Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. The colors of the rainbow. Today, I got off of the bus at Craiglockhart, which is the campus that I attend at Edinburgh Napier University. By this point, I'd been on the bus for an hour and a half, and I was ready and excited for class. I walk up the pathway, and I see someone taking a picture of the sky. There, in the middle of the day, was a beautiful rainbow. So vibrant and colorful, this rainbow reminded me of the happiness of my times here and the hope that comes with the sunshine.

The rainbow of hope at Edinburgh Napier University today.

We've been having an unusually warm spell in Edinburgh this weekend, and I've relished every minute of it. From high tea on Friday to Stirling and ceilidh dancing on Saturday to Edinburgh Castle and cake on Sunday, this weekend has been one of exploration and unexpected finds. I'm finally feeling settled in the city, I (somewhat) know the bus routes, and I'm getting in to my schedule with my internship and classes.

The surprising part is that it has only been three weeks, but it has felt simultaneously short and long. Short in the sense of the semester, and long in the sense of the amount of things that we've done. I love being able to walk around and go to different places that I've never even seen before. Yesterday, my friend and I walked the entirety of the Royal Mile, and I didn't even know half of those places existed. The city is magical in that way, with its possibility of new down every street.

This is, in part, due to the pace of life here. While it is a city with people and buses and cars, it is sandwiched between Arthur's Seat (the mountainous area) and the Firth of Forth (the ocean part). From my flat, you can see the water, and from Princes Street, you can see the mountains. It's a great dichotomy of a place that's really enjoyable.

With the pace of life part, I am experiencing the slow and casual sitting in a coffee shop, the bus ride on the way to school and the internship, and the minimal hours of daylight. You have to make the most of the time, but you also have to realize that sometimes you just have to stop and think. I've spent more time by myself in the last three weeks than I probably have in a while, so I've gotten used to working through the silence.

There's so much to do and so much to see, and the rainbow encourages me to look for the surprises.

Lucky Strike of the Day: We had a girls' night in my flat, complete with takeout and a romantic comedy. What a great way to end a Monday.