Why This Trip Mattered
Celebrating More than Birthdays
My mom and I chose the Heart of Scotland tour as a way to celebrate our 40th and 60th birthdays. It felt like a fun excuse to travel — a milestone worth marking with something memorable. But the trip was always more meaningful than just a birthday celebration.
As I get older, I’m increasingly aware of how fleeting life is. Anyone who has lost someone they love understands that perspective. We don’t get unlimited time. And as I get older, time seems to move even faster. (What the heck? I always heard people say that when I was younger but man, is it true.)
I don't want this season of life to slip by without intentionally savoring it, especially with the people who matter most to me. Having eight uninterrupted days with just my mom felt like an incredible privilege. We weren’t distracted by work or responsibilities. We were simply present — together.
My mom had this thing where, about once a day, she would turn to me and say, "We're. In. Scotland. Right this second, we are in Scotland." It was so grounding to have a moment to pan out on the experience and recognize what a joy it was to be there.
This trip mattered because - well, we had an adventure! We stood in wind-swept Highland landscapes and looked at hairy coos (Highland cows). We wandered ancient streets and the ruins of castles that were once someone's home. We tried new things (like IRN BRW... sorry, ick) and saw things we’d only read about. Sharing all of that — side by side — felt rare and sweet.
This wasn’t just a trip. It was time — chosen and protected.
My first birthday. My mom made that Care Bears cake all on her own!
The Joy of Letting Someone Else Lead
One of the unexpected joys of this trip was not having to manage every logistical detail ourselves. Anyone who knows me knows I am no Magellan when it comes to navigation (I once got lost inside a mall — truly). Still, I wondered whether a guided tour might feel too structured. Would I miss having full control over our schedule?
In short: not even close.
Being on a guided tour meant no scrambling over public transportation schedules, no late-night Google searches trying to decode train platforms, no lingering worry that we were missing something essential.
Instead, we simply got to show up — and be present.
The tour opened doors we wouldn’t have known how to open on our own. No matter how experienced a traveler I might be, I would never have thought to arrange an intimate bagpipe performance with Gillie, spend a morning with Neil the shepherd and his sheepdogs, or sit under the spell of Bruce MacGregor’s stories.
Those weren’t experiences you stumble into accidentally. They were thoughtfully curated moments of access — the kind that turn sightseeing into something immersive and unforgettable.
Letting someone else lead didn’t make the trip feel less adventurous. It made it richer. It freed us to look up, to notice more, and to fully inhabit the moment — to look at each other and say, with a little disbelief and a lot of gratitude, “We are in Scotland.”
Traveling on Purpose
One of the reasons we chose a Rick Steves tour was because we wanted to travel with intention — not just see Scotland, but understand its story. To hear from its people directly about who they say they are. To look beyond the highlight reels and listen for the fuller, more complicated story.
And the tour exceeded those expectations.
We learned about a people whose culture endured through centuries of pressure and loss — a language nearly silenced, traditions nearly erased. And yet today, those threads of Scottish culture are being rewoven and shared with pride.
The Rick Steves tour gave us a truly meaningful travel experience — guided, immersive, and thoughtful. We weren’t just tourists observing from the outside. We were learners, listening to stories that deepened our understanding of history, identity, and resilience.
That kind of travel stays with you.
Loch Rannoch
#MomDot's Tips for Travel
For those planning their own milestone journey, here’s what we learned from this experience and our top recommendations.
1) You really can pack all you need in a carry-on.
2) Arrive a day or two early to adjust to jet lag before your trip begins.
3) Try to avoid planning your trip to take place during your favorite sports team's postseason run.
4) Keep a travel log or journal to capture small moments as they happen.
5) Be open to making new friends with your tour group members! Sit with different people each meal.
6) Learn how to pronounce a few words in the local language - this unlocks culture in unique ways.
So what are you waiting for?
Plan your Rick Steves guided tour now!
I obviously recommend the Scotland tour but I hear the other ones are pretty great as well. ;)