Traveling With My New Best Friend

After only knowing each other for three weeks, we did what anyone would do and booked a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland

I met Sam my first day in Norwich on the UEA campus tour. Me, being the introverted extrovert that I am saw how outgoing she was talking to everyone and immediately I knew I wanted to be her friend. We spent the entire tour chatting, exchanged contact info, and by the evening we were having snakebites (a mixture of cider, beer, and black current syrup) in the Bar SU together. After only three weeks we decided to book a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland and I am so grateful we did because we had the absolute best adventure.

In the heart of the city

We were lucky to find a hotel in the perfect location, just a short walk from everything we wanted to see. Edinburgh was split into "old town" and "new town" and we were right in the middle. In old town we found historic sites like the Edinburgh Castle pictured above as well as the centuries old gothic architecture and winding cobblestone streets giving it a Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibe. We hiked up Calton Hill for an amazing view of the city. We walked everywhere and it was extremely easy to get from "old town" to "new town".

Incredible food

The food we ate was absolutely amazing. The first night we found Makar's Gourmet Mash bar, a restaurant that served a side of specialty mashed potatoes with each dish. Of course in Scotland I had to try the Scotch Eggs, which were just as delicious as I hoped they would be with that crunch from the crust and savory sausage with the kick of pepper. On our second day we stumbled upon Coro Chocolate Cafe and we knew we had to check it out. Sam and I both share a love of chocolate. We started out with the most creamy, decadent hot chocolates, a must-order if you visit. We indulged in crepes filled with brie and spinach and for dessert shared the chocolate fondue with fruit. We loved it so much we went back on the third day and loved it just as much.

So much to explore

There was so much to do in the city, some activities we planned ahead and some we stumbled upon spontaneously, like the Chihuahua Cafe where we drank tea and played with chihuahuas for an hour. We also went to the Edinburgh dungeon which was like walking through a haunted house tour but it was historical and included a boat ride and a drop ride at the end. Usually I hate all things scary but this was actually really fun because the characters were acting as if we were really in that time period and they engaged the audience in funny ways. I had to do a jig in front of everyone when we were in the court room portion of the tour.

Lifelong memories

The trip was phenomenal and brought Sam and I so much closer. From the amazing food to the coolest sights and even the hours spent walking around with the only intention to spontaneously explore the city it was everything I hoped it would be and more. We even went to a local pub to watch a rugby game and I drank a pint of blue moon even though I'm not a beer drinker. We adventured each day and saw so much but I still can't wait to go back and continue exploring with Sam by my side.