A Love Letter to Glasgow
Glasgow, Scotland. I was 20 years old when I left for Glasgow, without any idea of what I was getting myself into. Only 8 months ago I accepted my offer to study abroad at Glasgow Caledonian University, a small arts-focused university in Glasgow’s city centre. Those 8 months prior to my departure were filled with stress, anxiety, excitement, and small feelings of dread because I totally forgot how to make new friends. At this point in my life, I was comfortable — perhaps too comfortable. I knew the right amount of people, had good friends, and was doing well in school. I needed to get out of my rut, though. I needed something to jumpstart my life. I needed an experience to help me realize what I’m passionate about. I knew I liked writing, photography, and politics, but to some degree, that felt like work and school. I needed a hobby, for God’s sake. I needed a challenge.
I guess that’s what attracted me to Glasgow. Could I have picked a bigger challenge? Of course; there was no language barrier, and I was already somewhat familiar about the United Kingdom. However, I knew nothing about Glasgow. I barely knew what it looked like. All I knew was that GCU had a journalism and politics program and it rained a lot. Other than that, I had no clue. I had some family members tell me about Glasgow and how it used to be a rough city back in their day, but “surely it had changed.” I ignored their concerns or comments of disdain when I told them I picked Glasgow to study in for 6 months. I didn’t want to know anything about it, good or bad, until I got there. I wanted to discover it for myself.
Fast forward to January 2017. My mum and my aunt insisted on coming with me to Scotland as a way to see me off; in actuality they just wanted a mini-holiday and I was their excuse. They were a comforting presence, no doubt. We got to wander around the city, exploring different pubs, tea shops, and grocery stores. Perhaps the biggest culture shock for all of us was how inexpensive the groceries were, even with the exchange rate. Our first full day in Glasgow was genuinely lovely. We explored the west end of the city, from Finnieston, to Ashton Lane, and ending up at the University of Glasgow. Within a day, I fell in love with the city. It felt electric, authentic, and different. I felt an immediate sense of comfort and home there.
A few days later, my mum and aunt embarked for London to make their way home and I was officially on my own. It was now up to me to meet people, make new friends, find my way around campus, and make this city my own.
I won’t go into every single detail about my time in Glasgow — there’s far too much to tell. But just know that the city is an electric and passionate place with the friendliest people I’ve ever met. The food scene is incredible, the clubs were the students hang out are a cheap and good-enough time, and the cocktail bars are stunning. I was lucky enough to only have class Monday to Wednesday, and in those days off, I hopped on RyanAir flights for quick, two day trips with my friend, Brittney, to see what Europe and the United Kingdom had to offer. Together, Brittney and I saw Paris, Barcelona, Warsaw, Krakow, Ireland, Amsterdam, and parts of Switzerland. We’d typically get back to Glasgow on a Saturday, in which I’d have a quick nap, shower, and head out to one of the local nightclubs. Was it financially smart? No! But I wasn’t there to be smart. I was there to make memories and have the best time. I could be responsible when I got returned to Canada. My friends and I would typically go to a club called The Garage, a wild and infamous institution in Glasgow. I have no idea how many floors it is or how many rooms there are, but there’s several themes in each one. There’s rock, hip-hop, house, 90s and 2000s music, and the biggest room being the dance and top 40 room. We’d go there nearly every weekend and have the absolute best time. Each Sunday, a group of us would grab coffee and snacks from Pret a Manger and discuss the night before.
Before I knew it, my time in Scotland was coming to an end. While part of me was ready to go, I was deeply saddened to leave this city. The last few weeks my friends and I had together, we would sit along the riverbank or in Kelvingrove Park with disgustingly sweet cider and bask in the surprisingly warm May sun. I created a life for myself here that I didn’t want to leave, and I became a happier, better version of myself. I became more active, energized, and outgoing. I didn’t want to leave it behind just yet, I wanted to explore myself as this improved person.
In June, I left. I grabbed a one-way ticket and hopped on a train to London and, with a few stops here and there, made my way down to Croatia. By July, I was back in Canada and it was almost as if nothing had ever changed. While I felt like a different person, my friends stayed the same, and almost by their influence, I reverted back into my old self. I carried on with my days, got a job, and graduated university in the winter of 2019.
With officially being done school in 2019, I realized that there was nothing holding me back from doing what I want. As a means to escape winter and an attempt to find myself again, I took a month off work and went to Argentina. The month I spent in Argentina was cathartic and reinvigorating, and made me realize that I’m not my best self in Ottawa — and certainly not during the long, frigid winters. I kept thinking to myself that if there’s a place I’m meant to be, it’s Glasgow. It was time I stopped thinking about it and just did it.
In summer 2019, I started my first big solo trip. I started in London to see friends, made my way to Switzerland, Milan, and ended up in Greece briefly. After Greece, I had no plans, which made me insanely anxious, but at this point in time, I was trying to be a bit more carefree and less uptight. As my time in Milan was coming to an end, I remembered that one of my closest friends that I met while studying in Glasgow, Bobbie, was in Scotland doing her masters. It was fate, I’d thought to myself. Of course I’m going to go to Glasgow! When would I ever have the chance of doing this again with Bobbie? I quickly reached out and she said I could crash in her flat for however long.
As I arrived in Glasgow, I felt at ease. Unlike the past two months, I didn’t need to frantically look up directions from the airport to my hostel. I simply jumped on the airport express bus, got off at Buchanan Bus Station, stopped by the small Sainsbury’s that’s on the way to Bobbie’s flat, and knocked on her door. It was so, so easy, and so comfortable. I remember feeling overwhelmed with excitement and emotion just by hopping on the bus. After two months of unfamiliar places and faces, getting off the bus and arriving at Buchanan Bus Station — which, let me say, has absolutely zero ambiance — felt better than coming home. It was almost like a feeling of relief, as if to say “Finally, I’m here. I’ve made it back.”
As Bobbie and I spent a week exploring all that Glasgow had to offer. We went to Kelvingrove Park, going to Dumpling Monkey, The Garage, Ashton Lane, and laughing our assess off while on the tiny subway. My favourite day had to be when we found a clean bench by theBuchanan subway station, each with a cup of tea and a Gregg’s sausage roll in hand, and people watched while basking in the unusually hot sun. We sat there for what must’ve been hours, laughing, reminiscing, and watching the quirky buskers parked on Buchanan Street.
Leaving Glasgow this time around was harder than before. It’s almost like this time, I knew what I was leaving. The past week I’d spent there essentially solidified the fact that Glasgow is my happy place. Whenever I see it on the news or see photos of it, I have nothing but love for the city. Even now, I get so excited when I hear a Glaswegian accent, and I can’t help myself but tell them how much I love it there.
Looking back, I’m glad I went to Glasgow by myself with a totally open mind. If it wasn’t for Glasgow embracing me with the most open of arms, I wouldn’t be who I am today. And yes, I hate that cliche as much as everyone else, but it’s true. Glasgow helped me discover who I am on my own, and it’s given me a place to always come back to.
Glasgow, I can’t wait to see you soon.
With love,
Emily
