Remembering my time living in Scotland

When I think back about my time living in Scotland, everything seems magical. It was calm, comfortable, and beautiful. The Scottish people are warm, and that made me feel right at home. When I lived in Edinburgh, some of my favorite things to do were participate in Tuesday night music sessions at Sandy Bells pub, walk up to Arthur’s seat at sunset, eat fish and chips at the Rose Street Fish Fry, and walk back to my flat in the misty rain after a long day. I’ll never forget learning how to play the bodhran (Celtic drum) from an 80-year-old woman who drank scotch and smoked cigarettes between songs. I just enjoyed being a sponge and soaking in the culture. I loved living in Edinburgh where I could look out my window beyond the meadows and see the castle light up the night sky.

 I also loved my weeks attending Scottish music and Gaelic language workshops in South Uist on the Outer Hebrides where the air was so pure it felt like I was floating. It was a place where I felt completely safe to hitchhike (I speak from experience) or to walk home from the pub in the ‘wee hours’ of the morning without fear. During my time in South Uist, I spent evenings practicing the Scottish Gaelic Language with my host family. My days were spent with many other musicians, all gathered for the purpose of learning and preserving a tradition. Most of my time in Scotland was as a student. I grew as a musician mostly through the knowledge I acquired studying; learning Gaelic, new songs, new dances, the meanings, and traditions.