Category: Europe

Halfway Homesick

Published on by Catherine BakerLeave a comment

I am half way through the semester and a quarter way through the year, and I haven’t decided whether or not I am truly happy here. It’s tough to be happy here when thinking about the fact that my parents are back home and my friends are in Denver. However, I know that I will never forget this experience and that this time in my life is going to be one of my favorites.

It’s a strange feeling being in a place that’s supposed to be “home” for now, but not quite feeling like it yet. I wake up, walk the same routes to campus every day, go to classes, eat meals with people who are slowly becoming familiar, but I still sometimes I Feel like I’m watching my life from the outside. I tell myself it’s normal. Change always comes with a bit of discomfort, and that’s okay.

When I first arrived here, everything felt exciting: the buildings, new faces, independence. There was this rush of excitement everywhere. I could be anyone, do anything. But once the excitement wore off, reality set in.

I miss home in ways I didn’t expect. It’s not just the big things, but the little ones too. The way my house smells like pine and my mom’s perfume, the sound of my dog running to the door when someone comes home, the comfort of knowing exactly where everything goes. Here, everything takes adjusting to, even grocery shopping feels like a small adventure.

The homesickness is quiet and sneaks up on me when I’m walking to class or when a certain smell reminds me of home, or when I scroll through photos of my friends hanging out without me. I remind myself that they’re still a part of my life and they’re living their lives too. We’re all growing in different directions right now, and that’s part of what makes this part of my life so important.

This time away from home has forced me to get to know myself better. When you’re surrounded by the familiar, you don’t always notice your own habits or strengths. But when you’re on your own, you have to figure things out. I’ve learned that I can handle more than I thought I could.

I don’t know exactly how the rest of the semester (and year) will go. I will have more ups and downs, more questions, more moments of missing home. But I also know there will be laughter, new memories, and growth that I can’t predict.

People Make Glasgow: The Beauty in Slowing Down 

Published on by Haylee GriffithLeave a comment

“People Make Glasgow” is the motto printed on everything from street signs to trash cans (or bins if I want to talk like a true Brit). Even before I arrived here, all I ever heard about Glasgow was how friendly and nice everyone is, but I guess I never expected it to be quite like this. 

I hadn’t thought much about this idea, admittedly, until I got in an Uber one day. I was going to IKEA, as it is a rite of passage for all foreign students, and the driver was very friendly, asking me and my friend how we enjoyed Glasgow so far. He particularly asked us if the people are noticeably different here. When we, of course, said yes, he was excited to tell us exactly why he thinks that is. 

People here aren’t in a rush, he explained. Compared to Americans, people in Glasgow actually do stop to smell the roses. This leads to more genuine conversations between strangers and ultimately more friends and stronger relationships. His view of America was a fast-paced lifestyle with no time to slow down and enjoy what you are doing. The small things matter here. 

That short conversation changed my entire outlook on Glasgow. This is exactly what makes Scotland so appealing, and it’s no wonder so many people want to come here. Being here has allowed me to slow down in all aspects and just enjoy the journey, whether it’s walking to school and just enjoying the nature around me, or chatting with locals on the train. 

I was reading a novel for my Scottish Literature class the other week. “The Living Mountain” by Nan Shepherd is a classic Scottish novel where she essentially pioneered nature writing, which was revolutionary and looked down upon at the time. This novel is extremely slow-paced, and even while reading it, you are forced to slow down to really begin to understand the mountains and what makes them so special. 

Admittedly, I found this a boring read at first. When I finally got past that initial urge to just skim it, I realized that I was not enjoying it the way it was intended. When I was able to get over my initial response to just get the reading over with, I got to enjoy this novel and her genuine love for the place she grew up in. 

Shepherd personifies the Cairngorm Mountains in a beautiful way that even non-locals can appreciate and relate to. This reading solidified the idea of slowing down, which the Scottish lifestyle values. 

I have learned so much about people and the city I am in by simply slowing down and taking the time to truly appreciate it. It sounds so simple, but this idea has become a lost art in America. I hope to continue to take this idea back home with me and remember it long after I leave, because, as I have heard time and time again, you may leave Scotland, but Scotland will never leave you.