I was worried about this trip and coming to Scotland because I assumed Scotland was, well, very white. I was worried the food would be bland, everyone would stare at me like I was an alien or I would be the only person in all of Glasgow who looked like me. I wasn’t sure where I would be able to find certain products I needed or how I would deal with the feeling of being the only different one in a whole country of sameness.
However, I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong, people stare at me all the time, the food seems to be only seasoned with salt and pepper, and I have NO idea where to find several products I usually have. However, I have not, even once, felt like an outsider or like the odd man out. There is tons of diversity in Scotland, just like anywhere else. And sure it’s a different kind of diversity than I’m used to but it’s wonderful to experience. Sometimes I am the only person of color walking on the street and sometimes there are so many different colors, languages, and people that I feel like I’m in a kaleidoscope of cultures. And on top of that the people of Scotland seem so open to differentness. Although I do get a lot of stares, they don’t seem angry or malicious. They seem to be fueled by genuine curiosity and wonder and I totally get that! I have stared at my fair share of people and places just to get a longer look. Even though I am different and look different than most of the people of Scotland, being different makes me the same here! I feel a certain level of regularity walking around Glasgow that I’ve never felt in the United States and it is a beautiful surprise.
I was a little stressed about coming to Scotland because of all the things that make me different from the people here. I expected to be confused, lost and to stick out like a sore thumb but what I didn’t expect was for all those differences to help me fit right in. Before, I was worried but so far it has been perfectly different and wonderfully the same.
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