A Wee Bit of Glasgow

It has been a whirlwind two days since we got on our first plane and headed on our adventure to Scotland. We survived our flights though there were some hiccups that I'm not allowed to speak of on the blog but the important news is we made it here in one piece and without killing each other :)

In typical Scottish fashion we've been greeted by rain and lots of it. Rain here isn't the crazy downpour that we see back home so it hasn't been too bad though when you add the wind and cold sometimes the rain is not fun.

We are staying in a nice bed and breakfast over by the Glasgow School of Art so we are about a 15 minute walk from the city center which has been nice to get exercise when we walk to and from the hotel especially with all the delicious Scottish food we are eating. 

Yesterday we got into city center around 4pm and got right on the city sightseeing hop on hop off bus. Instead of hopping on and off we stayed on the bus for the entire 2 hour loop. It was a nice way to get an introduction to the city and hear the history of many of the landmarks. It was also a great way for Mike to ease his way into Scottish culture. I loved getting to point out things. I knew or places I remembered from my childhood to Mike as we drove around on the bus. After the 2 hour ride we headed into city centre and got dinner at the Chippy Doon the Lane. This was a fancy fish and chip restaurant where Mike got to experience his first fish supper. It was absolutely delicious and I would recommend it. After dinner we were old and went straight to bed but it was a good thing because we woke up ready to go and feeling better this morning. 

Our day today was spent on the city sightseeing bus again but this time we got off on several spots. We started our day at the Glasgow Cathedral which is actually where my dad was ordained. We couldn't get inside but we wandered around and then climbed up to the Glasgow Necropolis which was really neat and gave us a nice view of the city. 

Our second stop was the People's Palace and Winter Gardens. We have a nice coffee at the Winter Gardens and then spent time exploring the Peoples Palace which was actually one of our favorite places of the day. This museum shares the story of Glasgow and her people. It gave a great glimpse into how life in the city has evolved over the years and what it is to be a Glaswegian. Mike really enjoyed this stop and got some pictures of the items in the museum that entertained him the most.

Our third stop of the day was the new Riverside Museum which is basically a transport museum filled with ships, trains, buses, and cars. This stop started out emotionally for me as I was able to see where my family had made a donation to the museum in memory of my grandad and gran Stuart. My grandad used to volunteer at the original transport museum in Glasgow and I remember going there with him and seeing him there when I was little. Many of the pieces from the transport museum are in the Riverside Museum so it brought back a lot of happy memories and as I was walking around I could only think how pleased he would be with how transportation and the history of Glasgow is represented in this new museum. It was a lovely stop and meant a lot to me that Mike was willing to walk around and look at cars and trains with me.

Our last tour stop of the day was the Kelvingrove Museum and Glasgow University which is where my dad went to school. Kelvingrove is a giant museum so we spent time just wandering around the exhibits enjoying what the museum had to offer. Mike also found an entertaining Glaswegian who he captured and has already posted a picture on Facebook. After Kelvingrove we headed back to the city center and did some shopping before dinner.

Dinner tonight was really special to me as we managed to get the majority of the Stuart side of the family together for the meal. We spent several hours talking, eating, catching up, and allowing Mike to see how amazing this side of the family is. We Shared stories about how life is going for each of us and then talked about funny things that had happened in the past. With the Stuarts you always feel welcomed and part of the family right away and I know that is how Mike felt tonight as well. I love my family so much and am so thankful that I got to share them with Mike and hopefully know he understands me a little more :)

Tomorrow will be a long day as we have our first day tour out of the city. Check out Facebook for pictures and look forward to hearing about our adventure to Oban tomorrow. 

All Our Bags Are Packed….

…We're ready to go….well almost :)

There are only a few more items to pack and a couple tasks left to do before we hit the ground running and begin our journey to Scotland. I think we are both in the surreal is this really happening stage right now so we are pretty mellow and having a normal night in which means me on the computer and Mike playing a video game. If you can't tell, we lead very exciting lives when we aren't traveling :)

I thought it might be fun to do a little pre trip "interview" with Mike. He has no clue I'm about to do this with him as he is currently looking up "how to beat the stupid pig" on the video game he is playing…but this should be fun and you all can hear what we are looking forward to for our trip!

Question #1: What are you most excited about?

M: Experiencing a new culture and being that Lynsey is from Scotland I am excited to see the "real" Scotland and not just have a touristy experience.

L: Getting to see Mike experience Scotland for the first time :) And watching him as he tries to figure out what people are saying to him because I bet he doesn't understand half of what they will say to him…especially the Stuarts on Day 2

Question #2: What are you nervous about?

M: Journey getting there because I've never gone through customs or anything like that. Making sure that since the passport is new that everything is fine with that **sidenote from Lynsey…for the past week Mike has been asking questions about the journey…the funniest one was what do you do on a plane for 9 hours…he didn't realize they showed movies and fed you and that really you should just sleep**

L: Mike on the plane. I'm pretty sure he is going to drive me nuts and keep me awake the whole time. Oh and leaving Charlie, but he is in good hands!

Question #3: Who are you most excited to meet?

M: Demi! But really, all of the Stuarts because it will give me a better understanding of Lynsey's dad

L: I can't wait for Mike to meet the Stuart clan. They are amazing, but I'm also so excited for him to spend time for the Cuthbertsons because they are just crazy fun.

Question #4: What food do you want to try/eat the most?

M: What's the intestine thing? Haggis?

L: If you know me you should know the answer to this. Two things. Potato Scones & Pickled Onion Monster Munch….but I'm really excited about all the meals we have booked and getting a Deep Fried Mars Bar in Edinburgh

Question #5: What place are you most excited to visit?

M: One place? This is a difficult question. I mean it will be really neat to see Loch Ness but at the same time I am really looking forward to going to Culzean Castle because that is something that is special to Lynsey. Personally I'm really excited about the Loch Ness stuff, but for us I'm excited for Culzean.

L: Oban. I've never been there before and it is one of my mum's favorite places so I can't wait to see it for the first time and get to eat delicious seafood there!

Question #6: What is the one thing you have to do before you leave Scotland?

M: Tough question too because there is so much. I don't know if there is a have to. I want to see the Statue with the Cone on it and if I can assist with putting the cone on the statue I would like to do that

L: Make sure Mike has the best time ever :)

My First Adventure For Someone Else

It has been almost two years since I last wrote on this blog and a lot has happened in the time between my last post and now. There have been many life changes, but I'm getting ready for a new adventure and thought that friends and family may be interested in hearing about my next overseas trip.

Every time I have traveled has been for myself. I've gone to places that I have wanted to go, seen and done what was on my list to do, and in most cases I've gone by myself (and then ended up on tour groups, making friends, etc). When I did Semester at Sea, even though I was helping build community and look after the students on the ship, big reasons for me going on the MV Explorer were for my own professional development and to expand my cultural experiences. So what is different about the trip I'm about to take next week? This time the adventure isn't for me, it is for someone else.

As most of you know, I was born in Scotland and lived there until I was 8. Even though I haven't lived in Scotland for 20 years, Scotland is still home and will always be. One of the biggest parts of my identity is the fact that I am Scottish and therefore bring different experiences, background, and cultural beliefs to the table. Being Scottish is something that I am proud of, and there is something about Scotland that no matter how far away you go or how long you have been away for that you are always connected to the land and the people.

Last summer, I went back to Scotland for the first time in 10 years. The reason for my visit was not a happy one but it filled something in me that had been missing. It was amazing to be back home and see the land and family that I had been a part from for so long. It also reminded me how important it is to stay connected and to not stay away for as long as I had. This trip also made me think about what is important to me and what I want to be able to share with the people that I love so that they also understand where I am from and what it means to be from Scotland and always have the connection of being Scottish. I've also always believe that if I ever met an extremely important person in my life that I would need to take them to Scotland for them to see where I grew up, meet my family who are so important to me, and see the beauty of the land I love. Fast forward to today and that is why I am taking this trip.

On Friday, I leave with my partner in crime, Mike, to take him to Scotland for the very first time. Mike has never traveled outside of the US so this is a big trip for multiple reasons. The most important part of this trip though is that it is not for me and I won't be focused on the things that I want to do or see. Instead, this trip is focused on Mike and letting him see and experience Scotland for the first time. I think it is going to be amazing to watch him and see his reactions to both the country and the people that we are going to interact with. I really don't think he knows what he is in for and more than likely he won't understand half of what people say to him. I'm looking forward to watching him as we travel around the country and I can't wait for him to fall in love with the county that is home to me.

So where are we going and what are we doing? Well we are trying to cram as much as possible into our 8 days in Scotland! I will hopefully be updating the blog every day to provide you all with pictures and information about our trip so you can keep up with what we are doing and where we are going. And who knows, maybe someone will stumble upon this blog that is planning a trip to Scotland and they can get some helpful tips from what we are doing! Below is our itinerary. I'm looking forward to sharing updates and pictures with you all :)

Day One: Glasgow
Day Two: Glasgow
Day Three: Oban & Loch Lomond
Day Four: Glencoe, Inverness & Loch Ness
Day Five: Edinburgh
Day Six: St. Andrews & Fife
Day Seven: Edinburgh to Maybole
Day Eight: Maybole