So much to tell!!!!

Sorry friends, I've been too busy to write the novel that this post deserves. Alright here we go!
Scotland- Katia and I left right after class on Thursday and were able to catch the train at 1:30. Unfortunately it had a bunch of switches, but we finally made it to Glasgow. We had absolutely no idea where we were so we took a taxi to our hostel. By the time we got settled in our hostel and were ready to go find some dinner it was about 8:00 PM. We walked around outside and found a nice little Italian place that was still open. I was thrilled to get some Italian food...that WAS NOT pizza!!!! It was very very good. So that was about the only excitement for that night. The rooms were really nice and big! The building used to be a dorm, but now it has turned into the hostel.So the next day was planned for all day shopping and then Paul Simon concert that night. That is exactly what we did. We shopped from about 10AM until 3PM and came back and crashed for a couple hours. Then we went to the same Italian place for dinner (where they recognized us) and left for the Paul Simon concert. Luckily the location wasn't all that far away, so we were able to walk. We got to the concert and wandered around like typical lost tourists until we found a crowd that looked as if they were going to the concert, so we followed them :) We got our tickets and got to our seats which were astronomically high up from the stage, but we could still see. We sat next to a really nice Scottish guy that talked to us for a bit before the concert. He had guessed that we were from out of town :-P So the concert was really great. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it. Unfortunately they were really strict on cameras so I wasn't able to get pictures :-( Katia did snap a few though *shhhh* There were about 9 other people performing with Paul Simon and there were TONS of instruments. Every person kept moving around to a different instrument. There were multiple keyboards, pianos, organs, a trumpet, saxophones, flute, vibraphone, LOTS of guitars and basses and TONS of percussion. It was really cool. It was like a mini orchestra type group. He played a lot of songs from his solo career that I was not really familiar with, but I did know a few. He also played Sound of Silence (yay) and a really pretty acoustic version of Here Comes the Sun. It was very nice and touching when he played it in honor of George. After the concert we got outside and Katia noticed a crowd of people with their cameras gathering around a door, so we went to check it out...duh. We somehow worked our way to the front and soon enough, Paul Simon and a member of his band walked out to get into their cabs. I tried to shake Paul Simon's hand, but I got the bandmate instead. However, I DID tap Paul Simon on the shoulder a few times :-) Not to worry, Katia got a few snaps of that too with my arm reaching out for him. They both drove off and then we walked back to the hostel and decided that it was a good time to go get some dessert. What do you know? The Italian place was still open (barely) and so we walked in for the second time that evening to order desserts. Yes, they still recognized us. The next day we got a bus to Edinburgh and arrived there a little before noon. We got a cab to take us to the hostel, which was on the Royal Mile, but there was a Scotland parade going on with lots and lots of bagpipe bands marching through, so we couldn't get up to it all the way. I got to listen to bagpipes right off the bat! We made it as close as we could to our hostel and dumped all our stuff. Then the parade had cleared out and we wanted to go walk around and shop and eat...like we usually do. We found a little place nearby for lunch and then we shopped for a few hours after and bought many souvenirs. Then we went back to the hostel and crashed because we were totally exhausted. We had plans to go to a Celidh(??) which is a public event where they teach you traditional Scottish dances and you participate :-) It sounded like loads and loads of fun (for me), so we had plans on going to that. We got ready to leave and set out again and found some more shops that we (I) just HAD to check out. I bought a genie lamp for my genie room next year and some new belly dancing gear :-) Then we found another touristy Scotland shop and went in there. The key to the Royal Mile is knowing that all the shops that end with ".com" are all exactly the same. Once you've been in one, you've covered them all. This one, however, did not say ".com"! We went in and they had the best price of bagpipes that I had seen all day. So guess what? I bought them. A new addition to my family of instruments at home :-) Now I just need to figure out how to 1) put them together 2)play them. Sorry neighbors in advance. We got some dinner...pizza....sigh....and then got a cab to take us to wherever the dance was. Once we got there we found out that it was sold out. DRAT! :-( I was totally bummed, but I still wanted to make the most of the evening. We walked and walked and walked and ended up back on the Royal Mile. We got some desserts to make everything better and then we decided to do one of the free tours we saw advertised. We went on a free "Ghost Walk" tour. It wasn't really about ghosts, but it was a lot about the old time Edinburgh and how they tortured those accused of witchcraft. It was incredibly gruesome, but also very interesting. After the tour we walked around for a little more and took some pictures, then called it a night. The next day we got up and checked out of the hostel. LUCKILY we were able to keep all of our luggage there, so I didn't have to carry around my bagpipes all day long. My sincerest thanks to Brodies Hostel. We shopped some more and walked up to the castle. We got there and took some pictures but decided not to go inside. Then we wanted to do a tour of the underground city. We walked over there and asked for tickets, but they couldn't get us in until after 4 PM....ugh. We were not having the best luck. Word of advice to anyone who travels to Scotland...book everything in advance. I mean everything. Things you would not think you need to book in advance. It will save you lots of disappointment, I promise. Since that was a loss, we shopped around a bit more then decided to go to the train station and see if we could get on the next train to Grantham. We just barely made it in time to catch the next non stop train. HOORAY! SOMETHING THAT FINALLY WORKED OUT! :-) After the very long (and delayed) train ride, we got back to Grantham and got a cab back to home sweet Harlaxton. *Sighs of relief* It really was a fun weekend. I don't mean for it to sound like a complete failure because we really did have a good time. It was just kind of funny that so many things didn't work out :-P We made it back to Harlaxton, ordered some food that took FOREVER to get here....it took so long that our security guard yelled at the pizza man to give it to us for free. We didn't, but it was an entertaining sight. We watched Across the Universe with Mike, Anna, Cheshire and Mathea and then I headed back up to the room and skyped with the family for a bit :-) Monday we had classes again but not until the afternoon. Kim, Mathea and I all went into town for about an hour when the other class was going on and then came back. That night I convinced Mike to play some guitar with me, so we jammed for a bit :-) We played some songs and he sang. He also sang one of his originals! Beautiful voice, by the way, Mike. It was awesome.

We had an early morning for Tuesday because we were heading to Liverpool at 6:30 AM...and that we did. I do not remember any of the bus ride because I was asleep for all of it. Typical me :-) No complaints though. We got to Liverpool and dumped off our stuff at the hostel. Then we had to walk over to The Beatles Story to do a tour of that. I just barely remembered it from the last time I was here, but what was really cool about this time was that we each got a set of headphones so we could have the audio that goes with all the displays. I liked that much MUCH better than reading all of the signs. I can't remember things that way and this was a tour that I did NOT want to forget. We all walked through the tour at our own pace and then I hit up the gift shop when I was done. After that, Katia and I walked around the area and found some random store where we bought THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! It is this little biosphere thing where you put in water and these tiny little beads. The beads soak up all the water and you put in a jackbean seed. However, THESE seeds have little sayings and pictures on them that actually show up on the plant itself. It's so cool...and very eco friendly. Win Win!! We bought those and then found some lunch. We all had to meet back up for The Magical Mystery Tour.....roll up!!! We went on the tour and it was totally awesome. We stopped at Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, George's house and Paul's house. We drove by all the other locations and slowed down enough to snap some shots. It was really really fun and the tour guide was a blast. He has worked with Paul McCartney 11 times! He showed me a picture of the two of them together. I.AM.SO.JEALOUS! We ended on Mathew Street and were free from then on. The girls and I did some shopping, of course, and then went into The Cavern Club to listen to some music. There was a group called "Two of Us" that were playing at 5:30 that our tour guide had said were really really good. He also said that they sounded very much like Paul and John. They are also brothers. I wanted to listen to them and so did the others, so we claimed a spot in The Cavern for the night. Another guy was playing some songs before that were really good. The girls all left to go find some food and bring it back while I stayed at The Cavern to keep our spots. The two guys came and and were really really good! They played a set of songs and then would take a break. Played a set and took another break and so on. By this time, people had scattered in and out and there was really just me, Mathea, Cheshire and Anna left of the group. They played longer than I thought they were going to, so I got up to text Katia to come back because we would probably be there a while. When I was up, I saw Mathea and Anna talking to the "Paul" of the two, so I went up to them. When I got there, Mathea pointed at me and said "Kimberlyn! She plays guitar!" I had no idea what she had gotten me into....Then he asked me if I could play any songs and I listed off a few Beatles songs that I play. He asked me if I wanted to come up on stage and play some......WHAT!?!?!?!? I had no idea what to do or say. I was overwhelmed. I told him my favorites to play and of course they were mostly songs that they didn't perform regularly. Anyways, it was fun talking to him then he had to go back and get ready to go back on. I immediately called Mike and said to get back to The Cavern because there was a chance that I might go up on stage and play, but I really wasn't sure if that was happening. So a bunch of the group hurried back. They played a few songs and then "Paul" said "We have a special guest from Ohio (ahem) joining us tonight!" and he looked at me and told me to come up on stage. Holy Cow......I ran up on stage, terrified, and asked what I was playing. He said we'd play Blackbird and that we did. It was just spectacular. He sang and played his guitar while I also played one. It was such an incredible experience. I messed up a bit but that didn't matter. We finished Blackbird and I think they were both surprised that I could actually play it! The "John" said that was really good and asked if I could play some more. I wanted to play Words of Love, but they didn't know all the words. Then I asked if they knew I'll Follow the Sun. He said that I could play it and they would sing it...and that we did. I played guitar and they sang to it along with the audience. It was so fun! Again, I messed up a bit, but who cares. I PLAYED ON THE STAGE OF THE CAVERN! Not only did I play on the stage of The Cavern with two great musicians who had impeccable taste in music, but I PLAYED MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SONG ON THE STAGE OF THE CAVERN! It was so incredible. There really are no words to describe the experience. After I got off the stage a bunch of the group started congratulating me and hugging me. It was so sweet. Then the two started playing again and they performed Kansas City dedicated to me! After that performance, I HAD to go call my family. This was news that I could not contain. I was literally in tears. No joke. I had to pace up and down Mathew Street to catch my breath and actually process what had just happened. I called my family and they were all ecstatic. What a night. Pictures and video will be posted soon. No worries. Like I said, there are no words. I don't know how I came to be in that situation, but I was blessed with such an amazing experience that I will cherish FOREVER! Also, thank you to all my study abroad friends who were cheering me on. You distracted me from passing out :-) It's hard to top a night like that, right? So that was it for the night. The girls and I went back to the hostel and chilled for the rest of the night. We got some snacks, played UNO and watched a couple movies. It was very good, clean fun. The next morning, Anna and I had to get up early to go on the tour of INSIDE John and Paul's childhood homes. It was very neat. Unfortunately we couldn't take any pictures :-( Again, it was another incredible experience. I was standing in the very house and the very room that John and Paul wrote their songs. I was standing in their bedrooms, where they slept. I was standing in their kitchens. I was standing in their gardens. I was in the homes of Lennon and McCartney where they were so inspired to write songs, hang out and practice. It was wonderful. That tour lasted a couple hours and then we headed back. Anna, Kim and I met up with Cheshire, Mathea and Katia and a not so nearby outdoor mall. We grabbed some lunch and then I bought some TOMS shoes on sale!!! Finally!!! All 5 of us got some TOMS. They are white canvas and I can't decide if I want to leave them white or paint them....hmmmm.... Then we went back to the hostel to meet up with the rest of the group and head back to Grantham. After the 3 hour bus ride we got back to Harlaxton, ate dinner and now here I am in the computer lab writing this RIDICULOUSLY long post. My apologies to my readers. However, I have had the pleasure of listening to Mathea singing I Love You Like A Love Song over and over and over and over and over and over and over again :-) (Love you, Mathea)

We only have two more days at Harlaxton and then we go to London for the remainder of the trip. Tonight we might watch another movie and relax. Tomorrow we have class and then I don't know what else will be going on. I will post pictures as soon as I can...and videos once I get them. Until then, enjoy reading about my very eventful last few days! Cheers!