Uploaded July 2016 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago

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Goodness, its taken me about the length of time I was there in Scotland to make this here video about it! I suppose its appropriate to upload on my 5 Year Anniversary on YouTube, eh?! =D

I promised you though I'd showcase the pics and vids I took while in Scotland! Ya might have to pause the screen a few times to see some of them but I was trying to follow the music. (Isn't it lovely? I had it picked out months ago, lol!) I took about 2,000 photos but out of them I found only 800+ to be worthy. I have a few photos of my group and friends they kindly shared as well. Digital cookies to anyone who can find me in the group shots too, muhahaha!! ;)

So, I was thinking I might, *repeat* MIGHT, try doing a Q/A Commentary (Ya know with my real, shy voice) answering questions you guys post about Scotland/my trip, editing, or about me. (Whatever ya want, ask away!) I wanted to talk about my trip in this video but I was afraid I'd freeze up again; doing a Q/A I thought MIGHT keep me going. But it depends on the amount of questions and how I do so I'm not promising anything yet! Lets see how it goes...I'm trying to be brave. I keep telling myself now: "If I can go to Scotland, I CAN DO THIS!" Its like my new motto, LOL!

This will be why I want to do a commentary because there's SO MUCH to tell you about what Scotland was like I can't possibly fit in this limited space! I've already written numbers of pages in Word but I'll have to summarize what matters most:
This trip was a 1st of many 1st for me: 1st time flying. 1st time being out of the country. 1st time being on my own. 1st mocha & REAL scone I ever ate. 1st time attending a Skipinnish and being asked to dance by a Scotsman with that wonderful accent! o_o (Oh why did I have to be too shy to say YES!)

I was removed way out of my comfort-zone as far away as possible! Yep, you can believe I was quite homesick and jet-lagged in the beginning, but it slowly passed. We stayed in Oban, Glasgow, and Edinburgh about a week each and went on excursions to: McCraig's Tower, Loch Lomond (aka, Nessie!) Stirling where we climbed the Wallace Monument and toured Stirling Castle, the ruins of Douglass Castle, St. Andrews, Glamis Castle (aka Macbeth!) and saw some Highland Games, Linlithgow Palace & Blackness Castle, Arthur's Seat, and 7 of us went on a special all day excursion up the west coast/Inner Hebrides (aka Dragon land where Cowell was inspired to write HTTYD!) and explore the Isle of Mull, Iona, and Fingals Cave! The latter two excursions were by far my favorites! But I ♥ it ALL and did countless things in-between! (Did you Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes fans catch some of those pics in Edinburgh? ;)

It was amazing seeing how different yet also similar Scotland and the Scots are to my home near East TN, particularly some of the landscape. In ways it made me appreciate it more and made me realize a lot of what I take for granted - like MY LIFE HERE! My bed, my parents/pets, home-cooked meals, cars driving on the right side of the road, the sun NOT setting till 11:00 pm+ every night, ICE, air conditioner, wifi...TO name a few! I saw what really matters most in life just by walking outside with some friends snapping memories with my camera, or how giving kindness by buying a cup of tea for someone lasts forever, simply how God just works in EVERYTHING! Hey, and guess what? a hardcore dragon fan like us was in my class! Oh we hit it off and are FFL now, but, WHAT ARE THE ODDS? There were only 27 of us out of all of TN. That was God's planning, in the grand design!
I learned some valuable life-lessons about myself however too. I thought by taking this trip it would somehow change me; that I would come back socially a new person that people would like and be proud of. I would not say it changed me per-se, but rather - if anything, it changed my perspective. Ultimately, it forced me to realize and accept who I really am, along with, who I am not. And I'll never be a totally self-reliant, social butterfly with no fear; I'm just a shy, naive little hick with good grades and big dreams. And hey, glass half-full, there's no end to learning and seeing what one can do! This journey that shook my confidence - in the best ways, mostly; these people I was stuck with for 3 weeks who turned into family, it was all a "God-thing" I'm blessed and grateful to have had this opportunity. As one friend kept saying: "WE'RE IN SCOTLAND BABY!" WHOOO-WHOOO!! =D
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Video #142
info in vid!
Time: 3 weeks
PS: Can you believe it: A video with all my own footage and I STILL get a copyright claim. Yes I know the music is not mine but C'MON I respect that and gave credit! Thank you YT. This was one I could have monetized. Instead I get that annoying card :/