In The Study

I was looking through the daily writing prompts for something inspiring to write about and I came across one that actually piqued my interest. The question was: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? To me this question needs a little clarification. My fun-loving adventurous side and think of just about a dozen places around the globe I could move to today, but my more practical side thinks about the fact that not only do I lack the funds to move even out of my parents’ house at the moment, but it also would be very hard to make a living in most of these dream destinations.

For the sake of the article, I am assuming that the prompt implies any sort of financial needs are met in moving to this hypothetical residency, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not you can afford to move around the globe. So, working off that assumption there is one place that stands out in my mind as the ideal place to take up residence and that is Caithness Scotland.

About a month ago, I was blessed to be able to join a study abroad trip to Scotland for a creative retreat. This was my second time visiting this country as two years prior I had gone on a Lewis and Tolkien study abroad trip in the UK. That trip started in London, worked up through Oxford and ended in Edinburgh, with a little day trip through the Highlands at the end. This trip however started us in Edinburgh, before eventually having us make our way up through the Cairngorms Mountains, past Loch Ness and eventually all the way up to just north of Wick, where we stayed four nights at Freswick Castle.

This castle is privately owned by a gentleman who runs a trust for particularly Christian Artists, in order for them to find a place and community to call their own, and he utilizes the castle as a retreat space where they can come to relax and find both Spiritual and Artistic inspiration. We were fortunate enough to be able to utilize this castle for our stay there both as a residency and a place for good reflection and communion with each other.

During our stay at the castle our normal day to day schedule changed a bit from constant travel and seeing things, to a more introspective quiet relaxed existence. We did still do some things around the area during the mornings such as going to Thurso, or seeing the stacks, but a large portion of the days was reserved for quiet time, reflection and journaling. The castle is positioned right on the beach on the shore of the North Sea; (which I did a polar plunge into the first night), so for my quiet time I walked down onto the sands and rocks and just sat on a log or paced up and down in the quiet. It was grey and cloudy most of our time there which brought the rain for than once, but as I walked and just spent time being physically and mentally quiet, I found I did not mind it at all.

Mind you, there is not much in the world that makes me feel more uncomfortable than getting wet. If I am swimming or planning on it, I do not mind as much but when the intention is to stay dry I absolutely despise getting wet. Even spilling a little water on my shirt or pants bugs me until it eventually dries out, and the sensation of putting on even damp clothes or wet shoes could be considered a form or torture to me. However, as I walked along the beach and the gentle rain came down on me, soaking into my coat and sweater, I did not mind it. I found it peaceful and calming. It definitely made it feel even more cold, as it was already an average of the low forties all week, but even that did not seem to bother me.

I believe this serene quietness would be extremely hard to recreate anywhere else in the world; at least for me. There is something about that region and especially that castle that just makes everything else in the world seem so less important. Perhaps it is because it is situated so far from any major city, or because I am attuned to all the problems in America specifically and being so far away from it all makes it feel so menial, but even in other places on the trip, I did not find the same peace that I did at that castle.

I think the major kicker was not just the location itself, but the people there. I already mentioned the owner who has a cottage on the land, but there is another individual who also has a cottage on the land and serves as both a helper in upkeeping the property and the creative director for the trust. These two were exceptionally wonderful to chat with and have conversations both about life and the arts. They both have exceptional life stories, and we were fortunate enough to hear the owner’s story of why he bought the castle and also some of the story of his family legacy.

This is what made me want to stay. Not the fact that we lived in a literal castle for four days, not the seaside property and the history surrounding it all, not even quiet and serene feeling of being in that place. The two that run the castle who made us feel truly at home in another country in a completely unknown place are the leading cause of me wanting to go back there and live. I want to help and be involved with the castle in whatever capacity it needs. I found a place that truly felt like a home and that is what matters the most.

A luxurious beach house may be nice for vacation, or a mansion home can be useful for hosting parties, but if that place does not truly feel like home, what good is living there? I am already toying with the idea of returning to Freswick Castle and seeing my friends there again someday, hopefully sooner rather than later, but until then I will continue on in my day-to-day life with the knowledge that the place I can call home is still standing strong. Either way, I’ll see you all again sometime, but until then you can find me in the study.