Today, I missed Scotland. I missed it so terribly, that it reeled me back to those 4 months - where I had the time of my life.
When I lived abroad by myself, I experienced the true meaning of freedom, empowerment, responsibility, independence, and above all, a sense of adventure. Every day was a new possibility, a new start, a chance to learn new things, visit new places, and even be a new person.
The reason for my sudden nostalgia was a chance encounter I had with a stranger on the way home. A lovely girl who seemed to be around my age was chatting on her phone, and I picked up her Glaswegian accent right away. We struck up a conversation as I inquired whereabouts in Scotland she was from (she was extremely pleased that I'd called her Scottish and not British or Irish). Turns out she was in town for her sister's wedding, but as she was leaving the train, she left with a cheery wave and said something that's been ringing in my ears ever since. All she said to me was, "Hope to see you back in Glasgow one day!"
One day.... and it can't come soon enough!
So anyway, I thought today would be my blogger version of #tbt or #ThrowbackThursday. An interesting tidbit of information about me -- I'm a bit of a photography enthusiast. I'm definitely not a professional, but I hope to be one day. I thought I'd just share a few of my favorite pictures that I took while I was studying abroad in Scotland.
Nestled in those lush trees at the foot of those hills is one of the buildings in which I lived. The campus, as you can tell from this picture was absolutely stunning and abundant with natural beauty. With 400 acres of land, over 100 hiking trails, a 9-hole golf course, a castle on campus and being known as the nation's best athletic university, the University of Stirling was the only choice for me. I met the nicest fellow students, instructors and people in general.
Of course we visited the Scottish capital city and saw the Edinburgh Castle. It may look distant and not small in this picture, but up close, it's magnificence took my breath away. We visited many other places around Edinburgh, like the Holyrood Palace, the Princes Street Gardens, the Scottish Parliament - they were all amazing architectural structures. But being the avid Potterhead that I am, the place that made me happiest was probably...
For once, the crooked-ness of the picture does not bother me; my hands were shaking from excitement. This little coffee shop called The Elephant House staked their claim to fame by stating that J.K. Rowling sat in this very place as she "mulled over a coffee, writing her first Harry Potter novels". Supposedly there was another shop not too far from this one that claimed they were the real birthplace of HP, but I chose to trust the large, attractive sign.
The number of amazing places we saw around Scotland was hard to keep track of. This was Loch Garry, one of the many beautiful bodies of water we saw during our tour. What was it's significance, you ask? The lake was shaped like the country of Scotland! You see? A map of Scotland can be seen in the magazine and the lake is right behind it - the similarities are uncanny!
Another amazing place called Kilt Rock; an absolutely mandatory sight to see in Scotland. A completely naturally formed phenomenon, the long vertical columns of basalt on the far cliff in the picture resemble the pleats of a kilt - a piece of clothing often associated with Scotland. It was a breathtaking view from our lookout point. And even with the strong winds, the freezing temperatures and numb toes and fingers, I stood there for a long time, trying to do justice to the amazing spectacle that stood before me.
I also saw several other places like Loch Ness, The Fairy Glen, Glencoe just within Scotland. Not to mention I also visited 3 other countries - England, Ireland and France! But let's save that for another day. I learned things about Europe, especially Scotland, that I could never have known had I not taken that trip abroad. I learned how to survive and thrive on my own. I came back, a new me.
That's it for now, folks! This was a wonderful walk down memory lane, thanks to Fiona from the subway! It also gave me an idea to incorporate more #ThrowbackThursday editions as we go along.
I have been so unwell this week, that this long weekend has come as a blessing in disguise. I am going to go into hibernation and rest until I am fit as a fiddle.
Until next time, though.
Hasta la-buh bye!
