Get to Know Me Q&A

[@ShawnaExplores]

I feel a little nervous about sharing this but thank you if you sent a question in and I hope I managed to answer most/all of them! Also, I’m sorry if the audio is a bit quiet with me filming outside. If there are anymore questions you have leave them in the comments and I’m happy to do another Q&A at some point 🥰

[@patrickthreatt3605]

You mentioned your KZbin community, well take solace and joy in how much this KZbin community and family adores you ❤

[@dedelaw-t2t]

You are all the best 😊

[@theanonymous4892]

Are you a Transformers fan? Since the Michael Bay movies are done with, what are your recent favorite Transformers movies recently released? Side question also, what's your personal top 10 favorite movies

[@carolcameron4005]

Shawna, I'm so amazed how many things you share remind me of my own life journey. At 70, I can look back and make sense of my journey. The steps you are taking now are all meaningful even if they may not always seem that way to you now. The smallest efforts are like seeds that will bloom in ways you can't possibly imagine at this time. It is heartening to view a young woman these days who is sharing her spiritual faith. This will sustain you in good times and more challenging ones. You are a fine example of coping with life, and sharing with others. An inspiration! Listen to your heart, and you will continue to find your way. Best to you and your family! Carol in Texas USA🤠

[@hasan.basaran]

I am very glad Shawna for this video. Thanks for sharing with us. 😊

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much for watching, Hasan! Hope you had a great weekend 😊

[@wendyf4827]

It was lovely to learn more about you, as I love your videos.💖I often watch them while I'm winding down for bed as I find them so calm and interesting and such a pleasure to watch. I'm retired and live in Kirkintilloch, so not that far from Edinburgh! I also love charity shop shopping! 😊

[@Oksana.AK1]

This was so interesting! I am from Estonia myself and I find it especially interesting hearing about differences between Malaysia and Scotland, like education etc, I would love you to expand more on that and maybe speak a bit more about your experience living in Malaysia. Looking forward to your next video, have a fabulous weekend! Xx

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Oksana! Thanks so much for watching 🥰 I’d be happy to share more of my experience growing up in Malaysia (I wasn’t too sure how interested people would be so just briefly mentioned it), perhaps during Vlogmas I might share another short Q&A and mention more there ☺️ hope you had a wonderful weekend! X

[@patrickthreatt3605]

First of all, that Q&A was the most wonderful and beautiful video 🥰 I loved hearing your story (again), and hearing you engage all of the topics 🙌 I particularly enjoyed hearing you talk about your faith ❤ To answer *your* questions…from: the United States (Meridian, MS)…fun fact: my favorite hobby is maintaining a spreadsheet where I keep up with historical dates I deem worth remembering (I then have used it to drive my Instagram posts I make every day)…book recommendation: still prefer non-fiction, but my favorite fiction recently was The Midnight Library.

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Patrick!! 👋🏼 thank you so much for sharing some fun facts about yourself. That sounds like a really interesting and pretty unique hobby ☺️ and I remember listening to the Midnight Library last year and found it to be a really thought provoking concept! Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend and God bless!

[@zaralovescats0208]

24:48 was my question! Thanks so much for answering Shawna - totally agree with all the points you made. I would also add that the public transports are very tricky - buses are quite unreliable at times which can throw off your day completely!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Oh yay! I’m so glad I remembered it, I still couldn’t find it to screenshot for the video 🙈 thank you for the question! That’s very true, I forgot about the buses 😅 I now live near a bus stop that is quite busy so they’re quite regular but you’re so right so many buses just don’t turn up or are very late when you’re waiting for a specific bus 🤪

[@SnowWhite-v7q]

Hi Miss Shawna! Glad to see that you're doing okay and the vlogmas question was from me! I'm happy to see that you remembered, truly. I'm happy smiling :D If you have time and if you want and can, the illuminations in Edinburgh will be amazing. Ps: Thank you for this video, it was great and a cozy appreciated time :) Take care! :) ( I'm from Belgium and i'm an illustrator for the fun fact :D)

[@vny9728]

God bless you Shawna, love your videos! I’d love to permanently move to Scotland.

[@katarinateslar]

Would love for this to be my future plan. I’ve been to Scotland twice now. 2019 and this year. So gorgeous and so many words to describe Scotland. The people are amazing too.

[@ShawnaExplores]

God bless you too, Vny!! Thanks so much for watching ☺️ I really hope you get the chance to move to Scotland one day soon.

[@ShawnaExplores]

@@katarinateslarI’m so glad you enjoyed your visits to Scotland and I really hope the opportunity comes along for you to move here soon ☺️

[@jeph-rey]

Shawna, you are a lovely person and a credit to your family.

[@ShawnaExplores]

That’s so kind of you, Jeph 🥹 hope you’ve had a lovely weekend!!

[@itslailis]

Thanks for sharing this different type of video with us! It was lovely getting to know you better :)

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much for watching and your kind comment, Laila!! 🥰

[@lizkean8574]

I was born in Edinburgh, emigrated to Canada. 50 yr ago. Love watching your walks around Edinburgh and Leith.

[@alison_5050]

I've only discovered your channel in the last month or so, and only watched a couple so it's nice to get to learn a little more about you. Have to say, I'd been curious about your work situation. Thanks for sharing x

[@adamgibson7181]

Stumbled across this channel because of your bute video. My grandparents had their honeymoon there, and now are laid to rest there. I live in dubai now and it was so nice seeing Bute again. Since then I've stayed because your video are so calming and lovely and a nice reminder of home.

[@ShawnaExplores]

That’s so kind of you, Adam!! Thank you 🥹 I can imagine Bute would be such a beautiful, peaceful place for a honeymoon. Coincidentally, I’m currently watching a documentary about Dubai airport on Disney+ as I reply!

[@normacollinson8196]

Hi Shawna, thank you for sharing so much about yourself. I smiled when you referred to your “di”. I have a friend who comes from Kirkcaldy and she is the only other person I know who also uses that term for her grandfather. It must be a Fife thing. I was born in Newport on Tay, but was adopted and brought up in Greenock and Glasgow so I was never familiar with it. Love your videos. ❤xxxx

[@snamorsixteen]

I really love that your channel is growing! I followed you when you were probably just at 3K followers because I was looking for cozy content from Scotland (my dream place to live 🥲) and now look at you! I hope the best for you Shawna! Thank you so much for the relaxing content 💕

[@ShawnaExplores]

Aww bless you, thank you for following along for so long!! 🥰 I hope you get the chance to move to Scotland soon!

[@debra.patricia]

Didn’t know you’re half Malaysian! I’m Indonesian and just recently moved to Edinburgh and have been enjoying your videos 🥰

[@ShawnaExplores]

Aww yay! 💃🏻 hope you’re settling into Edinburgh well and thanks for your lovely comment 🥹

[@GraciaSilaban]

omg lovely to know that another Indonesian is a Shawna viewer ❤

[@ShawnaExplores]

@@GraciaSilaban awww 🥹🩷

[@laura.clarke]

This was such a lovely wee video! Loved getting to know you a bit more and really loved the golden grassy field you were in for the second half! x A fun fact about me: I love learning languages and being able to communicate with people in their first language when I travel, even if it’s a simple ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Aww thank you, Laura 🥰 I was really blessed with the weather the second day, it was gorgeous! That’s an amazing fun fact! What a great interest to have, I have another friend who is similar and has a knack for picking them up to. Have a blessed week 🩷

[@lizprice3948]

Lovely vlog Shawna. I live in London. I have travelled the world and was so interested that you were brought up in Sarawak. I visited there about 20 years ago and really loved it. A real adventure. My hobbies are travel and singing in some of the big London choirs over the years. I am enjoying doing some one off come and sings with a variety of choirs. My favourite all time book is Testament of Youth by Vera Brittan. I love Scotland and have been every year for the last 20 years, all over. I love Skye and The Black Isle. I have Scottish ancestry from the Lowlands around Dalbeattie and Galloway. Enjoy all your vlogs so more please!

[@sheikahchic]

It was very nice to get to know more about you, and background! I’ve been trying to learn Mandarin myself, it’s difficult coming off of Japanese and Korean which came so easily to me. Japanese being the given, cause it’s in background and was spoken around the house, as well as English. I did Japanese school on weekends here in the US, to learn speaking, alphabets, history, culture, and lessons in things like tea ceremony, and also offered a variety of martial arts. I loved it, and it made me want to learn other languages, even if I wasn’t tied to them, necessarily. I guess that’s a fact about me, but I’ll add that I’m very much a book nerd(my mom is an author), and have always loved reading. My favorite author of all time is Edgar Allan Poe, but my favorite novel of all time, is Peter Pan. That story has been intrinsically tied to me my whole life, and I wouldn’t still be here without it. But given I’m sure you’ve read these, my recent recommendation is Sarah J Maas’a A Court of Thorns and Roses(ACOTAR) series. My sister recommended them to me back in July, when I hit a depressive low so bad, for the first time in my life I asked my therapist for psychiatric help. My sister knows fiction is my greatest power when it comes to these things, that I need a character I can relate to who understands me. ACOTAR definitely had that. Knew him the moment he spoke his first words. They’re truly compelling books, with so much beautiful world building; I hope you’ll give them a look. ^.^

[@lindao1327]

Hi Shawna. I’m one of your older subscribers (age wise)! What brought me to your channel was the interest in charity shops, but I enjoy all the things you put into your vlogs. I was born in Fife, but left there as a baby to live in Singapore while my dad was in the Merchant Navy in the late 50’s. My mum brought a book back with her from Singapore called Sold For Silver by Janet Lim. We lost her original copy but I managed to buy one each for myself and my 2 sisters. It’s my favourite book of all time. I’m lucky that I live between Edinburgh and Glasgow so get to visit some of the areas. Watching your videos I still have a lot to see! Lovely Q&A!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Linda! Thank you for your lovely comment, it sounds like we have a lot in common 🥰 I think my grandad was also in the Merchant Navy as my mum mentioned visiting him when they were docked in Leith when she was little. I hadn’t heard of Sold For Silver but I’ve now added it to my Goodreads account as it sounds really interesting. Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend 🩷

[@lindao1327]

@@ShawnaExplores I hope you manage to read it. It was sad but uplifting. Janet Lim was an amazing lady.

[@ashleyriggs6815]

Loved getting to know you more!! I heard you mention church & Bible verses. Love that you’re a Christian too 🫶

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Ashley! Thanks so much for watching 🥰 yay, sisters in Christ 🙌🏼

[@sierrarose8860]

@@ShawnaExploressame here! And my fave Taylor swift song is also the lakes which I felt so seen because I feel like that song is so underrated 😂❤

[@moiraaustin5684]

So lovely to hear your story! I am listening from South Africa but was born in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then) - my Dad was born in Glasgow and emigrated to Africa at the age of 21. We grew up in Africa but with all the Scottish traditions and values. Scottish blood runs very strongly in my veins and although I’ve only been to visit four times in my life, Scotland is my favourite place on earth. I love to see Scotland through your eyes. Thank you for your lovely peaceful vlogs so calming for my soul. I only recently found you and am loving going back through your past videos. I am also a fervent Christian believer and love books too. Keep blessing us with your entertaining videos 🙏🏻🇿🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much for your beautiful comment, Moira 🥹 and thank you for sharing a bit of your story, must have been quite a culture/climate shock for your dad when he moved from Glasgow to Africa at 21! It’s great to hear how proud you are of your Scottish roots as am I 🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 hope you’ve had a lovely weekend!

[@MeredithLewan]

This is so lovely! I always love get-to-know-me videos. Thanks for sharing your spiritual journey too! I also have an "unexciting" testimony, which I've come to learn is a blessing on it's own, just in a different way than a more "remarkable" testimony. But I suppose both experiences are remarkable in their own way! For my fun fact I'll share a few of my favorite movies: You've Got Mail and Little Women (2019)--I wrote my Master's thesis on this/the novel.

[@mcdibbern9919]

Thanks for sharing more about your story. Although I’m from the south side of Glasgow originally I’ve lived in the beautiful Scottish Borders for the last 35 years.Looking forward to Christmas as my family will be visiting.

[@sadiasattar7657]

Not being from the western countries Christmas markets and just the whole winter wonderland and Christmas vibe thing is not very common here but when December approaches I absolutely loveeee this vibe, and videos are the only escape ans way of experiencing it, I’d really reallyyy love it if you’d show us some Christmas markets , the town decorated during that time especially with the lights at night time , cozy traditions during that time of the year, basically id love if you could capture the raw Christmas spirit with nostalgia and coziness that come with it is what I’m trying to say

[@kimharold4527]

Watching from New Zealand, my Father was From Glasgow, my Maternal Grandfather was a Presbyterian Minister from Edinburgh, Love your calm Cosy Vlogs

[@rooskramer99]

Lovely to start my sunday hearing more avout you (: Its actually so great to see all the possibilities to go into nature in Einbourgh! Fun fact: im planning on moving there, currently in NL and the company i work for has an office in Leith. Would be a wish come true to make scotland my home

[@badfaith4u]

Thank you for doing this Q&A session. 🤗

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thanks so much for watching!! ☺️

[@angieshand454]

Oh only saw this now, what an open and honest Q&A loved it! I love your channel and how relatable you are and down to earth ❤. Fun fact I make gelato for a living in Aberdeenshire. I’ve been to Joelato many times and get so much inspiration from him. Hope you have a wonderful new year 🎉😊

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much, Angie! Oh wow, what a dream job 😍 I’ll need to try Joelato in the new year, a friend was recommending it to me too!

[@ouime60]

Great to hear about you, Shawna. I know I would be nervous talking about myself. I think I’ve said it before - but I love that red Fair isle jumper ❤️ so jealous 😁

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you for being understanding 🥹 it was harder than I expected! I really appreciate you watching 🥰 and thank you, I love the jumper too but one downside is it is very scratchy 😂

[@dirkgently354]

This was soo wonderful! Thank you for being so courageous and answering so many of our questions :) Knowing many new things about you, I think I've got a whole new appreciation for your content and the way you built this fantastic little community. (Also, the idea of a Mandarin-speaking Nick Cage somehow cracks me up.) As a fellow freelancer, I also admire how calm you are about our way of living, it's increasingly stressing me out. Or maybe I'm getting old and just crave more stability... I looked up all the bible verses you suggested, and I particularly liked the verses from Lamentations. I have many friends and family who are Catholics or born-again believers, but in the same phase of your youth when you found your individual faith strenghtened, I realized that I was going to church only for the communal experience, so I felt like a bit of a fraud and eventually stopped going. :/ I don't consider myself a believer now, but I still frequently turn to my old bible (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4; Isaiah 58:10...) and I've thankfully still got my friends from church! My bit of Christmassy trivia is that my family originates from the Austrian village where "Silent Night"/Stille Nacht was written, and I like to think that some great-great-great-great-grandparent of mine heard it at church on Christmas when it was sung for the first time!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Dirk 👋🏼 Thank you so much for your supportive comment, I really appreciate it! and you’re right a Mandarin speaking Nic Cage is quite the experience 😂 With regards to freelance, I have my moments 😅 for the past couple of months I’ve been slightly panicking as the landscape of my work has changed so much and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do but my mum and I had been praying for a while and felt I should stick with what I can do at the moment which is KZbin and I have peace about that for now 😊 but I also completely relate to wanting a bit of stability too! Thank you for sharing a bit about your faith journey with me too and for sharing the verses. That makes sense if it became only about the social aspect but I’m so glad you still pick up your Bible ☺️ PS That’s an amazing fun fact!! 🎄✨

[@dedelaw-t2t]

Those verses are very special to me , especially the one in Isaiah

[@dirkgently354]

​@@ShawnaExplores​Well, I think we're all very happy you're sticking with KZbin! 😊 Have you considered starting a Patreon, by the way? I don't know how fair they are to creators, but it's so easy to support them there!

[@dirkgently354]

​@@dedelaw-t2tI'm very happy to hear that! Much in the Bible still gives me a lot of comfort and reassurance. I do miss Bible study!

[@dedelaw-t2t]

@dirkgently354 one of my delights, I am a " Word person " and love nothing better than pondering what the word means , digging it out and tracing it through 🙊 Doesn't have to be Hebrew or Greek I love Scottish words and I have a Texan friend who has introduced me to some Texan phrases .Its a delight to me . I had forgotten how special that Isaiah verse was until I looked it up . Thanks for sharing it 😊

[@DL-uy3oh]

Great insight about yourself and lovely sceneries along the way 👍 I recently had a photo zine published where one of my works got showcased, but my dream goal in life was always about telling stories, be it as a writer or a filmmaker. Only time will tell, fingers crossed.

[@KeriNic46]

Hi, I live in NYC. My grandmother and her parents are from Glasgow. Scotland is my favorite place to visit, and I’m hoping to visit during the Christmas season one of these years. Thanks for sharing.

[@ShawnaExplores]

How amazing! I really enjoyed my visit to NYC, except for the weather, we visited mid summer and it was sweltering 😂 would love to revisit in autumn or spring🍂 I hope you get the chance to visit Scotland during Christmas soon, it’s a lovely (albeit busy) time to visit!

[@lilichua6653]

Hello, I’m from Singapore! We used to be so near! 😄 I have never been to Sarawak before though. So surprised that you can speak chinese/mandarin too. Anyway, I was hoping you will be doing another book ‘cos I bought and love your first one. One of my favourite book is Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura. An interesting read. Looking forward to your vlogmas! 😉

[@victoriawallace647]

So nice to get to know you a little better 😊I’m from Toronto, where Taylor Swift is performing tonight! (My daughter was unable to get a ticket this time around.)

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thanks so much for watching, Victoria! I’m so sorry your daughter didn’t manage to get tickets, that’s such a shame 😭🩷

[@maisy3887]

I also stay in Edinburgh and totally agree that it could be cleaner. In my neighbourhood, the bins are constantly overflowing and there seems to be litter everywhere at the moment. It's such a shame because it's such a beautiful city!

[@ShawnaExplores]

It’s such a shame! 😩 it doesn’t help when we get really windy weather and the rubbish then gets blown about the place or scattered by seagulls 🙈

[@jillz1542]

Yep! Cecilia!

[@odalis6177]

You should visit Boston, Massachusetts. You would love it. An easy flight from Edinburgh.

[@stephaniewilliams8687]

Hello Shawna, I’m from Florida in the US. I’ve been to England several times but not Scotland. I am a knitter and I would love to go on a yarn tour of Scotland! 😊

[@dianapatterson1559]

Yarn in Scotland can be wonderful. But I did buy some wool in Skye to be dyed for me, and the colour was not good, and the staple length was too short, so buy in a shop so you can see what you get. A yarn tour sounds so lovely, you could organise something, and I would join you along the way!

[@ShawnaExplores]

That sounds amazing!! I wish I was a knitter, I tried in 2020 during quarantine/lockdown and I didn’t have the patience for it and got angry when I dropped a stitch as I didn’t know how to fix it 😂 I hope you get the chance to do a Yarn Tour of Scotland soon. One shop I’d recommend in Edinburgh is Ginger Twist Studio 🥰

[@ShawnaExplores]

@@dianapatterson1559that’s such shame, Diana! If you’re back in Edinburgh, I recommend visiting a shop called Ginger Twist Studio, I’ve been in and it looks amazing (coming from a non knitter) ❤

[@stephaniewilliams8687]

@@ShawnaExplores thanks for the recommendation! Knitting certainly does take a ton of patience for sure! 😊

[@megs2717]

Hello hello! I have recently found your channel and love your content so much :) I live just outside Edinburgh in East Lothian and am also Christian - so lovely! And my favourite book definitely has to be Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit 🧙🏼‍♂ Devoured it when I was only 12!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Megs!! It’s lovely to have you here 🥰 thanks so much for your kind comment and yay, sisters in Christ 🙌🏼 East Lothian is soo beautiful, one of my close friends lives that direction and I’m always in awe of how picturesque it is when I visit 😍 such an amazing series of books, might reread the Hobbit this year!

[@kirsty4848]

Im also from Edinburgh and agree with you about the city being a bit on the dirty side . Such a shame as its a beautiful city. We can only hope this will improve one day . I love your videos , they are a pleasure to watch . I also watch Cari cakes :)

[@ShawnaExplores]

It’s such a shame 🥺 especially as the city is pushing tourism but it’s not always looking its best for the visitors 🙈 thanks so much for watching and your lovely comment! I’m glad you like Cari Cakes too 🥰

[@John-i4d5f]

Thank you for sharing!

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thanks for watching!! 😊

[@SandaminiBandara-w7n]

Helloo Shawna..! Im really glad that you chose my question as your first question..Thank you for that..🥰 Keep it up..! Sending tons of hugs and love..💗

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much Sandamini! 🥰 sending lots of love and hugs back 🤗

[@pamelabartlett6352]

Hi Shawna I’ve recently subscribed ( older subscriber, I’m 72) to your channel and enjoy it very much, I love all you content. My Father was Scottish ....Stirling but ancestry from Fife. I lived in Australia unroll age of 12. One of my favourite books is Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Another one I enjoyed was The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I also really enjoyed, like you, Gentleman in Moscow.

[@ShawnaExplores]

Welcome Pamela! It’s lovely to have you here 🥰 thank you so much for your lovely comment, I really appreciate it. That’s amazing that you have Fife roots and that you grew up in Australia. My dad worked briefly in Australia when I was 3 but I would love to revisit and see it properly! Thrilled to meet another fan of Gentleman in Moscow (it’s my plan to reread Rules in Civility over Christmas) and thank you for other the book recommendations, I haven’t read either so I’ve added them to my Goodreads ☺️

[@dharma1able]

Here’s a vlogmas idea…. Is there anything Christmasy at the Botanical Gardens. That could be lovely. And you could have tea there too! lol.

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Dharma! Yes they have their annual Christmas at the Botanics light show which I went to in Vlogmas 2022 (day 16) in case you want to see it 🎄 I considered going this year but tickets are a little pricey so we’ll see 🥰 thanks for the lovely suggestion though!!

[@sierrarose8860]

I love your channel!! ❤ from California 😊

[@littlelady7843]

I started watching your video a few months ago when i was in Glasgow for business and couldn't sleep due to jetlag. I am a Chinese and live in Houston. Your videos are calming, fresh and well filmed. It helped me to relax and appreciate Scotland more. I always thought there is something about you is Asian. Now i understand why.

[@ShawnaExplores]

That’s very kind of you, thank you 🥹

[@mylovelyclementinemylovely904]

Nice video! You are welcome to visit Kansas City MO! 😊

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you so much, lovely! 🥰 I’d love to visit Kansas City one day, would be wonderful to see more of the US!

[@imparalitalianoconelisa1410]

Thank you for this wonderful video about yourself! I am from Italy but living in Germany now permanently. I have many favorite books 😅 but if I have to pick one, probably the Midnight Library by Matt Haig and my favorite movie is an American One from 1992, The Pelican Brief, with Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. I love reading, as you, and drinking many cups of tea a day 😅 a hug to you

[@ShawnaExplores]

Eeeekkk the Pelican Brief is one of my all time favourite movies too!! I find it rare to meet someone else who has seen it 🥰 Thank you so much for watching and sharing a bit about yourself! I really enjoyed my visit to Northern Italy a few years ago and even tried to learn Italian.. didn’t manage very well but it’s a beautiful language. Hug to you 🤗

[@imparalitalianoconelisa1410]

@ShawnaExplores oh really?! I think I watched the film a dozen times 😅 I am from Rome, you should visit the center of Italy if you have the opportunity, I am sure you will love it! 🤗

[@triptisharma5121]

hello Shawna! watching this from India. Thank you for sharing, didn't think you'd be comfortable to share so much about yourself. Also I love the lakes song as well.☺

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Tripti 🥰 thank you so much for your lovely comment! I didn’t expect it to be so hard to film the Q&A but I did feel quite vulnerable 😅 I’m so glad you love the Lakes too (I enjoy the different versions too). Have a wonderful rest of your week!

[@leonorjimenez4471]

I watch from USA and currently in Mexico, was an exchange student to Japan beautiful country ❤

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Leonor! How amazing to spend a semester(s) in Japan, that sounds like a wonderful experience 😍

[@elsaophelia5327]

Hello Shawna, new subscriber here 👋 I'm recommend you to making a vlog about your collection novels or books or etc 😊 Love from Indonesia ❤❤

[@jacquiheywood3142]

Just found your channel. I am from New Zealand. A couple of hours away from “The Shire”…LOL Originally from the UK though.

[@laurateichman8774]

Hello from Marquette, Michigan. I just found your channel, it’s so lovely.

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Laura 👋🏼 I wasn’t too familiar with Marquette in Michigan but I’ve since looked it up and the scenery and architecture looks beautiful 😍

[@laurateichman8774]

@ Thank you.

[@martinachiarini7653]

I’m watching from Italy❤I visited Edinburgh two times and I loved it!!!I suggest you to read “Falling angels” by Tracy Chevalier😘

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Martina! I’m so glad you enjoyed your visits to Edinburgh 😍 I visited northern Italy in 2015 and loved it!! Thanks for the book recommendation 🥰

[@hangul199]

Hey Shawna, I was wondering if you’re planning to do Vlogmas this year?

[@ShawnaExplores]

Yes, it’s my plan to ☺️ I talk about it right at the end of the video 🎄

[@aidanwilson6035]

Thanks for such a personal video , that takes a bit of courage !. I like less well known fun facts and events that first happened in Edinburgh like the worlds first rugby international at Raeburn Place in Stockbridge which is the same street where Golden Wonder crisps started ( now M&S ) , bizarrely the business then moved to the clock tower in Dean Village ! , the global rules for the game of Golf originated at Leith Links , the oldest surviving car factory building (1898) in the UK is in Granton , amazingly , Madelvic exported electric cars as far away as Australia 125 years ago ! , McVities biscuits first bakery was in the West end of Rose street before they moved to a huge factory in Gorgie ! , directly opposite the end of Rose street is Alexander Graham Bells birthplace , not known by many locals as there is only a brief sign carved in stone for one of the greatest inventions ever ! , just down the road at India Street , James Clerk Maxwell was born , he should be as well known as Einstein or Newton as he produced the worlds first colour photo (tartan ribbon !) and is the scientist who discovered electromagnetism , thanks to his pioneering work we now have all these electronic devices , i could go on , but i will leave it for now :)

[@ShawnaExplores]

Oh wow!! Thanks so much for sharing these fun facts, Aidan 😍 I love a fun fact about Edinburgh and didn’t know most of these! I have quite a few books on Edinburgh and enjoy learning fun facts from them but sometimes I have a shocking memory so don’t always remember them - which wasn’t so great when I was briefly a tour guide 😂

[@aidanwilson6035]

@@ShawnaExplores Really appreciate your reply ! , if i had more confidence & better memory myself for facts & figures , i would like to be a tour guide ! , there are so many more unusual & obscure stories about the city , i could write my own book on the subject ! , think i need to peruse the local book stores to make sure that i am not repeating someone else's work 😂

[@saulperez7478]

Hola ,nuevo en tu canal,saludos de un mexicano ,viviendo en Houston tx 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello!! I’m so glad you’re here 👋🏼 I have a close family friend living in Houston tx too.

[@vinisek]

What a snug video! Will love to take you around Singapore if you're ever going back to visit ❤ A couple months ago I finished Neil Gaiman's The Ocean At the End of the Lane and recently read Station Eleven. They are both amazing and gave them 5 ⭐ if you're keen to check them out 😊

[@Nancetha]

Whereabouts in Edinburgh was this video filmed? It looks like beautiful countryside 😊

[@ShawnaExplores]

Sorry this is actually in Fife, near my parents’ house! But the Pentlands in Edinburgh would look pretty similar I think 🥰

[@joycemarshall4621]

I eorked in both Edinburgh & Heriot Watt Universities when I was younger so met a lot of students from Malaysia

[@mathurinaron3482]

Good choice of Taylor swift songs hahah, recommend France as a French! 😊

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hahah glad you like my choice of T Swift songs - there’s so many to choose from 🙊 I’d love to revisit France, we have family friends in Marseille so I’ve been there and surrounding towns as well as Paris but there’s so much more to see 😍

[@lesliedonnelly6596]

Hi! Watching you from Durham North Carolina

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Leslie 👋🏼 thanks for watching! Hugs from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@judis6224]

Your fav shops😊

[@alexk4753]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@ShawnaExplores]

Thank you, Alex!! ☺️

[@judis6224]

Like autobiographies 😊

[@KhrystynaBraverman]

From NYC; love Pizza and love Animals! 🐥

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Khrystyna!! I think we would get along very well as I love pizza and animals too 🥹

[@KhrystynaBraverman]

@@ShawnaExplores Yes Shawna I think we would! 🥳

[@joycemarshall4621]

I had a boyfriend, again many years ago who was studying Chinese at Edinburgh University who told me Cantonese is the language in Chinese Restaurants and Mandarin for business people

[@OLC-t1q]

😘😘😘😘😘🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽😘😘🌷

[@joycemarshall4621]

A good horror book is Don't Look Now but see the Movie Before you read the book....

[@annhay4572]

Why would it be embarrassing to have a dog nearby? I lived in the Philipppines until I was a little over 11 years old, with my parents and my brother (one year older than I). Of course, schools were different there than they were in the USA, or Great Britain, and of course! the weather was different. You seem nervous about this and nervous about why you feel different. Why? We, all of us on the planet, are different from each other.

[@ShawnaExplores]

Hello Ann, I’m not nervous about dogs (I love dogs), I am a naturally shy person and the thought of a someone walking their dog and finding me talking to a camera in a field makes me self conscious. I’m also a very private person but I also wanted to share a Q&A so I was nervous about opening up in. I loved growing up in Malaysia and Scotland which I mentioned in the video. I’m not nervous about being different (not sure what you mean)? I actually love being biracial and I’m very proud of it. I was simply mentioning what a shock the different schooling system was to me when I was 10 years old as my Malaysian primary school was 10x harder than my Scottish. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story with me.