This Scottish Life #3

February 14th, 2000

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I now have exactly 3 weeks before I leave. Excited just doesn’t seem to completely explain how I’m feeling right now.

I finally booked my London-Edinburgh train ticket on Friday (it ended up costing me only £23). I had tried to book the ticket online but found out that GNER only has their site set up for people within the UK (although I was told they are just doing that as a trial right now and are hoping to expand so that you can reserve a ticket from anywhere in the world).

Anyway, I ended up calling their number in the UK directly (just as a little side note, the guy that I talked to was really friendly and helpful…especially after he knew I was Canadian…so I would definately recommend booking through GNER). I don’t yet have my ticket but it was being set in the mail and I should probably get it within about a week (I hope!!).

So, now with that taken care of…I just had accommodation to look after. Since I began planning this trip I’ve made a few really great contacts and, after asking a girl (who is actually in Edinburgh on a working holiday) about hostels, I was invited to ‘doss’ on her floor when I arrive. Now, to me (and my other Canadian friends), if someone was going to doss on your floor, you would at least give them a bucket…but you surely would never invite them to go for it.

I wrote her back an e-mail to get this term explained to me and was told it is simply slang for crashing at someone’s place temporarily…sort of like mooching off some hospitality.

I’m really excited about this ’cause she seems really nice and her flatmates seem like a lot of fun so at least I know I won’t be really lonely for the first few days. I do sort of feel bad about imposing on her but I suppose it’s only a normal sort of thing to do when you are travelling all alone. Anyway, my dad is just happy I have somewhere to stay so I won’t be sleeping in a cardboard box or anything.

So, I guess that’s all that’s happened really since I wrote last. The butterflies in my stomach have been having some wild parties I think. It’s a very strange feeling. I’ve got this huge mix of excitement and adrenaline and fear and sadness and yet through all of that this overwhelming sense of calm and balance because I know that I am doing the right thing and because everything is just working out so well.

I’m trying to think about what these next three weeks will be like. It’s going to be really difficult to say goodbye to everyone I care about here. I know it’s not as though I’ll never be home and I know that I will keep in touch with everyone as often as I can, but I also know I’m going to miss my family and my friends an awful lot.

I’m trying to spend as much quality time as I can with the people in my life but I need to make sure that I don’t forget to get all of the other little things done as well. I can totally see myself the day before my trip rushing around trying to do all these last minute things and going through some major stress. I really would rather spend my last few days at home just relaxing and all…and being confident that I wasn’t going to show up in London and realize I forgot my passport or something like that (don’t laugh…I had a dream that I was going through customs and realized I didn’t have my passport…ahhhh!!)

I think I know deep down that everything will be fine and I’ll have the best time of my life but it’s just going to take a little while to get that feeling to be more than just deep down.

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