Small Feet

Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh Winter market Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow Imagined haggis of the Scottish highlands; real haggis of the Scottish supermarket Museum at the National Piping Centre, Glasgow Whisky Truth found on a pathway at Loch Lomond

A side effect of being alone is, of course, that sometimes you don't want to be by yourself. In such cases, I'm accustomed to calling a friend or simply yelling down the hall to a roommate.   Here, in a city of a million people, it's not quite as simple. Cultivating a friendship anywhere takes time and energy, as well as a willingness to introduce oneself, ask questions, and make awkward small talk about the weather or the ceilidh dance. I drew a deep breath when I realized that I was surrounded by other students who also felt a wild relief when someone struck up a conversation or thrust a smartphone towards them, awaiting a Facebook handle or phone number. In such a climate, I've realized, friendship tends to snowball in a rather beautiful way. Desperate for companionship, stories we can tell our children, and pristine Instagram photos, we find ourselves wandering streets we barely know with a happy band of ten or more, pushing tables and bodies together in our deli...

Bute Hall, University of Glasgow Whiskey with new friends at Dram! Blinded by some rare sunlight on Byres Road Traditional session at the Ben Nevis Bar Historical omnibus at the Riverside Museum The University of Glasgow by day...  ...and by night

I've never been one for solitude. It's not that I don't like myself -- on the contrary, spending time alone isn't distasteful to me at all. Rather (and this is in no way a complaint), I have been blessed with abundant family, friends and loved ones whose company often seems more exciting to a lone stroll or foray into a cafe. Coming to Glasgow alone has changed this. The only person I know in this whole city is with me constantly -- I can't avoid spending time alone. In the week I've been here, I have walked miles on cobbled streets and sidewalks that are cracked patchworks of pavements, wandered into charity shops, cafes, pubs, museums, bookshops, grocery stores.... As someone who talks a lot, days spent by myself are vaguely jarring. Words that would generally spill out into the chilly air have no ear to catch them, and so they remain to bounce around as unarticulated thoughts and observations in my mind. My solitude makes every exchange an important par...

Armed with raincoat, umbrella, fiddle and passport, I've embarked on my journey to the University of Glasgow.  My adventures so far include: filling a Klean Kanteen with tea in the plane, promptly forgetting about it, and then rapidly sipping it in front of an understanding TSA attendant after going through security, and walking laps around London Heathrow seeking a functioning outlet to charge my laptop and phone. The sun even shone in Glasgow when I landed this afternoon!  I've met my flatmates, several other American abroad students, and gone grocery shopping for essentials, including fresh bread from a local shop. Tomorrow my international student orientation begins!