St Ives and Cambridge

Last Thursday, we both left work a bit early and made our way via bus to the Edinburgh airport. Again, we were reminded of how we live in a fairly remote area. Our travel time to the airport was longer than our flight to London! Julie and Mark met us at the airport and we enjoyed catching up for the few hours we had before bed.

In the morning, we ate breakfast at Mark's mother's home in St Ives before going for a walk. Then we were joined by some special women (Mark's mother, Joan, Mark's Gran, and Audrey, a close family friend) for a delicious lunch at the Windmill in Somersham.

Our evening was spent at the cinema watching "What We Did on Our Holiday" set in Scotland. Julie and Mark were kind to drive us around and arrange for us to stay with Mark's Gran for our time down south. She was a wonderful hostess!

Cambridge is such a lovely place to visit. This was our third time in this large University town, and we saw the sights, ate good English pub food, and ended our day punting on the River Cam. For dinner, we went with Mark's brother, Steve, and his wife, Helen, to a Chinese restaurant they recommended, and we were not disappointed!

On our last day, we met Mark's Dad and his wife Di, and they hosted us in their beautiful home and garden in Huntington. I particularly enjoyed seeing the thatched roofs and old English homes in this village. Then we caught up with Mark's brother Martin, his partner Lisa, and the talented Sam before driving to the airport. 

Sunday night came quick and we were back on the plane for our 50-minute flight to Edinburgh. Thanks again to Julie, Mark, and Mark's family for a wonderful weekend away!

Another September

As of September 4th, we're beginning year f o u r. We've lived in Scotland for the majority of our married life. This place is very special to us and we're appreciating these cold, misty days more than ever. September brings new students and families to St Mary's and we've had the privilege of meeting them over the past few weeks. This Saturday we'll attend the annual Roundel BBQ to kick-off our last academic year.

Garrick is teaching Hebrew this semester and has submitted an entire draft of his thesis to his supervisor. He'll have lots of editing ahead, but I'm both proud and impressed of how he has maneuvered his way through the PhD process. He begins most mornings working out with friends and also follows the Mariners so closely that I wonder how he copes living so far away from Seattle.

I'm enjoying my job and getting ready to welcome loads of students on the four Visiting Days this autumn. Harry defeated Voldemort, and although I'm very happy about that, I'm sad to be done with the Harry Potter series. I've ordered The Fellowship of the Ring and am excited to start reading about another magical world. Most evenings I knit and sip Pukka Three Cinnamon Tea. Go buy some. Last night, I snapped photos for the Nose Toe Tail event at Balgove planned by the talented Liana.

Earlier this month we enjoyed a visit with my cousin Kyara and her husband, Zach. We appreciated that they included us in their European adventure. St Andrews is fairly out of the way. Most of our time together was spent eating and catching up.

We leave for Cambridge next week to visit Garrick's mom and Mark and Mark's family. As we don't see them often, we'll really make the most of our time together. In early October I'm leaving for a girls' weekend to the Lake District. I'm eagerly anticipating this time away with my lovely friends.

Transition is coming quickly we prepare for life after St Andrews. We're equally excited and nervous. The cosy bubble of St Andrews is difficult to leave, but our visas tell us we can't stay forever. We're grateful to God for his provision and guidance. Most of our friends will also begin leaving soon, and my Skype contact list will include friends from the US and UK. I'll update more on our plans very soon.

Did you know that Scotland is voting on independence today? Almost daily I'm asked by prospective studets and parents how this will affect the University, and I'll be relieved when we can give firm answers. It's a privelage to be here during this exciting time.

Happy autumn (in four days)! If you'd like to mail me tins of pumpkin, please don't hesitate. :)

Going Home

This post is for my expat friends.

Garrick and I have made the trek from St Andrews to Seattle twice now. We've really cherished these times. It's amazing to play at the park with our nephews, eat our favourite waffle fries, and enjoy hugs galore. Skype does the job, but can never compare to tangible interactions. These times also bring about a layer of complexity that I didn't expect. Having two trips under our belts, I thought it may be helpful to chat about some of the things we've learned.

1) Less really is more. Our first trip home, we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, (and sometimes coffee) dates most days. I remember feeling excited and exhausted at the same time. A person only has so many words. This trip we did one night with friends, and it freed up the rest of our time to spend with our families who we see so little.

2) Make a list of must-dos. Before we left, I thought of experiences, places, people, and food that I had to have. For instance, taking my nephews to the Children's Museum or eating Matador nachos. Paying attention to what you regularly miss and then making an effort to do those things creates a fulfilling trip. Trust me, time fills up fast, and add a bit of jet lag, you may forget something important.

3) You can't manage other's expectations. You have ideas about how the trip will go, and so does everyone else. You have lots of people to see, and it can be difficult to split time evenly between everyone. Worrying about fairness or tensions can really take the joy away from the trip. Our families were more than understanding of us, but I could see the potential for conflict. Also, a polite "no" is a perfectly acceptable answer. If you over commit or fill your time with activities you dislike, you'll be no good to anyone.

4) Build in a personal day. Or two. Honestly, the word 'vacation' is not really accurate. It's more of a trip. And don't get me wrong, trips are great, but can be difficult when you were expecting a vacation. So, if you'd like to get some relax time, put it on the schedule. Your days WILL fill up. It just happens. This year we did not do the best at carving out time for ourselves, but our families really made an effort to do things we wanted.

5) Conflicting emotions are normal. It's hard to go back to a place you once called home. When we're in Seattle, we miss our St Andrews friends and the North Sea, and when we're in St Andrews, we miss our family and friends and the stunning views of Mt Rainier. I surprised myself on the plane back to Scotland when I started sobbing during "Enough Said." There is a scene where two parents watch their daughter walk through to airport to leave for college. I was laughing a few minutes later, but it was a good reminder that I'm torn, and that's healthy.

Maybe this is all common sense, but I didn't think about any of this prior to our first trip. We're in the thick of jet lag, eating grilled cheese at 1am and drinking lots of French press during the day. It's back to work tomorrow and we're excited to start feeling normal and seeing our friends. With that, I'll close with the two places we've called home:

 

 

 

Seattle

Garrick's family recently moved to Seattle and live in the Greenwood area. They have a small rambler on a large plot and are a quick bus ride from downtown Seattle. It's fun to be a tourist in your own state, and I notice new things since I've moved away and come back. Garrick and I have both commented that we really love the Pacific Northwest and would be happy to settle here. We'll see!

We toured Pike Place Market and went to the Wildlights at Woodland Park Zoo and enjoyed our time with Julie, Mark, Braden, and Nolan.

Whidbey Island

Happy 2014! Garrick just left to play football at Snohomish High School with friends, and I'm enjoying a lazy day on my parents' couch.

 

A highlight of 2013 is our recent trip to Whidbey Island. Garrick and I cycled around the island for our 3rd anniversary, and we loved the views, beaches, and seaside towns. So, when planning our trip to the USA, we definitely wanted to visit this special place.

 

We caught an early ferry with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and nephews. Seeing the world through the eyes of children is a fun and tiring blessing. We loved every minute spent with them!

 

After the ferry, this was our first glimpse of the beach. I thought there may be sea glass, but could only find shells, rocks, and driftwood. Bella, my parents' miniature dachshund, even joined us for the day. The boys threw rocks, Garrick and Kenneth played 'baseball', and we all took in the views and Vitamin D.

Back in the car, we stopped at a viewpoint and then made our way to Ebey State Park to hike the trail along the bluff.

 

Next stop: Food! Coupeville is a quaint town and home to the Knead and Feed. I think about this tuna salad often.

After shopping and a coffee break in Langley, we piled in the car and ferried back home. This is just one of many great day trips to do in Washington, and we're thankful for the memories made.