I'm in the plane on my way home. The flight I booked 7 months ago. The trip I've been thinking about since I got to the UK. Being back, with friends and family and my house. And Christmas! Leaving is really bittersweeet. I'm looking forward to NOT stepping over vomit on the sidewalk. And there are many things and people I've missed. The weather, my shower, and good produce!
Edinburgh definitely felt familiar by the time I left, though, like I'd been there for years. I had this surreal moment yesterday on Waverley Bridge and stopped in my tracks-- I realized, or I guess fully internalized, that I'd been living in Scotland! A foreign nation. 13 hours by plane away from my family. 24 hours later, I'd be living in a completely different nation.
This semester was better than I could have hoped for. I had very few expectations, honestly. How can you even start to imagine a life on the opposite side of the world in a university with 25 times as many student as the one you're used to? In a city compromised of casual history treasures that predate, by far, your entire country? I showed up with an open mind, basically. As ready as I could be for any adventure. And I like to think that I was successful at going on as many adventures as I could and really making the most of my study abroad experience.
From people I met, to places I visited, to the linguistics community I joined, to the academic, practical, and cultural things I learned, the past few months have been so jam-packed, exhausting, terrifying, and rewarding. I learned about things from all sources: French cuisine tips and German syntax from Camille, capital punishment and tax evasion in Scotland from a cab driver, Lebanese cultural hallmarks from a couple in the airport, how to get the tangles out of my untamable hair in record time from Alex, the difference between being British and being Scottish from everyone local, the hidden secrets of Edinburgh from Tom, what to leave for Santa in the UK from Alex's flatmates, and how to cook a full English breakfast from Katy and Gemma. I went to WAY more museums than I can count, ran around Arthur's Seat and never stopped being thrilled by its beauty, and realized the value of picking up loose change.
I learned what it means to be an American-- what people think of us, how we look from the outside, what things make us awful, and what things really justify our arrogance. Every person has an opinion, and a strong one at that, of the United States. Being a 'dual citizen' made the terms "our" and "us" quite confusing: Edinburgh? Britain? The US? California? Pomona?! I feel an allegiance to many places. Being a temporary Scot has not made me more or less American- just a different kind.
On Friday, I finished my last exam! It felt great to have nothing to do for an afternoon but buy tons of Christmas presents. I ate a great dinner with Alex's family, who arrived on Thursday. It was just so nice to be with a family again. Siblings and parents, sharing food and inside jokes. I went home planning to get to bed early for my 4:45 am cab ride to the airport the next day. Instead, Camille and I ended up staying up all night talking. We discussed all things French, all things gossipy, and all things Christmas. It was the best way to end my time here. She even made me homemade Chai tea and scrambled eggs! It was her first time making scrambled eggs (since she always makes fancier ones). She learned from watching me so many times!
I hope I was able to teach my flatmates more than just how to cook a lazy student breakfast, though. And I hope that I'll be fortunate enough to go back someday, to give Mom, Dad and Ty a tour of the city I called home for a semester. I hope that my grades in this wonky system come out okay! I hope that I don't lose the Britishisms in my speech. I hope that kind and brilliant people, like the generous store clerks who let me slide on the 5 pence I was short, the professors who saw it from our point of view, the flight attendants who brought me extra cookies, the gym staff whose days revolved around helping disabled people work out, and this adorable young Danish girl next to me on this plane, continue to cross paths with me. And I hope you all enjoyed reading my blog.
Three hours until Los Angeles comes into view! Three days until Christmas!
It's been fun. It's been really fun. Can't believe I'm finally actually leaving home, to go home again...
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