February 2019

The smell of fresh pressed coffee, or at least so I’d like to think, fills the cart of the London North-Eastern Railway train to Newcastle, where our dance team is headed for yet our third competition this year. Although we have already competed in Newcastle only two weeks ago, the eagerness in the cart, naturally spiced up by a bit of stage fright, is palpable. Last time around, when I was performing a vague attempt at exploring the city in order to find the perfect quiet café to finish up my Research Proposal for Sociology while the other dance teams were competing to prove the judges that they've got it, I came to the conclusion that Newcastle is a bit of a tiny Glasgow. I truly hope I did not offend anyone at this very instance. There is just something about the grey, steep and narrow Newcastle streets overflowing with young, energetic students, that creates the sense of cool and modern freedom, which I feel is so ubiquitous in Glasgow. Despite all this glorious atmosphere, however, neither Newcastle, nor Glasgow could ever compete with the heartwarming sensation which inevitably strikes anyone who is ever to walk the streets of Edinburgh, and let its snug pathways lead them to the deepest and most mysterious of places. Or to the very center of the main square.

It seems to be so that all cities are just bundles of their unique history and architecture, unless we fall in love with them ourselves after we have made memories and shared them with others, constructing the architecture of our own story within. As trivial as this may sound, I think I may have become slightly sentimental as I have come to realise just how quickly days, months and years pass, people leave, and we all grow. It is precisely for this reason that I always remember what that boy told me about Edinburgh, because no matter how much we change, how many people we meet, or how many times we move, the story we tell about the places we love will always sound heartwarming to anyone. And that’s quite sweet, if you ask me.

On a side note, I am absolutely mind-blown and slightly overwhelmed with how quickly this academic year is coming to an end. Well, maybe it isn't that much of a side note after all, since I have been going off about how quickly time passes - alright, we all get it - but I suppose I just wanted to say that amidst all the assignments, readings, competitions and all the other things that I am fortunate enough to do every day, I still find the time to sit back and appreciate the UK’s most magnificent secret. I'm happy I can.