Student Bloggers
Hidden Gems
Date
November 14, 2017
Well, I have just a few days over a month to soak up the remaining essence of Scotland, and I have to say these past couple weeks have been really special and different. As I look back and reflect on the beginning of my trip I was quite scared, and nervous, to be away from home for so long. I wasn’t sure how this whole thing was going to pan out, and if I was going to even make it until the end. I missed home so much once October hit and it was really hard being away from the comfort of my home and all my people. It is now November, and I feel like this experience has really transformed who I am and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been so focused lately, more organized than ever, and I’ve gotten to really soak in my whole time here and how much I have accomplished.
Never have I been away from home this long, and while it was rocky at times I did it! I’ve got a month left and I feel it just whizzing by me.
I feel so much more independent than I was before. I mean I have lived in a relatively large city for three months and as someone who ALWAYS gets lost.. like always… I’m really getting around so well, shopping, going on walks, and just finding all these new places every time I go out.
I feel like this time away from home all on my own has given me the chance to grow as an artist, think independently, and be completely free from my day to day atmosphere. This experience has made me realize that it’s actually okay to feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, and scared. It’s overcoming those fears and anxieties that makes it all worth while.
So besides these hidden gems that I have found in myself, that I’m quite proud of, I’ve also been exploring a bit more on my own and seeing every inch of the city that I can. I took a long walk with a friend from class at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, where we explored and saw flowers, herbs, plants, bridges, squirrels, ducks… all the “parky” things. It was really inspiring to see these moments that are always just kind of hiding in plain sight in the heart of Glasgow.
While I’m really excited to be going home, seeing my family and my friends, a part of me will always be standing there looking at that bridge in the cold weather, as the water rippled & the leaves changed. A hidden gem, a home away from home, something like that…