Today has been an unbelievably long and exciting day. Long because of the traveling, which started at 7:30 am Tuesday and involved absolutely no sleep… and landed me in Edinburgh at about noon with an entire day left to explore the city… Anyway, here are the most exciting parts of my day(s?).
The traveling went better than expected
I had packed a large checked bag, a carry-on tote bag, and a backpack for luggage. What’s handy about the tote bag is that it can sit on top of the checked bag. However, that’s not so handy when the checked bag is gone and I’m left to carry my heavy bag around the airport! BUT I didn’t even have to worry about this because I was given the opportunity to check both of my bags for free!!! So, all I had to worry about was my backpack (just too easy!)
My first flight was from Chicago to Amsterdam and lasted a short 7.5 hours. When dropped off at the gate, I realized that I didn’t have to go through customs, security, or passport control. I was concerned at first, thinking I had done something wrong, because on previous trips I’ve had to go through customs even before a connecting flight.
Anyway, I decided to ask airport staff if I truly didn’t need to do ANYTHING else besides walk to my gate? And he replied “Looks like you’re a free girl! Go eat something”. I think it’s safe to say I worry more when I’m exhausted and hungry. The reasoning for this smooth transfer ended up being due to an interesting system that Amsterdam takes part in. Since I was coming from a Non-Schengen country (the US) and my final destination was also a Non-Schengen country (the UK), I didn’t have to go through customs or additional security. However, if I would have been traveling from the US to a Schengen country, such as France, I would’ve had to go through some sort of passport control.
I made a new friend!
I was sitting at my gate in the Amsterdam airport when a college-age guy came up to me and asked if I was heading to Edinburgh and if he was in the right spot (he later admitted that I “really looked like I knew what I was doing”😁). We talked for the next hour and brainstormed fun things to do in the city.
Instead of following my plan to take the bus from the airport to my hostel, I accepted his offer to have his Uber driver drop me off since it was already on the way. So THAT was easy.
We later met up at a place called The Meadows, which is a beautiful outdoor space on the University of Edinburgh campus. We got burritos (mine had veggie haggis in it!) and coffee to help us stay awake. Then, we went to Blackford Hill which was an area with lots of trails and a beautiful view of Edinburgh. We ate our burritos there on the side of a hill and walked around for a while. It reminded me a lot of the St. Olaf Natural Lands and was seemingly just as popular, if not more! There were at least fifteen dogs running off leash and plenty of people walking, running and biking along the trails.
We then decided to go explore more of the city. He showed me how to use an app for the buses and we rode around to a couple different locations. It was such good practice for when I have to do it on my own!
Long story short, we spent the entire rest of the day walking around Edinburgh, laughing and getting to know each other better. And we both successfully made it to the end of the day without giving up and falling asleep early, which is SO hard to do but also essential for setting a good sleep schedule.
I feel safe and confident
After walking around practically the entire city today, I feel confident in my ability to walk wherever I want to go. I ended up buying a SIM card at the airport so that I could have a UK phone number and data, so that definitely helps. But the city is very walkable and well lit at night. And there are always people out and about! I walked about 15 min back to my hostel in the dark and didn’t feel even the slightest bit nervous.
Overall, I could not have imagined a better way to start my trip abroad. I absolutely LOVE this city already!!! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings…
Until next time,
Clara
Comments
Sounds like an amazing beginning to a fabulous adventure! SO happy that your flights went well, and that you didn’t crash & go to sleep on arrival. Can’t wait to see more of the city…and a photo of your new friend!
So, excited for you and all the wonderful experiences you are going to have!
P.S. You do look like you know what you are doing! 😉
Clara, thank you for taking us on this journey with you. I’m so proud of you and excited for your adventures. Glad the tote bag worked out and I’m not at all surprised that it looked like you knew what you are doing! Congrats on staying awake day one, making a friend, and having fun.
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Looks like you are having a wonderful and educational time! How is it being in Scotland with the death of queen Elizabeth and with her being in Scotland? You are experiencing history.
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I sure am! It feels strange to be here while such significant historical events are happening. She was at Balmoral castle which is only about 50 miles from where I am now… crazy!