Once more hello to you all,

I am somewhat perplexed as to the best way to wrap up my entire experience in one last blog. I am trying to think of what you would be most interested in. You may ask, "Did you enjoy the trip."

"Yes and no."

"What part did you enjoy?"

"Lots of things: seeing the country, getting acquainted with the Scottish/British culture, playing authentic links golf, playing basketball, going out at night, but most especially, meeting and getting to know the people."

"What part didn't you enjoy?"

"Being away from home,--from family, friends, school, all that was familiar."

"Are you glad you did it?"

"Yes; but I can't see how anyone could say no. I certainly have had some very hard times--mostly at the beginning--but now that the whole thing has come to a close, I would be ashamed of myself if I regretted it. I may regret some of the smaller decisions I've made while over here--but that's life, isn't it? The whole thing is a learning experience, and I would put this trip under that heading first and foremost. It can't be helped that it sounds cliche, but it's the truth. Nothing makes one learn, or reminded of, the things that are important in life, in a quicker way that being separated from it for a period of time. Perhaps the greatest lesson I've learned is that really our only business, amidst this grand mass of confusion called life, is to help each other; to seek to make each person's life that we come in contact with a little bit easier. To live right is to live for others. And there are a countless number of things that can stand in our way and shield our eyes and blind us from the truth. We were called into being--the result of a lovely thought of God--simply to love each other."

That is in a nutshell what I would take from these three short months in Scotland. It is amazing to think how such different people, that is, people from all corners of the world, will come into contact with each other and subtly influence their lives, for good or bad, without their even realizing it. It's sort of like one huge mess of a dance. People, sometimes one, sometimes two, sometimes a whole group, flitting from here and there among the others; the good ones helping, the bad ones hurting, the majority doing a bit of both.

I have so many people to thank for helping me through this journey. My parents, my friends, my family-friends--thank you all so much! You don't know how much good even a simple message on my blog was for me; it gave me strength and reminded me what I was about.

So for one final time,

Cheers!