In England, Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated as acclaimed as it is in the States. However the program that I studied with, UCEAP, sponsored a trip for all of its students in the UK to meet in Scotland, and host a dinner plus a one night’s stay in a hostel.

The night before the dinner, my study abroad friends and I took a night bus to Scotland. We left at 10pm to arrive at 8am in the morning. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to the bus ride, and rightly so. I couldn’t sleep one bit. It was awful.

Sleepy and disoriented, we finally arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland. It had a gothic and eerie aura to it. The tips of houses like daggers in the sky, buildings covered in different shades of brick. It was like being in the scene of a Harry Potter movie. I loved it.

We spent the majority of our day walking around Christmas markets and making our way to dinner. I could help but find myself watching the locals speak in their traditional Scottish accent. It had such a nice and friendly ring to it. I also just love the fact that location changes the way people speak. It makes me wonder why they speak that way. Why do we have different accents? I think it’s because in the beginning, all of our tiny civilizations were separated, and we didn’t know others existed. Thus, each independent group created it’s own way of communicating.

After dinner, we split up into groups and went on guided tours of the city. I learned that Edinburgh was the “birthplace of Harry Potter,” where J.K. Rowling wrote some of the first chapters of Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone. I could imagine her there, using her surroundings as the backdrop of the movie. It was the perfect imitation.

The next day, my friends and I hiked what is called King Arthur’s Seat. Rolling green hills surrounded us, only to find that at the top was a steep cliff. It overlooked the entire city. From it we could see castles, cathedrals, and more stunning views of verdant hills. We spent the rest of the day looking around town and going to more Christmas markets and eating delicious food. By the time we were exhausted, it was time for us to part and unfortunately, take another night bus back to London.

I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving. It was one of those trips that were spontaneous but actually turned out well! I loved being immersed in nature again, and the spooky but inviting atmosphere of the city. I hope to go back one day and explore more of Scotland.