Home for the Holidays: Part II

Drive. Eat. Drive. Eat. Drive. Eat. That's what we've been doing. But, there is something very meaningful about our driving and eating. We're seeing our wonderful friends and family and engaging in encouraging and happy conversations. It's gone by quick and so will this blog.

 

We love the St Marie's! We rang in the New Year playing Settlers and watching King 5's News Years at the Needle! We're thankful for this pair and their newest addition, Simon. We plan to live in the same town someday, hopefully. :)

 

 

Happy 2013! We enjoyed a sunny walk around Green Lake with Mark and Julie and then some brews at the Diamond Knot. That evening, The Herms baked gourmet pizzas invited us to share in the feast. Dr Herms taught Garrick at NU and he and his family lived in the UK while he got his PhD. We had lots to talk about!

 

January 2nd was much like the 1st. Cinnamon rolls at the Snohomish Bakery with the Johnsons and then Chicken Pad Thai with the Rodlands!

 

The 3rd?  We met Garrick's mom at work and then she took us to lunch at 3rd Place Books! That evening, we met up with old friends from church, The Sparks and The Skipsnes'. What fun couples!

 



 

Friday the 4th, we enjoyed lunch with my aunt, grandparents, nephews, and mom, and then Indian food with Garrick's family! We shared our highlights from 2012 and goals for 2013. Inspired, we walked across the street for some gelato. :)

 

Saturday? Coffee with mom and dad at Starbucks! My parents are the best. Then, Sushi with students from youth group and after that, an amazing Pork Shoulder dinner with The Gunhus', Andersons, and Diellos. These couples were in our small group for over a year and we picked up right where we left off.

 

After attending Life Community Church on Sunday, we had our second helping of "Mexican" food. Taco Del Mar housed us and our friends after church. The students are grown up and doing great and we connected with Pastor Mike, Kristin, and Lucy! Then, it was off to Snohomish for Garrick to watch the Seahawks and me to meet up with my beautiful  sister and cousins for coffee.

 

My family has good genes. Seriously. I love these ladies! After a combined family dinner and a funny and sometimes confusing game of Telephone Pictionary, it was off to bed to prepare for another day.

 

Monday morning after a little sleeping in, Papa Jim and Grandma Ethy took us out to lunch! After childhood stories and soup, it was off Lynnwood to see Garrick's cousin Travis, his wife Stephanie, and baby Avery. We haven't seen her since she was born! Then to a new cool spot: Indigo. Brad, Marissa, and Ryan have a knack for choosing great Happy Hour spots! And here we are:

 



 

These people supported us the year before we left and they are still the same, genuine, hilarious friends!

 

Up early the next morning it was off to the Embrys, another family who lived in the UK while getting a PhD. Dr Embry taught us at NU. It was special to meet their newest addition, Lewin!

 

Then? Dinner with my parents! Time with them has been life-giving. There's nothing like vegging out at mom and dad's! Plus, we really like them.

 

Wednesday brought time with Rachael! Friends since 7th grade, we've shared many memories! Time with this girl was much needed.

 

Now it's Thursday, and today we visited my old office, sorted through boxes of our stuff, and enjoyed Teryaki with my family. I guess this hasn't been short. Sorry. But I wouldn't cut anything out!

Vacationing in a place I once lived...

brings conflicting emotions. Driving past our old apartment yesterday, we noticed that the new tenants have kids and have hung a welcome sign on the door, under #44. Snohomish High School has been renovated. Even our parents houses have changed. But, many things remain the same. I-5 is a bottleneck, the sunset over Lake Washington is breathtaking, and the Snohomish Bakery's Cinnamon Rolls are blog-worthy.

I think I've felt an unspoken pressure to choose. St Andrews or Snohomish. Both have wonderful qualities and some things that I'd like to change. But, I've learned that I have two homes. Two places where I feel at peace. Driving through the Snohomish Valley on a sunny day and smelling fertilizer will always remind me of our wedding, playing soccer, and learning to drive.

But, standing at the edge of the North Sea, smelling the marine air has also become home. Many times I've walked to the sea, to reflect, to pray, or to find treasures. Once a new and unpredictable place, it now grounds me.



I feel blessed to call two places home, and know I'll probably add a third or a fourth, or even a fifth throughout my life.

Home for the Holidays: Part I

It's the 31st of December, and I can't help but reflect on all of the blessings of this past year. Garrick graduated with his MLitt and began his PhD, I got a job at the University of St Andrews, we moved into our flat on the North Sea, we travelled to places near and far, and we are surrounded by a wonderful community of people. To conclude an adventurous year, our family and friends in the USA have welcomed us home with lots of love, laughs, and generosity.  

 

Our travel day from St Andrews to Snohomish went off without a hitch and was mostly a pleasant experience. True to form, I was randomly selected for a security check in Iceland, but I'm getting used to being searched at airports. Then, after 18+ hours, two of my favorite people greeted us:

First things first: Chipotle! After arriving at my parents and settling in, these two came for a visit:

 



Exhausted, we fell asleep before our heads hit the pillow. Wide awake at 4am, we showered and drove down to Starbucks and Fred Meyer. Lattes in hand, we strolled up and down the massive aisles, filled our cart, and then had to leave our items at the check out. We forgot the pins to our US debit cards. Once back in the car, Garrick's number came to mind and he ran back in and purchased our goods. Success! My pin is still a mystery.

 Then? Christmas Eve with the Stevens!

And Christmas Day with the Allens!

 

Garrick met up with his high school crew on the 26th for their annual gift exchange:

 



 

Uncle Don and Aunt Julie came for a visit from Spokane!

 

 

My grandparents had us over along with my cousins on Friday afternoon:

 

 

We spent the weekend with the Owings! Playing and laughing with our nephews was a major highlight, as was attending Stanwood Foursquare, and shopping with my mom and sister.

 



 

Last night, the Muchmores invited us over for food and Settlers. Two games of Settlers. Yes, Garrick won both games. And yes, we are still talking. :) Brian performed our wedding we hope to make time to catch up with them every year. We're trying out our culinary skills on my parents this evening and look forward to seeing our good friends, Andrew, Lauren, and baby Simon to ring in the New Year!

 

More to come.  



Here we go!

After a year and a half, we're making the journey back to Seattle! We've looked forward to and prepared for this trip for a few months now. We're feeling excited, anxious, happy, nervous, and just impatient to walk through Sea-Tac airport and be greeted by our family! Our time will be spent conversing with family and friends, hugging our nephews, eating sushi, shopping, and enjoying the convenience of a Starbucks Drive-Thru.

I've been wondering over the past few weeks if we'll experience elements of culture shock, or if the goodbyes will be more difficult than when we first left, or if we will realise how much we've changed. And, I've wondered if it will hit us that we're there on holiday, not to stay. We're vacationing in a place we once lived.

Above all, we are beyond grateful for everyone's support in getting us home for Christmas. We are humbled by the generosity and love of our family and friends.

So, tomorrow morning at 7am we begin our 18-hour journey! Here's a rundown:

St Andrews - Leuchars: Thanks to Andrew Kaethler for the lift!
Leuchars - Edinburgh: Train
Edinburgh - Glasgow: Train
Glasgow - Glasgow Airport: Taxi
Glasgow Airport - Reykjavik, Iceland: Plane
Reykjavik, Iceland - Sea-Tac Airport: Plane
Sea-Tac Airport - My parents house: THE BEST CAR RIDE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

See you soon, Seattle!

Tis the Season

It's the 15th of December and already we've enjoyed some lovely Christmas celebrations. Our tree was up a week (or two!) before Thanksgiving, so it's been the "Christmas" for quite a while now.

 

 

(Please note: The stache was the last remnant of Garrick's winter beard. It was shaved approximately two minutes after this photo.)

Handel's Messiah

Before the Messiah, we gathered at the flat of Jesse and Liana for festive treats and chat, along with the Brewer clan. We entered Holy Trinity Parish Church at 7:15pm and took our seats in the very hard pews. Candles lit, the choir and orchestra shuffled in. Their voices were clear, well-rehearsed, and moving. The "Hallelujah Chorus" was of course a favorite, and Garrick and I will make an effort to go every Christmas season.

 

 

 

An American Christmas Classic!

 

We cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal from beginning to end. Neither Garrick or I enjoyed reaching our hand into the turkey to retrieve the "bits." We invited some of my Scottish (and one English!) coworkers over for a night of Thanksgiving food, Elf, and a White Elephant gift exchange. Fun was had by all and every plate was clean. As we are always taking in Scottish culture, sharing some our our American traditions was a welcome change.

 

 Bible Study Christmas Party

 

What a blessing these women are! We gathered at our usual time of 7:30pm on Tuesday night, everyone bearing a gift and treat to share. We discussed our Christmas plans and hopes. I also participated in my second White Elephant exchange, and may have re-gifted a gift from the first one...

 

St Mary's Postgrad and Staff Party

 

What do you get when you combine wine, minced pies, and a room full of academics? A hilariously stimulating and awkward party. Thankfully, I spotted a comfortable yellow char in the corner of the room and was joined by some of my lovely friends. The gathering took place in the St Mary's Senior Common Room, which is quite impressive with blue walls, beautiful draperies, and baby grand piano in the corner.

 

German Christmas Market

We and the Toomans (Bill, Tricia, Liam, and Cole) caught an early Saturday morning train to Edinburgh. As we walked toward the market along Princes Street, I felt that carnival rides and history were colliding:

We made our way through several outdoor stands selling German goodies of all kinds: fresh sugared donuts, mulled wine, bratwurst, pork sandwiches, candied almonds, apple strudel, pretzels - hungry yet? Along with the amazing food, many hand-made gifts make the market a Christmas shoppers paradise! After a day taking in all the sights and filling our hungry bellies, we napped on the train home to St Andrews. Thanks to the Toomans for a wonderful day!

Merry 15th of December!



Location, Location, Location.

I know I've mentioned that we live in town and on the North Sea, but I thought I should dedicate a post to our "we can't believe we actually live here" location. We live car-free* and about a 5 minute walk to everything we need to survive. Our orange carpet and lack of dishwasher and clothes dryer remind us that we're in student housing, but I think it's a fair trade.

We live on the upper left portion of the map on E Scores. My commute to work is along The Scores and takes approximately 7 minutes. Garrick? He walks about 30 seconds to the Roundel. No more can we depend on our long walk into town to keep in shape!

Although we don't have a private front or back yard, the St Andrews Cathedral ruins and North Sea views suffice just fine:

 

 

When living in a place that's as far North as Anchorage, AK, it's nice to be close to local amenities during the frigid winter months. Another bonus of our new place is that it's cheaper than our previous flat! Why? I'll never know. But I'm not going to ask questions. :)

 

I'm no fortune-teller, but I highly doubt that we'll ever again live in a location such as this. So, hurry up and plan your trip to Scotland!

 

*Please note: Although I love living car-free, driving a car when home for Christmas is going to be heavenly. :)

A Master's Degree on St Andrews Day!



We got what we came for: a Master of Letters in Scripture and Theology! Yes, we're now staying a few more years for a PhD, but this past year is worth celebrating.

The fall graduation ceremony always takes place on St Andrews Day, the 30th of November. This day is dedicated to honor St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

After two days of intensive You-Tube "How to tie a Bow Tie" tutorials, Garrick finally got it down:

At noon, I met our good friend, Chris Brewer, in Younger Hall and we scored second row seats. I snuck up to the snap a few photos before the ceremony:

The organ played and the processional began. Academic dress and Latin combined to make a wonderfully historic ceremony.

The perk of having Allen as a surname? You get to go first. Garrick walked across the stage, knelt in front of the Chancellor, and was touched on the forehead with a piece of John Knox's trousers. Yes, you read that correctly. That's actually just a myth; it's the 300 year-old hat of some other guy, but I'd like to think the first story is true.

I brought the iPad to graduation. I was that person. Thanks to Chris for videoing so I could take photos!

 



 

Amazing. After the ceremony, we processed out to St Salvators Quad to take photos and congratulate the graduands! It was zero degrees Celsius.

 

 

That evening, we all headed out to join the St Andrews Day festivities! We marched through the town led by pipers and ended at the Old Course Hotel for a fireworks display!

 



 

Finally, after dancing the night away in the largest outdoor Ceilidh in Scotland, we headed back home to celebrate with friends. This day will definitely be a favorite of our time in St Andrews. Way to go Master Allen!