Day 1: We landed Monday morning and ate breakfast at our hotel, walked around Edinburgh, Scotland. We went to Real Mary's Close and the Dungeons of Edinburgh tours. Real Mary's Close is an old street that was accidentally built on top of- we were able to go down and see what the town use to be like and how they tried to prevent the black plague from spreading. In the dungeon tour, we learned all about Edinburgh in the 18th century and how people were treated- Scotland is brutal with their witch trials, tortue devices, and myths of cannibals.
Day 2: We explored the Edinburgh Castle and went to the Elephant Cafe, which is where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter. At night, we went to a ghost tour. We walked around the town late at night and were told famous stories of hauntings in Edinburgh.
Day 3: We left for Inverness, Scotland. We stopped at Rosslyn Chapel, where the final scenes of the Da Vinci Code take place. Then we went to Stirling Castle and drove through a national park. We spent the night at Culloden House, which is Forbes' ancestral estate.
Day 4: We went to Culloden Battlefield and explored their museum. We then rode a boat in search of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. We explored Urquhart Castle for a bit and went to eat lunch and then drove through Glen Coe. We spent the night at Inverlochy Castle and explored the highlands.
Day 5: We went to Lochmond and ate lunch there while exploring the town. We then drove to Glasgow, Scotland. We went to a couple museums and prepared for my dancing. At night, we went over to watch some other Chicago dancers.
Day 6: Dance day! It went great. I danced to my best potential and my teachers said it was absolutely beautiful. This made me happy because I couldn't of asked for a better way to end my competitive dance career- I danced at worlds, and placed in the top half. It was a fantastic day!
Caroline,
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what you might be feeling like. Throughout elementary school and high school I played volleyball, and in high school is when I decided to play volleyball year-round. I would play the regular school season, take a two or three week break and then club season would start and I'd be gone on weekends traveling to different cities/states with my team, and in the summer when club would end we'd begin summer-season to prepare for the fall. I grew so much throughout the sport, made my best friends, and my teams became a second family for me. I came to Bradley and played on the club team for two years, junior year of college I made the choice to stop playing to focus on work and school. It was a hard choice to make because I always saw volleyball as something I'd do forever, but now I just play pick up games. One of the best things my mom always told me was to leave my heart on the court, and I believe you did the same thing on stage when you were at Worlds.