Author: Kelly Day

Lake District and Yorkshire

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England’s lake district is an area of dramatic beauty with 16 lakes and the highest peaks in England.  If you find yourself in the lake district you should really take a tour of Rydal Mount, the house the great poet Wordsworth lived from 1813 till his death.  More impressive than Wordsworth’s enchanting wisteria-covered cottage are the grounds surrounding it.  You can hike them and see a fantastic view of Lake Windermere.
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Haworth and York
Haworth, is a typical Yorkshire hill village with narrow cobble stone streets, old thatched roof houses and tea shops that made me think I had stepped into some Dickens novel.  Actually, it was more like a Bronte novel seeing how within this tiny village resides the childhood home of the Bronte sisters.  While in town, after a stop for some English tea and buying some English wool scarfs, I visited the parsonage where the sisters lived and wrote.  It was so strange to think that in these tiny rooms so many unfo35rgettable characters were born! It was here that Charlotte created the beloved and brave Jane Eyre and fierce Mr. Rodchester, Emily fabricated the wild and untamable Heathcliff, and Anne created Agnes Grey.  What a talent family!  Seeing their house and hearing about some of the hardships they faced, (so much tragedy) made it easy to see where they got the bone chilling passion for their stories.  While I visited Haworth, I got the chance to take a Hike on the Moors surrounding the village.  While I stood on the almost eerily windy Moors it was easy to see inspiration that ignited the production of such beautiful yet ghostly stories as Jane Eyre and Weathering Heights.

Finding Scotland: Scott’s View, Dryburgh Abbey and Abbotsford

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Rolling hills, cathedral ruins, and stately manors all create an unforgettable experience.  If you only have one day in Scotland this is how you should spend it.  If you truly want to experience Scotland you need to get up early in the morning  and drive about an hour south of Edinburgh to a place named Scott’s View.  Scott’s view is an unforgettable viewpoint that gazes west across Scotland’s winding tweed to the three breathtaking peaks of the Eildons or “Hollow Hills”.  This scene is forever engraved in my mind and the reason Scotland will always hold a special place in my heart.  Overlooking Scotland’s rolling hills, you feel a sense of peace and contentment that can’t be explained.   These are the legendary green hills of Scotland’s fame.  I had been in Scn161502201_30180644_494_3otland for 3 days, but this was the first time I felt its ancient and wise soul.

Close to Scott’s View are the beautiful ruins of Dryburgh Abbey.  Dryburgh Abbey, the resting place of Sir Walter Scott, was one of a group of Border Abbeys founded in 1150.   All that remain of this magnificent cathedral are solid walls sounded by Scotland’s natural green tweed.   The once peaceful and beautiful cathedral was tragically reduced to its present condition by repeated attacks and raids by the English in the 1300s.   When you wander the ancient sacred sanctuary you can’t help but have conflicting feelings of intense sadness and loss but also extreme wonder and amazement.

Although you can’t see its grand cei13lings and giant towers you can imagine its original magnificence. As you roam the ancient grounds you can almost hear the ghosts of the women of the abbey drifting through its courts, singing hymns, saying prayers and praising God.   It is sad to think that human kind would destroy such an amazing creation, yet it is hard to imagine the Abbey any other way.

14Wildlife has entwined itself around the splendid structure making nature and brick complement each other in a unique and Holy way.  When you look up at the ceiling instead of stone and rock you see sky and stars.  This fusion of nature and ancient design creates a spiritual experience that feels as if this was the original intent of the architect. My heart was touched as In161502201_30180705_5135 roamed around these courts.  I wondered about the women of the Abbey who lived and worshiped here.   I felt the pain of their loss when this majestic place was burnt to the ground, but also I felt the presence of God and His indestructible power, gentle spirit and quiet strength.

18_2Later in the day we went toured Abbotsford.  Abbotsford is the house of Sir Walter Scott.  Although Castle might be a better description of this fantasy in stone typical of the man who did so much to romanticize all things Scottish.  The Manson sits on a large hill and over looks the River Abbot.  Its rooms are a museum full of suits of armor, furniture and other items relating to Scotland’s history.   It also houses a library with over 9,000 rare books that is adjacent to Scott’s study.   The tour of the grounds is almost impressive as the house itself.  This house  or “Castle” is one of the most interesting places in all of Scotland.  It is a must see if you are in the Border Area.

Edinburgh: Castles, Céilidhs & an Ode to Haggis

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If you grew up in the US you were raised to believe that Castles only exist in fairy tales.   In the rugged lands of Scotland, however, they are more than just hearsay and lore.  The Edinburgh Castle is an ever-present fixture and overseeing guardian of the Scottish Capital. The Castle, the fortified birthplace of the city, was built on a hillside over 1,300 years ago and there it still rests, stoically overlooking the grand capital.

After a thorough exploration of my first Castle, its grounds, armory and the Scottish Crown Jewels, I took to the streets of Edinburgh and ended up in the enchanting and peaceful Princess Street Gardens.  This public park is located in the center of the city and full of well-tended gardens, fountains, and monuments.   Most importantly, it is the BEST place to view the Edinburgh Castle.  This is because from the gardens below you can get a full understanding of the Castle’s strength and authoritative presence over the city.   As you gaze up at the watchful guardian along the rugged hills you understand that its perfect location is the reason for its 1300-year longevity.

A tour of the City of Edinburgh would not be complete without seeing Holyrood Palace, where the Queen resides when she visits Scotland, St. Giles Cathedral or Carlton Hill.  Carlton Hill is one of my favorite places because it not only houses several interesting monuments it also provides you with a fantastic view of the city skyline, including a view of the Iconic Sir Walter Scott Monument.

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If you go to Scotland you must attend a traditional Scottish Ceilidh! A Ceilidh (pronounced Kay Lee) is a Gaelic festival or party with traditional Scottish music, dancing, kilts, bagpipes and of course Haggis.  At the end of the night’s festivities after hours of dancing and eating, they bring out the Haggis.

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Haggis is ground up sheep’s intestines stuffed and boiled inside of a sheep’s stomach. YUM……  Yes, I tried the Haggis.  It tasted just about as good as it sounds.   Like most intercultural experiences, I am glad I did it.   Everyone who goes to Scotland must try the Haggis at least once because it is so important to the Scottish traditionn161502201_30180570_4922. In fact when they brought out the haggis, someone recited the famous Robert Burns’ poem “Address to a Haggis” and gave a toast to the dish.  Afterward someone used a knife to cut open the stomach then preceded to  squeeze out the Scottish delicacy for all to enjoy.  I think Robert Burns said it best:

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle. Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o ‘fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;

But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

Scotland, My First Love

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Even after all of my travels I still tell people Scotland was the most beautiful.  I often wonder if this is the “first love” effect.  The loves of my life are my travels and Scotland was my first love.  It was the first international sticker I put on my map and as such will always hold a special place in my heart.   Yet, what isn’t there to love about Scotland?  It has rolling green hills covered with a mystical fog, soul-stirring bagpipes, ethereal lochs, and lets not forget those accents!

The trip to Scotland started with a poster…I was going to my psychology class my freshman year of college when a poster for a class on 19th century British Literature caught my eye.   Believe it or not it was not the content of the class that got my heart all a flutter, but rather WHERE the class was taking place- in ENGLAND and SCOTLAND.  For some reason I had a sudden indescribable passion for 19th century British Literature…  Who Knew?  I wasn’t really sure what the class was about when I signed up for it, but I thought I would figure that out later.  Turns out 19th century British literature covers great authors such as Scotland’s Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivan Hoe and the Bride of Lammermoor, The Bronte Sisters, who wrote Withering Heights and Jane Eyre and many poets like Wordsworth.

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So, armed with the background knowledge provided by the novels of Scott, Bronte, and Wordsworth, I set out for Scotland with a group of 20 other IWU students on May 14th 2006.  We landed in London and then took a connecting flight to Glasgow.  We got on a bus and headed north through the indescribable landscape of the Trossachs.  The area was full of mystical rugged mountains, lochs, and forests.  As I sat there staring out the window of the bus, absolutely stunned with the beauty and somber serenity of the scenery, I couldn’t help but think of Sir Walter Scot’s outlawed hero Rob Roy who wondered through these same mystical forests and valleys.

Then we turned into thlochkatrine1024x768e bay of Loch Katrine and I visited my first Loch.   Although this one does not have a monster, it was stunning.  We boarded steamer ship Sir Walter Scott and got a tour of the countryside.  The tour guide told us the loch was so clear that you could drink from it.  So, I decided to do just that.  I leaned down over the edge of the boat cupped up my hands and drank from a loch in Scotland. Even though I almost fell in the water it was the best decision I made that day.  Most people might think that drinking water from a loch on your first day in a foreign country may not be the best decision, but I ask them…can you say that you drank from a loch in Scotland?  I can, it tasted amazing, and I was fine.

We ended the day with a hike around the outskirts of Glasglow that gave us a tremendous view of the city and countryside.  This was my first day in Scotland and I knew I had just fallen in love.

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The Jar

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Isaac and me at age 13 and 14

Growing up everybody needs that go to person.  The person you tell your life’s dreams and aspirations.  For me that person was my cousin Isaac.  I had bought my map and I had my stickers, but I had nowhere to go.  I had told Isaac my plans for the future- where I was going to go and what I was going to do when I got there.  Isaac is a year older then me and more like a brother than a cousin.   He is also the best person I will ever meet.  His quiet, kind humility mirrors the God honoring, fruit bearing man our grandfather was.   When I told Isaac  that I wanted to travel the world one day he didn’t just listen to my dreams. He decided he was going to make my dream a reality.

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The Jar

Isaac started to collect his change.  Every left over cent of his hard earned money (Isaac had been a full time farmer since the age of 10) was put into a HUGE mason jar.  This jar was a fixture in the corner of his room.  I had seen it many times, but I had no idea what it was being saved for.   He was saving it for me, for my dreams, my goals, and my map.

Six years later that jar was full and I was graduating high school.  I had not forgotten my dream of travel.  I had studied different cultures and fervently studied Spanish in preparation for my travel aspirations, but my map was still empty.   I went to my car the day of my graduation to find Isaac’s coin jar sitting in my front seat.  He had left a note that told me how much he loved me and a forty-pound jar full of coins to prove it.  In the note he explained that this was money he had saved over the past six years so that I could fulfill my dream and finally put my first sticker on my map.

I was in shock.  I knew what a sacrifice this was for Isaac.  I knew that not every 14-year-old boy would ever consider such a selfless act let alone have the will power to carry it out over a course of six years.  Thanks, gratitude, love and inexpressible awe welled up inside of me.  How could I ever express the love and thankfulness for his kindness?  Still to this day I am at a loss.

There was $480.00 dollars worth of coins, 2 guitar picks and 4 paperclips inside that jar.   A few months later I had the opportunity to sign up for a British Literature course that would travel to England.  The down payment for the trip to England was $450.00.  Because of Isaac’s inexplicable generosity and loving kindness I signed up for that trip and England became the first and most precious star on my World Map.

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 Thank you Isaac, for being my best friend, believing in my dreams and helping me  Fill My Map.

The Blank Map

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It started with a blank map.  Knowing what I know now about my life and who I have become it is almost comical to think that an object as mundane as a map would have such a profound impact.  Yet, as I think about history I can’t help but wonder how many souls of the ages were inspired by a single word, look or phrase.  Heck, Sir Isaac Newton credits his theory of gravity to the observation of a falling apple.  These seemingly simple agents of fate have served their purposes and ignited sparks that have changed the course of history.  God works in mysterious ways, He speaks to our hearts in quiet whispers and sometimes uses insignificant objects like apples or maps to  help us realize our purpose.  When I walked into staples in 2001 as an unfocused adolescent I had no idea that on this common shopping trip I would receive my greatest inspiration.  I entered aimlessly, but left with two items that would come to symbolize my life’s greatest ambition.

I had stumbled upon the map section of the store.  I stood there just looking.  Thinking.  Tracing my fingers over the names of elusive countries and cities.  Wondering what it would be like to journey across the ocean and visit some of those places.  I thought of the people who did that…adventurers, explorers, brave, intelligent, smooth, knowledgeable, impressive, cool, beret wearing people.  I had never met what I would call an international traveler before, but I was pretty sure they were not clumsy awkward 13-year-old girls from Crawfordsville Indiana.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Yet something inside me burned and in that moment I decided that I would become these things.  I vowed to one day become that brave adventurer and I would indeed put my mark on the world.  I would be a traveler.   So, I picked out my favorite map and bought a package of golden star stickers, the kind that teachers put next to your name when you do something good.  I had my plan.  I would document my travels on this map, chronicle my territory, and cover the world with little golden stars.  Stars that represented the accomplishment to my new found ambition.   I would fill my map.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             What started with a blank map did not stay that way.  Currently I have 18 stickers on my World Map, that same map that my 13 year old self purchased all those years ago.  The same map that currently resides on my classroom wall.  I hang it there as a beacon of hope to my 13-year old students who might also feel as if the world is out of their reach.  I tell them of my adventures and follies and how I too started with a blank map.  We all start that way.    I share my stories and my map with my students to inspire them to write their own stories and fill their own maps.