Heidi's Haven

Stirling, in my opinion, is the greatest city in the world. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, full of nature, beauty, history, and excitement. It is also where I lived for a summer while I studied abroad. If you get the chance to go to Scotland, I highly recommend visiting the central city of Stirling, and here are 5 things you should see while you're there. 1. Stirling Castle The childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots and the ruling place of countless other heroes of history, Stirling Castle is one of the most important locations in Scotland.  2. Hike Dumyat Pronounced Du-my-at, this steady climb up 1,371 feet for amazing view of the city of Stirling. As you walk, you'll encounter sheep and highland cows (coos) along the way. 3. Wallace Monument If you've seen Braveheart, you've heard of William Wallace. This monument is built on the spot where William Wallace and his men watched the British approach b...

The best part of the summer program I'm in at the University of Stirling is the long weekends that allow for travel. However, scheduling in travel while having to juggle coursework and course excursions is more difficult than I had expected. It's even harder to schedule travel with others who have their own coursework to handle. All of this led to me spending just 16 hours in London a couple of weeks ago. A group of friends and I took an overnight bus from Scotland on Friday night to arrive very early on Saturday morning, then to leave again late on Saturday night. Even though I didn't get much time in London, I definitely made the most of that time. In only 16 hours, I saw all of the things that I really wanted to see. I'd still love to go back, but I am extremely satisfied with my short day in London. xx Heidi

Hello everyone! I'm back just a couple of days late to share all of the books that I read this June. I'm actually super proud of how much I read, since I'm currently going to school in Scotland, and all of my coursework has been a lot harder than I had anticipated. I only read three full books this month, but one of them was pretty long, so I'm feeling good about my reading. The Seven Laws of Love  by Dave Willis The Counselor  by A. W. Tozer Eragon  by Christopher Paolini I'm currently reading Dragonfly in Amber  by Diana Gabaldon, which is the sequel to Outlander . I'm not very far, but I'm going to read as much as I can before I go to Inverness, Scotland, on Friday. I've been told that I should finish the book before I go because there are things in Inverness that I'll appreciate if I've finished the book, but that seems unlikely, since I have less than a week to read 1000 pages, along with my schoolwork. I'll just have to ...

Hello everyone! Today I am reviewing the book Doon  by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon, which I received from BookLook Bloggers. I was so excited to receive this book because I have seen many reviews on it and heard wonderful things about it. I couldn't wait to pick it up and start reading. Doon  is a fantasy novel that takes place in Scotland. The story follows two American girls who just graduated from high school named Veronica and Mackenna. While Mackenna is from a rich family and is very outgoing, Veronica lives with her mother who drinks a lot and her pervy boyfriend. Mackenna has just inherited a cottage in Scotland, and the two friends go there to spend the summer. However, Veronica is having visions of an attractive, Scottish boy calling to her. Once arriving in Scotland and learning some of the local legends that she is sure is connected to her mystery man, she sets out to find the truth. Along with Mackenna, she soon finds herself in the mystical world of D...