Yankee Lover

It's still amazes me that I'm in Scotland. I think I forget it sometimes. I get lost in the fun, friends, and schoolwork. Life just goes so fast. It feels like yesterday that I was doing the tedious process of filling out all the applications and writing all the essays and whatnot that got me here. But now...I'm here!

Today as I was walking from the library to my room while worrying about the dollars dwindling in my bank account (I'm going to be living off of bread and peanut butter for the next 10 years), I had to stop myself and realize that I'm in Scotland. I was literally walking past 100 year old buildings. It's quite a calming feeling.

I've been dreaming of this since...forever. Ok, maybe not forever, but for a while. I can distinctly remember wanting it my freshman year of high school. I was in Ms. Puliatti's first period English class in a room full of people I didn't know. Everyday before class, I would sit awkwardly by myself in the last row of desks by the windows as everyone talked in their little groups. I felt so out of place while all my friends were at Grissom talking to everyone in their little groups. I don't think I'd ever felt like I didn't belong like I did in that first period English class. Freshman year was such an odd time. My friends at Grissom were moving on without me while I was awkwardly stuck at Huntsville trying to figure out what group I was a part of. It was such a limbo period. I'd be perfectly happy if I never have to experience that ever again.

One day Ms. Puliatti asked the class where we wanted to live (I don't remember why...maybe it was when we were learning about the archetypal hero or something like that). No one answered, so she decided to call on people. Naturally, she called on me. I didn't have an answer in my head, so I panicked.

"Somewhere out of the South," suddenly popped from my mouth. It's not that I don't like the South. I love the South. I love Huntsville. But I've lived that, I've experienced it. I wanted to experience something else. I didn't say any of that though.

After I gave my answer, the whole class kind of gasped and gave me this weird look. One boy called me a Yankee Lover and the whole class laughed until Ms. Puliatti calmed everyone down and tried to stick up for me.

Still, I stand by my answer. I want to live somewhere different. Whether that be with the Yankees in the North or in Broughty Ferry, Scotland (my new dream home), I just want to be cultured and have a broadened view of the world. Not that living in Huntsville forever would be a bad thing. Not at all. I love Huntsville. It's such a great city that's unique in itself. But for me personally, I want to experience...everything.

So even though the stresses of friends, decisions, and classes demand most of my attention, I can relax in the fact that I'm one step closer to obtaining my goal of being cultured. By experiencing more places, I can have a more educated and holistic answer if someone ever asks me where I want to live again. And if they call me a Yankee Lover? They can get over it.