Scott's Scottish Adventures: Largs

In my last post, I mentioned that I visited the tiny town of Largs. Why? At the turn of the 20th century, a girl was born in this town. Orphaned at a young age, she grew up without a mother and father, but was surrounded by friends. She attended school and church, though up stories, and joked with her friends about the cute boys in town. She was also involved in theatre, and played a few roles in the dramatic society. Eventually she and her friend (named after the church where she was baptized), decided to leave their little village and make the journey to America. She never returned to Scotland, but it is said that she loved the Jersey shore and its beaches reminded her of the oceanfront in Largs. As you might've guess this woman was my great-grandmother
The town of Largs was settled by Vikings who later intermarried with the local population. Today, that legacy can be felt in the many stores lining the waterfront which did remind me of the shops along the Jersey shore (though not nearly as expansive). I visited the church where my great-grandmother's friend was baptized, and walked along the river front that she so fondly remembered. The town itself was quite nice. It was Sunday so most of the shops were closed, but I still got a sense of the town's identity. The people were friendly, the houses were well elept, and while I never got the sense that the people were particularly wealthy, neither did I get the sense that they were poor. With the ocean nearby and tall hills behind it, the place seemed like a very nice place to live.
When some people visit their ancestral home, they say they get the feeling of belonging even though they've never been there before. I never got that feeling, but that doesn’t mean I didn't feel connect to my roots. For me, home is where your friends, family, and memories are. There are several places that I could call home, the College of William and Mary, Exeter University, Lee Hall in North Carolina, and of course, Skyline Drive PA. But unless I actually lived in Largs, I don't think I could call it home. However, similar to the feeling I received standing at Liverpool Docks, I felt the connection of the journeys that we were both on. For her it was travelling to an unknown land to achieve the American Dream. For me it was travelling to a new place to learn about the world. Which one is the more important? Hers... definitely hers, but while my travels in England won't lead to a whole new chapter of my family’s story, it’s another page in my story and I"m glad I'm taking it. Even though I might not feel a particularly strong connection to the town, I defiantly feel more connected with my ancestors which, for this history major, is pretty darn cool.