a foreign introduction

i've had an itch.
one that hasn't been scratch for, well, my whole life.
it's the kind of itch that once i scratched it it exploded into a million other itches that are now driving me mad.
the travel itch it is.
and man, it's the worst/best.
this being my first trip overseas i thought it would satisfy my foreign travel desire for awhile.
wrongo- the whole time in my head i was planning the next trip.
wishing i had about 10 million dollars so i could travel constantly.
there's something about going to someone else's house that really opens your eyes.
i love seeing people in their element-
a new yorker is a different kind of beast- just like a vegan (as i like to call las vegas residents) are way different from utahns which are so different from scottish/english/welsh people. which are all way different.
it's beautiful how diverse we humans are.

so my trip began on a monday evening the 23rd of june.
even in our layover in canada i knew things were going to be different.
they are our neighbors but man americans/canadians are not the same.
then we went to dublin for a short layover- yet again surprised at how different it was from canada and america.
once we arrived in glasgow my head was spinning a bit.
a good kind of spin.
seeing the beautiful diversity of people is a real pleasure. (even if i don't particularly like some of their differences.....i can appreciate and respect it even if i don't prefer it.)

with that being said- here are some pics of our first day in a foreign land.

our flight from dublin to glasgow was itty bitty. 

i've never been to an international airport and boarded a plane by walking out to it. 

at the recommendation of the car rental folk we dined in luss. 

here's a pic or 2 of the fine loch of luss. 

the bistro

naturally when they offer tablet and irn-bru flavored ice cream you must partake. 

our american family had never heard of such flavoring. 

tablet tasted a lot like cake batter and irn bru like bubble gum- if an american flavor comparison is made. 

 respect. 

you scottish are very candid about your feelings. 

 on our drive from luss to dunvegan we partook of some of the loveliest mountain scenery i've ever seen. 

this is a taste of glencoe. 

beautiful. 

 as far as the eye could see. 

those scottish highlands are really quite something. 

panorama for good measure. 

couldn't have asked for a finer scotland introduction. 

had my first experience with driving on the wrong side of the road. 

you guys don't make it easy on us foreigners. 

teeny tiny narrow roads with rock wall banks so one wrong move is one you're going to regret. 

plus you more experienced drivers go so fast that every pass by made my heartbeat increase. 

i didn't tell my fellow passengers at the time but i was scared out of my mind. 

fake it til you make it- and don't ever tell those trusting their lives in your hands that perhaps they should second think such trust..... 

it worked out just fine, and if luck was in my favor i don't suppose my fellow travelers had any idea how mad with nervousness i was those first few days. 

i haven't driven a car since february- you see nyc doesn't require such abilities. 

sooo those 4 were extra brave to have me behind the wheel. 

nothing to crazy went down. 

i had to chastise everyone a time or 2 for backseat driving and making my already extra nervous, driving hating self, 100 times more nervous. 

a combination of nerves increased by "helpers"= wreck potential increase by about a million. 

we made it though. 

saw some city. 

loved some country. 

was wowed and awed. 

started getting really excited for what the future days held. 

different is a lovely thing to be. 

man scotland you're different is beautiful, enchanting, lovely, spectacular, magical, impressive, etc, etc, etc. 

i'm stuck inside with a possible strep throat contagion. 

it's nice to have something to reminisce about while i can't do much else. 

hope everyone's summer is spectacular.