SCOTLAND- A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE

For the last three months I have been working as an intern at the Scottish Parliament. I can honestly say that I have learned more important lessons while living in Scotland then I have learned in my 3 full years of college.  Here are three of the lessons I have learned:

*A smile goes a long ways- As a tourist in Scotland and through Europe I have learned the importance of a smile. A smile really can get you a long ways. I have learned that when in doubt (especially in countries where there was a language barrier) a smile can get you through any situation. For example, when my wife and I were lost in the Paris Metro we had to ask a local for directions. We had heard that everyone in Paris speaks English, but we were still a little uncomfortable and embarrassed to ask a random person for directions in English. The first person we approached completely brushed us off, turned his back, and walked away. We figured it was most likely because we were American and assumed he spoke English. I then approached another woman and decided I was going to put a huge smile on my face and ask her the same question in English. I could tell that she recognized the smile as a warm gesture, and she was very kind. This is a very small example of when a smile got me a long ways

* Not doing something because you do not feel comfortable is a very bad excuse. If you do not go out of your comfort zone, you will not ever have the unique experiences that life has to offer.  On one of our last weekends in Scotland, my wife and I decided that we wanted to go to Ireland. We purchased plane tickets and flew to Ireland for four hours. We were able to see the beautiful country and have an incredible experience. We felt very out of our comfort zone, but we are very grateful that we had the experience. We found this concept to be very true as we traveled through Europe.

*I feel very blessed and lucky to be from the United States. I love to travel. I love to see what life has to offer. I love seeing new things and experiencing new cultures. One of the biggest reasons why I love all of these things is because it helps me remember how blessed and lucky I am to be from the United States. I love my country. I love everything about it. I love the political and social freedoms that I enjoy as a citizen of the United States of America. As great as it is to travel, one of my favorite parts is touching down at a United States airport.

 I really do feel so amazingly blessed to have had the opportunity to live overseas and have the experiences that I was able to have. I was able to visit ten countries in the last three months, and experience so many cultures. This experience has opened my eyes to the world, and all that it has to offer.

The following pictures are a compilation of some of my experiences as an intern in Scotland and my travels through Europe. I hope you enjoy!