When I get bit by the travel bug it tends to nag me until I book a flight somewhere, and this bite was something that was brewing for almost two years.  I glanced over at the Mavic Pro I purchased two years ago one morning, and it was just collecting dust on my shelf; along with the creative expression I hung up when I started working for a corporate company to get myself through the pandemic.  I could feel my content with my life dwindling, so I knew I had to make a change.  I had made it through the pandemic and it was time to switch from survival mode to adventure mode and get back to what really stirred my passions.  So I quit my job and picked up the camera again, but this time with the added intention of expanding my skills into piloting my drone.

 I knew I wanted to see some castles.  I wanted to be surrounded by pastures and lakes that could offer breathtaking waterfalls and sceneries fit to be the backdrop for a set on Lord of the Rings.

Scotland was not one to disappoint.

I landed at an airport that was no bigger than an Old Navy outlet in Inverness, Scotland.  I eventually made my way up to Skye to see all of the beautiful gems there.  I nearly died hiking up to 'Old Man Stor' due to the locals deeming that hike 'moderate'.   Lies.  I climbed up the infinite waterfalls and and pools on the trail that danced next to the famous 'Fairy Pools'.  I traveled for 6 hours by bus and boat to get to the Island of Iona where all of the the royal kings were rumored to be buried on the deceivingly tropical looking beaches with the pure white sand.  Also, I chased around a lot of sheep just to get my first feel of what hugging natural wool would feel like.  Needless to say none of the sheep were into it.

Not only did this trip remind me that part of my happiness comes from exploring the world, it reinvigorated my motivation to dive back into supporting and chasing the things that bring me joy, like playing with cameras.  When you step outside of the box you live in everyday and see how others live...it's shocking sometimes to see how folks prefer to exist.

Here in America, we have most local businesses open until 10 pm...but in most of the towns along my travels in Scotland, you have an opportunity to get what you need from 1-5 pm.  The pace was so not something I was used to and it was mind blowing to watch how folks were still able to get their needs met out in remote, unpopulated areas.

They say that traveling the world makes you wiser and I can see why they would say that.  Id rate this trip a 7/10.  The food was nothing to write home about, but the scenery made up for it.  All in all a successful trip.