All Good Things Must Come to an End.

Just like the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” I am trying to come to terms with this in regards to my semester abroad in Scotland. I knew that my time here would fly by and it would feel just like yesterday that I was leaving home and embarking on my adventure back in January.

Tucker and I returned from Dublin Saturday night. I spent yesterday in a rather overwhelmed state as I began packing. By 2 pm I had all my clothes laid out on my bed, folded and sorted into neat piles. By 4 pm I had all of my clothes packed neatly into my two suitcases…with room to spare!

Around 4 yesterday afternoon Tucker and I went on a much-needed break from all the packing. There was one more major thing I decided Tucker must do while in Dundee…hike up the Law. We set off on our adventure and hiked up and up until we reached the summit. Luckily for us the weather had cleared up so it was very good viewing conditions, we only had to battle the wind.

As Tucker explored the top of the Law, I gazed out over the city that I called my home for the past four months. It was in this moment I realized that I was leaving Dundee in less than 24 hours. I looked across the Tay and took in the beauty of the hills of Fife and the mountains in the distance. I realized that you could almost see St. Andrews from atop the Law. I saw Broughty Ferry and remembered when Lauren, Esther and I walked there…all 5 miles!

Tucker and I returned to my flat and I continued packing. Around 7:30 my friends Katie, Charlotte, and Caitlin joined Minna, Tucker and I in our flat. We talked about all the good times we had this semester and shared lots of laughs. The time went rather quickly and before I knew it I had to say goodbye to the friends I had made in Dundee. I decided that it was not goodbye, but rather “see you later” as I know one day I will be back and I will keep in contact with most of the friends I have made….ahhh the powers of the internet!

Tucker and I relaxed last night by watching some TV via the internet. We read for a while and I finished the book Esther gave me so I could donate it instead of carrying it home. I then closed my eyes and enjoyed my final night’s sleep in my bed in Belmont Flats.

This morning Tucker and I woke up at 8:00 so I could finish packing, clean, and get my keys turned in before our train left at 2:15. (The other week we decided that since our flight was rather early tomorrow morning, we would take the train the Edinburgh today and spend the night in a hotel.) We were very efficient and I successfully got everything put in its proper place. I am happy to say that my suitcases are not overweight (according to my portable scale) and they are easily zipped closed. Tucker and I enjoyed an odd lunch of the food I had left in my cupboard and fridge, then we went and had a pint at my favorite pub.

Before I knew it I had to say goodbye to Minna and Greg. They were so welcoming to Christina, Lauren, Esther and me and I am so thankful for that. I know that I will see them again in the future…either back in Scotland or in the United States. It was a hard goodbye, but I will be in contact with them, which makes me feel good.

Tucker and I headed to the train station in a taxi since we had a lot of luggage and it was rainy and really windy. We loaded up onto the train with little trouble and sat down for our last train ride in Scotland. So many thoughts were flying through my mind during the journey, each stop along the way reminding me of my semester.

Dundee.

As we sat in the station, waiting for the conductor to arrive I thought about the first time I was in the Dundee station. I was with Christina, Esther and Lauren and we had just returned from Paris. Ah Paris! How excited we were and what a great time we had! As the train pulled out of the station, I looked out my window for one final glance up the hill toward the University of Dundee. I spotted the Tower building where I had history class every Monday. As we crossed the Tay I thought about our walk to Broughty Ferry, when Esther and I walked across the Tay Bridge, and the many trips to St. Andrews.

Luechars.

Ah Luechars. The stop right before reaching Dundee on the way home from Edinburgh. The stop that is nearest to St. Andrews. The stop I always remember because we have stopped at it on almost all of the train rides I went on.

Cupar.

I began thinking about all of the little adventures I went on this semester. Even the smallest of ones: hiking the Law, frolicking in the park, walking to the observatory, walking to the grocery store with Christina.

Ladybank.

This reminded me of Esther and Lauren because we always laughed at this name. We had so many great times together. I am very happy we had weekly “heart-warming family potlucks” and I am even happier at how close we grew.

Markinch. Kirkcaldy.

We passed lots of fields of sheep. Ah how I will miss seeing all the sheep! It was so wonderful when we went to Inverness because lambing season was just starting and there were tons of tiny lambs dotting the lovely Scottish hills. We also passed lots of yellow fields of rape, how they are such a vibrant color, a signature of Scotland.

Kinghorn. Burntisland. Aberdour. Dalgety Bay.

The train was creeping along the coast and I gazed out my window and looked at the sea. The waves were beating angrily on the rocks because it was super windy…either it is trying to push me out of the country or angry that I am leaving. I am able to see Edinburgh. So many adventures were had in the great city. I can see the outline of the castle and Arthur’s Seat. Oh how we hiked up that mountain!

Inverkeithing.

This is a slightly larger station and it reminded me of all the big adventures on which I embarked. Paris. Inverness. Barcelona. Liverpool. Dublin. All were amazing and I have wonderful memories from each.

North Queensferry. Dalmeny.

These are the first stops across the Firth of the Forth. As we eked our way across the bridge I was a little scared. The wind was beating so hard against the train causing it to rock back and forth. This feeling of unease reminded me of how I felt in January before leaving home to come to Dundee: nervous, excited, scared, yet knowing everything will be ok.

Haymarket.

This is our stop. Tucker and I gathered all four of our suitcases and alighted from the train. This was our final mini adventure before returning to the U.S. We found our hotel, ditched our luggage and then headed off to see Murrayfield Stadium, home of Scotland Rugby. We both purchased jerseys and headed back to our hotel.

This brings me to now. I am sitting on my bed, listening to the wind howl and the TV in the background. Before long Tucker and I are going to go find some dinner. We have to get up early tomorrow morning and head to the airport. Our flight leaves at 9:40 and we will then be on our way back to Iowa via Amsterdam, Detroit, and Moline.

I guess this is it for my updates from across the pond. Thank you for reading all about my adventures and bearing with me through this post as I realize it might have gotten a bit sentimental, but hey, I’m leaving tomorrow and had to say goodbye to lots of people so I have a right to get sappy.

Next time you hear from me I will be in the comfort of my own home!

Cheers!