Saturday, July 27th
Unlike the routine I follow religiously back at Pitzer, this summer has been literally months of unexpected travels and adventures. Today turned out to be one of those days.
Having exerted myself far more than I had planned to the previous day, I was ready for a nice, relaxing evening. Bryan was in the same boat. As a casual golfer, I thought it would be a shame to come to Scotland and not see one of the most famous courses of all time, St. Andrews. Only an hour and a half away, we decided to head to the course then come back to the city in the late afternoon.
The drive up to St. Andrews featured some of the most beautiful countryside I’d ever seen. We’d pass through quaint little towns with colorful two story houses stacked side by side, then dart through narrow roads with expansive fields of lavender and hay to our left and majestic cliffs to the right. It reminded me of the Spanish town Girona followed by countryside featured in Moonrise Kingdom or Everything is Illuminated.
Once we arrived in the city of Saint Andrews, we took an hour to explore the city streets, beach, and famous church graveyard. Up the road, we found ourselves at the iconic St. Andrews clubhouse resort. I seldom watch golf, but I was able to recognize the building the moment I saw it. My dad and I used to play golf often when I was younger or on vacation, and I figured a proper golf shirt from this famous course would be a proper gift. When talking up the saleswomen in the shop, I found that there was a twilight rate for golfers without reservations. I could also fib and say I’d only play 9 holes and just follow through 18 since the marshal finished his day at 5. I couldn’t resist – I talked Bryan into playing a round. We bought some 50% off collared shirts, and headed to the clubhouse to make a tee time.
Once at the clubhouse, we found the cashier was working one of her first days. She helped us rent clubs, buy some balls (I was rusty; hadn’t swung a club in over a year), and ringed us up. The total came to 84 Pounds, which seemed oddly low. It was even more peculiar when the cashier told Bryan I’d paid for him. No use arguing – we headed out to the first tee. As we set up, I emptied my pockets into the golf bag (did I mention we were rented 2013 Titlist clubs?) I checked my receipt and noticed that the green fee came to be $0.00 – Free! The cashier must have screwed up, but again, I wasn’t going to argue. Instead, I was going to play a free round of golf at one of the most famous and iconic courses in the world.
Our 18 holes were incredible. Granted, I was rusty from the beginning. I “borrowed” some range balls that had rolled over to the first tee, and by the end of 18 holes, we’d lost our fair share. However, both Bryan and I had some beautiful shots. I had two impressive drives, 250 yards plus, one near pin-point chip, and a 27 foot put. The course itself was gorgeous; rolling hills and cliffs running right up to the ocean along with picturesque fields of grain and a low mist. It was just beautiful.
With a full 18 holes, walking our bags and the course, it was certainly time for some food. We ended driving all the way back to Edinburgh to the restaurant we ate at our first night, followed by a long drive out of the city to our minimalist Holiday Inn Express. It may be a theme of my summer, being young, or just life itself, but I’ve really come to understand that the unexpected can work itself out in incredibly satisfying ways; all you have to do is go out and see what you get.
Sunday, July 28th.
This entry is a short one. The following morning, after breakfast and a drive back to town, Bryan and I found ourselves in a powerful rainstorm. We enjoyed driving the gothic architecture, cobblestone streets of old town Edinburgh, visiting the iconic castle on the hill, and driving fast in the now familiar “backwards” Toyota Yaris before heading to the airport.
After a short flight and dinner in downtown London, I carefully packed my bags, and laid everything soft I had on the floor. Shirts, pants, quick-dry towel, and Kente-Cloth as my sheet, I slept on the floor of Bryan’s apartment, excited to head home the following day. After two months abroad, I can say without a doubt that this has been the most incredible, fulfilling, industrious summer of my life. Transcripts, journal, and papers combined, I’d written over 320 pages while reading four books. I traveled both on my own to foreign places as well as “vacationed” with friends in familiar ones. Most importantly, however, I’ve grown to appreciate the hidden experiences behind the vale of unplanned adventure. In every situation, I’ve come to appreciate and look forward to figuring out life as it comes; to let go of scheduling, planning, being on-time and regimented, and just enjoy the ride. In the end, no matter how much I worry or plan for the future, there really is little I can control. Making smart decisions coupled with a good outlook on whatever comes really is a recipe to good stories and a good life.
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