For me, Scotland built connections that I hope will last a lifetime. There were only 15 of us, including our two professors, which I think created a better opportunity to bond. We all sat in a classroom for a minimum of 2 hours every day, and we took many class trips together. It would be harder not to talk to one another, as we were sharing all these experiences and learning the same course material. Even outside of the classroom, we planned outings together and really made Scotland our home for the time being.
This was on a ghost tour of Roman’s Close. Everyone always made sure to send an invite text in our group chat so that way everyone who wanted to go could come. We did lots of tours as a class/as part of the curriculum, but doing activities like this brought us so much closer together!
One of my favorite classroom outings was Inchcolm, located off the coast of South Queensferry. We were dropped off by ferry and given free time to roam and write for two and a half hours. This experience was immersive and mindful, as I spent most of my time sitting on top of this hill with two of my classmates and a local student, Rory. We exchanged stories, learned Scottish lingo, and sat in silence while we wrote.
During our second week abroad, we all got the opportunity to attend a Scottish Ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee). This was kind of like square dancing, where each dance required a certain amount of people and the steps were easy and repetitive. They had live music, and dancers of all skill levels. I partnered up with almost every single one of my classmates and had a blast. It was quite the workout but everyone was excited and/or laughing the entire time. This was held at the Roxy (pictured below).
Overall, I was proud of myself for putting myself out there and coming back with people that I can call my friends. These connections were driven by shared experiences, moments of joy, and the everyday life in Scotland.