Time has always been elusive to me. I frequently find myself begging for more time, a problem I’ve had since high school when I realized that you don’t ever get time back. As we loaded onto the bus and rolled away from ACU, I promised myself that this trip would be different. Instead of mourning the time, I would inevitably lose, I said that I would be grateful for the time I got to spend in England. It’s proved to be a really difficult promise to keep. Luckily, Oxford had a largely timeless quality, almost like the change in location relieved time-bound stress and gave me permission to relish the time I had. Our trip to Scotland was especially timeless. It taught me about living in the moment and appreciating the time I’m given.
In early February, nine of us got together and planned a weekend trip to Scotland, which was undoubtedly an adventure from the start. We began this adventure at the bus stop on Woodstock. With just thirty minutes until our train was scheduled to leave, even taking the bus to the train station put us in quite the time crunch. When we forgot to wave the bus down and it blew right past us, we thought our Glasgow weekend was over. Still, we tried our best to make it work and sprinted down the canal towards the train station with only twenty minutes until our train’s departure. Sweaty and winded, we miraculously boarded the train just in time and made it to the Caledonian Sleeper without running into any more major problems. After finally getting settled on the sleeper train at midnight, we realized we didn’t have any plans for the day and booked a last-minute guided tour through the Scottish Highlands.
With our weekend bags still in tow and absolutely no sleep supporting us, we met our tour guide that morning and embarked on a journey through the Highlands. Our first stop was at the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond in the early morning. We stood on the dock and watched as the fog lifted from the water and revealed the sun rising behind an impressive spread of mountains. As the fog lifted, the loch water became so clear it was hard to distinguish from the brilliant blue of the sky. When I eventually turned my back to the loch and climbed back into the van, I saw my first clear view of the mountains in the Scottish Highland region.
Back on the road, we passed several iconic Scottish landmarks like Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain on the British Isles. Our tour guide, Charlie, and his delightful Scottish accent provided history and other commentaries throughout the tour. He even played traditional Scottish songs in the breaks. After we drove through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, we made a stop at Glen Coe. Standing at the edge of the glen, mountains towered over us, and streams of water flowed. The mountains were abundantly covered in luscious grass and budding flowers. The few minutes we spent at this spot were some of the most tranquil and serene in my entire life.
On the road again, we were greeted by the sheep and Highland cows that speckle every Scottish field. Another hour in the van brought us to Loch Ness, home of the evasive monster. We took a boat tour of the loch, where castle ruins and shrines made in Nessie’s honor rested on the banks of the lake. Much like Loch Lomond, the water at Loch Ness was a clear and crisp blue. The weather had started to turn nasty in the afternoon, making the wind blow fiercely throughout the cruise. Our attempts to stay upright and grounded on the top deck of the boat throughout the tour made Loch Ness that much more exciting.
Although it was just one day, our adventure through the Scottish Highlands holds a special place in my reflections on study abroad. I am especially grateful for the twelve tranquil and restorative hours we had on this weekend trip. It doesn’t matter that I cannot physically go back to this time, because the memory itself is timeless.
