Thanksgiving Day And A Weekend Away

As I sit on a less than luxurious easyjet flight back to Edinburgh, having barely made it to the gate in time, I can't help but feel satisfied about how the past few days have gone. Sure, they've been hectic and busy, but taking a break from student life has been just what I've needed. That is, since the most important (and quite frankly dreadful) three weeks of the term are on the horizon. 

In short, the past four days have consisted of a ball at the Balmoral, an evening in London, and a few days in the English countryside. 

So, to keep with my standard way of updating everyone on my life happenings, I will proceed to write a weekend recap post that is overflowing with photos. Except this time- spoiler alert- there will be numerous (and by that I mean far too many) pictures of a dog!  

If you've been loyally reading along since last at least November, you'll know that this is my second year in a row spending Thanksgiving away from my family, and quite strangely, celebrating the holiday at a black tie ball. This year, however, I totally upped my game and went with a group of 10 people to the event. And get this- three of us were American! It's safe to say we're slowly but surely working our way out of our minority status. 

While it's not the traditional American way of marking our nation's favorite holiday, I had a blast stuffing my face with turkey (and more importantly, cranberry sauce), complaining about the hotel's criminally high bar prices, and dancing the night away to some cheesy pop tunes in a sparkly gown. I hate to admit it, but this years Thanksgiving ball totally beat my senior prom (but maybe it was the red wine that did it). 

The next afternoon my boyfriend Ben and I hopped on a plane to his hometown of St. Albans- a quaint town just North of London. Wasting no time for lengthy introductions, I quickly met his parents and sister, dropped my bags and we headed into the city together for dinner. As ever, Ben's appreciation for the finer things in life had him bringing me to the East India Gentleman's Club in St. James' Square for a dinner that required some dressing up. I can't complain though since I love any reason to pull out a fancy (and generally highly under-worn) dress. 

I'm definitely guilty of pulling out my phone every once in a while when I'm out to dinner. The East India Club, however, states in its rules (in the form of some very obvious signage) that you can't under any circumstance use your phone in the public rooms. Of course I obliged- but that means no pictures, unfortunately! In all honesty, I enjoyed the old fashioned atmosphere, because it made me appreciate the delicious (and un-photographed) roast dinner even more. 

After a long lie-in on Sunday I was given the grand tour of St. Albans. It was one of those towns that looked exactly like you'd think England should look- old, architecturally beautiful, and of course grey from every angle. 

St. Albans boys school (Ben's alma mater) makes my high school look like a 1970s design nightmare (which it really is). It was founded long before the United States was discovered (in 948), and shares its grounds with the most stunning abbey I've ever set foot in. 

The town is also known for being home to one of the oldest pubs in Britain, "Ye Olde Fighting Cocks." 

After some scrumptious cakes at a cafe called "The Bakehouse" (Oreo banana bread is a genius combination), we headed back for a chill family dinner and intense girls vs. boy game of scrabble. 

Our last day consisted of a bit of driving about to visit Ben's grandparents, as well as a gloriously long walk in some dreary weather with my new best friend Bess the dog. 

My outfit was on point as I was borrowing a men's Barbour since I forgot my own field jacket back in Edinburgh.

The mud was thick, and the wind was strong but we eventually made our way over to a local pub which luckily lets in adorable dogs like Bess (though she was only allowed water...).

And so my exciting, albeit a bit frenzied, weekend is slowly but surely coming to a close as this half-empty flight touches down on Scottish soil. Unfortunately, it's back to the harsh reality of university tomorrow as I attempt to finish an essay and a take-home exam within a week and a half. 

I'm sure these last three weeks in Edinburgh won't be nearly as wonderful as the time I had in St. Albans- but at least I'll have the photos and the memories.