I’m afraid I have become addicted to a little something called DSL. And….I am afraid that there is no cure. DSL is something my tour guide of the highlands introduced me to, and it is called “Deep Scottish Love”. It can happen in many different ways - but it’s when you lose your breath and feel awe over something that has happened to you in Scotland.
My first DSL moment was over my highlands tour guide, Kay. First off - if you are thinking of booking a tour in Scotland do a Haggis Tour, it was absolutely brilliant. Our tour guide was this cute little Scottish red head with a fiery personality. She always made sure that her strawberry rain boots coordinated with the bow in her hair and her kilt. She had no issues with putting feisty passengers in their place if they talked while she was talking or being naughty in some other sense. She called people “muppets” and told them to “fuck it” if they were bothering her. She even created a sign that said “sleepy twat” for one of the passengers in our group she liked to tease. In my opinion, she would make an awesome teacher. Her knowledge and passion for Scottish history was phenomenal. I learned so much during my 3 days with her. She was the one that told us about the DSL in the first place. She was, by far, one of the greatest tour guides I have ever had and she hasn’t even been doing it that long!
My second DSL moment came when I entered the highlands. Imagine rolling hills turning into mountains, but they are mysteriously covered in heavy clouds. At first you are a bit upset because you want to see the top of the mountains but then you are mesmerized by the atmosphere that they create. You wonder - how high does the mountain go? It is completely up to your imagination as to what that mountain looks like under the clouds. And then, every now and then the clouds will clear and you will catch a glimpse of beautiful land. This happened to me on the Isle of Skye, which I highly recommend any person that goes to Scotland goes to see. The history is also so alive in the area. The highlands is where I learned about how to make a kilt, the history behind the Scottish fighting the English and also where I ate haggis for the first time.
My third DSL moment came when I came back to Edinburgh after the highlands. I made some of the greatest connections with people that I am still missing incredibly now as I write this in Stockholm. I’ve met people that had the travel bug like me and it is just so wonderful to be able to experience new things with people that are into it as much as you are. Saying goodbye to these people have been hard, and the DSL is still lingering in my brain.
I’m onto a new part of my trip. No more tours for awhile, less people to meet, language barriers….and I am not going to lie, it has been a bit hard. I miss the friends that I have made in Ireland and Scotland, and I am also starting to think about my home friends as well. The beginning part of my trip has just been so fantastic that now I feel like nothing will compare to my amazing July. The DSL will continue to stay in my heart for awhile I think. I’m hoping that I will eventually be able to move on, but not forget all the great things that have come from it.
