While most of my fellow study abroaders have already returned to the States, I, perhaps surprisingly, am still abroad in London. Perhaps more surprisingly, I still haven’t finished exams. And so while most of my friends are almost a month into summer vacation – finals a distant past in their minds – I find myself studying for a test worth 75% of my final year-long grade.

I’m not really complaining – here at the LSE we didn’t start school until the first week in October, and had 10 weeks of break; our third 10 week trimester didn’t even comprise of any classes – but there is something to be said for the fact that the summer equinox is fast approaching, and the only summer I have yet to experience is the 80 degree weather here in London and the sun rising on my way home at 3am from a night out.

On the other hand, except for my four, 3 hour exams, I haven’t actually been in school since mid-march. It is a funny thing studying for an exam for a course you haven’t had or looked at in three months. Imagine taking a final for a Spring semester class the next fall.

However, thanks to this system I have been able to do more traveling and spend more time with friends then I thought possible during an exam period. At the end of last week, the day after my second to last exam, my friend and I hopped onto an Easy Jet flight to spend two days in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was amazing, and I would recommend everyone try to make it there sometime in their life.

Edinburgh is a small big city, with a hometown feel and architecture that ranges from the very very old (the castle as it stands is partly from the 16th century) to the very very modern (the new parliament building was designed by Enric Miralles). As is wasn’t bombed as much during the World Wars, it has less of the random splatter-art -feel that characterizes the London skyline.

We spent our first day at the Castle, and our second day lounging in the park in the center of the city after a tour from a friend who has lived in Edinburgh for 4 years. And while we went to no museums on our trip, it was great to experience the city from a local’s perspective. We couldn’t have been happier sitting on the grass and watching everyone soak up the magnificent weather with the castle in the background – leave it to me to get sunburned in Scotland…