My time in Scotland is almost over, I have been living here since early September of last year (excepting three weeks for Christmas).

The friends I have made have been from all over the United Kingdom: the Channel Islands, the south, the midlands, the highlands, northern England, the diffuse area of London and southern Scotland. I have traveled through and received visas from seven different points of entry into the country. I have flown in it, around it, to it, from it and through it. I have taken a train under the Chunnel, seen it from Ireland, crossed it by train and bus.

There are a lot of cultural ties between this country and that of my home such as laughing at obscure yet unknown references in Family Guy episodes, cursing profusely while running Toad's Turnpike in reverse, noticing that shoes are remarkably hard to find in bushes at night and celebrating holidays with loud explosives.

Likewise there are differences, otherwise we would still be the same country. And not just the pronunciation of tomato or misspelling of color, only in the last weeks have I noticed a subtle difference in the way we few society. It is the feeling that the government allows us the residence or citizens to do what we do instead of us allowing the government to do what it does. I suppose it is the reason American revolted in the first place and I can still feel the echoes of it in modern Britain.

This feeling does not ruin my experience living here, in fact I only barely noticed it after eight or so months. Other parts of the society bugged me first, such as the prevalent CCTV everywhere in the country or the TV license system. Whenever I see I camera positioned from the top of a building or a protruding black bulge on the ceiling I try to smile and wave, wondering who if anybody is watching out at me.

I will miss Scotland. Men wearing kilts just walking down the street living their life. Pubs lining streets with business at every hour of the day. Such fierce regional pride between areas smaller then a Californian County. Street names changing at least every two blocks. Buildings older then my state draped with ungainly cables connecting them to the modern world.

It has been a long journey and soon I will be on the road again heading home.