Hello everyone! My name is Sami Poutre, and I am from Quincy Massachusetts, about fifteen minutes away from Boston. I am very much looking forward to becoming a 2024 blogger for the University of Edinburgh! There are so many fun (and arguably embarrassing) events I cannot wait to share with you, but a story would not be complete without its beginning, so let’s go to chapter one.
My trip to Edinburgh came with its challenges before I even arrived on Scotland soil. It was the first time traveling by myself, lugging around my totally trendy mint-green coloured bags around Logan airport. I was about to move to a whole new country, with nothing but myself and all the eagerness and nerves wrapped up into one wide-eyed girl clutching her backpack as if it were a life vest. I remember clearly that before I left, everything I packed had to be perfect; tiny fragments of home I could take with me throughout my journey. I packed my favorite jeans, my warmest sweaters, my comfiest walking shoes, my best pictures of family and friends, my most heartfelt letters from the ones I love most… I even had my Mom look over everything a few times because I am one to forget, and this was not the time to do that.
While I definitely am not giving you the best examples of it, I feel like I am pretty independent by nature. So after I landed in London for my connecting flight, even with less than two hours for a layover, I had confidence going forward I would have no issues. Well, I won’t bore you with the details, but surprise! I missed my connecting flight. It’s ok though, things happen. I booked another flight a few hours later after some completely normal hyperventilating (thank you to my Mom again, who probably disowned me by now). Ready for the double irony? I quickly learned when I got to Edinburgh that my luggage was lost, and I’ve never felt more naked in my life. This was partly because I had to stay in the same clothes (touched by the many questionable surfaces of the airport) but also because I was stripped of everything I knew from my old world. What if I never got them back? What would I do if they were gone forever? I want my stuff back. I need my stuff back.
I am not one to idle on negativities, but I will be honest, guys, it was hard not to. I spent the next three days going through the list of items I had brought and deeming them as replaceable, or irreplaceable. I even mapped out the best places to regather my essentials, and I grieved the sentimentals I may never get back. As crazy as it may sound, I learned a lot about myself in the three days it took for my items to finally make it back to me. The other students I met through the Arcadia program I had talked with about my travel experience were stunned. How are you so positive? How are you not freaking out? If I were you, I would lock myself in my room and sob.
I am in Edinburgh, my dream city. I am exploring my Scottish heritage in the very capital and heart of Scotland where my great grandparents used to reside, and I am part of a University that has the most welcoming, diverse and friendly students I have honestly ever met. Who I am and what I set out to do during my stay would not have changed with or without my bags. My value to my friends and family would not hither from a missing picture or letter. My favorite clothing could easily be replaced with one walk around the bustling city. A lot of unexpected things can happen when you make big life changes, but one of the best choices I made was not letting it affect the start of my new life here. After all, something going wrong doesn’t mean it is wrong.
So, what’s the point, Sami? Well, I’ll tie the bow by saying that it is important to remember that you are who you are through your own experiences, not through the things that you own. The moment your plane lifts from home soil is when everything changes. The good and the bad, keep embracing it all as you have in your everyday life, no matter how difficult and scary it may seem at first. Oh yeah, and I met this girl who had the amazing idea of putting airtags on her checked bags. I never thought of that myself, but keep that in mind if you are nervous about it, and aim for a connecting flight with greater layover time if possible!
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