I was in Comrie Croft this past weekend on a Glasgow United Youth
Fellowship (GUYF) retreat, which was essentially 70 Scottish students from the Free Church congregations in Glasgow getting away from the city for a weekend for some relaxation, worship, discussion, and a lot of fun. My flatmate and I were the only Americans in the crowd, and we loved it! Only in Scotland would you manage to get people singing around a bonfire in the pouring rain, or have teatime as a regular part of your daily schedule. We
got fed in amazing style....mango chicken, lasagna (I'm told lasagna is a Free Church staple), pot roast, sticky toffee pudding, and more baked goods than you can imagine. It was so much fun to meet so many new people and spend time getting to know my Scottish friends better. I also love that GUYF includes more than just college students....there was at least one young married couple, and quite a few people who had graduated and been working for a few years. I think it's such a shame when the church segregates age groups so much, particularly when singles who are no longer in college don't really "fit in" anywhere. 
Considering that I will soon be one of these "graduated singles," I'm all for more age-inclusiveness!
Fellowship (GUYF) retreat, which was essentially 70 Scottish students from the Free Church congregations in Glasgow getting away from the city for a weekend for some relaxation, worship, discussion, and a lot of fun. My flatmate and I were the only Americans in the crowd, and we loved it! Only in Scotland would you manage to get people singing around a bonfire in the pouring rain, or have teatime as a regular part of your daily schedule. We
got fed in amazing style....mango chicken, lasagna (I'm told lasagna is a Free Church staple), pot roast, sticky toffee pudding, and more baked goods than you can imagine. It was so much fun to meet so many new people and spend time getting to know my Scottish friends better. I also love that GUYF includes more than just college students....there was at least one young married couple, and quite a few people who had graduated and been working for a few years. I think it's such a shame when the church segregates age groups so much, particularly when singles who are no longer in college don't really "fit in" anywhere. 
Considering that I will soon be one of these "graduated singles," I'm all for more age-inclusiveness!One of my favorite parts of the weekend was waking up early Sunday morning to go on a solo hike up into the woods behind our lodge. The scenery was absolutely beautiful--the morning dew was still glistening on all the grassy pastures, sheep were grazing in the fields, sun was rising over the hills, and I discovered a waterfall flowing down into the valley. Amazing.
Here's the thing that is difficult about being the lone American: it can easily become your entire identity. Every single conversation I had with a new person over the weekend started out with (or was entirely based on) what it was like to be an American. How are you finding Glasgow? What do you eat in North Carolina? What words do you find strange here? Which American TV shows do you watch? What do you miss the most about home? Did you vote Republican or Democrat? Why don't you have a Southern accent? (I should add that Scottish people apparently LOVE the Southern accent and whenever I put one on to demonstrate they are incredibly excited and ask me why I don't speak that way all the time).
All these questions can be fun to answer....and I never run out of conversation starters/topics....but sometimes it's hard to get past them to other subjects. Even in the conversations with people here I've known a bit longer, it's just too easy for me to fall into "Well, in the States it's like this, but in Scotland, it's like that" and just talk about comparisons constantly. I am just as guilty of focusing on the contrasts as anyone else and I don't really know how to avoid it.
Here's the question I undoubtedly get the most, which always surprises me: "Why did you choose Scotland?" More often it is said like this, "Why would you come here?!" with a look of disbelief and curiosity. People just can't believe 1) that I would want to leave America, or 2) that I would do so to come to Glasgow. I try to convince people that I really do love their city and the country and I would choose it all over again if I had the chance!
After this weekend, I am increasingly tempted to start answering this question in the following way: "Well, I came to Scotland for several reasons....." and then begin counting off on my fingers, "Henry Ian Cusick, James McAvoy, Gerard Butler, Ewan McGregor, Sean Connery...I could go on....."
