Scottish Festival!!

When I was young, we lived in Denver, Colorado. One Saturday, my parents packed us all in the car and we headed out of the city limits for some hiking, something I had never done. Dressed in jeans and sturdy shoes, we sang songs in the car and were excited for some fresh mountain air. As we drove along, watching the buildings turn to trees, my Dad saw a sign for a Scottish Festival! My parents spoke quickly, and then asked us if we wanted to go to a Scottish Festival or hiking. The plan had been to go hiking, we were dressed for hiking, we had our snacks and everything ready for hiking...so NATURALLY we chose the Scottish Festival. My Dad flipped a u-turn and we found ourselves moments later surrounded my badgipes and kilts. This was a world I had never seen. I loved it! The dancing, the music, the native costumes. We had a wonderful adventure that day, and I learned something very important that I wish I could put into words. Something about how unimportant plans are. How you can not think that because you are enrout to somewhere that is where you will end up. How having an adventure is more important than where you end up.

From then on, each time there was a Scottish event in the area, we attended. One Sunday, rather than going to our church, we went to a HUGE, old stone cathedral and attended the Scottish "Blessing of The Tartans". Again, kits, bagpipes, dancing, singing...and that feeling of breaking away from the norm. Each Scottish event we attended reminded me of that lesson I had learned when we went to our first Scottish Festival.

The years passed and we moved to less culturally diverse states and we didn't attend any more Scottish Festivals. However, as I travelled around the world, I remembered that lesson. Sometimes, I would be on my way somewhere and have the opportunity to go somewhere completely different than planned, maybe even somewhere I was nervous to go. I would remember our hiking trip that ended at a Scottish Festival and I would flip a mental u-turn and head for the unknown!

When I moved to Utah, I learned of a yearly Scottish Festival in the area! I was so happy, but Taiger was always too small to go, or I was too busy. Well, a few days ago they announced on the news that the Scottish Festival would be this weekend! I decided we would go! So, last night, I dragged Taiger and Jeremy to Thanksgiving Point and the bagpipes and kilts of a Scottish Festival!!!! We had a WONDERFUL time! Something about it was so exciting, and I realized that although the overall spirit of the Festival was meant to evoke that warm, exciting feeling, there was something more. I know it was a reminder of the lesson I had learned about walking away from the beatten path.

I hope that is something I can teach Taiger. That no matter WHAT, it is more imporant to have an adventure than to stick to the plan!!

Anyway, here are some pictures of the Festival!! It was SOOOOO FUN!!