Arrival to Dalkeith

My family and I have now been in Scotland for a week and a half. We arrived on Tuesday, 14 January. It had been several years since I had taken an international flight. The seats have not gotten any more comfortable, but the technology has. Gone was the one movie that everyone could watch. Now, there were almost unlimited choices of movies to watch on my own little touch screen personal entertainment and enrichment center. I could take my choice of movies, TV shows (including TED talks), games, and other options to pass the 8 plus hours on the flight. 

Djanko and his smoothie with a cap

When we arrived in Amsterdam to change planes, people from many countries, cultures, and ethnicities were teeming through the airport as well. I was humbled to listen to people bounce from English to Dutch or other language without a problem, and I enjoyed listening to the various languages and cadences of fellow travelers. A quick snack provided my family with one of the many surprises that I was sure we would encounter. A smoothie drink came in a bottle with a miniature knit cap upon it. What could one do with that cap? Too small for any human, no matter how small, and too big for many dolls. I guess we can put it on other bottles, toy cars, bouncy balls…

When we arrived in the Edinburgh airport, we made our way through customs and other necessary checkpoints. On our cab ride to Dalkeith, both Ahmyn and I were quite thankful for being chauffeured. The multiple roundabouts, some of them four lanes with stoplights, were dizzying. As we got out of the cab at the doors of Dalkeith, I heard my name. Now, when you are traveling in a foreign country knowing no one, hearing your name may take you by shock a bit. However, it was quite reassuring to have Patty Waters, the Resident Director of Experience Scotland, and her dog, Angus, outside greeting me with a smile and a welcome.

Dalkeith House

Katrice in the Armorie

Patty led us through the marble entrance hall, up the blue and green tartan covered stairs by the marble statue of the Duke of Wellington, and showed us to our rooms. Seryahna and Djanko got a nice sized room with beautiful views, while Ahmyn and I landed in a cozy room down the hall. In the faculty wing is also the Armorie. No longer does it hold the Scottish crown jewels, but it does act as a common area for all of the faculty members and their families and guests. The Armorie has a coffee maker, tea kettle, refrigerators, TV, tables, chairs, and windows that look out over the grounds.

Seryahna by the Montagu Bridge and the North Esk

We did not linger long, though, because we were ready to explore. Ahmyn, Seryahna, Djanko, and I were glad to stretch our legs on some of the trails in the 800 plus acre park.

The River North Esk is part of our back yard. It is muddy looking river. According to park placards, the color is due to run-off from unused coal mines upstream. The river is beautiful, though, as is the park. More on the landscape later.

Like Tim McRaith and Denise deGidio, we celebrated our first night in Dalkeith at the Bombay Lounge. Something about Indian food to warm your soul…The food was delicious, although Djanko, my 7 year old, would not know because he fell asleep at the table. Poor, tired traveler. 

The next day, we went into Edinburgh of course. We were able to navigate the bus pretty easily. Of course, it is helpful when you do not have to change buses since there are 3 different bus routes that go directly from Dalkeith to Edinburgh. 

When you look at the map, you will see that Dalkeith is only about six to seven miles from Edinburgh. Quick, right? Not on the bus. It takes between 45 minutes and an hour to get from one to the other. You do have to wait on the bus, stop frequently, and the bus does not take the most direct route. 

Edinburgh is striking. A castle perched atop an extinct volcano does capture your attention and imagination. Buildings that are older than some cities in Wisconsin challenge your idea of “old.” Throughout the semester, I will add more about Edinburgh as I get to know it better. 

My family and I visited Waverley train station and made plans for our next adventure, walked a little ways along the Royal Mile, found a book store so we could get a book on Scotland’s birds, viewed the sights around Princes Street Gardens, and ate lunch.

Still a bit bleary-eyed from travel, we returned to Dalkeith because the next day we were to set off to Tarbert and then to the Isle of Islay.

Departing for Dalkeith: Take 2

Currently, the temperature is about -14⁰ F here in Rice Lake. 

Our garden as winter sets in

Edinburgh is 45⁰ F, rainy, and windy. That sounds practically balmy right now. Soon my family and I will leave the snow and subzero temperatures behind to experience a Scottish winter and spring.

My name is Katrice Shuler, and I have the tremendous opportunity to teach in Scotland with the Experience Scotland program (formerly known as Wisconsin in Scotland). I teach psychology at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

This semester, Spring 2014, I will be teaching General Psychology, Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence, and Behavioral Statistics to students from WITC, University of Wisconsin, and Normandale Community College. Those students, other faculty members, and family will all be living and learning together in Dalkeith House, southeast of Edinburgh, with the Experience Scotland program.  For more on the program, check out http://www.uwrf.edu/WisconsinInScotland/.

When Tim McRaith taught in the Wisconsin in Scotland program in the fall of 2011, he wrote of the many possibilities that a partnership between WITC and the Experience Scotland program would bring. Thanks to his trailblazing and the work of many instrumental individuals at WITC, Dale Shultz and Anna Lehman will be the first WITC students to live, study, and immerse themselves in Scottish life with the Experience Scotland program. Dale is a business student as well as a graduate of WITC’s Barber-Cosmetology program. Anna is a pre-nursing student who is taking advantage of the time between the petitioning process and being able to begin the nursing program.

Experience Scotland will provide new challenges and inspirations for us all. The students will come from various schools, including WITC, University of Wisconsin, and Normandale Community College, and they will have a broad range of majors and interests. I look forward to the exciting opportunities that we will have, such as field trips to places like the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh and the Freud Museum in London. We also will all learn more about Scotland, of course. With the bid for Scottish independence looming, there should be much to discuss and discover. In the end, our experiences will allow each of us to better view the world with a cross-cultural perspective. 

Our future home, Dalkeith Palace

One of the most rewarding aspects of this experience, though, is the fact that my family will be traveling with me: my husband, Ahmyn Masci, and our two children, Seryahna age 9, and Djanko age 7. In Rice Lake, my husband was working at Main Street Market Food Co-op. He actually started working there right before Denise and Tim left for Scotland in 2011. While in Scotland, he will be responsible for much of our homeschooling with the kids. Seryahna and Djanko are excited for this adventure, looking forward to touring castles, being close to the sea, making new friends, and exploring new places. They are both seasoned travelers, with many trips across the country under their belts. I think that they will do well traveling across the Scottish countryside and other countries too.

Djanko, Ahmyn, me, and Seryahna at Christie Mountain in Bruce, WI -- before the snow

I look forward to seeing Scotland through the eyes of my children and my students. Interestingly, this adventure will not be my first time in Scotland. One of the many reasons that I am so excited about this opportunity is that I participated in a study-abroad program while in college. I studied and worked in London for a semester with a program sponsored by Boston University, and I reveled in the experience. During my semester in London, I visited Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling and absolutely fell in love with Scotland. I cannot wait to fall in love all over again.

Who needs a phone box anymore?

This time, though, a few differences will be obvious. One of the differences that I’ve begun to ponder is that in my previous trip to London, slightly over 2 decades ago, communication with family and friends in the states was different. I couldn’t skype; there were no “blogs,” and I did not even have an email account. I wrote letters and postcards and had to find a pay phone to place calls – yes, those famous red payphone boxes. Now, communication will be varied, and it will be easier to stay in touch with family, friends, and even complete strangers. This blog is just one way that I will be able to share the WITC in Scotland experience. Additionally, Dale Shultz will be taking care of our International Education Facebook page. 

My family and I will depart soon – in about a week. We have much to do between now and then. Before too long, though, I will be posting about our jaunt across the pond. Cheers, and stay warm!