This was my first trip to Scotland – an extremely emotional one, at that. More than once, I found myself weepy. From the moment I stepped outside the terminal at Glasgow Airport, I was in awe of the beauty of the country. A short time before, I had discovered how to obtain my father’s records from the orphanage where he was raised. I made a promise to myself then, the first year I had three weeks holidays, I would be going to Scotland. I kept that promise and Thanksgiving weekend, my family saw me off on the first leg of my journey at the local railway station. The whole experience seemed surreal. I was calm – too calm – until my cousin left me just outside the security checkpoint at Pearson International Airport. Only then, did the enormity of what I was about to embark on hit me. I’d never flown before, let alone by myself and across the ocean! What an experience! I loved it. Another first for me on this trip was driving – sitting on the right side of the car whilst driving on the left side of the road. I drive a standard at home but shifting gears with my left hand (and I’m a leftie) was very strange. It took some getting used to. I arranged to pick up my rental car at the Aberdeen Airport since it was closer to the area of the country I wanted to visit, and I hoped with far less traffic than around Glasgow.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip – the trip of a lifetime.
