Friday, June 15, 2007
A day in the country
I had a very nice day out today. After being so incredibly bored for the last few days, I was surprised by a text that I got from Ross asking if I wanted to go for a drive in the country. I was chuffed, as I relish any opportunity to see more of Scotland. He picked me up, and then we left Aberdeen and drove towards Stonehaven. As neither of us had had lunch yet, we picked up some food, and then we parked by the sea to eat. I have really come to appreciate the beach, and love hearing the roar of the sea and watching the waves crashing against the shore (none of Minnesota’s landlocked beaches can even begin to compare with a view of the North Sea). It was pretty windy today, so the waves were quite high. The spray from the waves even managed to reach me in the car, as my window was rolled down a bit. Now that’s a turbulent sea! Ross and I ate our lunch and talked for a bit, taking in the scenery before we finally left. Ross drove me all over the place…down winding streets, across single lane roads (quite a terrifying experience, I can tell you! There’s something about two cars approaching each other head on at 60 mph with only a tiny area to pull over that manages to strike fear in one’s heart!), and all over the countryside. He showed me his house and accompanying farm land. I’m so envious of him; he’s so lucky to have been born in a place where he is surrounded by beautiful green countryside. I would love to have grown up with a view like that outside my window! Instead, all I got was the concrete jungle that passes for an American metropolis. :-(
We drove aimlessly for a few
hours, and I enjoyed every second of it. Everything made me smile: the tiny
stone houses, the historic old churches, and even the cows! Yes, yes, I know
that Minnesota has an overabundance of cows, but somehow, these just seemed
different…they are Scottish cows! Lol. Eventually, we had to return to
civilization, and I was sad to see the green begin to fade away, as the sight
of Aberdeen’s granite landscape began to hone into view. Ah well, tranquility
can’t last forever, I suppose. So, all in all, I had an absolutely fantastic
time today, and I’ll remember all that happened for some time to come. Every
day, I continue to discover new things about Scotland that surprises me and
leaves me so happy. In the end, I sometimes have to pinch myself because at
times I can’t believe that I actually live here! Even though the United States
is 122 times the size of Scotland, Scotland’s amenities and beauty are far
superior to the U.S. in every way!