There is nothing more beautiful than Scotland on a sunny day. Now, I know you are probably thinking about all the other beautiful places you have seen and are wondering what makes Scotland even more beautiful. I guess it has to do with the extreme weather contrasts to compare a sunny Scottish day too :p. The majority of the days seem to be pretty cloudy lately and it seems common to get quite a bit of rain. So, when you have bright blue skies, strikingly green grass, and vivacious views of the country side everything seems to have that ‘special pop‘ that makes the world around you seem so lively and so beautiful.

I was thinking about what made today so magnificent as I went on my early morning run. Nothing says ‘long run’ like a sunny Sunday after almost a week of straight rain, which is just what I went on- a long run (well only 7 miles, which is long for me right now, but not long for many out there). So I thought I would tell you of the views I saw during my run in hopes you will find them just as beautiful as I did.

 

My run started off a bit chilly.  As I ran past the Airthrey Castle I could see the last reminisces of the morning dew hiding in the shadows as the sun began to peak over the tower. As I turned to run around the lake the swans could be seen dipping their long necks in the water, looking for a hardy meal to start their day. The squirrels, rabbits and small birds seemed to scurry every which way as I ran through the tranquil paths which had yet to see a human since the dawning of the day.

I was reluctant to turn off the path around the lake as I had truly enjoyed experiencing the wildlife slowly awakening, much like the rest of campus, but I knew there would be more to see. As I ran up a hill, I passed small groups of athletes stumbling to their early morning workouts, probably thinking about their warm beds they were forced to leave, all of them so dedicated to the workouts that awaited their arrival. As I left campus I passed by quaint little cabins, all filled with sleeping students unaware of the beauty that lay just outside their doorsteps.

At this time my legs, quite sore from the past week of runs, began to feel refreshed as they knew they were about to experience something other than the grounds of campus bellow them. Although my run from here stuck to the pathways along the road, this did not diminish the day’s beauty, and the atmosphere was much like what I had experienced within  the stone walls around campus. I ran towards the Bridge of Allen, knowing that it was the views on my way back I was excited to see. As I ran back I could see the Stirling Castle, miles away glistening in the sun while overlooking the limitless valley below. Slightly further in the distance, the tops of windmills peeked out from between the hill tops, all of them resting for the winds yet to come. In the vast fields that lay just beside the road, cows scattered the area filling their stomachs and waiting to be milked by the nearby dairy farm. As I ran the sun warmed my face as the blue skies added a vivacious component to the usually gloomy view.

Again I was resistant about turning into campus and leaving such precious views behind, but my legs were tired and ready to bring me home. As I ran the path around the lake once more, I was surprised by the livelihood that had taken over the lake as the morning had passed. A young black lab played catch with its owner, individual runners passed by as they too enjoyed their morning run, two parents ran with their son, making sure he knew the advantages of a sunny day. Everyone, now fresh out of bed, was ready to enjoy the day by starting it off the active way.

As I ran around the rugby pitches in the last stretch of my run, I decided to stop and enjoy the view that lay ahead. In the sun, everything looked so beautiful, so bright. The grass, so brightly colored green perfectly contrasted the brilliant blue sky that was lightly scattered with puffy white clouds. It was a view worth stopping for. As I admired the view and the sun warmed my face, my stomach began to grumble and I knew it was time to go home and begin my day.

I believe that being active is a very important aspect to living a happy life. It is a great way to start your day off, it makes you feel good, and it helps you maintain a healthy life. I hope that this inspires you to get out there and enjoy the next sunny day. I guarantee it will brighten up you day 🙂

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Super Soft Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

So today I decided to attempt a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was in the mood to bake so I decided to make these for my housemate and for my class tomorrow. Even though they came out thin, they turned out very soft and delicious. I believe they were so thin because I accidentally melted some of the butter (I hadn’t softened it before) and the packages of pudding here are slightly smaller than the ones in the US. That being said, I hope you enjoy them as much as myself and my housemates have so far 🙂

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 packet instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp hot water
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
3. In a larger bowl cream butter and sugars.
4. Add in pudding mix.
5. Stir in eggs one at a time.
6. Mix in vanilla.
7. Mix baking soda into the hot water. Add to the wet mixture.
8. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture.
9. Stir in chocolate chips
10. Bake 10 minutes.
11. Enjoy 🙂

Servings: 3 1/2 dozen cookies