"The Scot's are the friendliest people!!" was my first thought when a young married coupled helped navigate Pilar and I back to our friends' flat shortly after midnight on New Years. It all began when we had the bright idea of separating ourselves from the group in order to arrive at the flat party early - with no data and no wifi to rely on. However, these sorts of past midnight escapades is what has laid the foundation to Pilar and my eight and half year (and counting) friendship. Up until this trip it had been close to three years since we had last seen each other in person. Neither the time nor the distance altered the dynamic of our friendship. We picked up right where we left off.
To say a few words about this city - my first visit to Edinburgh was roughly five years and one month earlier when at the time, Pilar was living there with her boyfriend. I jumped on the chance of visiting them and OH MY how I instantly fell for this city! Mind you, this is the only city in the UK that I have (YET) travelled to. I can only summarize Edinburgh as a gloomy yet cozy, whimsical hidden gem with great pints, macaroni pie and a castle in the middle of the city! I told myself I had to come back here, and naturally when the opportunity presented itself I seized it! Ahhh there is something about this cold city that warms my heart.
What does one do in this magical city? Speaking for Pilar and I we...bustled through the city centre (Princes St.) including the Christmas Market, celebrated and visited with friends, ate and drank...I had my fill on pub [veggie] burgers with chips and a few pint (a personal goal I happily fulfilled), got lost (hehe), ate shortbread, went to the castle...etc.
OH and it was New Years Eve! Watching the fireworks over the castle in a mucky park was simply put, a special end to one decade and the beginning of the next. People often complain about NYE and having it not be a big deal when personally I find it to be quite a spectacular event -- a reflective closure of the past with a hopeful/aspiring outlook towards the future.
On a parting note - if the rest of the UK is anything like Edinburgh then I am in for a treat. That being said, the Highlands is on the top of my travel list. Purely romantic feels.
P.S. Thank you to Tim and Idriss for letting us cozy up on your couch and providing us with... treats ;) And thank you to Christian for hosting us at your swag NYE Party (and allowing me a shot of your Jägermeister, as well as the best Welsh cakes a non-UK girl has ever tasted).
P.PS. Thank you Pilar for years of friendship, laughs, advice, adventures, and putting up with my attempt at the Scottish dialect -- ya wee little lassie (don't scoff till you've heard me ;) )
And Thank YOU dear reader for letting me share my story with you!!
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