National pride, much like a Scottish national side's football game, is hard-won and so easily lost. After a 10-day takeover of Boston, with one win and one loss on the pitch, the country's fans have played a blinder off it.
As the Tartan Army pack their bags and head south toward Miami, they leave behind a legacy in Massachusetts that will live long in the memory of both locals and intrepid travellers.
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There was always going to be something special about the Tartan Army's first adventure back to the World Cup in 28 years - that kind of generational pent-up energy has been proven to be a force to be reckoned with.
The overwhelmingly positive reaction of Americans and those across the globe to the Tartan Army shows that in an increasingly polarised world so often dominated by division, hope can be found in coming together.
On the pitch, a duo of 1-0 results saw Scotland first triumph over Haiti in the first game, then fall to Morocco in the second in a controversial match in which Steve Clarke's side were denied two penalty shouts.
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Watching from the fan zone in Boston's City Plaza, I saw familiar expressions on the sea of faces watching with full hearts and hoarse voices. This is my first time following Scotland to a World Cup as a soon-to-be 30-year-old, but it is not my first emotional rollercoaster they have served up for me.
That's why it's heartening to see families flocking across the Atlantic to give the youngest fans a chance to see, hear, and feel the full range of experiences only trips like this offer. Unfortunately for the youngsters, the frustration and heartbreak of seeing Scotland avoid the easy route is something they'll just have to get used to, like the rest of us.
All eyes lie on the sandy shoreline of Miami and the small task of toppling five-time World Cup winners Brazil to secure an exit from the group stages for the first time ever, just a small ask.
It's the most "Scottish" thing ever to have to get a result against Brazil; that's the sentiment most battle-weary fans share. Even Steve Clarke said in his post-match interview that it was "typical Scotland." While it could be very easy to dwell on the disappointment and dodgy refereeing, I have immense pride in the fact that we went toe-to-toe with one of the top 10 teams in the world and, for most of the second half, came close to getting a result.
As the planes, trains and automobiles that will ferry fans southward depart, there's already a mountain of moments and memories left in their wake. And therein lies another source of pride.
The wind, as it whips through the skyscrapers of downtown Boston, carries songs detailing the heroics of Super John McGinn; all the while, fans are living proof of the prophecy of "No Scotland, No Party." You just wonder if they might whisper the echoes of them forever.
On a more official note, the connection will be formalised in a new agreement, which will see Glasgow formally twinned with Boston, following a letter of intent signed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who thanked the Tartan Army for "making our city come alive".
A formal agreement will follow next April during Tartan Week, with Ms Wu saying the sister city agreement is “an enduring partnership from there on out” and has been backed by Glasgow City Council officials.
I attended an event last Friday, where Scotland's First Minister John Swinney first met with Mayor Wu and Governor Maura Healey, who both had already caught on to the Tartan Army's effect on the host city, which has only deepened as the days have rolled on. Healey declared June 18 as World Cup Fans Appreciation Day amid the "love affair" between the state and fans.
Swinney shared a pint with me in Boston's Scottish bar, The Haven, before a ball had even been kicked, and said he was "immensely proud" of the team and fans.
A big part of that pride stemmed from Craig Ferguson's Tartan Trek finish in Boston Common, where thousands of fans greeted him at the end of his 3,200-mile crusade across the country. Craig raised over £ 1.1 million in the process for mental health and was part of a swell of donations linked to the Tartan Army over the next week.
The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal gave $5,000 to youth football charity Project Goal, and $10,000 was given to Hasbro Children’s Hospital cancer unit, as just two of the many fine examples of generosity. Some money, $6,500 to be exact, has been put aside to help children learn how to play the bagpipes - whether that's a gift or a curse may depend on how quickly they take to the instrument.
Boston wasn't quite prepared for the Tartan Army, that much is fair to say, bars ran out of beer, queues formed through the streets for trains to the stadium, and fans who had been priced out of tickets for games were left frustrated by the small capacity of the fan zone leaving them to find a pub to watch the game in as they couldn't gain access to it either.
That didn't stop the people of Boston from welcoming the Tartan Army with open arms, though, and there is definitely a bond there that will last lifetimes. Perhaps an interesting follow-up to this trip might be in nine months' time, as one local woman told me on the eve of our leaving that her favourite part had been "all the men in kilts."
We may return too - one option for a round of 32 game for the Tartan Army could be a return to Boston.
The financial side of this, the "most expensive World Cup ever," has been a focal point. However, every fan I've spoken to has given the same answer: "It's worth it."
The total spend of some who've been honest enough to share a guesstimate with me has ranged from £4/5,000 to £15/20,000, and with those price tags, there's really no doubt that the game has lost its way through commercialisation - and perhaps the world has.
What hasn't lost its way is the Tartan Army's ability to have a great time through all of the ups and downs, rain or shine.
In typical fashion, and as Boston's downtown felt like Sauchiehall Street on a Saturday night, I bumped into dozens of familiar faces from back home. Between sharing an impromptu lift on a bus with pals from Ayr, to being handed a pint over my shoulder as a welcome from lads from Lesmahagow, you can't beat a trip with the Tartan Army for bringing people together.
No matter what result may await Scotland in Miami, the lasting legacy remains that, despite being absent for nearly three decades, when we show up, we won't be forgotten.
