Featured Travel

Edinburgh (and the major change it inspired me to make)

June 6, 2016


When I visited Europe on my last trip, I had an overwhelming amount of people comment on the beauty of Edinburgh. Most had visited at one point or another and told stories of their journeys in both the medieval World Heritage site of Old Town and the Georgian New Town.

We had plans to stay for two nights (one of our only multi-night cities of the adventure) and I was so excited for our digs at Old Town Chambers, luxury serviced apartments! I may never know why, but sometimes I get just as excited about where I stay as the actual sightseeing portion of the trip. And, if we’re being honest, about a week before we left for our journey Fox started his terrible twos (out of nowhere and about a year early), so I was looking forward to staying in a place where he could have the rule of the roost and plenty of space to stretch out without bugging anyone. 

I’ll be sharing some of the specific things we did along the way (think Scotch whisky tasting, lots of traditional food, and taking in all of the sights), but for now I want to share what we saw on a simple stroll through Edinburgh.

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comThis was me pretty much the entire trip. Chasing this guy around!

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comThis little tammy on Fox! It’s everything.

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comOur apartment was literally under 200 feet from the breathtaking St. Giles’ Cathedral. So close to everything!

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comWhen we got home from our first day, Fox promptly passed out on the couch so Tyler ran to get take out.

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comThere are so many food options in the city to eat at, take out, or get delivered in. Or you can cook! The kitchen is stocked with catering-standard knives and utensils, Siemens appliances, Nespresso machines, blenders/juicers, and dishwashers. They even had a milk in the fridge when we arrived!

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comBesides the spacious kitchen, the apartment held a living room, two bedrooms, and two baths. If you’re heading to Edinburgh, especially with family, I highly recommend Old Town Chambers. Being within walking distance of major attractions like Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and more, it was perfect for heading back every once in awhile to get a nap in.

Other tips for traveling with kids in Edinburgh: take a bus tour (we did and I’ll be sharing details on that in a future post), ditch the stroller for a carrier or old-fashioned carrying, and pencil in a few kid-centric activities – I suggest Our Dynamic Earth where families can touch polar ice and view a starry sky.

Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Edinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.comEdinburgh - TheFebruaryFox.com Above I mentioned that Edinburgh left a mark on me and inspired a major life change. When our family sat around the kitchen table in the gorgeous two-bedroom apartment in Scotland, I realized that I felt more at home there than I did in my own home. 

I analyzed the situation for awhile and happened upon two likely reasons why:

  • I loved having everything at my fingertips in walking distance, right in the thick of it all.
  • Even though the apartment was fully stocked, there was no clutter or unnecessary decor which made me feel less stressed.

Ultimately, I realized I wanted to live in a city center and downsize, shedding most of my belongings and bringing it back to simplicity. So that’s what we did! We went from a 5-bedroom, overstuffed suburban San Diego home, to a simple 2-bedroom apartment of our own in the heart of Hollywood.

It’s funny how a trip to Edinburgh changed life such a great deal for my little family and me.

Sending out a tremendous thank you for the immense hospitality of Old Town Chambers of Lateral City for hosting my family during our stay in Edinburgh.

Do you have a vacation coming up? If so, where to?

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3 Comments

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  • Reply Kevin Martin September 12, 2023 at 8:36 am

    The city of Edinburgh was the catalyst for my journey into a more natural lifestyle. It was the first time I felt inspired to change something in my life and take a more sustainable approach.

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