The sound of bagpipes was the first thing I noticed, cutting through the Florida air before I even saw the crowd.
By the time I stepped into the Dunedin Highland Games, it already felt like I had walked into something much bigger than a typical festival. Kilts moved through the crowd, massive logs were being lifted and tossed, and the energy felt closer to a centuries-old gathering than anything I expected to find here.
I caught myself stopping more than once just to take it all in. The music, the competitions, the traditions, everything felt natural, not staged, which made it even more immersive…