Prior to coming to Scotland, I had heard the winter was full of darkness, of rain. “Worst time to visit,” they’d told me. Ah, it can’t be that bad I thought. No worse than a Pennsylvania winter where it’s dark at 5:00 PM and the wind chill is enough to freeze you in your tracks. But at least in PA there is sunlight… sometimes.
In the posh little Glaswegian suburb of Bothwell, I awaken nearly every morning to streaming beams of sunlight shooting through the cracks in my window blinds. I awake with anticipation of a marvelous, sunny day. I make my way to the kitchen for my morning cup of coffee and plop down on the flattened leather couch by the bay windows. Fifteen minutes has passed since my waking and with the passing of the minutes has come the passing of a thick, grey blanket of clouds that now shields the sun. Ah yes, like clock-work, minutes later the raindrops begin to pitter-patter on the window panes. This is Scotland, where the sun comes out long enough to wake you and the rain stays long enough to make you cool and dampened on the inside.
If it weren’t for the kindness and warmth of the locals and the brightness of the red wine in my glass, it might be a depressing place. But luckily for me, I’ve felt welcome and accepted here. Despite the undesirable weather, I anticipate many desirable experiences to come.
no foreign land 