Plane, Plane, Bus, Train, Glasgow!

So it begins!

Saturday was my sister’s wedding day.  It was wonderful and beautiful and everyone cried a bunch. It was amazing to see the accumulation of all the work we have done over the last few months come together in one day of spectacular celebration. Once the rings were exchanged, the toasts were given and the dances were danced the evening started to wind down and the realness of my next hurdle started to hit me. For the last few weeks the wedding has been the primary focus, and leaving was just something I was going to do after the wedding. But now the wedding was over, the reception was coming to a close and people were making plans for the morning. But I wasn’t going to get to go to brunch the next day, by the time most everyone else would be waking up I would already be somewhere over Minnesota.

I got home and finished packing my bag, all put together it weighs about 43 pounds including clothing, drafting materials and tools in a duffle strapped to the bottom (fingers crossed that both pieces make it all the way through!) I didn’t think it was all going to fit but as you can see below…

To

Awe, yeah.

In the morning I woke up with a sour stomach (not from the reception, but nerves) drank some tea and started chewing peppermint gum, a trick I learned from my mechanic a couple of days ago.  If you don’t have antacids it’ll help calm an upset stomach.

Paul and I drove to the airport at 7:15am and it wasn’t until we turned off I-5 to the airport and saw all the signs for it that this finally felt real. I was going to the airport to fly away across the world. We met my parents at the United counter and I had the fastest check-in process ever and the security lines were short enough we had time for a coffee together. But soon, the time came, there was much hugging and crying and I’m going to start again if I don’t stop there.

Once my family was out of sight I was venturing deep into TSA territory, I had an interesting mix of emotions; sadness, loneliness and also a stalwart sense of independence. From this point on I will be the only person in a decent radius that cares about me, my well-being or itinerary, very far away from my wonderful support system.. It’s  a scary, yet invigorating feeling.

When I entered security I saw how much it has changed since I last flew in 2010. For those of you who don’t know, they replaced the doorway-style metal detectors with giant rectangular panels that flank you, then you turn, put your arms up in the “Hands above your head, dirt bag!” style and just wait for what I assume is a detailed picture of all your organs, bones and potentially concealed nail clippers. I heard one baggage x-ray operator exclaim very loudly to another agent

“We gotta 316 over here.” He said, “A big fat water bottle in this suitcase.” The same way a cop might say:

“We gotta big fat kilo of cocaine over here.” Or “He’s smuggling a small child in his laptop case.”  Or “We gotta flock of endangered Himalayan Parakeets.”  Utmost knowledge that the guy did something so obviously illegal and how dare he be stupid enough to bring his own hydration into hydrophobic TSA country.

I found that on the plane everyone had their own screen set in the seat ahead of them, but you have to pay for TV service. Though the welcome video still teaches you how to connect your seatbelt. At least some things never change. I ended up buying the service since it was a five hour flight and I forgot my laptop cable at home.

On the plane from Newark to Edinburgh I made friends with the older lady in the seat next to me. She gave me all kinds of good advice about getting to and from Glasgow by bus and train.

When we landed I said goodbye to my friend and walked outside into the drizzle and grey skies to the little building marked “BUS TICKETS – Edinburgh, Glasgow, London” and asked how I could get to Queen Street in Glasgow. “This bus to Haymarket then the train to Queen Street.” The man said.

At first glance, Scotland looked and felt a lot like home. Lush green lawns, and a stand of trees across from the road. It wasn't so different, not really. But I loved hearing the accents around me, the first real reminder of how far away from home I really was.

I went up to the 2^nd floor of the bus, because, really, I’m in Great Britain and immediately my backpack proved itself extremely awkward and cumbersome. It’s simply too heavy for me to comfortably pack around, a reality I was worried about but I was specifically told not to bring a rolling suitcase. Plus I had my carry on- a regular sized backpack that weighs about 13 pounds because of my laptop.

When I boarded in Seattle I didn’t have a concrete plan of how I was going to get to Glasgow from the Edinburgh Airport. This is a very big deal because I always have a plan and when things don’t go perfectly I sometimes freak out. But I’ve realized that the “I’m just going to wing it” plan will work but it really helps to do it in a place where you speak the language. I asked for directions to the train in Haymarket at least 5 times because of the massive street construction going on there. Everyone I talked to was more than willing to give me detailed directions.

The train from Edinburgh to Glasgow only took about 45 minutes through beautiful countryside and before I knew it I was standing in Queen Street Station at 11:30am. I admit though, here I paused and walked back and forth between exits unsure of what to do. The city was alive, noisy and mobile through the gatelike doors of the train station, my adventure was waiting for me, but still I hesitated. 
I knew I had to get a phone, I had to call Markee, the friend I was going to stay with and tell her I had arrived and where I was. Most importantly I had to find Wi-Fi and tell my friends and family that I was ok. Also, I had to do this in as few steps as possible because I’m not strong enough to carry my backpacks very long.

The city center of Glasgow was bustling at noon on a weekday; well-dressed people with umbrellas navigated around traffic, bikes and each other seamlessly, usually ignoring “do not walk” signs while an almost constant drizzle fell. George’s Square gave me my first real look at Glaswegian architecture. It’s mostly all stone that I believe at one point was a light brownish yellow but has all turned black and grey via pollution and time. The older buildings in city center almost all have beautiful detailing that engages passers and invites them to pay more attention to their surroundings. Many of the buildings have Roman columns, statues, and engravings into the stone but have a more solid feel to them than many buildings that use that kind of style. Elegant but practical in shades of grey.

Modern Art Museum

On the other side of the square I found a tourist information/gift shop and got directions to Argyle Street just a few more blocks south where I could get a phone. Sure enough there was such a store and I was able to get a phone, SIM card and ten pounds worth of calling/texting for 20 pounds. I’m glad the sales guy activated it for me because he kept asking me questions and I kept having no idea what he was saying. Scotland is a small country, but there are a ton of accents  and some sound like a different language. I heard one that left out the letter “T” all ‘oogether and i’ made i’ really hard oo underand.

The girl at the phone store told me that the nearest free wifi was at McDonalds down the street and she didn’t know of any other place that had it. Once my phone was activated I weighed my options and begrudgingly I headed in that direction. McDonalds was NOT the place I wanted to start my trip. In my opinion it is probably the worst American franchise to take over the planet. Sorry for the obesity and diabetes guys, our bad.

In the oddly chic fast food joint sipping on a child size coke I got Markee’s phone number out of my email and put it into my new little phone and sent her a text. While waiting for a response I re-attached my tool bag to my backpack and noticed I was getting dirty looks from the Micky-D’s staff. Even in a place as used to travelers as Glasgow I still looked like a hobo mooching off the free Wi-Fi (which I was) and re-packing a gigantic bag in the corner didn’t look the best.

By then it was almost one, when Markee was supposed to get off work and come find me. I wasn’t sure how long I had been up but I could start to feel the exhaustion creeping in and affecting my mood and thought process. I was cold, it was raining, I felt vulnerable because of my bag, I was tired and I couldn’t just find a nice bench to sit on because of the rain. So yes, friends, I found another great American franchise in which to take refuge. Starbucks. Where I almost fell asleep with my grande hot chocolate with whip. (The Starbucks staff were much nicer and accomidating. Especially when they learned I am actually FROM Seattle.)

My directions magically worked! Markee came and found me. Half an hour, a subway ride and a short walk later I had tea in hand in her living room on Paisley street.

All is well.

Things I learned today/ Questions I still have

-Is smiling at strangers just a west coast thing? I smile at most people I make eye contact with and I think I wierded out a few people in the New Jersey airport..  But luckily people waiting at the gate with me were happy enough to smile back. I think I’m going to the right place.

-Shillings don’t exist anymore; it’s just pounds and cents or “pence.” They will laugh at you if you ask about this...

-What the heck is with this country and surveillance??? Everywhere, absolutely everywhere is on camera all the time. You cannot get away from it in the city at all. 

-British pounds are a beautiful currency but extremely easy to overspend. A pound is about $1.60, so you see a sandwich for 4.99 and it's not $5 bucks, it's on the upper side of $8