As many of you know, I am currently in Scotland studying for my master's degree in Creative Writing. I moved out here in September, and before I left I didn't expect to be coming home for Christmas. I thought it would be too expensive. I also thought that I would be graduating in June. However, one of the first things I figured out when I arrived was that undergrads graduate in June and Postgrads don't graduate until November. Soon after learning that my cousin decided she wanted to go home for Christmas, and I wasn't going to stay behind.
So we booked tickets home, but I didn't tell my parents. Some of my siblings knew and all of my friends did, but my parents had no idea, so surprising them was the first thing to do. My parents, sister, and more were on a trolley seeing Christmas lights around Boston so my brother brought me to the bar they were dropped off at. I hid behind a corner while they filed in and then came around the corner to tap my dad on the shoulder. It was great being able to watch the recognition on their faces as they realized I was standing in front of them.
I loved being home and being able to catch up with friends about everything. We text all the time, but there are certain, little things that we only share when we're together. Plus, whenever we're together we end up new memories and inside jokes. It was also nice to just drive around my hometown and surrounding towns to see things like this lighthouse.
An activity that I did was go to a Bruins game with Liz, Katie, and Patti. Unfortunately, they lost in overtime, but we had a blast. If you're ever in Boston you have to attend a sporting event. Sports are so important to the culture of the city, so you'd being doing yourself a disservice if you came to Boston and didn't at least watch a game in a bar or something.
We're currently in the middle of a kitchen renovation, so we've been forced to spend most of our time in the basement. Without our normal kitchen, my mom didn't want to make the pizzelle cookies that she usually does for Christmas, but I told her that if she made the batter I would make the cookies. I sat on our basement couch for four hours making these cookies. My dog joined me for a while and I had to keep her nose out of the batter.
It was definitely worth going home for Christmas. Yes, it was a little expensive, but not terrible in my opinion, especially because we bought tickets in September. And the two weeks went by very fast, but I was glad to see my family and friends. And sleep with my weighted blanket! I miss that thing so much!!
I'm in Edinburgh for Grad School and I haven't done a whole bunch of 'touristy' things yet, because I'm waiting for when family and friends come to visit. However, it would be impossible to ignore the Christmas Market that has taken over Princes Street Gardens. It's full of food, drinks, games, and rides. I've already been multiple times. I've sat in the pop-up bars and walked through the rows and rows of stalls. I've purchased a few Christmas gifts, but I can't share those until after the holiday passes for fear of ruining the surprise. If you ever get the chance to visit Scotland during the holiday season I say jump on it.
I'm curious as to how you guys feel about temporary carnival rides? The market has a Ferris wheel, this crazy swing thing that goes like 60 feet into the air (total guess on that height), a mini roller coaster for little kids, carousels, and a wave blaster type ride. Would you go on any of these? I know people who would never go on some of those rides because of how often they're put up and taken down. How could a screw or two not get lost? The market also has games like basketball, ring toss, throw a ball to knock down the cans (What is that called?), etc. Winners get a plush toy.
One thing about the market is that it is a lot of food. There are plenty of stalls to buy gifts, but I would guess that the majority are for food and drinks. I'm not saying that's a bad thing - everything looks and smells amazing. However, it did take a few people by surprise when they first walked through.
For myself, I've purchased a few different snacks. From the Fudge Shop stall, I bought three pieces: salted caramel, nugget, and mint chocolate. And OH MY GOSH they were all amazing. I also had a delicious soft pretzel. It's the perfect place to walk around and grab a snack.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Reading Group: Middle School+
Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Given Summary:“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges.
What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?
Cover: The cover of this book shows a street corner with the title as the street name, the authors names on a one way sign, the cross/don't cross sign has a heart in it, and the out of focus snow looks like hearts. In all honestly, for me it's all a bit much. I like the paperback version's cover, it's simple and cute, but this one just seems a little over the top for me.
My Review: Personally, I couldn't really get into this book. I thought it would be perfect because it takes place at christmastime and christmas is on Sunday, but I was slightly disappointed. I loved the dares, I thought they were super cute, and I loved the whole concept of passing the notebook back and forth and getting to know someone in such a peculiar way before actually meeting them. I just didn't like the characters themselves. Dash was kind of pretentious, which I found to be super annoying. He (and some other characters too) threw around big words just because he could and I just got irritated with it. And Lily was a little too woe-is-me for my liking. I get that she was disappointed that her christmas wasn't going the way she wanted and I think we would all feel that way, but she was going on these crazy dares and having the best time of her life, which she wouldn't be doing if her family was home. Also, they were supposed to be sixteen-years-old, but they didn't seem it to me. They honestly could have been twelve and I think the story would have been the same. Maybe this book just has a younger audience and if I read it as a freshman in high school I would have liked it better. I loved the concept, but I wish it was better executed I guess. All that being said, this book was definitely not the worst book I've ever read and it was a quick read that did put me slightly more into the holiday spirit. I did like how they referenced Franny and Zooey and The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because I just read Franny and Zooey a couple of weeks ago in class and The Mixed-up Files was one of my favorites as a kid. It was nice to know those books because I knew what they were talking about when they were referenced. Dash and Lily did sort of remind me of Franny and Zooey and maybe that's another reason I didn't really like this book was because I didn't really like that one. I don't know maybe one of you can give me better insight and try o change my opinion.
