Laundry Innovation

I realised yesterday that I would have been very unhappy about the lack of "convenience" of our current lifestyle just a few years ago. For example,  I never thought one day I'd hang my clothes on a wood pulley system suspended from my kitchen ceiling:

After about 24 hours, these clothes will be dry (and crispy). I do have to whip out the iron a little more often, but the amount of time put in to doing laundry makes me think twice before tossing my clothes on the floor. Planning ahead is now necessary if I want to wear a certain item later in the week. My positive outlook may change come winter, but for now, we think our pulley system is pretty cool.

371 Days In

I've been having flashbacks. "Which bank do you use?" "Where do you shop for groceries?" "How do you find a job?" All of the questions I asked just a year ago are now resurfacing with the incoming students and families. It's therapeutic that our struggles and successes can help others, and relieving that we don't have to be new again anytime soon.

We've been in St Andrews a little over a year, and are reflecting on the differences a year makes:

1) Closer friendships. We are surrounded by many wonderful people, and we've been fortunate enough to build relationships with them over the past 12 months. Now, time together feels like a warm cozy blanket, instead of early dating jitters. We are still very excited to meet incomers, but we no longer feel "new."

2) A "settled in" feeling. I know which stores carry which items, I've found the shortcuts around town, and I would be disappointed to leave. Going back to the USofA is the end goal, but I am content here for the next few years.

3) An appreciation for a different culture. "It's not bad, it's different." I repeated this to myself multiple times when we first arrived. Now, I'm the one that gets slightly annoyed at Americans who complain about silly inconveniences. Not only have I picked up Scottish words and phrases from my lovely coworkers, we eat dinner later, drink more tea, and have embraced a new perspective. Being that it is election season, we hear that "America is the greatest country on earth" almost daily. While taking pride in your home country can be very positive, it's also good to realize that other countries are wonderful as well.

4) Visitors! Having friends and family travel to this small corner of Scotland to see us, and pay a lot of money to do so, is humbling. I guess we offer free lodging, and St Andrews is historically beautiful, but nonetheless, we love visitors! Up next? Kenneth and Janelle Owings and Sierra Snyder!

5) Academic rigor. Garrick just covered this in his last blog post, but the University of St Andrews' School of Divinity continues to be ranked above Oxford and Cambridge. Wow.

6) A pretty decent view:



If you'd like to be inside my brain a year ago, refresh your memory with one of our first blog posts: 13 Days as Scots. (I'm cringing that I referred to us as "Scots.")

Cheers!

Our New Home!

Goodbye Langlands Road and hello to The Scores! On Thursday night, with the help of a few generous (and strong) friends, we moved what little we own to our new flat.  We inherited this property from The Watts, who now live in a more accommodating place for their family. We have a view, live very close to the Town Centre and our offices, and now have a bathtub! It's a quirky place, and we're really beginning to love it.

 

Want a tour? I took some photos.



Above is our front door and the walkway leading up to our flat from town.

We have a large entryway, and each room is branches off from this space.



To the right is our sitting room. The furniture is...eclectic.

 

We definitely have a retro kitchen. The sun shines in each morning, making it a cheerful place!



Our dining table is in the sitting room, so we often sit at the kitchen island unless we have company.



Our bedroom is very spacious, and we each have a space for our clothes! (Garrick had to do without a closet in our last place.)



I can't forget about the bathtub:



There's no toilet in this room, because we have a water closet!

Our back entryway with the Cathedral and St Rules Tower in the background:




And finally, the view:



Honestly, the location is pretty dreamy. We're definitely excited to make this place our own and update a few things, but overall, we're content.

"What I've learned this year" by Garrick

Hey, everyone, it's Garrick. I don't write much on this blog because Andrea is so good at it and because I'm always tempted to write about scribal habits reflected in the reuse of scriptural texts in Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity. This topic would make for a rather sexy blog post, but not really sexy in a sexy sort of way. Therefore, I leave the chronicling of our fairly mundane existence to Andrea. But, because it's the first sunny weekend here in forever and she has better things to do, Andrea has asked my to reflect on my first year in St Andrews. I don't have anything too inspirational or important to say, but this experience has taught me much. Academically and personally I have grown a great deal. So I will share with you some things I have learned:

• I've learned that giving it my best go is important. For the past 12 months I consigned myself to my desk for a 8 hours per day and 5-6 days per week. I've earned decent marks, began learning three languages, and completed a 16,000 word dissertation. I've been able to do these things not because I'm a gifted student (I am not) or have a photographic memory (I do not) but because I sat in desk and went for it even at the risk of giving it my best go and still failing. I was certainly an athletic disappointment in high school, but one thing I learned from my cross-country and baseball coaches was that the fear of failure can be debilitating.
• I like the slow pace of life in Scotland. Meals run longer, parties wander into the wee hours, and few people are rushed. 
• I like haggis and blood pudding. 
• Few Scot's appreciate good coffee.
• Most Scot's appreciate good whiskey.
• Baseball is truly an American phenomenon.
• I'm happy to be able to enjoy this experience with Andrea. Without her love, honesty, and financial income this would be an empty and literally impossible endeavour.

Thanks very much for reading our blog over the last year and you can look forward to more since we'll be abroad for four more years. Also, a few brave and apparently bored people have asked to flip through a copy of my thesis. If you want some free bedtime reading, leave your email and I'll send you a copy. Signed copies are 50 pounds.

Recycled Homes

In a transient community, free stuff flows like the Kinnessburn.

At times, it's a little frustrating to live in a furnished flat. Decorating decisions were made without your consent, kitchen appliances are not nice, and living on a student budget makes it hard to get what you really want. Plus, most of your belongings sit in boxes a few thousand miles away.

So, our community recycles. Not just plastic, cardboard, and glass, but household items. I will never need to buy a cooking oil or spice again, thanks to those who emptied their entire pantry into ours upon moving. We've also adopted a microwave, kettle, and kitchen island. For a small price, I've purchased an immersion blender and wicker basket from families who are moving within the week.

Need a little more? Macgregor's Auction House is full of good and bad surprises. We trekked up to Largo Road last week and bid on a few items. We won two large mirrors for 4 GBP total. With a little splash of paint, they'll make a great addition to our new place.

I'll admit my Amazon purchases have increased lately, as we now know we'll be here for a few more years. But still, most items in our flat will be a pleasant reminder of those who've left them behind.

Cycling The Kingdom of Fife

We have some new members of our family:



I am the proud owner of a 2012 Trek 1.1 and Garrick, a 2013 Genesis Equilibrium. Through the recommendation of some good friends, we met John, the owner of a laid back and quality bike shop, Fife Cycle Centre. He gave us quite the deal and got us set up to ride.

St Andrews is a beautiful town, but so are many other places around Fife.

Tentsmuir Forrest is about 10 miles from St Andrews. A major perk of this ride is that some of our friends live on the way, in Guardbridge and Leuchars.



Strathkinness is an 11 mile loop with a good hill. Garrick times himself on this ride on an almost daily basis. I'm just happy to make it the whole time without stopping!



On Saturday, we road over 30 miles round trip to Crail , a fishing village on the East Neuk. Rolling hills, sheep, cows, and villages dot the cycle path along the way. We made it the the Honey Pot Tea Room and sitting down never felt so good.





We're excited to get in shape, see Fife, and also spend time together. Cycling is an all around win!

Pitlochry (Baile Chloichridh)

When we got married at Lord Hill Farms as 20-year-olds, we never thought in just four years we'd be living in Scotland. (Okay, maybe Garrick did.)

On 27th July, 2012, our 4th Anniversary, we took one bus and three trains to get to Pitlochry, a small town in Perthshire.



We arrived in the early evening and checked in to our B&B, located a few minutes from the main street.



If you're feeling brave, try pronouncing the name. Having trouble? We did too. The friendly and comedic owner, James, greeted us at reception and we enjoyed his company on the tour. Finally checked into our room, we untied the tartan ribbon on our breakfast menus and made our selection for the next morning. The sun came out and we took a "4th Anniversary Photo" in the back garden before going to dinner.



On Saturday morning after french press coffee and a full Scottish breakfast, we put on our trainers and headed out on a hike.



Our destination? Edradour Distillery. But along the way, we took a detour to a waterfall called Black Spout.





Back on the trail to Edradour, we heard bagpipes faintly in the background. As we approached the distillery, we knew why:



Even in the rain, this piper serenaded visitors and sounded great!

Fast Facts about The Edradour Distillery:

• Smallest distillery in Scotland
• They bottle as much whiskey in a year as big distilleries do in a week
• They do not use dyes and produce their whiskey naturally

A wee 85-year-old woman greeted us in the gift shop to begin our tour. She kept everyone in line and teased our group quite a bit. She showed us the warehouse of aging casks as well as the Malt Store. The process of making whiskey is complex and one that requires at least 10 years of patience.

Token drams in hand, we made our way back to town, stopping at Black Castle, which was destroyed to prevent the spread of the plague around 1500.




After some Indian food, we retreated to our B&B to enjoy the Olympics opening ceremony. Sunday morning we enjoyed another lovely breakfast and made our way back home. I did leave my purse on the train, which Garrick retrieved in Glasgow a few days later. I'll spare you details.

We're so thankful for one another and look forward to many more adventurous years!