Alright so I needed to figure out this vacation thing, right? France kept popping up – fancy Paris, nice wine, all that. But then Scotland… mountains, whisky, maybe see a hairy cow? Head was spinning trying to pick one. Spent like, three whole evenings just googling “France or Scotland” until my eyes hurt. Seriously.
Finally got pissed off at myself staring at the screen. Grabbed my notebook – the actual paper kind, not the laptop – and a pen. Time to get real.
Throwing Everything On The Wall
Started scribbling. France pros: Wine (obviously!), big fancy museums, warmer down south, croissants. Felt fancy just writing it. Cons: Paris is damn expensive, heard Parisians can be snooty, language barrier kinda scared me.
Flipped the page. Scotland pros: Dramatic landscapes outta a movie, whisky trails, friendly people, cheaper than Paris. Cons: Weather. Oh god, the rain. Also, might need to rent a car, which stresses me out.
Just writing it helped, but I was still stuck. Back to the computer. This time, I went deep dive:
- Found hostel/hotel prices for Edinburgh vs Paris. Yowch. Paris hostel bunk bed cost more than Edinburgh private room.
- Plotted train routes in France: Easy. Scotland? Possible, but buses were cheaper. Longer travel time though.
- Weather history: France south, sunny odds better. Scotland… rain odds scary high.
- Food cravings: Honestly? Some days I saw myself in a boulangerie, others smashing fish and chips by a loch.
Suddenly felt super dumb. Why the hell was I forcing myself to pick one? Seriously, like I had to choose. Just felt like those travel bloggers were shouting at me to decide. Then it hit me: Screw it.
The Spreadsheet of Truth
Opened a spreadsheet, because apparently that’s adulting. Listed my real non-negotiables:
- Two weeks max
- Budget: Tight AF. Strictly hostels/economy.
- Must-do: See something truly epic (like, wow-factor scenery)
- Vibe: Chill, no rushing. Explore towns slowly.
- Food freedom: Eat whatever looks good.
Scrolled through cheap flight sites. Found a weirdly cheap flight into London first, then Edinburgh. Bingo. Checked Scotland trip cost: Accommodation, trains, food – doable within budget. Checked France doing same style: Uh oh. Getting really tight, especially Paris stay. France looked amazing… but budget was screaming “No!”.
The moment? Realizing Scotland’s landscapes were the “epic” thing I craved most. Lochs, Highlands… that was the wow. France was fantastic, but cheaper to do that focused later. Plus, honestly? The idea of just hiking hills and finding a pub felt more “me” right then than navigating Paris streets on a shoestring.
So I pulled the trigger. Booked Edinburgh. Bought a waterproof jacket immediately. Honestly, felt a bit relieved. All that pressure trying to fit into either box? All gone to shit. Found the trip that actually fit me. Kinda fucking embarrassing it took that long, but hey. Next time, spreadsheet comes out first.
