Streets of St. Andrews

 This post is a obvious reference to  "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen. I shall get to why I make such an allusion. Tomorrow will mark one week of being at St. Andrews. It certainly has been an interesting week. I have found my way and settled in. I have come to recognize all the elements of a college that I have to come to love here at this new college I am coming to love. For example, I go to the library at least once a day, if not more. I have identified a couple of spots in it that I now call my own. Also, I participate in the St. Andrews tradition of going to Tesco's on an almost daily basis. A little background, Tesco's is a supermarket here in town that is very much so part of the culture of St. Andrews. For every back at Stonehill, think what CVS and Target means to us. It is right on par with that. However unlike those skyhawk destinations, I walk to Tesco's on the streets of St. Andrews. And for me, that is when my day begins, when I know that I am home at St. Andrews, and when I feel most a live every day here.

It started almost the second day I was here. I remember walking around, trying to get to certain places, and a smile slowly began to grow on my face. It was beyond my control. With this smile, a small pocket of joy developed within my soul. It has remained there and grows with each step down either North, Market, or South street. Those are the three main streets here in the center of Town. My hall leads right onto North. I will usually take the first left which brings me down onto Market. It is on there that I am transported to a new world. It not like anything I have ever been a part of. Sure, I have been to cities before, most definitely ones that are busier, but the fact that I can walk to this center of commerce in under two minutes, it is really unique. The second I step onto Market Street, I feel that my day has begun; a day at St. Andrews has begun. People shuffle all around me, commerce carries on, and I get to be a lucky witness

I was thinking about it earlier today, Market Street is almost like the sun, sitting at the center of a solar system, with the other streets being planets in orbit. I travel to this planets via carefully placed strings of asteriod aka side streets. They are most definitely fun to explore, each one offering distinctive and original shops and restaurants to explore. For example, on Bell street, which connects Market to South over near the student union, there is both an used bookstore and a charity shop. Here in Scotland, charity shops are everywhere. They offer anything from clothing to books to cds. Also on Bell street there are two great small coffee shops. You could spend a whole afternoon just getting from the sun to a planet.

One last reflection on walking around St. Andrews: it is great for listening to music. At first I was cautious about walking around with my headphones in, but I now see that during the day/ early evening it is fine. I would never at night but when there is daylight it is fine. In fact, it contributes to the solar system. It adds the stars which hang above. Thus far I have had two great musical walking experiences. The first was listening to Abbey Road by The Beatles. The second involved The Queen is Dead by The Smiths. For me, being able to experience these albums this side of the pond is what makes it special. Being a place with a shared history with Liverpool and Manchester only brings the notes to life more.

There have been numerous things I have come to like about being at St. Andrews; high on the list is walking around the streets of it.