The anticipation has been growing for months but as of today, I have one month left before I’ll experience the visions that have danced in my head, trying to suffice what is not yet real. In April, I get to scratch another goal of my life’s scavenger hunt list – visit England, Scotland, and Ireland – the Isles.
As with some goals, it’s all about timing, seizing the moment when it presents itself. I am fortunate enough to be at a place in life where I can make this trip. I am single, thankful to have a job in an unstable economy, and have saved my vacation days for over a year, all so I can take a month to explore this beautiful area of the world. As a bonus, I get to meet a friend of mine in Scotland where we will tour Scotland and Ireland together. I am thankful.
A few friends kid me saying I’ve already been there with all the research I’ve put into this trip, that I have left no room for surprises. Well, I am an event planner and any planner knows 90% of an event happens prior to it; 10% is the day of. Experience has taught me the more planning one can do during the 90%, the smoother and more enjoyable the 10% will be. My goal is to squeeze the most out of that 10%, yet I am well aware there will always be surprises.
Besides, this is not just any trip you can book from a travel agent. Believe me, I’ve tried! I have specific things I wish to see, some of which have not made it on regularly scheduled tours.
I have ancestry in the Isles. While the genealogy research has a ways to go, we do know a few locations where my ancestors may have lived, specifically in Scotland and Ireland. Ironically, Scotland’s homecoming is this year, celebrating 250 years of Scottish contributions. I look forward to stepping foot in these areas as a way of saying, “I’m home! Miss me?”
I wish to see life through my ancestor’s eyes, even if it is separated by a few generations. Being there, seeing, smelling, listening, and feeling the area where they once may have lived I hope will give me a better understanding of these relatives and shed light on my family today. I secretly wonder if I will see any family resemblances in the faces I see and the people I meet, to concretely have that sense of belonging. It would be spooky to see a two hundred year old portrait hanging in your clan’s castle that’s a spitting image of you! Such a thought is a fantasy, but I will be keeping an eye out nonetheless. ☺
I am also a Jane Austen fan. Part of the whimsy of this trip will be exploring historical and fictional places pertaining to Jane’s life and movie locations where some of her books where filmed.
I overall look to embrace the culture and the experiences I will come in contact with. I can’t believe in one month, I will be there. The trip has been booked, flights paid for, hotels reserved, tours scheduled, and travel clothes bought and tested for their quick-dry, wrinkle-free capabilities. I have a couple more arrangements to make. As for now, my body may be here, but my mind is in the Isles.
