joanna was called up first and my number was a couiple after hers. There was no problem with mine and i was told to just sit down and wait for my number to be called again for our actual interview. Joanna however, hadnt brought any other photos with her - to be fair we didnt realise this was necessary, i was just lucky enough to have some with me! - so we were stuck, We needed to find £7 from somewhere, we had came with no money, no phones, nothing! Literally our folders with our paperwork and the clothes we had on was all we had with us! Disaster! Joanna went and spoke to the girl that we had been talking to earlier and explained what had happened and asked if she had any money with her, she did,  however it wasnt quite enough, i couldnt believe this! Lucky enough a kind guy sitting infront had obviously over heard the conversation Jo was having with this girl and kindly gave her money to go and get her photos taken - what a LAD! Anyway, Joanna finally got her photos, both our numbers were called, a while after eachother i must say and our visas were both accepted! Thank God! We were actually going to America! We headed back to the hotel - first time on the tube ourselves (eeeekkk!). Arrived, no bother, at the hotel, collected our things and headed to the shops! A celebration lunch was defo in order so Pizza Express this time! Dough Balls! mmm. A fab couple of hours round the shops meant we could go back to the hotel, have a wee facetime and phonecall home, put come crappy TV on and relax a bit before popping to Sainsburys to stash up on food beofre Hollyoaks and Made in Chelsea - both of which i dont watch! - Planning for tomorrow has began! We are on form! 

Day 3 was another early start as we had classes at SU London! Im so excited for this! Another quick trip on the tube - we've got this down to a tee now! - getting to Faraday House however was not as easy as we anticipated. Map reading is not our greatest skill. This meant that we spent half an hour walking around and asking for directions of poeple - who just like us had no idea ad sent us in the wrong direction half the time. But we found it in the end! We were warmly welcomed by a lovely man on reception before we were taken to an advertising class with around 10 Students in it, all from SU New York who were over here studying for a couple of weeks, along with Brain - a professor from SU New York. They were all so lovely to talk to and were happy to answer any questions that we had about the campus in America. We then joined Matt's drama class. Matt was an american living over here wokring for New York Times giving reviews on West End shows. Part of his job is to interview the stars who take part in these shows and today we had the honor of meeting Dan Burton who was currently staring in 'Gypsy' in West End. After the interview we then got a chance to talk to the students and head to The Apollo Theatre, grab some lunch and ask some more questions about our future uni for the year which got both of us mega excited, which is fab! We then watched 'The Audience' a play about Queeni and her weekly meeting with the PM - some of which i didnt really understand, a great show never the less! A nice sunny walk back to the tube and five stops late we were back at our hotel in time for a quick call home before another adventure out to Pizza Hut where the waitress recognised us from the first time we went - good or bad? A little chill time, a shower and we were set for some more crappy TV! Student life is fab! 

Day 4, our final day in london :(. It was home time and how typical, the onyl day we are allowedd to sleep in is the day im wide awake without an alarm at half 7 in the morning! Finally, an hour later Joanna woke up and we started to get ready. Breakfast in the hotel - which was lovely - before heading baack upstairs to the challenge that awaited us. Our suitcases needed repacked! I swear i have more than i came with? I've no idea where it all came from! Anyway, us keen students managed to squeeze everything into our cases and head to Bayswater station, en route to Euston station, and as per, we knew our way round better than we expected and have ended with an hour to kill on the floor of euston station with people asking me if i have dropped my ticket on the floor because there is one beside my bag. I still pick it up and check every time though! 

Announcement day - Ellen!

I had been awake since half past seven, sitting with my phone in my hand, waiting for it to ring so the wait would be over. The group chat message started buzzing and everyone started messaging asking when we were getting the call and wondering if anyone had been given theirs already yet. I waited (rather impatiently). I kept checking, thinking that all of a sudden my phone wasn't going to ring or light up when they tried to call and I would miss it. of course, that wouldn't happen but you always think of the negatives when you're nervous.

Wednesday 18th Feb - the day that I had far too much on yet all I was thinking about was that one call. I had a curling competition that day too - first game at 10 so I couldn't really hand around procrastinating. I also then had the trouble of remembering what number I had put on my application for them to contact me - it seemed like years since we first filled out the online application - so it was all hands on deck at home too with manning the phones.

Ten o'clock came and I had to head out onto the ice for my first game of the day. My sister came to watch too so she was on phone duty and Dad had stayed at home in case I had put the house number on my application - memory like a sieve, its never good - everyone felt the pressure, I had knots in my stomach and I kept looking at my sister for any sign of my phone ringing but there was nothing, 

The morning came and went and there was no phone call to any of the applicants. All eleven of us were total stress heads. Then one o'clock came. I think that was when the first phone call was made. 

My phone rang at quarter past. I cried before I even answered the phone. Poor Graeme,  giving me the news, having to deal with me crying down the phone to him. My mum and sister thought I hadn't got it because I let out this huge cry when he told me I was successful but then my Dad came through and I gave him a positive nod and he knew exactly what I meant. All three of them were absolutely buzzing - so proud they kept telling me. 

Although I did feel really bad knowing that two years ago my sister was in the exact same emotional state as myself yet under totally different circumstances - sadly she unfortunately never got the scholarship and she was devastated - we all were.

I now knew that I was going but I didn't know who with - the most tense wait of my life! We had made a group chat on Facebook which was how we found out who had got it and when the phone calls were made. Joanna was in another uni interview and missed her phone call - typical! So I then had to go on and play my second match of the day, on a high knowing I was off to America - the concrete jungle where dreams are made ;) - but with no idea who I was going with. Thankfully by the time my game had finished, so had Joanna's interview and the message had been sent - It was lil Miss Barrie who was joining me on this amazing opportunity!

A 'Congratulations' card came through the door and a lot of tears - happy ones of course - was let out over the phone to various relatives. I honestly could  not believe that this opportunity was mine. I knew straight away that I was not going to let it go to waste and I was going to make the most of each moment that comes with the: build up, journey and living life out there.

Dreams really had been made and I wasn't even in the country yet!