“Let’s go over there.” My sister pointed out a booth right beside the window, with a perfect view of the bustling street. We were at a Starbuck’s on busy street corner in Edinburgh, Scotland. Strange isn’t it? So far away from home we were still able to experience the same Pumpkin Spiced Latte that we just had 48 hours ago in the Toronto Pearson Airport.

We squeezed into the booth waiting for our parents to get their coffee. I stared out the window. For some reason I expected this place to be different, I thought there would be castles down every road and proper people dressed in high class clothes, as if they were going to a formal dinner or something. But instead of being culture shocked and a little out of place, I felt right at home.

The locals all seemed to have places to go and people to see, dressed comfortably, in jeans, jackets and scarves protecting their skin from the brisk October air. The weather wasn’t anything I wasn’t already used to though. In fact it seemed warmer than the weather at home.

After my parents had gotten their drinks, we walked down the streets, now this was something different! The streets were all cobble stoned, and seemed to wind down in steep hills, sprawling in all different directions. No wonder nobody wore elegant clothes, one simple stumbling could cause you to roll down the hill!

The buildings were old and filled with historical architecture. I began to wonder if the locals were ever in awe about it like I was now or if they brushed it off as if it were nothing. My guess was that they brushed it off. They got to experience the charm of an old building everyday.
We began to walk down the hill, a palace in site. I could tell my mother was excited. She whipped her camera out and began to snap photos of everything! Perfect photos, where the lighting was just right and the people were going about their own business, not wondering why some crazy lady was stumbling around taking pictures. I tried not to feel bothered by my mother, because all she was trying to do was capture our holiday. I knew that one day I’d be thankful for these photo’s, I’d look back on them and remember the busy locals, the cobble stone streets and the clear October sky.