The Day Before.

For anyone out there who can stay calm before embarking on a long trip, or new adventure, I applaud you. I cannot. For lack of a better descriptor, my emotions seem to bring together the nervousness of the first day of school, the excitement of Christmas Eve, and the horror of moving across the country.

Last night I watched the official video of The Gathering in Edinburgh this past summer. It was the culmination of a year of Scottish celebration--where Scots from all over the world "came home" to be together and celebrate their heritage. I was there, for the end at least, hearing the pipes, smelling the smells, and loving every moment. I felt that watching these events over again would reinvigorate my yearning to return.

It did to a certain extent. Obviously, I've been planning for this trip forever. Regardless of the two previous occasions on which I've been to Scotland, this upcoming adventure promises to be completely different. The embrace of parents and family will be substituted for the support of friends--both new and old. Vacation will be substituted for school work--to a certain extent--and will help shape my days. Those are the only parallels, the rest is uncharted.

I'm a 20--soon to be 21 year old boy--with an insatiable love for Scotland, a few dollars in my pocket, and the world at my fingertips. That, hopefully, will be the emotions that grip me in a few days time. In the mean time, however, I have to do that thing they call travelling--which is never fun, The packing, the stressing over airline security measures, having a long layover in a country that doesn't speak English, missing a connection, and finally getting to my flat, meeting those who will be living with me, and not passing out of sheer exhaustion on the way. It is indeed an adventure, but the logistical strings that seem to attach themselves in every possible nook and cranny of my excitement seem to dampen the mood a bit.

But I'm adaptable. Over the past few weeks I've been surprised more at what hasn't scared me than what actually has. I don't seem to be worrying about cooking and shopping for groceries, nor do I seem to care about who I live with. These things, as far as I can discern, will take care of themselves. I won't be alone in my striving for new things, or meeting new people. It's not as if I'm the only person at the U of Edinburgh who will be experiencing these things for the first time--so to assume that I'm that important in the grad sweep of things is foolish. I do worry about the classes a bit, but hell, that's just how I function. The only prayer I have is that I can experience life in Edinburgh whilst I do my work; that I can read in a Starbucks, read in a park, write a paper sitting near the Parliament building. Yes, the things I will hopefully learn in my classes will carry over and help me further down the road--but this is the trip of a lifetime, I need to plan and work with these things in mind.

So that's it--it's off to pack now, pack what's left. When I update next, barring having internet in Paris, I will be in Scotland! Slainte and Cheers!