I have been noticing a good deal more content related to Scotland when I do my mindless scrolling for the day on Instagram. All of these folks have taken the time to explore the cities and countryside of this wonderful place and then share it with prospective visitors.

It excites me to see this footage in still images and videos because I know seeing the real thing will put all of this content to shame. I am nevertheless appreciative of the effort and I will undoubtedly do the same when we visit and share it with as broad an audience as possible.

We all have at least some of the same goals and I think one is to get others to see the value in these experiences. To see that travel can be whatever you want it to be, no matter how you roll.

The itinerary for Scotland has begun to take shape and we have established where we will be for each day of the trip.

Every day will feature many points of interest and thankfully most of them are not time-sensitive. It’s tough enough to be on time every time for events that happen when you’re at home, but it’s even harder when you are in another country and there is a lot more on the line.

Edinburgh has become a central focus for the trip and I am excited to see the city I have only witnessed in drool-inducing posts on social media. It seems to be the cultural heart of Scotland, but that is just the opinion of an unversed outsider.

The parts of Scotland I most look forward to are definitely the natural scenery and old architecture and ruins. Some of the oldest human societies set up shop here and left behind some impressive artifacts that have stood the test of time through thousands of years. We are going to lay eyes on things that were put in place before we had even begun to fathom what we would make of the world.

It is only 40 days until we set foot on the soil of Scotland, and the excitement grows every day.

I have been tasked with a paid writing assignment to discuss the merits of travel insurance, and it kind of makes me giggle. The way these companies discuss coverage it’s like they are ready and waiting with a helicopter to come rescue you in the event of an emergency.

But if you dig into the fine print even a little bit, you’ll realize that these companies will do anything and everything to deny your claims. This could mean you are left to abandon your plans altogether or even worse, pay off some massive hospital bill in a foreign country.

I’m not saying that it’s a ripoff, given that the average expense is about 5-10% of your total trip cost, but I am saying that like traditional insurance of all varieties, you’ll probably never end up needing it. Insurance companies feed on your insecurity and play it up with nightmare scenarios of broken bones, hospital stays, and canceled, non-refundable arrangements. I am sure that there have been people who have had to endure these kinds of trials, but I believe they are the exception and not the rule.

All travel requires a certain amount of due diligence. If you are the sort of person that requires a little extra peace of mind, consider picking up some travel insurance. But just like your travel plans, you need to apply some diligence to your travel insurance provider as well. Dig deep and see what is really covered and look for unbiased reviews from people who actually had to file claims. Buyer beware as always.

There are people in the world who are hesitant to leave their home country to seek out new experiences. I have met a few of these folks over the years and I always try to talk to them and get to the bottom of why they have this hesitation. The responses can tell you a lot about the inner workings of the person and how they see the world and themselves.

I completely understand fearing the unknown, but that fear has never been enough to douse my curiosity. If there were one thing I could say to these hesitant many, it is that the payoff is worth the risk.

The world has hundreds of countries. There are some that may be similar to where you call home and these will be the best choices to try your hand. If you’re ready to take a calculated risk, it’s a lot easier when you won’t have to surmount a language barrier, for instance. For this reason, it can be wise to make your first international trip to one of the “safe” spots. My first solo international adventure was to the U.K. and it felt like a starter course to me. I didn’t end up trying to drive on that trip but I think that would have been the only thing I’d have had any issues with. The rest of the experience was similar enough to what I’ve seen around the States that I never felt lost.

My unsolicited wisdom to those weary of crossing a border is that on the other side of your doubts is where you’ll find all of the glory. The simple act of setting foot in a strange new land can propel you into a world you had no idea was waiting inside you. All you have to do is be brave enough to take that step.

In the near future I will post my recollections of Southeast Asia from the trip I took in 2019. There has been what feels like an eternity between then and now, but it is all still very vivid in my mind. That entire year was a whirlwind and it is almost as if by fate that 2020 would take such a turn and slam the brakes on all travel.

The experiences I had during this trip were enough to fundamentally shift my perspective in favor of a more global view. I met people that became fast friends and I can remember many of them by name. Our conversations continue to occupy an area in my mind that I hold near and dear.

An undertaking of this size will require some thought and a little planning to execute but I feel the stories are good enough to warrant this use of time. It is the reason travel is so important to me and I hope I can show you why it might add value to your life.

I took a walk down memory lane to the beginning of this site and I was reacquainted with who I was in the recent past. Many of the details that made up my first foray into traveling are still fresh in my mind because of how my memory works.

The odd thing is that these memories feel like someone else’s. I feel detached from them as though I was observing it all, but I can recall entirely too much for that to be the case.

Who was that?

The many photos I have from an old phone tell me that it was definitely me. But the photos that had me as a subject in any capacity look like a complete stranger. It has been over 7 years since this humble travel blog began, and I have grown in every conceivable way.

One of the most important steps forward has been finding the courage to share my stories with the world. Instead of just recreating them so I can recall all of the feelings I have from the trips, I intend to convey the essence of these feelings to others so they can go and chase their own dreams of adventure.

Looking back I see how important it was to have this place and to foster this lifelong passion. I have spent the seven years since exploring as much of the world as I can and in doing so, have made great strides discovering more about who I am.

Travel has the power to show you the world beyond what you have known and provides a glimpse at the universe within. It demands your presence in a way that your daily life can’t, and it affords you the opportunity to learn to be present more often. You won’t just see new and exciting things. You will embody the boundless spirit of our curiosity as a species. In doing so, you connect to one of the fundamental truths of our existence.

All of this is temporary. The fleeting nature of the average human life suggests that our time would be best spent reveling in experience and giving it our fullest attention. When you travel you become a natural at allowing in these experiences and every time you do, you improve the chances you will be able to do so when you get back home.

Travel light and you’ll leave plenty of room for souvenirs of sentiment, and those cost nothing.

I had a general idea of the things I wanted to do and see in Scotland but it had honestly never occurred to me exactly how much there was to choose from. I wound up searching for things and landed on the Atlas Obscura page and that particular rabbit hole gave me over 700 choices.

I think rather than try to nail down every single thing I want to accomplish, I will choose the broadest possible categories and narrow down my must-sees to things along our road trip itinerary. My preferences include natural features, old architecture, and art of all types, and it would seem that Scotland is jammed full of this kind of thing.

I imagine rugged landscapes that stretch from vibrant green prairie land before falling dramatically to the sea on jagged cliffs. The images in my mind are cobbled from what I remember about the countryside in Ireland when I took a bus ride across the island. Time will tell if it is an apt comparison but my gut tells me it’s gonna be pretty spot on. I’ll just get to see a hell of a lot more of that kind of thing this time and with the incredible bonus of spending the whole time with my muse.

The many attractions around Scotland have been visited by countless folks before us and many of them have shared the pictures they took. I know from lived experience that these photos will help me make decisions but that the real thing will make the photos seem like a sick joke. The reality is always so much more intense in the moment that I will reserve my judgment until I’m standing there.

Spoiled for choice certainly applies here and we won’t get to see it all to be sure, but we may have a ready-made excuse to come back in the future.

Just like that, I remembered that in 51 days we are going to Scotland.

All of the major booking concerns are out of the way and now I need to sit down and focus on exactly what I’d like to try and see while we are there. My muse is busy plotting out the entire course of the trip down to the most minute details and I am reminded of our polar opposite styles when it comes to travel.

Whereas I spend time up front arranging the logistical concerns to get there and back, it is important for her to have a well-detailed plan for every day. She will orchestrate this incredible series of events and I will enjoy higher levels of comfort than I might otherwise if I were flying solo. She helps me see the most things possible in the brief time we will get to spend abroad, and I’ll make sure that she can actually enjoy the things by providing my typical calm and level temperament.

What matters most to me is the adventure itself. To have the distinct privilege of going on this adventure with her makes it a success to me and we haven’t even gone yet. I am overjoyed that it’s so close, but my focus continues to narrow on the first couple of travel days that I know will be rough.

Softening the blow of international travel takes almost an entire day of your time when you arrive. When you come back, you don’t even care how much of your time gets lost to exhaustion, you just want to get home. During both of these times, it’s important to try and stay present and aware of how you are treating your company. I will try and keep this in mind while we are in it and as always do my best to keep her near me in the calm.

I am confident that Scotland will be a place I love, but now I must do some research to discover the exact reasons I already know that is a fact.