One month ago, I had just arrived to Scotland. I remember the first day, when I visited Edinburgh. It was completely dark (it was more than 9pm, in fact) and the shapes of the ancient buildings appear pretty scary to me. In addition, most of the people in the street (young adults) went one way to another screaming and completely drunk. However, the enchant, the mistery and the magic of this city full of secrets haunted me even then.

That nigh I did not sleep too much, because I was very frighten. I could not stop thinking that I had to spend a whole year on my own, and I just wanted to fly in my mother's arms... Paradoxically, I have always loved travell and so on, but suddenly, the perspective of growing alone scared me. All human beings are afraid of change, I have to say, and I cannot be different in that way. Nevertheless, I am here and not in my mother's lap, what means that even if I fear the change I still want it. Fear sprouts in my stomach, but the desire to change sprouts from my own spirit, this deep part of myself which are above everything, maybe even the ordinary life...

Anyway, I want to do a balance of this first month. I am still getting used to life in this country, the different people, different food and different university. And I can state that, first of all, Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. (So, what are you waiting for? Come and visit me!) Secondly, my home-university has nothing to do with the University of Edinburgh... Having this last one almost 500 years of experience in its field. In addition, I am convinced that UoE is so good because it has always opened to foreign students in a way that no university in UK has been, so it has been improved by hundreds of different people from all over the world who have ended considering Edinburgh as their own city. Not mentioning that UoE has never depended on the church or the Royal Family, which has always contributed to its free-thinking and liberty in academic researches. But enough of praises to the UoE, because I have still to see how is going to be my end of semester here...

Thirdly, I am doing here things that I have never though about doing, as, for example, tai-chi. Others include meeting new people all the time without feeling shy, speaking Japanese with real Japanese people, having dinner at 5pm every day, doing the laundry myself (yes, I feel like a new person after that one), reading more than a classic novel per week (most of them writting in the Scottish-way) or feedin squirrels.

So yes, in the end I can say I am having a lot of fun. And that is particullarly true because I have never done so much interesting stuff almost every day as I am doing here. So I am happy, doing my best to get rid of my fears (which, by the way, seem to me much less important than a couple of months before) and trying to grow up and mature in all the possible forms.

May the kind faires of steep Arthur's Seat look after me... and give me the strength of climbing the top of the mountain.