There's this feeling you get when you set out walking through Edinburgh for the first time. It's like stepping out of a time machine and arriving in old world Europe, a place untouched by modern trends and modern time. You see the architecture of Edinburgh Castle and the buildings and monuments of the Royal Mile, you see the Scott Monument reaching into the sky and trying to poke the clouds. You hear the sound of bagpipes and you taste your first haggis... which quickly turns into a Scottish food favorite, though you're ashamed of it. You learn to appreciate whiskey and admire determination, as the country prepares to say "Yes" or "No" in a vote that could change the course of history forever. You smile when you reach the highlands, you kayak hard through the choppy waves in Uig, you look for Nessie on the shores of Loch Ness. You pay way too much to eat at a Michelin starred restaurant, and then eat a better meal at the local pub the next day. You navigate windy and narrow roads with sheep and cows being your only driving companions. You smile at the rain and you breathe deep and you just know.
