I am, above all other things (besides maybe a horse girl), Scottish. Scotland is one of my passions in life, and ever since I discovered my Scottish heritage I have tried to live it to the fullest.
As some of you can tell from the background, I am of the Ross Clan. The link will take you to the Clan Ross homepage.
I am at the moment trying to learn Scottish Gaelic. It is very difficult but I am really enjoying it. I found a helpful Gaelic page at the University of Oregon.
I love going to festivals, and when it comes to Scottish Festivals I think us Texans lucked out with the Texas Scottish Festival. It's the biggest in America. Go if you live nearby--it's worth it. To find a festival near you, go to U.S. Scots for a games listing.
In terms of entertainment, I have two main things to say.
First, out of Scotland we got Ewan McGregor, a very talented and good-looking actor. He's been in a number of excellent Danny Boyle films suchs as Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, and A Life Less Ordinary, all of which are must-sees. Of course Star Wars is a must for the fanatic, which I am but Ewan was about all Phantom Menace had going for it. Also see the Pillow Book, which is an excellent artistic film, as well as not censored to US media standards.
And of course I must mention Braveheart, for it is my favourite movie, and such a wonderful tribute to Scotland's William Wallace. Sure, it's Hollywood-ized, but still an incredable movie, and more proof of Mel Gibson's genious.
If all that is not enough, I know from visiting that Scotland is absolutely gorgeous. I was lucky enough to get to go as a graduation present. I've scanned in some pictures from my trip. On the left is me in the highlands. The highlands were amazing, as I knew they would be. I even got to go trekking on a Highland pony, which was like a dream come true for me.
On the right is a picture of me on the island of Mull. It was truly amazing, like there was some sort of spiritual presence. It's something that cannot really be described but rather must be experienced.
This is me on the dock at Loch Luss. When we got there, there was a bagpiper playing in the distance, and the beauty of the country and the music combined was overwhelming. I knew than that I had been right my whole life in believing that Scotland is my true home, and where I belong. I can't wait to go back!