college? over? really?

Today, I helped my little brother move into his college dorm room for the first time. And I kept thinking, "Shouldn't this be me?"

Strange how four years can fly by so quickly....

The Other Side

The strange thing about going to another country is that once you are there, you feel as though somehow you have always been there. Your friends and family and familiar places all feel infinitely far away and the past feels like a distant memory. Being back in Scotland just felt completely natural, but it felt like stepping back into a different life, with different friends and different stories and different customs. Then when you leave, it feels so bizarrely unnatural. The divide between the two countries feels so deep and impossible to bridge, yet you know you were in one just yesterday and another one today. It feels even more strange and separated knowing that I am the only one who walks between these two particular lives....on each side, there is no one who really knows my friends or experiences from the other side. It leaves you with so much to say and no one to really say it to.

So I am trying to process all of that, while also packing up this week and preparing to move into a new season of life as a working adult. And after travelling over 24 hours yesterday, I am more than a bit exhausted and disoriented!
Every day in Scotland contained a billion blog posts, with no time to write any of them. But here's a few more small highlights:

1) I survived a fishing expedition on the Scottish seas! While the trip was beautiful, it is possibly one of the worst ideas ever to go out sailing on stormy, choppy waters the day after an exhausting wedding. I was pretty convinced our boat was going to capsize and/or I would lose my lunch, but thankfully, neither happened (the story of Jesus and the disciples out on the ocean came to mind quite a few times). On the bright side, I caught three huge fish for dinner, and they were scrumptious.

2) Speaking of marine life, one of the many lovely homes I stayed in was right next to Chanonry Point, on the Black Isle. Chanonry Point is considered the best spot in the entire United Kingdom to see wild dolphins, and it was a five minute walk from the house where I stayed! I met with many days of disappointment in my search for dolphins, but the day before I left the Black Isle, they finally decided to come out for me. Such an amazing sight.

3) A couple of culinary triumphs: the Crichton family kindly asked me to make some traditional cornbread for them, and with great trepidation (it would kill me to mess up such a staple of Southern cuisine) I did so...and it was a success! Then in Glasgow, I tried my hand at a Gordon Ramsey recipe: a chocolate chestnut truffle cake. It was decadent and gooey and utterly delicious....the perfect addition to a dinner party in a beautiful city with such lovely friends.

4) I experienced the best part of socialized medicine: I got pretty sick during my last few days in Scotland, and a doctor saw me for free (despite the fact that I was an American visitor, not a taxpayer), then prescribed antibiotics which I was able to buy for about five dollars. I know having a nationalized health system has its major disadvantages as well, but the free medical treatment and cheap medicine were both pretty sweet!

Weddings, Scottish Style

Five days after my first Scottish wedding, and I'm still trying to recover. The bridesmaids and bride got up at 7:00 am to begin getting hair and makeup done, and the wedding was not officially over until we left the reception at 2:00 am that evening. The day was incredible, and I was thrilled to find that I knew more people at this wedding than I do at most weddings I've attended in America. People from every part of my time in Scotland last year were there, and it was so much fun to reunite with friends on such a celebratory day. Never a dull moment!

Naturally, I couldn't help observing a few cultural wedding differences:

1) Scottish weddings are loooooong (as already noted above). There was the ceremony, then a brief reception at the church (ours involved Krispy Kreme doughnuts which were painstakingly transported from England), then a brief champagne reception, followed by a massive three course dinner, multiple speeches, and then four hours of dancing. Halfway through the dancing, at about 10:30, was when I began to think I might just collapse from exhaustion. And what would come along just then but a GIANT PIG, a whole roast pig, head and all, being carved up and served to hungry dancers. There had already been such massive amounts of food leading up to this that I just found myself in total shock that anyone could eat a giant slice of pig flesh before heading back onto the dance floor!

2) One of the most obvious differences: the men wear kilts. Laugh if you might, fellow Americans, but I think a smart kilt with a waistcoat is one of the most dapper, dashing things a man can wear. This ensemble also comes complete with a sporran, which is an animal skin purse that many fellows might carry a wee flask in, and a dagger to be worn in the man's sock. It's quite an impressive get-up.

3) True to the Free Church tradition, the wedding ceremony involved congregational singing of several acapella psalms, which sounded incredible with 300 guests echoing behind us. I say behind us, because in Scottish weddings, the wedding party all turns their back to the guests and faces the minister instead. It becomes very tempting to peer over your shoulder and see the massive crowd behind you!

4) The reception involves quite a few speeches....not just small wedding toasts, but carefully written speeches. Traditionally I believe these are given by the bride's father, the groom's father, the best man, and the groom himself, although in this wedding, a speech by the maid of honor was given as well. In typical Scottish fashion, these involve quite a few sarcastic jokes or embarrassing stories at the expense of the bride and groom, but also feature moving tributes, heartfelt advice, and a great deal of gratitude.

5) The dancing. How do I even begin to describe it? This portion is known as the ceilidh (pronounced like kay-lee), and everyone is involved, from young kids to grandparents. If you've ever been contra dancing, this is pretty similar....traditional Scottish dancing steps done with a partner, often in circular or linear patterns. The amazing thing is, everyone knows these dances. The band would just call out a name, such as "Strip the Willow" or "The Dashing White Sergeant," and nothing more would be explained or called out...the whole crowd (minus the American guests) knew all the steps, and eagerly joined in. It was such good fun, in particular because everyone was so enthusiastically involved. I tried to stay with Scottish partners as much as possible since I had no idea what I was doing!

6) At the end of the night (about 1:30 AM) we all gathered round in two huge circles surrounding the bride and groom, and all linked arms as we sang "Auld Lang Syne." I know this is more of a New Year's song in the States, but in Scotland, it's used in many different contexts, and always ends a big ceilidh. It was a moment I'll never forget... looking around and seeing the joy on everyone's faces as we sang in strong, soaring harmony, surrounding the new couple with an outpouring of joy.

Pocahontas of the Highlands

One of the things I really love about being back here is being back in the Free Church. Yesterday we went to two services that involved singing purely acapella psalms and having a cup of tea directly after the sermon.....only in Scotland! Being with Fiona's family is really lovely too, because they are so warm and kind. I just feel like a part of their family already. Every night they gather around the fireplace and they all sing a psalm, followed by their father reading a passage of scripture and a long prayer. I should note that all of their children are in their twenties, and they still particpate in this every day when they're home. It's such a comforting and beautiful tradition, and I really loved being a part of it for a few days.

The church service yesterday brought quite a few laughs with it too. Many people were quite intrigued by Fiona's American bridesmaid, so they came up to introduce themselves and ask me about myself. One Scottish couple who were about my parents' age chatted with me for a long time, and then all of a sudden, the husband asked "So, are both your parents American?" I was a bit surprised by the question, but I replied, "Yes, they are." He said, "I just wondered, because you look quite dark." His wife and daughter were rather horrified, but I just laughed and said, "Well, that's maybe because I am part Native American." They all murmured excitedly about this for a minute, and then he blurted out, "That makes sense, because I have been thinking this whole time you look a wee bit like Pocahontas." Everyone around us was totally mortified and embarassed, but I just died laughing and told him I thought it was absolutely hilarious. I told him it would give me an excellent story to take back to the States....it's not every day you get compared to a Disney princess, you know. Quite an achievement, I'd say!

Stunningly surreal Skye


I have discovered the most beautiful place on Earth. Argue with me if you want, but I will stubbornly contend that the Isle of Skye is the most spectacular location known to man. I feel like I am at the very edges of the earth, in the secluded little town of Portree. I took a three hour bus journey here from Inverness, past Loch Ness (no monster sightings, I'm afraid) and then through the most gorgeous series of mist shrouded mountains and enormous lochs (the Scottish word for lakes). As we drove higher and higher into the mountains through pouring rain and thick fog, the landscape got progressively more mysterious and breathtakingly beautiful. I had planned to sleep on the bus, but I just couldn't turn my eyes away. When we finally arrived on the island, I was convinced that I had entered a magical fairy land. That may sound silly, but I don't know how else to describe this place. It is an epic, fantastical sort of beauty that looks like something I imagined in Narnia or Middle Earth. Pictures don't begin to capture the lush green of the mountains or the crystal blue of the water. I went with my friend Fiona and two of her brothers for a long drive around the surrounding countryside today and a great hike into the mists of Storr Mountain. I kept gasping every time we would drive around a new bend in the road, and the native Scots in the car were rather amused by how spectacular I found it to be. To them it's sort of an everyday occurance, but I felt as though I was walking through a dreamscape.I turned to Fiona at one point today and said, "I could not have imagined a place this beautiful even in my wildest dreams." We are moving on to another part of Scotland on Monday to prepare for the wedding on Thursday, but I know that I would be perfectly content to just stay here forever by the fireplace, sipping my cup of tea, surrounded by such a heavenly landscape and such wonderfully kind people.

Scotland: the Glorious Return!

It feels "pure dead brilliant" to be back in Scotland. I am currently on the Black Isle up near Inverness, and I just got back from riding a bike down to the the point of the island where the waves lap onto the shore. Some rare sunshine today made the landscape all the more beautiful....it's hard to describe the scenery, but it looks a bit as if the Blue Ridge mountains were transplanted to the coast. It's simply stunning.
The journey over here was pretty smooth sailing, despite a brief lockdown in the Charlotte airport, some crazy turbulance during my flight to Glasgow, and some intense jet lag the past couple of days. I arrived at the Glasgow airport at 6:30 AM, very tired but incredibly excited. That excitement quickly turned to panic as the International Arrivals section slowly cleared out and finally, I was the last one left. I suddenly realized that my friend Fiona and I had not actually discussed when or where we were going to meet after I landed! There are few things quite so scary as feeling totally alone and stranded in a foreign country, with no way to contact anyone that could help you. I probably freaked out far more than I should, but at the time it was pretty alarming! Fiona did arrive at 9:30 and we had quite a laugh over our total lack of communication about how she would pick me up.

Walking around Glasgow with Fi was so surreal. The city and my friends all felt like something from a faraway dream or something from a story I once read. It was so wonderful to rediscover that it was all so marvelously REAL. It has been so amazing to reunite with my dear friends and to see this beautiful country again. I'm getting very well-fed at the Maclean residence on the Black Isle at the moment, and then tomorrow evening I'll be taking a bus up to Skye to spend some time with the bride's family. It's a whirlwind of wonderful people and places, and I'm just enjoying the ride!

Dancing and departing

My summer, for the most part, has drifted by like a winding stream of lazily drifting days....and then all of a sudden, wham, a flurry of activity. This past week was my annual dance conference (I call it "dance camp") in Charlotte. I've been attending this conference since I was twelve, but during my college years, other commitments always prevented me from going. This year, however, I had the incredible blessing of having that week free. This camp consists of an intense, rigorous daily schedule of devotions, dance technique classes, rehearsing choreography, teaching, and worship. It is an amazing feeling to dance all day long, then worship for hours at a time every night, leaving me with a unique blend of extreme physical exhaustion and powerful spiritual refreshment.

One of the things I love about this place is that God always meets me there. I know I'll never leave there without an intense experience of His presence and a fresh thirst for scripture. Sometimes that presence is comforting and beautiful....sometimes it is a convicting force that breaks me with the sight of my own unrighteousness. This past week, it was all of the above, and I am so thankful.

I want to write so much more about this, but I am literally leaving for Scotland in 10 minutes. It is hard to believe that, God-willing, I will land in Glasgow in less than 24 hours! Please pray for safety in travel (especially since I am traveling alone again) and for me to somehow catch up on the sleep I am missing from this past week even in the midst of jet-lag.

Next time I will be writing you from the other side of the ocean!

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