A week
has passed since my time across the pond. I already miss the pleasures of life
abroad in Scotland. I look back to Edinburgh's refreshing mountain air that
proliferates through winding cobblestone streets, the flexibility of city living,
and weekend travel that springs up promptly Friday morning and falls into a
deep slumber Sunday evening. I have awakened from the wanderlust dream I found
myself living in these past few months. In this holiday season, there is no
better time for me to reflect and share my experiences from a semester of a
lifetime.
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| On my last day in Edinburgh celebrating a semester abroad at the top of Arthur's Seat! |
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| Edinburgh as told by soup! Enjoying lunch at Peter's Yard. |
Monuments
and museums and mountains oh my! This semester evolved into its own tale of The
Wizard of Oz. My Emerald City was also a haven where magic sparkles and dreams
come alive. There was St. Andrews where academia meets seaside cliffs and
historic golf courses, Munich for my first international venture and
exploration of a new city, the Highlands where scenery shares tales of ferries
and mythical creatures, Paris to be bedazzled by a sparkling Eiffel Tower and
fresh flowers in the Luxembourg Gardens, Dublin for a ghoulish Halloween and stories
of the independence movement, Amsterdam to find my roots and lose my heart to
the beauty of canals, London for Thanksgiving spent with family and friends,
Glasgow to realize my bagpipe "career" and of course Edinburgh for a
newfound home I will never stop exploring. Each adventure illuminates a very
special time in my course abroad and culminates towards a once in a lifetime
journey. In this sense, My Emerald City is not simply one place harvesting
excitement, but rather an international virtuoso only growing and bonding along
the path of constant adventure.
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| Grassmarket Square! A wonderful spot to spend a last dinner in Edinburgh. |
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| Edinburgh Castle from the Christmas Market. The blue and purple hues illuminate the castle at night. |
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| Carrot cake and coffee at Lovecrumbs! |
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| Delicious and beautiful display of Lovecrumbs |
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| Christmas displays at Lovecrumbs. Both wonderful window seat to enjoy a morning cup of coffee before heading to the nearby farmer's market. |
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| The University of Edinburgh! I really enjoyed studying at such a beautiful and historic school this past semester. |
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Edinburgh Christmas Market. I visited this festive spot many
times in my last week in Edinburgh. |
I
will always value my time abroad. My experience has become a source of
inspiration for me. Particularly, I look back to my previous blog posts not
only to reminisce on my time in Europe, but also to draw from these stories. I
think of my self as an innovator always scribing down my thoughts and ideas
that come to mind. As an avid foodie, this is particularly special. All the
fresh foods and flavors develop into a larger culinary complex. I remember all
of the savories and confections from sweet molasses-like syrup served with our
pancakes and poffertjes in Amsterdam, wonderful baguettes and Brie from Paris
and Edinburgh’s local cakes and oddly addicting Haggis. I salivate at the
chance to indulge in these delights soon again, yet hope to see these delights
baked into my own culinary feasts. So, in each travel experience, there lies a
very special opportunity to be inspired and realize this action in my life
beyond a semester abroad. To this I will write in hopes of holding onto the
memories I shared and see them come alive in my future endeavors in food and
beyond.
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Spending a wonderful last dinner with my
friends at The Sheep Hied Inn. |
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| Delicious fish! Dinner at The Sheep Heid Inn. |
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| Spending my last day in Edinburgh hiking up Arthurs Seat! The weather was perfect with clear sunny skies and perfect views overlooking the city. |
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| Spectacular views on top of Arthur's Seat. Edinburgh thank you for the experience of a lifetime! |
My time abroad has come to a close
and I am now venturing forward through school and life back in the states. At
this moment, I find myself in the most wondrous state of flux. I share with my
family and friends the wondrous tales of these past few months abroad. The next
semester is that start to a wonderful time at Brown University full of academic
exploration and growth. To my parents I owe the biggest thank you. They inspired
me to study abroad, see the world and find my very special haven in Edinburgh.
As my avid blog readers, they taught me the value of writing down all that I explored
my on my travels through Europe and the importance that this had on developing
my writing skills. For all this semester has brought me I hope to continue to
travel and never stop exploring this vast world. I have learned what type of
cities I like to visit. Each place shares with its visitors its very own
special beauty. This I will be in constant search for. My stories from this
semester always seem to put a smile on my face. That is the sweetness of an
experience so pure and true in its delights.
