Before you start conjuring up images of little chinese dolls bobbing their heads and singing or get the song stuck in your head, hear me out.
I always thought of the world as this unknown place that was completely beyond me, somewhere waaay beyond my comfort zone. I saw buses as places for the less fortunate, a place full of germs. I saw downtown alleys as places where drugs were sold, and I was perfectly content living my suburban life. I was afraid of what was beyond my circle of influence.
But now that I've been out of the United States for about three months, and have begun to call my home Belfast, I've realized how much more there is to the world, and to life. The "world" isn't just some intangible idea, it's a place I've gotten closer to touching with my own fingertips. The "world" is both good and bad. It is both the bent, homeless man on the streets of Edinburgh and the smiling, hard-working bus driver. The "world" is both the shady strip club on Grassmarket street, and the beautiful, exquisite St. Peter's Cathedral. Both the littered, gum-freckled streets of Scotland and the glassy, reflective lake with the pure white swan balancing on top. The "world" is full of strangers with unknown stories sitting on the bus next to me reading their newspapers or laughing at their inside jokes, and full of new friends with beautiful hearts and beautiful families. The "world" is contrasted. There is the definitely the ugly and the beautiful, the detestable and the splendid. I choose to be careful but unafraid, to explore and not hide.
All that to say that Edinburgh was beautiful, I loved Princes Street, the Royal Mile and Edinburgh castle the best, and we had a lovely apartment where I was able to relax and grow closer to my friends. It was such a nice Thanksgiving Break, although I did miss gathering with my family and meeting my cousin's new boyfriend...I still had a fantastic time.
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