Now that I have returned home from my trip to Scotland and the United Kingdom, I can say without a doubt that my absolute favorite moment was seeing Stonehenge. Before leaving, several people had described it as “just a big pile of rocks.” I was apprehensive about visiting because while I have always wanted to see such a wonderous monument, I was worried I would walk away with a similar frame of mind. I am pleased to report that was not the case, and I would definitely love the opportunity to revisit Stonehenge.
If you were not aware – because I certainly wasn’t – Stonehenge is about a two-hour drive almost due West of London. While driving to the site, you can spot the monument from the highway! You then follow the winding road in what feels like the long way around to enter the parking lot to the site. Upon arriving, you have the chance to walk through a beautiful exhibition site that describes the findings and suppositions of how Stonehenge came to be. I was fascinated to learn our current Stonehenge was not the original rendition; that is to say, there have been different iterations of the monument. A neat fact as well: historians, anthropologists, and researchers are still unsure of its origins.
After walking through the exhibition, you have the chance to follow the old agricultural route to the monument or take the bus. As we were pressed for time, our group opted to ride the bus out to the site. We were able to walk around it, oh and awe, and generally just marvel at its site – I could have spent another hour or so just walking around and staring at it! Alas, after too short of a time, we departed; we were off to see Windsor Castle!
Beyond seeing a monument so instrumental as Stonehenge, my other favorite moments of the trip were those spent with one or two individuals. I always had a running partner, and we came to be great friends over the course of the trip. My roommate, too, was the best listener! And finally, on the last day in Dumfries, a few of us stopped at a local coffee shop and spent the afternoon gabbing like old friends and sipping on fancy drinks.