"The best things in life are free, the second are very expensive."- Coco Chanel
Scotland is known for it's unimagineable beauty. A country blanketed in rich greenery. Before coming to Scotland, I had the idea that all beautiful things could be bought or owned. It's something I still believe for the most part, but experiencing Scotland challenged that idea. I like to collect beautiful things and when I see something beautiful, I want to wear it or put it in my house. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I tell myself my shopping habit is more about the beauty and talent behind the item than materialism or status. Textile designer William Morris once explained it well by saying, "Have nothing in your house you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
When we visited Kildonan Beach on the Isle of Arran, it was the first time I saw something beautiful I couldn't buy. I've seen beautiful things I couldn't afford, but with Kildonan it wasn't even an option. The beach had huge rocks, deep blue waters, and green mountains in the distance. White beach houses were perched up on the hills overlooking the water. I wanted to possess what was in front of me. I wanted a salesperson to tissue it up and let me take it home but you can't bag up a view like Kildonan. You can't even feel it in your hands. You can take a picture of it, but it probably won't translate the beauty to the full extent. You can buy a house in front of it, but its still too vast to feel like it's yours. You have to savor what you can of it and share it with others. The closest you can get is to owning it is to sit in front of it and stare at it.
-Audrey