It wasn't really planned as such, but I spent last week kind of reconnecting with Scotland - I went north with Liz and Keith meeting up here with Lara, her husband Tim and a couple of their friends who I'd not met before. Hamish and Karen joined us later in the week since we had two chalets booked and plenty of space for everyone.
Originally Lara and I had planned it as a kind of Aberdeen University Creative Writing Society reunion but in the end she and I were the only ex-CWSers there* so instead it turned into just a week of chilling out in the hills, gently wandering in small groups through steadily changing birch woods, or over rolling bracken covered hills, or alongside rumbling grey rivers and waterfalls, all under benignly autumnal skies. In the evenings we'd retreat into our snug little wooden houses or the hotel down the hill for excellent food, wine/beer and conversation.
Before we left I started thinking of the trip in the context of my imminent departure down-under, as a serendipitous chance to reconnect with the landscape of the country I've made my home in these past ten years. It was certainly that: I love Scotland, and perhaps most of all I love it for its seasonal nature. Here you can really feel the shifts from one season to another and in Guisachan last week we could almost see the leaves changing colour in front of us, feel the summer moving into autumn... I was expecting to come away from the week feeling connected to the country and I really do.
More than that though the week reminded me of what's kept me here for a decade: the people. Spending a week in that easy mix of company reminded me how socially rooted to this place I've become. I suppose it's something I'm always aware of in the background, but its a good thing to be reminded of in the foreground too.
* The rest of you (you all know who you are) missed out and were missed - Next time get your collective arses in gear and come along if you can
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