A Day In Edinburgh
“Tell me how does God choose?
Whose prays does he refuse?
Who turns the wheel?
Who throws the dice?
On the day after tomorrow.”
Day After Tommorow, Tom Waits
I am without Matt now. He’s headed back to continue his own journey in the States. He just missed his friends, his community, more than he thought he would. So after more than a month of living out of his overloaded blue backpack he is headed home.
I won’t lie, I’m going to miss him. We had some great talks and heated discussions. I learned a bit more about him and I suppose he learned something’s about me as well.
For the last couple of days I’ve walked the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m staying with my friend Ruth and her wonderful flat mates. Yesterday I climbed King Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that overlooks the city. It was a good little hike, nearly 900 feet or so above sea level. The view was spectacular. Sprawled out beneath the walls of Edinburgh Castle is a city with a diverse culture and no dearth of great buildings dating back hundreds of years.
But today, as I walked amongst these history-laden streets, loneliness swept over me like a cold ocean wave. Not the kind of loneliness that is reminded by the presence of others but a loneliness that is reminded by nothing but time, and even then it might not go away.
So with loneliness as my traveling companion I walked the hour and a half it took me to arrive at the Botanic Gardens. The gardens were dying and that made them all the more beautiful. Leaves, colored yellow, red and brown, fell from trees as a light but cool breeze blew through the branches.
I watched children roll in piles of leaves, mothers standing to the side laughing and taking pictures. But at the end of the day I was feeling much better. I ate dinner with the girls and watched a few minutes of the Fresh Prince with a girl from Singapore (thanks Doreen).
Now I’m editing a few pictures, listening to Tom Waits and trying to bang out a coherent blog entry for those of you who still read this crazy mish mash I write.
Know that I am missing everyone back in the States, from Seattle to Atlanta and everywhere in between (or above, or wherever you may be).
Matt atop Hornhead. The wind was blowing good that day.
Some moss I found in the rock garden section of the botanic. It's native to New Zealand and smells like honey when it flowers.
Whose prays does he refuse?
Who turns the wheel?
Who throws the dice?
On the day after tomorrow.”
Day After Tommorow, Tom Waits
I am without Matt now. He’s headed back to continue his own journey in the States. He just missed his friends, his community, more than he thought he would. So after more than a month of living out of his overloaded blue backpack he is headed home.
I won’t lie, I’m going to miss him. We had some great talks and heated discussions. I learned a bit more about him and I suppose he learned something’s about me as well.
For the last couple of days I’ve walked the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m staying with my friend Ruth and her wonderful flat mates. Yesterday I climbed King Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that overlooks the city. It was a good little hike, nearly 900 feet or so above sea level. The view was spectacular. Sprawled out beneath the walls of Edinburgh Castle is a city with a diverse culture and no dearth of great buildings dating back hundreds of years.
But today, as I walked amongst these history-laden streets, loneliness swept over me like a cold ocean wave. Not the kind of loneliness that is reminded by the presence of others but a loneliness that is reminded by nothing but time, and even then it might not go away.
So with loneliness as my traveling companion I walked the hour and a half it took me to arrive at the Botanic Gardens. The gardens were dying and that made them all the more beautiful. Leaves, colored yellow, red and brown, fell from trees as a light but cool breeze blew through the branches.
I watched children roll in piles of leaves, mothers standing to the side laughing and taking pictures. But at the end of the day I was feeling much better. I ate dinner with the girls and watched a few minutes of the Fresh Prince with a girl from Singapore (thanks Doreen).
Now I’m editing a few pictures, listening to Tom Waits and trying to bang out a coherent blog entry for those of you who still read this crazy mish mash I write.
Know that I am missing everyone back in the States, from Seattle to Atlanta and everywhere in between (or above, or wherever you may be).
Matt atop Hornhead. The wind was blowing good that day.
Some moss I found in the rock garden section of the botanic. It's native to New Zealand and smells like honey when it flowers.
posted by Corey at 1:02 PM
1 Comments:
Corey-
It's Amanda. The occasional inhabitant of the Abbey. Just wanted to let you know that I'll be in Dublin from the 4th of Nov. through the 13th. If you're around, I'd love to grab a pint or two with you. Let me know. Dana sends a hug along.
amandavchan[at]gmail[dot]com
Cheers.
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