Ever since I came back from Scotland, I have wanted to go back. It is my dream to plan another trip there one day, this time not tied to academics. There are a few elements of daily life that I miss compared to my experience in the U.S., and this post looks at the first of them.

One big difference I noticed in Scotland as compared to the U.S. is the presence of public transportation. In the U.S., there is good public transportation in big cities, and Amtrak connects many of the major cities across states. In Glasgow, I could get anywhere I wanted in the city through a smooth bus system. I didn’t qualify for this as I was not in the country long enough to be considered a resident, but Scottish residents under 22 years old get free bus fare across the country.

With just a mild inconvenience in getting groceries, I was able to get everywhere I needed to go without a car. Thanks to a strong train and inter-city bus network, I was also easily able to travel between Scottish cities. We had to rent a car to get to the islands, but the mainland was easily traversable without one. Scotland is a smaller country, so this type of network is more achievable, but I don’t see anything nearing its scope in the U.S. 

One thing relying on public transportation did was it required me to slow down and take in my surroundings. When I visited new cities, I was required to walk. I could see anything I could get to on foot in a day. I learned to enjoy the small things like country lanes and small houses. While I could see these things from the windows of a vehicle, walking made me appreciate them all the more.