Return and Reflection

Now that I have been back in the United States for a few days I feel I have had proper time to reflect on my return home, and my time in Scotland. My Final day in the UK has a hectic one, I traveled by train to London, navigated from Kings Cross to my hostel via the underground, visited as many of the tourist sites around London as I could, and made my way to Heathrow airport by train to catch an 11:00 AM flight to O'Hare. When listed all at once it seems crazy, but in the moment i did not feel rushed or stressed, the train and underground made my travels to London and around the city smooth and effortless. Once I was in the city I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see many of the sights I've been wanting to see for a long time. 

First we visited Abbey Road, crossed one of the most famous crosswalks in the world, and stand in the footsteps of The Beatles!

Me crossing Abbey Road

 Next we went to the center of London and got a look at Big Ben, the Thames river, Parliament, and the London Eye.

Big Ben

   

London Eye and the Thames

View down the Thames

After slowing down to take a look around London the Next 24 hours were a blur. The next thing I knew I was puling into my driveway after a 6 hour drive from O'Hare international airport. After a good night sleep i had some time to reflect on my trip as a whole and what i noticed coming back into the US. I had never been  totally immersed in a different culture like I was during this trip, It brought about a different perspective and got me to think outside of Purdue, Indiana, Ohio, and the US. If nothing else I got to discuss and learn about a different set of social, economic, and political problems. I also learned about how non engineering groups study engineering projects, which I feel is one of the coolest and most useful experiences i will take from my time in Scotland.

Arbroath

Arbroath is a town in Scotland. It is located at North Sea coastal line and has a beautiful harbor. So it is also a good place to visit because I am doing some research and want to know more about the fishing industry in United Kingdom.

It is very close to Dundee, the distance is just 15 minutes of train. After leaving the train station, you will find the instructing sigh pointing out the direction to the harbor and tourist center. But if you don’t, just walking down the hill and the smell of sea will lead you there. On the way to the harbor, you will see a few houses selling smokies, and you know you are on the right track.

The harbor is pretty, with many fishing boats there. There is also a huge seafood restaurant right beside the tourist center. The coolest thing is you can have a real sea tour there! For an adult, you need to pay 25 pounds for an hour tour. It should be fun! I didn’t go to the tour because I didn’t have that much of cash with me. But I went to a bar restaurant and had their famous Arbroath smokie there. It is a popular local dish and the fish is fresh and tasty. You could have either chips or potato on the side with salad, and it only costs you about 10 pounds. I think it definitely worth a try.

Another popular attraction there is the cliff. But I wasn’t able to make it. I went to the pound instead. It is so beautiful and they have many ducks and swans there. It is a nice place for a short walk and you can enjoy the sunshine there.

This place didn’t help me learn a lot on the fishing industry history. However, it is still quite good to visit a local fishing town and to get to know how there looks like. I strongly recommend people going there for a perfect afternoon.