Edinburgh
I moved to Edinburgh when I was 18 and lived there for five years. That was during my time at the University. Before that I lived in a quaint town set in rolling hills in the Scottish Borders, called Peebles. People who live there call the region „The Shire“ – referring to the fictional Middle-earth area in „Lord Of The Rings“. It actually does look quite like it!
Edinburgh is a beautiful city, full of history, culture and brilliant people. I'd definitely recommend visiting during the Fringe Festival. It’s the world’s largest arts festival during three weeks every August. It’s mostly performing arts, drama, comedy, and even dance – from ancient Greece, Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, through to new experimental works which might not be admitted to another festival. Or you come during the International Film festival in summer when the weather is good and the city is bustling with energy and life. Or over Christmas and New Year – with the street party, lots of Ceilidh dancing - an absolute must! They used to do brilliant Ceilidh nights (Ceilidh is a Scottish traditional dance which involves throwing yourself and your partner around the room energetically whilst whooping and screaming with delight and not worrying too much if you get the steps right) at the Caledonian brewery (in the Slateford area), but I don’t think they do them there anymore after they needed more room for making beer.
I have loads of happy memories of Edinburgh, but the one that I am smiling about today is climbing Arthurs Seat (the volcano in the middle of Edinburgh) with my brother and looking out across Edinburgh. The sea was sparkling and my mum was waving from below every time we turned round. We were finding it hysterically funny that EVERY time we turned round, her wee arm would go up and wave at us. And every time I slipped, my brother would hold his arm out like a banister for me to grab. It was funny - but you had to be there.
Well, Arthur's Seat is my favourite place in the world. It has a calming effect on me. I don’t know, I've always loved being up high. There's a higher proportion of sky, so you feel less pressure. It's an extinct volcano. I love coming home on the train, because you can see Arthur's Seat way before you can make out any of the rest of Edinburgh. It's a big strong rock in the centre of the city. At the very top, there is a white stone with a pointer showing you what city or landmark is in each direction (think of it as an old school sky tower). It's incredibly windy at the top, but we used to take shelter under the rock with a picnic. You can see all of Edinburgh from up there.
I left Edinburgh in 2003. I left to go see the world. I had a really strong desire to travel. The original plan was to go to Thailand for one month to „get the travel bug out of my system“ but after that experience I was desperate to see more. I was in Australia for a year – worked as a bus driver for a youth hostel, and worked for Greenpeace and MSF. At that time I was all concerned about the state of the world. But then when my friend died in the tsunami of 2004/5 in Thailand, I went into a dark place and questioned the why of everything. I went to Korea to teach English and ended up volunteering with North Korean refugees - which was really a massive eye opener. I wrote a lot of poetry. Then I moved to London to study music production. I completed my course in July this year, so now after 4 years away, I'm ready to return to Edinburgh and somewhere that feels like home.