What I really did on my Olmsted vacation…
As I sit here on La Petite Côte of Senegal and watch women walk the beaches with bowls of mangoes balanced atop their heads, it feels like my trip to Scotland is many days and many degrees removed from my current reality. Still, I would be remiss if I did not write at least one non-running blog entry that documented a really worthwhile hike up north that was spent with some fantastic individuals.
No, I was not just in town for the whisky. But if my interest in said victual happened to intersect with my visit objectives….
For those of you who are unfamiliar with my business in Senegal, I will recap by saying that I was selected to be a part of the Olmsted Scholar program. This great honor allows military officers to pursue a master’s degree in non-English speaking universities around the world. The overarching goal of the program is to shape future military leaders who are educated broadly- and accordingly I hope to one day use the skills gained during this tour in future billets as a naval officer.
Being an Olmsted Scholar means eschewing comforts of cultural convention and trying new things. Even if they sound downright unsavory.
And while I didn’t vote for Edinburgh as the city for our ladies getaway, I was kinda excited to find an excuse to come back. This city has so much to offer.
The weekend spent in Scotland were organized as an effort to get some women of the program together for a few days of holiday, camaraderie, and above all an exchange of shared experience. Sure the bulk of the ladies might be spouses of Olmsted scholars, but this distinction doesn’t detract from their highs and lows associated with living in a foreign country. As for me, I was really looking forward to four days of girl time.
Many of us may have met as strangers at the start of the trip, but we quickly learned that we had a whole lot in common. We found plenty to talk about from the moment we set down our luggage and started talking.
I’m a bit of a serial traveler, and as such I can affirm that trip planning is a time consuming and detail intensives endeavor. It’s also incredibly worthwhile. Having said that, I will let you know that this weekend was in no way the product of my own organization or foresight- and for that I was incredibly grateful to Susan, our ladies weekend planner. She researched, reserved and booked almost every aspect of our trip.
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh hasn’t lost an ounce of its gritty, Lothian splendor. Here I once brought my seventeen year old brother on a whisky tasting tour, and followed that up by purchasing him a full-size battle axe. I know, I’m the best sister ever.
The ladies who were able to attend flew in from Italy, Morocco, France, Germany, Belgium, and Poland. Oh yeah and Senegal. Same-same. (Photo stolen from Carrie’s excellent blog. I hope she doesn’t mind!)
For our trip we really could not have picked a more beautiful location: Castle on the hill, rolling greenery…we felt like we were walking around in a storybook.
The ability to catch up with good friends and partake in meaningful conversation goes a long way in our flavor of living. Especially since we spend so much of our time living isolated in our respective countries (and no, Facebook doesn’t count as meaningful connection). Here we are sampling rose and black pepper hot chocolates. Divine.
Oh thank god…
For the weekend we rented an apartment that allowed us to gather in the common area and trade stories over coffee and/or wine. You may be shocked to hear that I never really considered myself a person who gravitated towards female-targeted events, but as I get older I have begun to recognize the value of these moments. Especially now that I have found myself down in Senegal and often surrounded by men who consider themselves the Casanovas of West Africa.
Here is a shot of Susan and I that was taken in one of Edinburgh’s many fine watering holes. I may be biased, but Susan especially kicks ass as our trip organizer because she is a former Surface Warfare Officer. Together we found loads to talk about while sipping whisky and listening to live Scottish music. Just one example of great memories created while on this trip.
And really, how can you not love traveling to a country that boasts a whisky list like this? And this is only one side of the offerings!
And we haven’t yet talked about haute Scottish cuisine! Question: What does locally-caught haggis look like, actually?
Answer: Something like this. (Note: the vegetarian haggis looks like the meat version. I don’t wanna know how this is possible.)
I could post about the cultural and sight-seeing activities that were accomplished while in Edinburgh, but really I don’t think that was the point of the trip. For me, the real value was in discovering that we all go through the same extreme highs and lows while living this experience. It doesn’t matter if we are in Krakow or Rabat- we all experience moments that are completely thrilling or completely frustrating- with both often occurring in the same day. It’s good to know that you’re not the only one going through these motions. Whisky, coffee and wine all have their place in getting us to open up and build new bonds.
My one regret is that this weekend couldn’t include Olmsted women living in other corners of the planet. Be it South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa or Europe…we’re going to have to schedule a reunion meet up when we are all old and gray. I suggest Ireland.
Thanks to Susan, Meaghan, Carrie, DeDe, Jen, Karin and Jill for a memorable weekend. Equally, thanks as always to General Olmsted for allowing us to live such an incredible experience.
Slàinte!
