The empire biscuits at my tea house were even more fantastic than I imagined. I’ve drooled over them in the display case everytime I’ve gone in. When you come visit me, I will treat you to an empire biscuit.
Everything feels so normal. My new pal the tea shop owner asking me the correct usage of the word y’all. My almost daily pop-in at the organic food store around the corner (and the reassurance of the girl at the register that there is in fact nothing wrong with coming in every day). And as I sat in the Meadows on a bench with a plaque dedicated to Mr. Singh who always loved playing cricket on these fields, I watched all the people who noticed the beautiful weather and all had the same idea to spend the day outside and I thought this feels so normal. Am I in Scotland? The United Kingdom? Europe? I am in Europe right now. I live in Europe and it feels normal.
It seems I only tell you about the good things. I’d like to spare you my disappointment in the lack of a Scottish boyfriend or the fear of a future not living in Europe or that I might soon eat my weight in honey. I love my life here despite these things. I have too many goals that I will not let myself ignore: I want to rendezvous with Kelly in Paris, eat csigas again from the nagycsarnok in Budapest with Claire, do as much as I can to aspire to a career in the arts. In Scandinavia. Where I’ll be married and have little blonde babies in wool sweaters and mittens.
I sit here and watch the sunset out my window, in my purple hat. I love my purple hat. Almost as much as I love empire biscuits. I always seem to have good days when I wear my purple hat. Mon chapeau violet.
And because I am in a good mood and because I wasn’t brave enough to get up and dance when this song came on in Tea Tree Tea this morning, I’ll share with you the most romantic song performed by a set of Scottish twins I can think of…
It’s enlightening to see Scotland through your eyes. Mine was seen through 120 teenagers from all parts of the world yelling ‘more.’
There is a country song titled ‘You’re gonna miss this.’ Soak up the culture and the people because it will end before you know it – unless you marry a native.:)
Wade