An Unusual Tree

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”- Maya Angelou

What is a sign of someone who has traveled a lot? Many will say it is the number of passport stamps they have in their passport book. Some will say by how they navigate through an airport with such ease it is like they are walking down the sidewalk. It could be the number of stickers you have on your suitcase showing the different places you have been, or even the number of photos you have of different places stored on your phone. For me, a sign is based on what you have seen. What different places have you been to, and what experiences you have to share about them.

It seems like when I visit somewhere, there is always something that catches my eye. It could be because it is an amazing sight, or it could be an unusual sight. In the case of Edinburgh, Scotland, we came across an unusual tree while walking through the cemetery at The Parish Church of St Cuthbert. We saw this odd-looking tree that looked like a pine tree, but its leaves reminded me of an aloe plant. The monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), also called the Chilean pine, is an ancient evergreen conifer native to the Andes Mountains of Chile and Argentina. Famous for its stiff, sharp, scale-like leaves covering rope-like branches, it can live for over 1,000 years and grow up to 130 feet tall. I doubt the one in Scotland will get that high due to the differences in climate, but it was such an odd sight to see on the grounds.