Highland Tour Begins!

Mom booked us a 7 day tour out of Haggis Adventures and it has been a whirlwind of activities! It is so nice to see the Highlands of Scotland that offer so much amazing wilderness and incredible sights!

Jenae, Mom and I drinking Drambuie before we take off on the tour! (Mom drank most of it actually, that lush... lol jk!)

Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness

We passed the famous Forth Bridge and into Perthshire, surrounded by mountains, forests and salmon packed rivers. We stopped in Dunkeld, heart of Macbeth country and its mighty cathedral. We continued north hearing tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the tragedy of his defeat on the eerie moor of Culloden, scene of the last major battle in Britain. 

Waiting for the bus!

Grazing sheep in Dunkeld

Dunkeld Bridge

We took a "wee walk" which means a hike to the Bruar Falls

Our final destination: the beautiful Inverness,

Day 2: Inverness to Loch Ness

Through the remnants of ancient Caledonian Pine Forest we took a walk through some of this amazing environment led by your fearless local Guide. Our journey takes us through Drumnadrochit and onto Loch Ness. We see the ruins of Urquhart Castle before arriving at Fort Augustus on the shores of the famous loch.

When we first arrived Loch Ness looked completely like glass, basically unheard of! 

War memorial at the end of Loch Ness

These picturesque little houses are all over Scotland!

 Day 3: Free Day Loch Ness


On our free day at Loch Ness we spent the day at Fort Augustus sleeping, shopping and taking an awesome high-speed boat tour of the loch! We ended the day with a great dinner and drinks at an old abbey converted into a restaurant right on the beach. 

The view from our table at the restaurant

The incredible Caledonian Canal, really cool to see!

Day 4: Loch Ness to Lewis

Today we journeyed through the wilderness of the north west Highlands, some of the most remote and most isolated mountain terrain in Europe. We visited Corrieshalloch Gorge, a breathtaking mile long gorge set amongst the trees then on to the wee fishing village of Ullapool. 

We learned all about conservation and forest protection in  the Scottish highlands, they even let our group plant a tree!

We took a tour of Glen Ord Whisky and learned a lot about the process and all the flavours, Scots take their Whisky very seriously almost as much as Czech's take their beer.

More proof mom is an alcoholic...haha

GIANT Rhododendron!!! They are as common as tumbleweeds in Nevada

Our guide told us that we were going to stop at "the best beach in the whole world". I had my doubts having been to lots of beaches but he was completely right, this beach is full of PERFECT, SMALL, FLAT skipping rocks!! 

Incredible!

Coast of Ullapool

Pretty Jenae on the ferry!

Day 5: Lewis & Harris

We visited the stunning Callanish Standing Stones, Neolithic in age and dating back more than 4,000 years. Their meaning remain a mystery, perhaps an ancient calendar but these are considered to be some of the most impressive and inspiring of any of the ancient stones in Britain. These Hebridean islands are predominantly Gaelic speaking and have an unbroken culture dating back millennia. We visited a traditional blackhouse and the home of tweed makers, a fabric exclusive to the islands but now considered very trendy!

I climb cliffs :]

Mom has been bodybuilding :]

HAIRY COO's are sooooo cute!!!

Jenae and I make national and sacred monuments our playground to mom's horror

We made sand angels!!

Day 6: Harris to Skye

In the morning we explored the amazing beaches of Harris, famous for its clear blue waters, magnificent mountain backdrop and traditional crofting culture. These islands are home to the Clan MacLeod who have lived here for centuries. After exploring the wonders of Harris, we left their homeland and cross by ferry to the 'winged island', the Isle of Skye. We explore the magical isle with its awesome scenery and Cuillin Mountains while hearing about its many legends and faerie stories.

The Isles of Skye is truly magical

Best way to travel :]

The colored houses on the shoreline where painted to ward off evil spirits from the sea

We had a barbecue with the tour group and stayed up drinking, talking and laughing :]

Day 7: Skye to Edinburgh

Back on the mainland, we stopped to view the impressive Eilean Donan Castle perched on the shores of Loch Duich then journeyed along the Great Glen fault line before passing Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. We discover the story of the name 'The Weeping Glen' at Glencoe, and the infamous massacre of the MacDonalds. Over the wilds of Rannoch Moor, we pass Stirling with its famous Wallace Monument, where the true story of Braveheart is told, before returning to the capital city of Edinburgh.

Ben Nevis

Completely magical

Prague says "Goodbye", Edinburgh says "Hello"... "Hello, Hello!"

My mom and I spent a few wonderful days in Prague as I took her to all my favorite places and showed her life in the Czech Republic. Traveling with parents versus traveling with friends is SO different. While my friends and I are used to slumming it; eating cheap food and drinking way to much beer, I found it refreshing that mom was used to higher standards but I also missed my friends who had all gone home or left for their own travels. On our last day in Prague, hours before catching a plane, friends and I messaged to express our sorrow when we realized that we would all be in Edinburgh (pronounced Edinbra) at the same time! So we enacted "USAC Reunion: Scotland".

Mom and I on the Charles Bridge

Spiking the Malinovka (Raspberry Lemonade) at the Beer Garden

At Cesky Krumlov!

Snapped a picture of mom after she ate a bug! Muahahah!

It was very sad to leave Prague but I used to say that if I got to Scotland I would die happy because I knew all the work and I effort that it would take to get there would mean I've accomplished enough in my life to be happy. Which brings me to another "Lessons Abroad":  

Accomplishing a life goal at twenty can mean that I  am either dreaming too small or am much stronger than I give myself credit for. From now on I'll have to dream even bigger!

Edinburgh is a great city with so much to see in such a small area. We were able to accomplish a lot in two days and will return to the city after visiting my sister in Stirling, Scotland where she has been studying. Many things are strikingly different than Prague. The first, most profound, thing is that people are SO nice! Prague citizens are impersonal and rarely smile or start conversation with strangers. From our first interaction here with the taxi driver to people on the street whom we ask directions, everyone is not just pleasant but extremely nice; laughing and joking with us! 

The second major difference is the nightlife. The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world and I've got the beer belly to prove it! Although there are many bars here and Magners, Jagger and Ciders are popular the pre-partying starts early around 8pm and everyone shows up to clubs around 11pm but the clubs close at 3am! In Prague, Spain and other places I've traveled pre-partying starts at 11pm and peak time is 3am with closing around 5am except on Sundays. You can imagine my surprise when last call was at 12:30pm. 

But anyway, I am having a wonderful time in Scotland and am sure my great-grandpa as well as other ancestors are smiling down on me as I tour their homeland! Today is a very exciting day as we go to Bridge of Allan where my great-grandfather and his relatives were born! 

Common place where Scots spit in protest of taxes :]

"Moodie"- J.K Rowling author of the Harry Potter series got many of the names of her characters from the gravestones in Edinburgh Graveyard

Grassmarket

Edinburgh Castle and Botanical Gardens

Mom was nice enough hang out with us youngsters. Here we are at the Elephant Cafe  where J.K Rowling wrote the first two books in the Harry Potter series drawing inspiration from the neighborhood she could see out the Cafe's windows.

Getting Sentimental: Lessons Abroad

I don't know exactly where to begin in summing up my incredible semester. Bags were packed, vans were loaded and I watched as my friends who taught me so much about the world and about myself drove away to catch international planes. To say that I have achieved everything I wanted to over the last four months would be an incredible understatement solely because I have accomplished things I didn't even know I wanted to accomplish, things I couldn't even imagine accomplishing! I can't put all my thoughts into words nor can I explain all the ways I have changed and grown but I am so happy with who I have become and am so full of a love and thirst for life.

Here are some of my greatest lessons;

I have had so much fun this semester finding myself and learning what things I want and need without being influenced by parents, friends or hometown habits.

In the last four months I have been focusing on what I am meant to do in life. I know I must incorporate creativity into every day life and take unconventional routes. No one should take life too seriously! I have to do what makes me happy not what is easiest or most rational.

Everyone always says, "Someday I'd like to..." they always put traveling or other goals off because life gets in the way and I COMPLETELY understand that but I also believe that if you want something you make it a priority. There will always be things that come up but if you put things in the back of your mind they'll stay there. You have to start MAKING things happen. Start doing things today not someday.

Everyone is afraid to try new things. Failing is our biggest fear, but what would you try if you knew you wouldn't fail? I have learned that the real adventures begin when you are put in situations that are outside that little bubble we close ourselves in. To roll up the shutters and see the world with new eyes is the most enlightening experience

.

I can't believe I ever doubted how strong I really am. I have exceeded all the limits I thought I had.

I have learned to choose friends wisely. After all, I decide who I let into my life.

I am so incredibly grateful for my parents and family who are so supportive of my dreams. I love my parents and family so much and am so grateful and appreciative for everything they have given me.

I have to start being myself  despite who is watching.

 More than anything I have learned that in order to be happy in life I need to continue traveling. It is a part of who I am, it's what I must do.

 How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

Where in the world is Donielle Stevens?

You may be wondering where I've been the last couple weeks while my blog laid here collecting dust and crumbs. Well I have been spending all my time immersing myself in all the things I can do in Europe that I can't do at home. That includes tourist watching, eating Smazeny Syr and Kebabs, going to beer gardens, riding the metro, walking around and letting people think I am a local and then much more exciting things like attending concerts and local music festivals, graffiti bombing underpasses, having beers with my teachers and exploring the nightlife all while also studying for finals and updating my goals list.

I only have 8 days until my program is over and this beautiful chapter of my life must come to an end so forgive me for the lack of posts while I enjoy my last days!

Check (Czech!) back soon though because my mom will be joining me in Prague after my program and then we'll be traveling through Scotland and Ireland!

Music in the park :]

Beer Gardens with my friends and my sister when she came to visit!