Kilgore Rotary Flag Fundraiser

This morning I had the opportunity to help several Kilgore Rotarians deliver flags in preparation for Labor Day as part of their flag fundraiser. In the picture to the left, Kilgore Rotarian David Castles and I are finishing up for the morning.

Back in East Texas for a few weeks

Greetings All -

I'm back in East Texas for a few weeks after finishing up my summer internship in Dallas. I'll be here until September 14, when I'll leave for Scotland. Stay in touch and feel free to call me about anything before I head out. 903-522-1095

Have a great day!

Applied for housing and booked flights for RIBI

Greetings!

It was great to be back in East Texas this past weekend. Thank you to Kay and David Castles for gathering local club t-shirts for me to hand out in Scotland. I'm sure the Rotarians over there will love them!

A few updates:

• I submitted my application for U of Aberdeen student housing. I'm on a waiting list for self-catered housing (similiar to student apartments), which would be ideal. If I don't make it to the top of the list I'll be in catered housing (similiar to a dorm with a meal plan here in the US). I'm hoping for the self-catered, but either way I'll have a guaranteed place to live now.
• I also mailed the university a student ID photo, so my student ID should be ready when I arrive. This system seems much more efficient than waiting in line to take a photo.
• My flights are also booked for RIBI (Rotary International Britain and Ireland) Link Weekend at the end of September. RIBI is an orientation event where all of the ambassadorial scholars in the UK meet their host counselors and family. The event will be held in Bournemouth (located on the southern coast of England) on September 28 - 30. The coastal area surrounding Bournemouth is supposed to be extremely beautiful, so it should be an enjoyable weekend.
• I've also made first contact with the president of the Aberdeen Rotaract club, thanks to Hugh Munro (president of one of the Aberdeen clubs). Hopefully, I'll be able to plug in with Rotaract early on in this journey.

As always, thanks for tuning in and have a great week!

Best wishes -

Flights are booked!

My flights to Scotland and back are finally booked! It excites me so much to think that in exactly 4 weeks I'll be walking down the coastline in Aberdeen.

I'll be departing from Gregg County Airport (GGG) on Friday, September 14 and will arrive at Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) on Saturday, September 15 around 11 a.m. local time.

I'm still finalizing housing plans, and am trying to decide whether to live in on-campus dormitory housing or in student apartments that are right across the street. The dorms are less expensive, but would close (and leave me homeless) during Christmas break, other holidays, etc. I'm optimistic that things will work out for the best!

I'm also coordinating with the university so that registration won't be a nightmare when I arrive. Fortunately, a former Aberdeen ambassadorial scholar from Germany (Felix) has provided great advise and has referred me to a university advisor who is familiar with Rotary. The Rotarians I've contacted in Scotland have also been extremely open and helpful.

That's all for now, but thanks for checking in!