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Farewell Ye Land of Haggis and Bagpipes

By sonyakalmin

As I reflect back on my semester abroad a number of things pop into my mind: my first walk to class, getting lost on my first walk to class, eating a full Scottish breakfast and learning to properly say “cheers” instead of thank you. Surprisingly however, the most memorable experiences of mine occurred in the last two weeks of my stay here. The first of these is my visit to The Big Cheese and the second is my long-awaited trip to the Scottish Highlands. The Big Cheese, you see, is a type of a student club, occurring solely on Saturday nights. Everything in Edinburgh is viciously expensive on Saturdays so the University created a massive student hangout spot. The club’s name derives from the “cheesy” 90’s music played there. Walking in with some other Americans felt like any other outing. I expected to find it to be packed with other abroad kids ready for a wild night. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only the club brimming with Americans, but also with people of all types of international descent. It was awesome! Everyone knew all the words and for four hours all boundaries of community evaporated. I only wish I could go every night…

In the days following my adventures at The Big Cheese, my parents finally arrived to Edinburgh! We spent three days there and then ventured out north to the Highlands. Introducing my family to the community I had established over the past five months felt extraordinary. I wanted them to love Scotland just as much as I did. Finally my two worlds collided and I felt at ease.

Both these stories are vitally important because they prove differences in language, ethnicity and community can all be bridged by an external similarity. Whether it is cheesy music or a breathtaking landscape, finding my own place in Scotland has been one enormously rewarding experience that I wouldn’t give up for anything. Not even a New York bagel.