At Home in Scotland

 On the weekend, I am heading back to Scotland, which is not going to come as a surprise for those of you who know how much I love that country. It will be lucky trip 13, but in another way, it will be the first of its kind, for I am not going to play tourist, but to establish a new relationship with the wee country I call my soul's home.

 

For this visit, it's mostly just me, a smaller than usual suitcase, and my writing pen and pad. I have secured an apartment in central Edinburgh to kick off my time there, and will then head west to Glasgow to spend the better part of a month in a second rental. I have no fixed plans, although I have contacted all of my friends to let them know I'll be wandering around the Central Belt cities and would happily see each of them at their leisure.  My aim is to ground myself by living the retired writer life I dreamed of before the pandemic threw wrenches into all our lives and messed with our heads and routines. I purchased a good pair of waterproof walking boots today so I can move about comfortably, and I have loaded up the phone with audiobooks and podcasts to keep me company while I meander in new neighbourhoods. There will be a short Viking interlude near the end of my stay, but for the most part, I am looking forward to managing on my own, with a little help from my friends.

I have often joked that one day I will head across to Scotland and never come back, but the truth is that I love Canada as much as the eastern part that was once attached to its mainland before it drifted off across the Atlantic and collided with the rest of Great Britain. I am looking forward to testing the possibility of living the same ordinary life in Scotland that I enjoy at home for a prolonged period without losing the sense of awe and magic that greets me at every visit there. I suspect I will succeed, because its stunning landscapes and some truly special people have attached themselves to my heart, and shaking them off is not only impossible, but the farthest thing from my wishes. I am always so happy in their company, and love that many of them have now grown close to one another as well; they add as much great joy to my life as my family and close circle of friends do here in Toronto. I'm very lucky in that I will likely be able to manage being in two places, though not at once.

My book project centres around my Scottish experiences, which began in 2001 after the death of my father, and I'm aiming for a travelogue/memoir combination that will involve a recurring cast of great characters and the adventures that bind us; I hope to include poignant as well as hilarious moments, of which there are many, though they will all be consulted before I commit them to any page because no book is more important than the relationships we have developed and nurtured together.  I am excited to reconnect with them on this and future trips, and can think of no better place to write this book than in the land where those stories took place.