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. :)

Fife Coastal Path: Elie to Leven

We've now completed three sections of the Fife Coastal Path! Today, we hiked 10 miles from Elie to Leven. The scenery was beautiful, although we all agreed that it was a bit less interesting than other parts we've completed. Also, it was so windy. Upper and Lower Largo were our favourite towns, with many seaside cottages and quaint shops. I'm still amazed at diversity and beauty of the Scottish coastline. The views and beaches are truly stunning. After arriving in Leven, we stopped to take some group photos and then caught the next bus. We all napped the entire hour and a half back to St Andrews! As usual, we loved spending time with the Hargers and are excited to plan our next adventure.

Festival Fringe Fireworks

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and takes place every August. There is a fireworks show to conclude the festival at the Edinburgh Castle. We attended this year with the Nickels, Kellys, and new friends, Benj and Amy.

After church, the Nickels picked us up and we planned to stop at Ikea on our way to Edinburgh. Halfway through shopping, Liana and I had to abandon our cart due to a fire in the warehouse. Garrick was second in line for meatballs. Ikea fail. Off to the city centre for dinner!

Liana suggested The Potting Shed, a restaurant serving rustic bar food. The girls ordered pretty cocktails and the boys, beer. After our meal, the Kellys arrived and we had fun catching up.

We waited on a crowded Princes Street for the show to start at 9pm. The fireworks were perfectly synced with an orchestra playing familiar pieces and ended with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Truly, this was one of my favourite nights in Scotland, and we spent it with wonderful people!

And please watch this. Absolutely amazing!

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!

Six

This year, our anniversary trip was planned by Garrick. We hauled all of our camping gear with us to Scotland and had yet to use it, so he decided to try 'wild' camping as it's called in the UK (camping where there is no official site). We love the Fife Coastal Path and thought it would be the best place to go. Garrick did all the preparing and packing and just helped me get my pack on when it was time to leave.

It was in the low twenties when we left our flat. The East Sands looked more like a beach in Barcelona. We headed up the path and stopped at the first beach we came upon as it was the perfect place to pitch our tent. We exercised good communication skills learned over six years of marriage, and successfully set up our campsite. Then, the clouds and on-and-off rain rolled in. Still, we had a blast.

For dinner, Garrick prepared rolls with meat and cheese and wrapped them in foil to heat over the fire. We read, searched for sea glass, took in the stunning views, drank nice wine, and enjoyed good conversation. Every so often, we'd hide out in our tent and play cribbage while we waited for a rain shower to pass. 

We fell asleep after we heard the church bells chime 10pm. We woke several times in the night because of waves crashing, rain hitting the tent, and wind. At about 5am, we packed up and headed home to our bed. After we woke up, Garrick went out and brought back vanilla lattes from Taste, which we enjoyed with croissants. Good man. Despite the rough nights sleep, we'd go again in a heartbeat!

When we got married at twenty, we both were aware of how young we were. So, we decided to grow up together. And I think we've done a good job of that. Garrick is a supportive and loving husband who can meet me in my greatest joys and sorrows. I am so proud of his hard work and pursuit of his passions. He also possesses the ability to make me laugh, always. Here's to many more adventurous years together, Mr Allen! You are my home.