One Year Later

In one week my time in Scotland will officially come to an end.I didn't know it was possible for a year to pass so quickly, yet when thinking back to the beginning of the year it seems more like five years ago rather than one. There is no way to express in words how much this year has meant to me or how much it has changed me. I will forever be grateful for this experience and all the opportunities it has afforded. I came to Scotland in the hopes of adventure and in the meantime uncovered travel, education, friendships, history, tea kettles, big cities, the countryside, famous monuments, pretty things, scones, umbrellas, the Loch Ness Monster and even love.

While I love Glasgow and all that the city has to offer, it is not the city that has made my experience. Rather it is the people I have found in Glasgow that have made this experience such a definitive one. While I may never forget standing atop the Arc de Triomphe or boating down the canals of Amsterdam, it is the memories I have with my friends and classmates that hold the most significance. I am so greatly indebted to each and every person who has not only made this year possible but such a success. And, while I can never thank each and every one of them enough I will do my best below:

The "Hey You have Made My Scottish Adventure All That it Could Be and More" List:

--First to my parents. Pretty sure they thought this was the most ridiculous idea I have ever come up with (And trust me there have been quite a few). Your love and support throughout the year, and of course the years leading up to this experience, have enabled me to take full advantage of an amazing opportunity. Thank you for all the care packages and words of encouragement... the themed parties wouldn't have been quite the same without them!

--To my brothers Kevin and Michael who have always encouraged my sense of adventure and inspired me through their own. Your skype sessions have been a great source of entertainment this year and no one else can quite keep me up on the current events of America like you both.

--To Stuart who was my friend before I even arrived in Glasgow. It was of great comfort to arrive in Scotland already knowing a Scot! Your advice and our adventures around the city helped me to learn so much about Glasgow quickly, I got to play expert on Glasgow many times because of all that I learned from you.

--To the other Americans studying in Glasgow. You were the first people I met in Glasgow and it was like having a bit of home in a foreign place. While we all went our separate ways throughout the year  it was always a lot of fun to reconnect with you all and compare experiences. It was also a blessing to have people in my life with similar vocabularies... sometimes you just need to use the word crock pot, sidewalk, Popsicle, etc.

--To my American Studies Classmates or Really Four of the Best People I have Ever Met. It is not often when you find yourself in a class in which you like every single individual and even more rare to find yourself in a class where you all become good friends. I am so lucky to call you all my classmates and my friends, you have taught me more about America than I have learned over my 22 years of actually living in the country.

Joe- Your academic writing prowess inspires me immensely. Especially seeing how late you start all of your assignments. I am so happy to have found someone that challenges my procrastination abilities and does so with impeccable marks. I also want to thank you for showing me the greatest shortcut in Glasgow.. in which I had to scale a fence in a dress in the middle of the night after a Thanksgiving feast.

Jamie- Attending the first lecture of American Studies I was terrified that I would know less about America than all you non-Americans. And, thanks to you that theory was proved correct when within five minutes of meeting me you asked me a question that I had absolutely no idea how to answer. In all seriousness, your intelligence regarding America is impressive and I have enjoyed our many in-depth conversations regarding my homeland. Thank you for always being so kind and taking our jokes regarding your dating life in stride.. Jodie really is one lucky girl!

Sandy- As I have told you numerous times, thank you for being the most Scottish person I know. I will always remember attending a movie screening with the American Studies group and you partaking in a massive box of chips. I will greatly miss our lunches in the Fraser building and late night facebook chat rants regarding our lack of progress on the dissertations. In addition to being the most Scottish person I know you are also one of the kindest and I must say that I not only greatly admire this about you but aim to live up to your example. But, I am sorry to say that I will never appreciate Kid Rock on any sort of level.

Sanne- Oh Sanne. As the only women in the American Studies group we had quite a lot of work to do. Thank you for completely frightening me on the first day of class by marching up and asking if I was in fact "Kate Garrett." While this terrified me it opened the door to many coffee dates, lunches, films, quiz nights, parties, cocktail evenings, feminist rants, matchmaking, political discussions, travel talk and all the other millions of things we have done together this year. I am so lucky to have you as a friend and your support and love throughout this year has been not only much enjoyed but much needed.

---Richard's Economic Classmates-- Thank you for showing me that economics people are actually quite exciting! I have enjoyed getting to know each of you and feel as though you are an extension to my own class. I also enjoy knowing that out of all of you I am the only one certified to teach economics.... that's a scary thought to many!

 

And, finally... Richard. While I can't say much at the risk of you becoming terribly embarrassed.. I will say this much... I came to Scotland looking for adventure and you have made each and every day the adventure of a lifetime. Everyone should be blessed with knowing someone like Richard at one point in their lives. I plan on keeping him around.

Again, I will never be able to thank you all enough and will forever be indebted to each and every one of you. While I am terribly sad to be concluding this chapter in Glasgow, I am looking forward to all that this next year has to offer and will be always anxious to hear how the wonderful friends I made in Glasgow are doing, as I am sure they will be doing great things.

I have truly loved creating and sharing this blog. It has been such a wonderful way to organize the many stories and photos I have from this year and to share them with everyone both in Glasgow, at home and even further afield. I plan on writing about Richard's trip to America and my planned trip to South Africa or the United Kingdom over Christmas. Otherwise, I am not too sure how exciting the ins and outs of me finding a job will be to write about! But, I promise to update this on occasion, I love it too much not too.

Thank you sharing in this year with me, it has been everything I hoped for and more.