EDINBURGH

Where do I even begin with this?

On Friday (the 27th of April) I was in a mood. My Austrian class was on a language trip to Scotland and not only was visiting Edinburgh one of my dreams but also the fact that my friends were closer to me than they have been in months and I still wouldn't be able to see them kept nagging at me. I felt homesickness rising and pitied myself for not being able to see them.

So when I called my parents on Friday to complain and whine they stopped me dead in my tracks and asked me why I wasn't simply visiting them. At this point I want to say a big thanks to my parents for having none of my bullshit and encouraging me to take the next plane over to Edinburgh, regardless of costs. I didn't believe that that was possible but they were persistent. After a while I really thought that I could actually pull this through and visit my classmates. After a stressful evening and a weekend full of planning it was settled. I was flying on Monday evening, after school. I didn't want to miss school since I had my pool dive for my scuba diving licence. The whole time I was filled with nervous excitement and disbelief.

Arriving in Edinburgh, I took the bus into the city and then made my way to the guest house I was staying in. I called the fella who ran the place two days ago and he told me that I should ring him again once I arrived so that he could give me the code to get in and my room number since he wouldn't be there this late. Upon arrival at the house I called him. And called him, and called him. I tried for a solid forty minutes. I am surprised that I didn't panic. I then called my father to discuss the next step and waited for a miracle to happen. My saviours came in the bodies of a french couple who let me in, told me the code and suggested to grab any key and take that room after I showed them my booking confirmation. I was so happy to be inside in my room and I thanked them at least ten times. The guy who runs the place texted me an apology later but I wasn't even mad, just happy to have a roof above my head.

The next day I took my time exploring the environment and finding out where I am going to meet my classmates and friends. Waiting in front of the building where they had their English classes was honestly such a surreal feeling and when the first students came out, the look on their faces when they saw me was priceless. It was mostly confusion and disbelief and "what are you doing here?". Angi, one of my friends then got me to go in with them to meet the others and it was a really happy reunion full of tackling hugs and screeches.I was unbelievably happy and almost cried seeing my friends again. That day we went around Edinburgh, had lunch and went to the National Museum. The teachers were a little confused but once I explained who I was and why I was here they were very interested in what I have been up to in Ireland. 

The next day I took my time in the morning as their classes didn't end until twelve so I went back to the museum to have a closer look. It is definitely worth visiting and even after multiple hours spent there I still haven seen everything. For lunch we went to Wagamama together and afterwards we took a bus out of the inner city to one of the nearby beaches. Later on, we went to Prince's Park and just talked and enjoyed each other's company. My flight was that evening so eventually I went up to the bus station and drove to the airport. Saying goodbye was very easy this time. I knew that I would see them again in a month and they gave me so much positive energy that will definitely give me that extra push for the last few weeks. 

Looking back, I am endlessly grateful for my parents insisting that I should just do it and go. It was such a big challenge for me and seeing that I can handle situations like this all on my own was a huge confidence boost.