Heading home

Christa starting to pack up. (I can't write what she was muttering before I took out the camera)

I find myself having a difficult time trying to sum up this past year. We arrived last August full of excitement and apprehension about what lay in front of us, and now were on the other side trying to process it all. We're often asked "how was your year?", or "are you excited to go home?", and we mostly find ourselves stumbling over our words in an attempt to crystalize our thoughts. I guess the simple answer is that our year in Scotland has been a wonderful experience, filled with challenges and triumphs.

The kids began life at a new school, far from their friends and familiar activities, and grew in so many profound ways. Christa and I are proud of their courage throughout this exchange as they adapted to a foreign country and navigated their way through "brilliantly". The family has pushed togetherness to new extremes this year in a smaller house (the kids shared a room all year), and a lot of car time. In spite of the inevitable sibling squabbles here and there, we're leaving with a wealth of shared experiences and special memories.

Making the walk towards school for some last pictures

A little tree trekking

Catching Olympic Fever in Edinburgh

Christa held the family together (literally, you should see/feel the wind over here) more than anyone will ever know. She took responsibility for so much of our daily life during the school year, including the important job of personal therapist when I got home from school each day. All of this when she really just wanted to visit Hawaii for a couple weeks of sunny beaches and warm weather. (I did manage to get her to an island at least)

Teaching abroad was a unique opportunity which I will always cherish. The unfortunate part of the process is that once you get your feet underneath you and start to figure out how everything works, it's time to go home. It was fascinating to study a different educational system and I certainly learned a great deal about teaching, as well as Scottish kings of the Middle Ages. Overall I'm thankful for the many friendships that were made throughout the year, and I have some wonderful memories of my time at St. Columba's.

One of my white boards on the last day of school

This poster summarizes the school's Scholastic Olympics competition between the three houses at St. Columba's. I organized the History part.

A large part of pursuing this exchange was the opportunity to be immersed in another culture. Our day to day life in Scotland has enabled us to experience life in a way we never could on a traditional vacation. One of the Fulbright motto's is "say yes to everything", and we have. Throughout the year we have all thrown ourselves into new situations, often times stepping out of our comfort zone. This exchange allowed us to take part in so many new opportunities, and travel to wonderful locations that we feel very fortunate to have been selected for the Fulbright program. It truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Enjoying the view before leaving Edinburgh for the last time

It's time to close the book (blog?) on this amazing year.  A big thank you for all the well-wishes and support from friends and family back home. Your messages of encouragement meant a lot. We hope you've enjoyed keeping track of our experiences and feel that in some way you've been along for the ride. Heartfelt appreciation to our friends here in Scotland who have welcomed us into your lives during our stay- you will be missed. Finally, a special thanks to Christa and the kids who were daring enough to join dad on this amazing adventure, I hope that this experience empowers all of us in the future. We've had a fantastic year, but it's time to go home now.

The End

Hadrian's Wall

Our last two weeks here is feeling a bit like cramming for a test- we're frantically trying to fit in any remaining small trips we've missed or that can be realistically done again. Number one on the list for myself, and thus the captives in the car, was a stop at Hadrian's Wall in Northumbria, England. Hadrian's Wall was a Roman fortification dating back to the second century. It effectively marked the northern frontier of the Roman Empire and intended to keep the "barbarians" away. Located just a few hours away from Dunfermline, there was time for one last trip down to England for more history sites!

Town center in Jedburgh. The decorations are for Armed Forces Day.

The Judburgh Abbey. There are a number of "Border Abbeys" scattered throughout southern Scotland. This one was granted Abbey status in 1154.

Looking back towards Scotland

We stopped at the Scotland/England border to stretch our legs and take a few pictures. Whether by train or car, passing through the Scottish Borders into Northumbria has been one of our favorite areas of Britain this year. The landscape reminds us a bit of home at times, but the stone fences, patches of forest, and wandering sheep give it a unique feel.

Bound for England one last time

Construction of Hadrian's Wall began in the year 122. Running approximately 73 miles long, the wall originally measured about ten feet wide and twenty feet tall. There were a number of forts along the wall, including Housestead Fort shown below. Each fort held about 500 Roman soldiers.

Remains of the hospital building at Housestead Fort

Ainsley hopping around in the former granary building

Ainsley perched on a section of the wall. Most of the stones were removed over the centuries as the Romans left Britain and locals needed materials for the their homes or farms.

Northumbria with blue skies. A bit deceiving since this has been the wettest summer ever (well, since they've been keeping track of weather).

The local sheep love Roman ruins too!

The Cawfield Milecastle and wall.

Before leaving we visited the Roman Army Museum. Very modern with a 3D movie and interactive exhibits, the four us learned great deal about Roman life in Britain.

Will posing with a Legionary and Auxiliary (non-Roman citizens) soldiers

Ainsley testing out her archery skill

Celtic and Roman chariots

Highland Roadtrip

With school finished and our time in Scotland running out, we loaded up the car and headed north to see a bit of the Highlands. Besides wanting to visit some beautiful scenery, we had one more Harry Potter sight on our list, as well as the long-anticipated visit to Loch Ness.

Ainsley posing with a highland cow we found on the way up north

The mountains of Glen Coe. A beautiful valley on the way north through the Highlands. There is a sad story of the Glen Coe massacre in 1692 but we'll let you look that one up on your own.

We made our first stop at Fort William. Located at the base of Britian's highest peak, Ben Nevis, this was our departure point for the Jacobite Express. This scenic rail journey is widely known from the early Harry Potter films. We also discovered that Fort William is home to Neptune's Staircase which you see below.

Neptune's Staircase in Fort William. These are a series of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal, connecting  Loch Linnhe to the sea.

Boats at the top of Neptune's Staircase. It takes about 90 minutes to pass through all the locks.

Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles at 4,409 feet.

The Jacobite Express

For you Potter fans, this was our last Hogwarts-related visit. The Jacobite Express was used in the early films when the students are making their way to Hogwarts. Movie connections aside, this is known as one of the more scenic rail journeys in the world .

Loading up on the Hogwarts Express

Crossing the Glenfinnian viaduct. No flying cars in sight.

Heading back to Fort William

After Fort William we crossed over to the Isle of Skye.The island was beautiful with dramatic mountains and gorgeous views at every turn. Skye was surprisingly very quiet as well, with minimal tourists (or seemingly residents). 

Approaching the Isle of Skye

Taking a scenery break while we hiked to the base of The Storr. The Storr are a series of dramatic cliffs on the Trotternish Penninsula. The Sound of Rassay is in the background.

Will at the base of The Storr cliffs. This open area below the rocks is known as "the Sanctuary".

Kilt Rock is  a 200 foot high sea cliff. It's called Kilt rock because the pleats on the cliff resemble a kilt.

A quick beach stop as we wound our way around Skye

A lone post box in Skye

The town of Portree in Skye. We've seen many little seaside towns with brightly-colored harbor fronts, but it's still charming and we haven't gotten tired of it a bit.

Harbor in Portree

Eileen Donan Castle. We read that it is the most photographed castle in Scotland, so we gave into peer pressure and took a picture.

If you remember the old 1970's t.v. series "In Search Of...", you might remember an episode about the Loch Ness Monster. As a result of that episode I spent many years of my youth dreaming about visiting Loch Ness and sighting Nessie. Years later, I was excited to drive along the shores of Loch Ness and "monster watch" with the kids. We made a stop at Urquhart Castle to tour the castle grounds and take a look for the monster, but we were left without any official Nessie sighting. Before moving on there was a stop at the Loch Ness Experience to learn more about the history of the Loch Ness Monster and the possible explanations. We all learned a great deal about the history of Nessie, and left with our own ideas of what the truth might be, as well as a couple souvenirs. I may not have captured an image of the Loch Ness Monster, but I have a cool fridge magnet.

Urquhart Castle, with a history dating back to the 8th century.

Standing besides the trebuchet at Urquhart Castle. This siege engine was recreated for the television special Secret of Lost Empires in 2002.

North end of Loch Ness

Southern View of Loch Ness from Urquhart.

Nessie!?

After continuing north we stayed outside of Inverness in Nairn. There is beautiful beach area at this former Victorian-era resort town to explore. Interestingly, the beach was also used as a training ground for infantry soldiers prior to the WWII Normandy Landings in 1944.

Foggy Nairn Beach

On the way home we stopped for lunch in Perthshire at the town of Dunkeld. The sun was out and we enjoyed a picnic by the river before driving the last bit home. Across the river in Birnam we visited a Beatrix Potter Exhibit. Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, spent much of her summer-time youth in this area of Perthshire.

The Tay River flowing through Dunkeld

A little reading time at the Beatrix Potter exhibit.