July Updates

I am very behind on blog writing, and I genuinely cannot believe it is almost August, but in my defense, there has been a ton going on, both at work and personally, so as the adage goes, better late than never! Starting with Scotland, let me just sum up that entire trip with “Wow.”  Scotland is genuinely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and the people are so kind.  I was in awe of the scenery and landscapes in the country, especially up in the highlands and on Isle of Skye.  I am really glad I decided to brave a rental car and attempt driving on the left side of the road because it gave me a lot of flexibility to stop and take as many pictures as I wanted.  At one point, what was supposed to be a 4-hour drive from Edinburgh to Isle of Skye turned into an 8-hour day because I genuinely could not keep myself from stopping and pulling over on the side of the road at every overlook to take photos.

My trip in Scotland started in Edinburgh and that was truly the most magical entrance into the country.  I arrived on the day of the King’s “official” birthday, which I found out is different than his actual birthday and was chosen for better weather.  Because of the birthday celebrations, there were parades in the streets and bagpipers pretty much on every corner.  It was so fun and festive and really felt like I had stepped into another world.  Edinburgh is a beautiful city, but definitely very hilly.  My legs got a workout with all of the walking I did.  I did a few museums and saw the castle.  My favorite fact about the castle was people last laid siege to it during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 for 3 days before they gave up due to the lack of electricity and water.  Hilarious.  I also did a Scotch Whiskey tasting experience which was really interesting.  I’m not much of a fan of Scotch Whiskey due to the very strong flavor profiles that are present, but the tasting experience taught me a lot about how to determine whether whiskey was light bodied or heavy bodied, what the color meant about the type of barrel the whiskey was aged in, and the oil content based on how the whiskey swirled in a glass.  I genuinely felt so sophisticated at the end of the training and I’m going to be so pompous the next time I drink whiskey in public, I can just feel it haha.

After Edinburgh, I stopped in Stirling for a night.  Stirling was very cute and quaint, and I did a really interesting battlefield tour in the pouring rain.  I really learned the extent of the UK’s rainy days, but it was worth the adventure.  I then went up to the Isle of Skye, and this was my favorite part of the entire trip.  I would 100% go back and just spend a week exploring the island alone.  Skye is the most beautiful place in the world.  The views around every corner were literally stunning, and I often found myself getting emotional about how lucky I was to get to see sights like that.  I stayed in an adorable port town right over the Skye Bridge, which was quiet and quaint.  It honestly was the perfect location because I could get around easily but wasn’t overwhelmed with the chaos of more populated parts of Skye.  I spent my time on Skye hiking and walking along the beach for the most part, which was so fun and allowed for a lot of introspection.  I really just felt so peaceful while I was adventuring.  It will forever have a special place in my heart.

My next stop was in the Highlands.  I stayed in Inverness, and I got to stop by Loch Ness.  Loch Ness was so much fun.  I did a boat cruise where I learned all about the makeup of Loch Ness, and they told us some information about the Nessie myth.  Personally, now understanding how deep and expansive the lake is, plus the level of biodiversity that exists and is still being discovered, I could fully buy into the idea that there is a creature in the lake that hasn’t been discovered.  I’m a Nessie believer through and through.  Inverness was an interesting city.  It definitely had more city vibes, but I met a few other travelers while I was in Inverness who I spent some time with.  They were super friendly, and I always love hearing about other people’s lives and adventures.

After the highlands, I went back down the west coast, stopping in Glencoe for a night and then ending in Glasgow.  Glencoe was a cute little town on the coast with great hikes and views.  I stopped by Fort William too and learned about the history of the area as a defensive point.  Glasgow was honestly not my favorite part of the trip. If I were to do it again, I would spend more time elsewhere, but it was still fun.  Glasgow is just very much a true city, and it was kind of dirty and busy, and just not my cup of tea.  That being said, I did see Grease at a theater there, and I was highly impressed by the Scottish peoples’ love for the musical.  They were singing along better than even I was, which was hilarious.  After Glasgow, I flew back to Germany, thus concluding my time in Scotland.

Overall, Scotland was really just incredible.  It was so beautiful, and my heart was so full there.  It is no secret that I have had some moments of doubt and homesickness while being over here, but Scotland just felt like a puzzle piece clicking into place and a sign from the universe saying, “This. This is why we did this.  This is what makes everything else worth it.”  And I truly mean that.  Scotland made me so appreciative for my life and all the amazing, cool, scary, adventurous, and new things I get to do.  And all the growth I get to experience.  I already know it is going to be a special place to me for years to come, and I already cannot wait to go back.

In addition to Scotland, I also traveled to the Czech Republic over the 4^th of July weekend.  While I did not have fireworks or barbecue, spending the weekend in Prague was a pretty great alternative.  Prague is so nice.  I feel like I describe every European city as beautiful, but it’s honestly true.  Especially compared to cities in the US that are honestly pretty ugly.  Prague had an older architecture style and charm, but everything was clean and well kept because much of the city was bombed during WWII, so most buildings are not any older than 1948.  The other thing I loved about Prague was how safe it felt and how walkable it was.  I did not have any concerns about being back before dark or feeling threatened.  The history of Prague was super interesting too, and our tour guide told us a lot about the relationships between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, especially when they split.  The food in Prague was delicious as well and I got to try many new dishes from Czech cuisine.  I would highly recommend a trip to Prague for anyone who is considering it.

After I got back from Prague, I had a week or so and then my good friend from undergrad, Erica, came to visit for a week.  It was so fun to see her and reminisce.  We hadn’t seen each other in person in over a year and a half prior to her visit, and we realized that we’ve known each other almost 8 years already, which is absolute insanity to me.  I cannot believe it has been that long since we were baby 18-year-olds in college together.  Man, I feel old.  I got to show her around Germany a little bit, to include eating lots of Schnitzel of course, and then we also ventured up to Amsterdam in the Netherlands for the weekend.  While I had been to Amsterdam before, it was super fun to go back to the city.  Amsterdam is truly such a gorgeous place, and I would totally move there if I ever had the opportunity.  I also got a magnet for my travel fridge, since the last time I was in Amsterdam was before my magnet collecting began.  It was nice to add a piece to the puzzle to help capture the full extent of my life’s travels.  It was sad to see Erica go after her trip, but I know that we will have more adventures together in the future.  We are discussing a Greek cruise for 2026 potentially!

As for what’s coming up, I will be going to a renaissance faire at a castle here in Germany next weekend with some work friends, and then I have my Switzerland trip the following weekend as well.  That will be my first time in Switzerland, so I am very excited!  I also booked a trip to Hamburg for the long weekend for Labor Day.  I have not done any traveling in north Germany, so I am excited for the new scenery and to experience the city.  I also am loosely planning my Christmas trip and tossing around the idea of a Vienna, Christmas, but I have some more planning to do for that.  I always tell myself I’m going to calm down with the travel and I never do, but when you live in Europe, it is so easy to justify hopping on the train for a few days.

 Other than that, just busy with work as always. I will try to be better about updates, but no promises. I hope everyone reading this is doing well and having enjoyable summers of their own.  Love you all!