Cheers, Scotland.

We arrived on 3rd September 2012, and we're leaving on 16th April 2015. That's 3 years, 7 months, and 13 days. That small amount of time doesn't seem to equal the major ways in which this experience has changed us. With our move to Germany just 4 days away, I feel more prepared than I thought I would. Here's why:

Transition is complicated, but builds character. Our first flat in St Andrews was less than ideal. We signed the lease sight unseen, and the mould that greeted us upon arrival almost had me on the morning plane back to Seattle. That first night we slept in our sleeping bags on the living room floor, and I cried. Hard. The next day we walked to the East Sands beach and I told Garrick, "I guess I can live here."

In just a few days, we're moving to another country, Garrick is starting a new job, and we'll become parents in early June. These changes are all good and we cannot wait for our daughter to finally be on the outside. But we're going into this knowing there will be rough times. Garrick's German is decent, and mine? Well, I know how to ask for help at the grocery store. It will take a few months at least to feel settled, but I know we'll get there.

Our second day in Scotland at the East Sands.

Community is essential.  A week after arriving in St Andrews, we met our first friends at church. A year later, new faces arrived, and we made more friends. And, some left. This was our first taste of the transience of the academic life. While we were excited to make new friends each year, we were sad to say goodbye to others.We also made friends with my coworkers, and we tease them that they are our local tour guides.

During our time here, we had times of joy and times of sorrow. Academic accolades often came with lots of rejection. I had several job changes, some positive, some negative. There were deaths in my family, and also the birth of new family members. We are joyfully anticipating the arrival of our baby girl in June, but experienced two miscarriages last year. In these times, we had people eager to celebrate with us and to comfort us. As our families were thousands of miles away, these people became our family.

We are being very proactive about forming a community of friends in Wuppertal. It's slightly more intimidating as we are the only Americans we know of so far, and our language skills need work. But I know that we need community to thrive.

PC: Spencer Bentley

Living in Europe is a privilege. Being a Washingtonian, it takes at least a full day of travel to get most anywhere in Europe. Plus, jet lag is a pain. When I list the countries I've visited since moving to the UK, I'm immediately thankful. In Germany, so many beautiful places will be within driving distance. It's pretty cool that our daughter will have dual citizenship and travel to many different places from birth!

Different isn't bad. In Scotland, vegetables are tinned, not canned. Eye glasses have legs, not arms. "Hiya" means hello. "Cheers" means goodbye. Washing machines often are in the kitchen. And these differences are minor in comparison to accents or other cultural conventions. In our early days, I would come home exhausted. I felt like I was translating all day long. I would often revert to the thinking that my way was the best way, and anything different was bad.

But soon, I started appreciating some of these new ways of doing things. I'm excited to learn from the German culture and adapt to a new lifestyle. I'm sure some things will drive me crazy, but I'll be less quick to assume that the differences are negative. Also, I will actually be translating all day; not just trying to understand new accents.

We're on the same team. I'm competitive and so is Garrick. It's easy for us to forget that we are in this together. On days when I had to walk to work in gale force winds, or when we were tight on money, I would often blame Garrick. This was counterproductive to working through anything. I often remember the words Brian Muchmore said at our wedding, and the baseball he gave us with "Team Allen" written on it. This truth grounds us. 

We both decided to move to Germany. This will be true on good days and bad ones. We have been focusing on being good friends and supporting one another through this uncertain time. I even stayed up late to watch the first Mariner game of the season last week, and Garrick has been very attentive to all of my pregnancy needs and makes me laugh all the time. What a blessing it is to do all of this with my best friend!

Cheers, Scotland!

GERMANY

It is finally time to talk about our next adventure: we're moving to Germany on 1st April 2015!

We've been making plans, changing them, and changing them again since we first heard the news in early August. Now we have a place to live, dates, and a good grasp on what our life will look like. 

Garrick was offered a three year research post at the Kirchliche Hochschule (Ki-Ho for short), a university associated with the protestant church in Wuppertal, Germany, beginning 1st October of this year. As this would have been far too soon for us to say goodbye to St Andrews and for me to learn German, we requested a later move date. We need to be there for 1st April as the funding body requires, and until then Garrick will continue working from abroad. 

There are six Biblical scholars on the project  and they will create a new critical edition of the Greek text of Revelation. Garrick will read manuscripts, translate manuscripts into English, manage the student helpers, and possibly teach Hebrew and Greek (in German!). The post goes until September 2017. 

Wuppertal is in Western Germany near Dusseldorf. Spend two hours on a train, and you can be in Amsterdam, Brussels, or even Paris. It has a suspended railway that cuts the city in half and has a population of 350,000. It was mostly destroyed after the war, and has since been rebuilt. It's fairly industrial, but has lots of green space and amenities. I've visited once, Garrick twice. The people have been friendly and welcoming, and it's good to picture ourselves there. When we moved to Scotland, we got on a plane having never seen our new town!

We've been blessed to meet Moritz, a current MLitt student, and his wife Kim, who are from Wuppertal. They have given us lots of information and will even be moving back to the area in June, two months after we move! They are wonderful friends here and will continue to be in Germany. 

Transition isn't easy. We love our life and friends in St Andrews. A woman came to look at our flat this week and after she left, I cried. This season has been one of the best in our lives and in our marriage. We've lived in Scotland longer than the US since marrying in 2008. But, we can't stay forever; our visas tell us that. And soon our friends will start leaving, and we've already said goodbye to several others. I still remember thinking during our first year here that leaving was a long way off. Time flew!

It's great to have an answer to the question of "Where will we go after St Andrews?" Plus, GARRICK HAS A JOB! We still have hopes of settling in the Seattle area (or anywhere on the West Coast) after Germany. This research post will likely make that goal more achievable. If all goes according to plan, Garrick will graduate in June 2015 and officially be Dr Allen, although I'll never call him that. :) 

So, the over the next few months, you'll find us at the beaches in St Andrews, reading in our favourite coffee shops, and most importantly, spending time with our cherished friends. Oh, and I'll be learning German with the help of Rosetta Stone and our German friends. Upon arriving in Wuppertal, I plan to enroll in an all-day German immersion course at a local university. At this point I can say most colours, numbers, and body parts. I have a long way to go!

Thanks for reading. As always, we give thanks to God for his provision and guidance. 

Here is the Schwebebahn (the suspended train) that we'll be riding very soon!

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. :)

Summer Life

It's a typical Saturday morning in the Allen residence. We're sipping coffee while Garrick watches the Mariner's highlights, and I'm blogging. Also worth mentioning is the delicious cake we're eating for breakfast, sent home with us from a lovely dinner last night in Edinburgh with the Kellys.

Garrick traveled quite a bit in July, and although I really enjoyed time spent with friends, and he enjoyed seeing new places, we're happy to be back together and start living more intentionally.

A few changes include waking on the first alarm, going for a short run a few mornings a week, and spending less time surfing the web. We also do the dishes right after dinner and make our bed every morning. It's like we're grown-ups or something.

A brief update on my world: I'm knitting a pair of gloves, just received 7 skeins of yarn in the post to knit this blanket, and Harry Potter is always nearby. At the end of August, I'll be travelling to London with my team at work to put on an event for students coming to St Andrews this autumn.

Garrick? He's editing his entire thesis, preparing to teach Hebrew this semester, and has just received an exciting offer for after we leave St Andrews (more info to come). He also cycles most days.

It's likely our final year here, and this is why we're trying to live more purposefully. We love our sea-side flat, the small-town atmosphere of St Andrews, and our wonderful friends. These next few months will be spent focusing on these elements of our life. There are a few places we'd still like to visit including the Borders, Outer Hebrides, and maybe even another trip to Skye.

Next month, we are welcoming my cousin Kyara and her husband Zach for a few days, my parents for a week and a half, and then we're travelling south to England to meet up with Garrick's mom, Mark, and Mark's family. We're pretty excited. Happy Saturday!

a spring update

The first day of spring began with sideways rain and wind. Scotland. We are excited for longer days and slightly warmer temps. Each winter we hibernate in our flat spending our time drinking tea and watching movies in our slippers, so we're pretty happy that spring is here. Daffodils and crocuses bloom and already we've been more energized in the morning with the sunlight pouring through our bedroom window.

I'd like to interrupt my normal posts of photos or events and get back to the basics. So, how are we doing? What's new with that PhD student? Do we have accents now? Here's a spring update:

This year has been a difficult one so far. In short, we've had some hopes and plans not work out. Whether is be personally or professionally, life doesn't always listen to what we want. Already, I'm seeing wisdom and growth come out of these hard few months. Every once in a while I look back over our time in Scotland and am quickly reminded of God's continued faithfulness. Regardless of our circumstances, He gives us peace.

Garrick works long hours and pursues every avenue he can, so with every "yes" comes many "no's". It's the life of academia, but it doesn't ease the sting of rejection. I think everyone has felt it at one time or another. I'm very thankful and proud of the hard work he puts into his PhD, book reviews, conference papers, grants, and much more. He was made to do this, and it shows.

I'm enjoying my new post in Admissions and have found it to be a wonderful department with room for personal development. My office view over the West Sands and Old Course never gets old. My list of hobbies continues to grow. I feel mediocre at all of them, but I think that's the nature of a hobby. For the past four weeks I've eliminated gluten, dairy, sugar, red meat, and caffeine from my diet. Despite cravings for chocolate chip cookies, I've never felt better and this motivates me to keep going!

Life after St Andrews is no longer a distant idea, but an impending reality. It's equally exciting and scary. Garrick is happy living anywhere in the world, and I'd like to stick to the English-speaking countries. Surprise. Our community here is still awesome. Last night I hosted a Buy & Sell event with women from the St Mary's community and it was a success. My wee flat was turned into a charity shop for the evening!

Spain is on the horizon in May. We'll spend 10 days in Barcelona and the Costa Brava area. Garrick has planned a conference taking place in June, and he will travel to Vienna in July for ISBL (International Society of Biblical Literature). In November he'll visit San Diego for SBL, and I'm hoping to jump to pond as well to meet my new nephew due in July!

Tonight we're having roast chicken with vegetables, wine and cheese, and then relaxing with a movie. Life is good because God is good. Anything else? Just ask.

January

I woke up early this morning and grabbed my camera. A new lens will do that to you. Walking around, my eyes caught several things I've never seen before. And this made me realize that even in the gray, St Andrews is stunning.

This week we've been slowly adjusting back to work and a new time zone. Plans are starting to fill the calendar and we're taking stock of what 2014 holds.

I'm fully immersed in my new job and truly enjoying my new team and remit. To make it better, on Friday I moved offices and my new desk has a view of the West Sands. It was the most productive day I've had!

Garrick just completed his third chapter and is more than halfway done with his dissertation. Books trickle through the post everyday and language flashcards pile up on most surfaces.

Socially we feel settled and comfortable. I had a coffee date with a friend this morning and relationships like these are what grounds me. It's so vital to have people to walk alongside during this unique postgraduate journey.

Oh, the St Andrews Brew Pub just opened and it's a gem. They have a tapas menu that is cheap and delicious. We'll be going many times over this long winter. We don't have a lot of options in such a small town and this place is our new favourite.

Well, that's about it. It's now raining and I'm going to drink Market Spice tea and play Cribbage with my husband. Here are some photos from this morning:

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:

 

 

 

Planning Ahead

Garrick and I are enjoying a lazy weekend together before he leaves early Monday morning to attend two conferences,  ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) and SBL (Society of Biblical Literature), in Baltimore with fellow St Andrews students and scholars from all over the world. He'll be away for a week and a half, and I'm not looking forward to it. It's lonely to be in Scotland without my husband or family, and in these times I feel most homesick. There are a few other wives who will also be on their own, and we'll get together for meals and coffee dates, giving just another reason why the St Mary's community is amazing. My friend Jackie, who inspired this post, will be visiting from Edinburgh at the weekend as her scholar husband is also away.

So, I thought I'd be proactive and make a list of activities or goals to accomplish while I'm on my own:

• Cook something new. Garrick recently bought me these cookbooks: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and My Little French Cookbook. I plan to have many dates with my new cooker.
• Knit! I have almost finished an infinity scarf, I'm almost done with one fingerless gloves, and I have a few balls of yarn needing a purpose.
• Play my piano. I want to make progress on "Claire de Lune" so my mom can help me when we are in Seattle over Christmas.
•  Reach out to friends. I need to schedule coffee dates and meals with the lovely ladies in my life.
• Show off St Andrews. As mentioned above, I'd like to show Jackie our favourite places in St A's.
• Attend Handel's Messiah.
• Put up our Christmas tree. Garrick strongly believes that Christmas doesn't begin until after Thanksgiving, but has given me permission to put up our tree early.
• Watch girly movies.  
• Organise the cupboards underneath our kitchen sink. (It looks like Tupperware exploded.)
• Skype with family. I'm excited to have free time in the evenings to chat with my parents, sister, nephews, in-laws, and friends.

I'm sure I'll be referring to this list when I feel bored or lonely, and I'm thankful that I have so much support for our time apart. I think it will go by quickly, but I'll sure miss this guy:

Money Matters

(I stole my title from the lovely Capod Department at the University of St Andrews.) I realise that I've not written about this subject since we've begun the postgrad life, and I thought it may be worth mentioning.

Money.

We don't have any.

The end.

Although that could easily be my post, it's a little more complex. Deciding to embark on a PhD is large financial undertaking. It is not something to do on a whim. Once we decided we were all in, the overseas fees for postgrads studying the UK became a reality. Truthfully, we've only gotten poorer as we've aged. But, that's probably true for most adults as they buy homes, cars, etc. However, our investment is an education. And as Garrick likes to say, "They can't repo my brain!"

Our lives are simple, humble, and adventurous. I get excited over a wee house plant from Ikea, or a coffee here and there (okay, let's be honest, most days).  There are times when we literally have £20 left for the month and a week to go, so we have a minor panic attack, then laugh and eat lentils. I told Garrick the other day that getting upset over being poor when you've decided to get a PhD is like jumping in the ocean and being mad that you got wet. It's just reality.

This experience has taught me that I'm rich in other areas, besides money. As cliche as that sounds, I don't think I would be as grateful or aware of the many blessings in my life had we not chosen this path. So with that, I guess the point of this post is that money doesn't really matter. Take a look at the sunrise a few weeks ago. It was free, and probably one of the most beautiful sunrises I've seen.

Year Number Three

Yesterday we enjoyed two yearly events, the New Spouses Orientation and the Roundel BBQ. "Where are you from?" "Who's your supervisor?" "Where are you staying?" All of these questions are pretty common at this time of year among the St Mary's community. New students, some with families, are fresh off the plane from all over the world. I can't believe what I hear myself saying: "This is the beginning of our third year."

Just a few years ago I arrived to a moldy flat, searched tirelessly for chocolate chips, and thought I was going to be blown away by the wind coming from the North Sea. Now, I can understand most Scottish accents, I prefer a chilly weather to hot, and I drink tea every day, sometimes several times. I'm settled. St Andrews is home.

We have a little over two years of history with some friends and a year with others. In a transient community, this feels much longer. We are thankful for this community in more ways than I can express.

So, to mark the beginning of another academic year, here are some up-to-date facts about our post-grad life:

The 9-5: Garrick works every day on his thesis and related projects at the Roundel, attends weekly seminars and meetings, and I work in the School of Modern Languages.

Weekly events: We attend Cornerstone Church at 10:30am every Sunday, I host a Tuesday night small group for wives of post-grads, and Thursday nights Garrick takes a French class, and I teach piano lessons.

Upcoming travels: We have plans to go to Edinburgh with friends at the end of this month and the beginning of October, a weekend getaway to the Isle of Mull is in the works for early November, and Garrick is attending SBL in Baltimore at the end of November.

Hobbies: I just returned from taking photos in gale force winds at the Castle Sands, we enjoy Cribbage, coffee, and relaxing together in the evenings, I am currently knitting a scarf, working on an online sea glass shop, reading "The Count of Monte Cristo," and learning German on Rosetta Stone. Garrick? He does flash cards, reads, watches the Simpsons, and reads some more.

Favourite food and drink in St Andrews: The last two Friday nights have been spent eating at the outdoor seasonal steak barn run by the Balgove Larder, and we still think Taste has the best coffee in Fife.

That's us. We're excited and grateful for another year to spend in bonny St Andrews!

ISBL, Finance, EABS, and the In-Between

It's hard to concentrate on July when buttery croissants, cappuccinos, and the Tour d'Eiffel are in my future. But, I'll do my best.

ISBL (International Society of Biblical Literature) came to St Andrews and was the largest conference the University has ever held.  Garrick presented on "The Text Form of the Minor Prophets in the Book of Revelation: Two Allusions to Zechariah 4 as a Test Case." Thoughts from the scholar himself: "I got good feedback on my paper, had a lot of fun, and met really great people." I noticed that Garrick came home every night more energized than when he left in the morning. He is blessed.

Finance. I have truly enjoyed the last three weeks in the Cash Office. I've been warmly welcomed, had tea made for me at least twice a day, and enjoyed ice cream every Friday. The work suits me, and the days fly by. I'm thankful had the opportunity to work this summer and would be interested in future work in Finance.


Abbey Walk roses on my daily commute.

EABS (European Association of Biblical Studies) is in Leipzig, Germany this year. Garrick and two of his friends will stay in the "Say Cheese" hostel and attend the conference. This time, he'll present on "Remarks on the Textual Form of Zechariah Utilized in Revelation." Then, he catches the train to meet me in Paris!

And here's to the in-between. Social much? We're coming up on our two-year mark, and this means our relationships with friends don't feel so 'new'. And come fall, a whole new group of students will arrive, and we're excited to welcome them to this unique community. With the weather reaching practically scorching for Scotland, we've enjoyed outdoor BBQ's, bonfires, and hunted for sea glass on packed beaches. Did we move to Spain?