July 28, Monday

We’ve come full circle … we’re back in Edinburgh.  63 days ago we landed in Edinburgh at the start of our journey.

We’ve had a really special adventure this summer, and I’m a little sad to see it end.

I’m also looking forward to getting home.  We’ve all become a bit travel-weary, and school starts just five days after we get back.  The kids and I both have started to turn our thoughts more and more to the things we need to be doing at home to get ready.  Isabella starts her first year of high school, and Holden begins middle school this year, so we have a  couple of big “firsts” coming up.

We had a conversation about what we’re looking forward to the most about being home.  Most of us said something like “seeing Max” or “sleeping in my own bed” but Holden said, “I want to sit in my room with the door closed.”

I think most of us are feeling a bit that way.  We’re all a bunch of introverts and we do enjoy our alone time … aside from Josie.  She’s the one extrovert outlier in our family.  We’ve been together 24/7 for 63 days now, and I think we could all use a spell sitting in our rooms with the doors closed.  A little solitude can really recharge a battery.

Here is a good example of Holden’s body language in most of the photos taken over the past few days.  He’s enjoyed the trip very much, but he’s quite done now, thank you.

I love the sky in this one.  It’s a view from the top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh.

It was really hot today and we had to climb the hill to get here.  I was excited about seeing the artist cooperative gallery at the top, but sadly they are closed on Mondays.  No art for us.  (Adam was in the background fist-pumping and going yesssssss!)

The kids always perk up when they’re allowed to climb on something.  Isabella is determined to conquer the world someday.  Her biggest teenage frustration is that she’s not allowed to start doing it for another 4 years.  This is her “I’m a champion!” pose.

Adam wanted a shot with the kids in front of this background but was having a hard time getting one in which all three kids had their eyes open at the same time.  I said something stupid, like “boogers,” and got them laughing.

That pointy tower in the distance is The Scott Monument, erected to honor Sir Walter Scott.  Bill Bryson called it a “Gothic rocket ship.”  It was started in 1840 and completed in 1844.  I’ve wanted to climb to the top ever since we saw it two years ago, but it costs £4 per person (x 5 people = too expensive).  Today Adam offered to sit at the base with the kids and let me go up by myself.

On the way … this statue of Wellington.  It’s hard to look regal with a seagull on your head.  Oh, the indignity! 

Here is the Scott Monument in all it’s creep glory.

And here I am on the first level – me in the straw hat on the left side.  The tower is 200 ft 6 inches tall and contains 287 steps to get to the top.  There is no lift or elevator … just a very tight spiral stone staircase.  

Meanwhile, the kids are bored and way too hot.  Adam has promised we’ll go for ice cream when I get back down.

Now I’ve made it to the second level.  I’m waving and tiny, but you can still see me. 

Now I’m on the third level.  You have to look very closely.

And here I am at the very top.  Even with a zoom in, it’s hard to see me.  It’s a very high tower.

The kids have settled in.  They are counting the seconds until ice cream and cold drinks.  Josie is playing with her hair because she’s hard up for entertainment at the moment and Holden is being worthless.

The weather the past 10 days or so has been unbelievably good.  

After ice cream at a small cafe, we went back to the Royal Mile.  We spent several days exploring this stretch of street two months ago, but back then it was raining and really cold.  Today was much nicer.

Isabella bought a leather-covered journal with handmade paper at this kiosk.  It was £13 of her own money, which is notable since she’s been a notorious tightwad this whole summer.  She’s saving money for a car when she turns 17 (the driving license age in Georgia now) and it takes something mighty fine to get her to part with any of it.

This artist was making paintings with spray paint.  His other equipment was just wadded up newspaper, some tin plates, and scraps of torn painting paper.  He was so fun to watch an entire crowd had gathered.  Holden, who has never shown an interest in art in his entire life, was mesmerized.  He said loudly, “Now this is art!”

The artist was only asking £25 per piece, but he already had quite a line of people waiting.  Isabella and Josie wanted to pool their funds and buy one together, but we didn’t have time to wait for our turn.  It took him around 15 minutes to make a painting.  People “commission” one and tell him what general color scheme they’d like, then stand back to watch the magic.  We had to turn in the rental car before 5 p.m. and just didn’t have the time.  I would have purchased one just because of Holden’s interest; the fact that Isabella and Josie wanted to buy one with their own money was extra special.  Alas, it was not meant to be.

July 29, Tuesday

This morning I had a message chat with my friend Charlie.   He told me that he’s planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail as soon as he gets enough money saved up.  I encouraged him to keep a journal …. it’s hard to understate how important this silly little blog has become to us.

On a long journey, time gets weird.  You are forced into living in the present moment, so each day is interesting and seems long.  However, time also flies by, too.  Before you know it, whole weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye.

Adam and I both have been shocked at how much we forget when we’re on the road for more than about a week.  We refer back to our blog, even years later, to jog our memories about what we did, where we went, what happened when we were there.  It became really apparent on this trip as we did a big circle and in the last week we returned to places we visited two months previously.

I would encourage everyone to keep a journal when they take a journey.  Along with the photos, it documents a special time in your life (and especially of your kids’ lives, if you have them) that will never happen again.

Today this journey for us is coming to an end.  We’ll be home in just a few short hours, which is hard to fathom right now, sitting at the Edinburgh airport.  We’re anxious to get home and back to our normal lives, but also have already started planning our next journey.  We’re hoping to spend Christmas break 2014 in Hong Kong.

Until next time!!

Brenda, Adam, Isabella, Holden and Josie.