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Well, am back in Scotland. It is a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of London life. The endless trains, buses, underground stations, commuters, noise, filth and squalor that is generally seen in central London. Here, I step out of my front door and smell the sea, and hear the sea gulls. I walk 30 seconds down a lane, and reach a harbour, with small fishing vessels moored against the harbour walls which are old and made of stone, not concrete. On a windy day, you can hear the waves pounding against the outer harbour wall, and rushing back and forth. On a calm day, all is still, other than the sound of the waves gently lapping against the shore. It's quite something. 20 minutes along a bus route through the country side, undisturbed, and undeveloped, I reach the town of St Andrews. I get to take and leave what I want from civilisation. It sounds a little like a hermit's lifestyle, but actually the town of St Andrews after nightfall is on most nights, throbbing with life. Students are out and about, people are socialising, and there are endless events and do's you can attend.
As for the academic side of things, the classes are stimulating, and the course content is extremely interesting, for me anyway. I am studying a subject that continues to be intriguing for me, and I can explore the issues that I studied in london, in more depth. The causes and nature of war and conflict, the measures that are taken to rebuild peace, and not to forget the enduring problem of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the advancement of weapons technology, and the arms trade. I also look forward to a field trip to Bosnia, where the class can see the practical and real consequences of what we are studying. In other words, all of this is right up my street.
I did appreciate the work experience in London though during my year after my studies. Working in parliament, engaging in local politics, observing debates around issues that matter to people in their every day lives. Working in the charity sector, developing business plans for charities that are looking to expand their work and reach out to more people. And last but not least, working for the Scottish government in their economic development agency, an opportunity to work in an environment that is more focused on business, creating jobs, negotiating business contracts, and securing the future economic prosperity of Scotland. All of this, has helped me gain a deeper insight into how the world works, and the dynamic relationship between the private and public sectors.
I feel I can now approach my studies with a greater clarity and purpose than before. And of course, I can't forget the golf! It's quite something to finally be able to play on the hallowed turf of St Andrews, and so far, it hasn't let me down.