The final chapter

At the moment that I write this weblog entry, it's been exactly a month ago since I arrived in my student room after my adventure(s) in Scotland. The first few days back in the Netherlands were a bit chaotic. I had to unpack all my bags, suitcase and the storage boxes in which I had stored most of my stuff while I was away and sublet my room. I was also very tired and still having a bit of a cold.

Guy and I stayed at his parents' place during Christmas and we stayed at my parents' until a few days after New Year. It was really good to see everyone again, although it was a bit weird to see my boyfriend's parents before I had seen mine after all those months. I was glad I could finally get rid of the Christmas presents. They had taken quite a lot of space and weight in my suitcase and I was also quite curious about what they thought of them, to be honest. I had bought most of it already during the first few weeks in Scotland and it had been hard to not tell the people at home.

It was a bit weird to hear everyone talking in Dutch again and not just the people I was with. I made me remind that I have to watch out what I was saying as well, since people could understand me now. But the weirdest of all was that it didn't feel like I had been away for four months. It was like I had been travelling by train to my parents just a week before. Life in the Netherlands continued as though I had already been home for weeks or months.

I have the month January off, because the Dutch students have the exams of their second quarter of the college year (Dutch college year: 4 quarters, Scottish college year: 2 semesters) and it was too late to sign up and join for the ongoing courses when I came back. It is so relaxing and I am really enjoying myself. I have finally some time to read the books I have bought and it's the perfect time to create the photo books of my time in Scotland. My courses will start again in February.

As you might have noticed during my weblog entries, I absolutely love Scotland. I love the people, the culture, its history and its beautiful landscape. I made a lot of trips during my stay and although they have cost me quite a lot of money, it was all worth while and I loved doing it. There are numberless beautiful places. I myself are very keen on castles and ruins, but Scotland is also the place to be if you like walking, climbing or other outdoor sports (at least: if you have an umbrella and some good waterproofs).

I had absolutely a wonderful time in Scotland. I improved my English and feel more confident when speaking it. I have seen and experienced many, many (beautiful) things and am now part of great group of friends of which I hope will meet often again, even though we might live far apart. Organising my stay in Glasgow was often very difficult and seemed sometimes even impossible, but I'm glad we hold on and it definitely made it all worthwhile in the end.

But even so, I'm also very happy to be back home again, together with my family and boyfriend. I don't feel sad that it's over, because I'm also really looking forward to what 2011 is going to bring me. On short term I'm looking forward to be with my friends again and to the new courses I will take, but I'll also have the internship for my Bachelor's this year and I'm really excited about that. And I of course hope to get my Bachelor's degree in December of this year, when I have successfully finished my last Bachelor's course.

I do miss Scotland, but departing on Edinburgh Airport the 19th of December didn't feel like a goodbye. I know I will return some day. I hope to spend my summer holiday together with my boyfriend in Scotland and see all the things I didn't had the chance to see yet. I'm even thinking about going to live in Scotland for a few year after I graduated from my Master's degree to do my PhD or to work. Either way:

I'll be back!

Love,
Samantha

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Photos: http://s1046.photobucket.com/home/MathildeCastelijns/allalbums