Valentine’s Day has a new meaning this year as I fall more and more in love with the place that has become my home while on exchange. Forget chocolates and roses, this year is all about appreciating the incredible landscape around me. I did not know very much about Edinburgh, Scotland before flying three thousand miles from home, but it did not take long to see that I was in the most amazing city.
It’s narrow, winding streets, its breathtaking landmarks like St. Giles Cathedral and the Scott monument, the humbling summit of Arthur’s Seat, and the unmistakable castle upon the volcanic rock all culminate to such a striking, magical, and timeless city. The merge of such ancient, Gothic, and modern elements makes this city unlike any other, and with each day it becomes harder to want to leave.
I feared this honeymoon phase wouldn’t last, but I can happily say that I am still as spellbound by everything I see as I walk along the streets as I was during my first few days. I probably have over one hundred photos of the castle alone, but every time I see it I feel compelled to capture it once again. I truly cannot get over the views that I am fortunate enough to wake up to everyday. I love living like a local but still feeling like a tourist, because I never want that awe-inspiring feeling to fade.
Studying in Edinburgh has allowed me to meet such amazing people, and most of my closest friendships were made here with people that share my same wanderlust as I do. Getting to meet and converse with people from all over the world has been such a privilege, and it is one of the things I will miss the most about study abroad. My only complaint is how fast time flies by here, but I know that can only be attributed to how wonderfully busy, and happy I’ve been here.