GCU-UMass Boston Exchange Blog

On Saturday, our final full day in Scotland, we took a trip to Edinburgh. In Edinburgh, we spent some time in a local mall and were able to have lunch there. Although it doesn’t seem like anything special had taken place, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed as I sat there and consumed my sub. It was truly a magical feeling to realize how well we had become integrated with the GCU students, and it felt like we had an now had an extended family, in Scotland. The awkward conversations from Day 1, had become a gossip-filled lunch, and a feeling of companionship that undoubtedly could not have formed in just one weeks time. In Edinburgh we were able to see a beautiful castle perched in the hills, and we trekked the haunted dungeons, unscathed. The dungeons were mysterious, haunted, dreadful, and filled with horror, and the only way to come out alive was to cling onto our new family members.

P.S. Sorry no flash photography was allowed in the dungeons but here is a picture of the castle!

Edinburgh Castle

Our last full day. It passed so quickly. Where did the time go? It can’t really be over…

We woke up later than usual since we didn’t need to get to class and we were all of us exhausted. We had some sleepyheads (*cough cough* Glady and Syeda) who took a little longer to get downstairs, but when the whole group has gathered in the lobby, we went to the bus station to catch a coach to Edinburgh. On the way there, we finally saw some sheep! The stereotypical image of Scotland as being a land of constant kilt wearers and sheep is not at all a true representation of the country, and it took us almost a week to see the soon-to-be haggis creatures.

Scott Monument

When we got there, we went to the Edinburgh Dungeons. Ooooooooooohh scaryyy. Ten stages and ten times the amount of screams from our beloved friends, feeling their souls leaving their bodies as they were scared half out of their wits. The adventure took us through a thousand years of Scottish history, including the tale of Sawney Bean and his family, the famous cannibalistic thieves. I could name the screamers and how many decibels I think they reached, but what happens in Scotland should sometimes stay in Scotland so your friends don’t get too embarrassed.

Our time in Edinburgh passed so quickly. It felt as if we were barely there before we had to leave again to make a dinner reservation at The Piping restaurant, join with the piping (bagpipes, not drain pipes) museum and hotel. Back to Glasgow at 5:30, half an hour until dinner and a brief stop at the hotel to freshen up. When we got the restaurant, we found that there had been some miscommunication as to the time of the reservation and we were in fact two hours early. The staff were kind enough to let us check out the piping museum and hang out on the couches,

For dessert? Cranachan

and even moved up our reservation by an hour. The three course meal was amazing and I somehow devoured 90% of my food.

Some of the GCU students came back to the hotel with us, hopelessly extending our time together in the small way we could. When they finally had to go home, there was no hiding how close all of us had gotten in just a week. It felt like saying goodbye to a best friend you had known for half your life and need to talk to every day to feel loved. Tears rolled (I’m going to point the finger of blame at Viv here. Girl, you most definitely started everyone crying.) and hugs kept going and going. I think we were all in denial. How could it be the end? We love each other to bits so how is it possible that we’re not going to be seeing each other all day every day, much less, not even be in the same country? Before heading on this trip, I emphasized the networking and connecting aspect of this trip, but I had to idea to what extent that would occur. It couldn’t be called networking anymore. It’s friendship. Insanely close, I-best-see-you-again, I’m-in-tears-thinking-about-not-seeing-you, friendship.

Like Claudia said, “When you meet life long friends”… It’s not a goodbye. It’s a see you later.