galmc2Report

We have arrived to our final country – Scotland. It is where Paul’s family on his Dad’s side came from and where my paternal grandmother was born. Neither of us have ever been, so it feels exciting but, being our final destination, a little bittersweet. We both try our best to be present, enjoy the moments and appreciate where we are but, for me anyways, I’m having to work a little harder at it right now. I have about 2 weeks to go before I fly out so I’ve been arranging appointments and meet-ups with friends and family at home. I find my mind is frequently wandering to how the greeting with Chloe and the pups will be and then I’m thinking about the upcoming year back in the library and so on and so on…

All of these things are positive and I’m looking forward to being back home but “in vita praesens esse” is our moto and it reminds me to be present and focus on the here and now: Scotland!

St. Andrews was our first stop. All I knew was that there was a really old Golf Course there. Well, who knew, it is also a very cute town with a gorgeous beach (and the Old Course).

The next day drove west to Fort William, which was mostly our waypoint on the way to Skye. It’s an outdoor haven for hikers as it is surrounded by mountains and very close to Ben Nevis, the highest hill in Scotland. The drive was gorgeous!

And then on to the Isle of Skye. All of the people whose advise we had sought about our Scotland portion of the trip suggested we go to Skye. And so we did and it is beautiful!!!! We too will recommend to people planning to visit Scotland that they make the trip to Skye if they can.

After a lot of activity, quick stops and many hours of driving, we parked the car after arriving in Inverness and explored on foot for the next few days.

We are feeling rested again, have completed some necessary adjustments of travel plans and are ready to make our way to the North of Scotland. I am feeling more centred and mindful and I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks left in Scotland!