Sixteen weeks later, the time has come for this Travelsmith to bid her adopted home goodbye. After a successful abroad experience of mischief, magic, and unforgettable memories, I can affirm that deciding to journey to Scotland is one of the greatest things I have ever done.

How can I even begin to thank Scotland for all that is has given me? The task is simply impossible. As much as I miss my family, as excited as I am to go home, I truly cannot imagine leaving this place behind. What will I do without cobblestones, buildings older than my entire country, and accents galore.

The only thing I can think of that would come close to a proper way to end my Scotland stories, would be with a quick recap of some of my favorite moments. Thus, in a nutshell, please acknowledge my top ten memories (in no particular order).

1. The ceilidh in Bathgate, where I not only got drunk and danced, but lost a lot of money on an expensive cab ride home.
2. Myriah and Hannah’s “Big Day Out” where Clarinda’s, Fall, and Mother India made unforgettable cameos.
3. Going campaigning with Rhoda Grant MSP.
4. Watching FMQs with Stuart, Eva, and John and laughing when Ruth Davidson whipped out a piece of paper to call out Nicola Sturgeon for getting numbers wrong.
5. Going to the Harry Potter Studios with Sabrina, for a truly magical experience.
6. Visiting St Andrews, and feeling a lot like Kate Middleton.
7. Going out to dinner with David Stewart MSP and his son, to talk about life at UC Davis and them coming to visit me in August.
8. Seeing an article I wrote for my MSP appear in the newspaper!
9. Traveling the rest of Europe and seeing friends and family I had not seen in years (Shout out to Katie and Queen B Bernice Eleanor)
10. Meeting all these wonderful girls and guys, and making friendships I will forever cherish.

An end to this Scottish era has come. The chapter of my life dedicated to the person I’ve been creating over the past sixteen weeks is officially over. But our lives, like the world, are round; and what seems like the end may actually be a new beginning. So it is essential, to move forward and utilize everything I have learned to progress further in my life. And thus I shall leave you, dear readers, with a quote:

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as foreign soil.” -Gilbert K Chesterton

Cheers,

The Travelsmith