Wemyss Bay

LD was on call this weekend so when he got a call Saturday morning to go to Wemyss Bay we decided we'd go with him. Wemyss Bay is a village on the coast of the Firth of Clyde. There is a ferry there and that is where LD needed to go. He takes care of the computers in the office as well as on the ferry. It is uber cool the contracts that LD gets to do!

Every single time we go out this way I can't stop remarking how we should move out here. I mean, it's by the ocean people!!! I'd love me a sea view. We drove along the coast the whole way. It was gorgeous. It was overcast and grey {which was hard to get a good picture} but no rain and that is a plus. The sailboats were out and we had glimpses of a bright sun over all those clouds. Sebastian and I waved at the ferry as it left and enjoyed a walk along the sea front--while LD was working. We stopped at a used book store and I picked me up North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. We enjoyed a day driving along the coast and enjoying the fresh salty air. I really wouldn't mind living here!

Tantallon Castle

Saturday afternoon we decided to take a drive up the coast. We're lucky Great Britain is an island because no matter where you live, you aren't far from the beach. I love this. I'd love to live in one of these quaint beach towns and each time we drive through one I can't stop telling LD we should move.

We were headed to Tantallon Castle {built in 1350!}near North Berwick in Edinburgh. It is truly a picturesque drive. Not just the rolling hills and farm animals but the quaint towns along the way. I honestly wanted to stop about 5 or 6 times and just get out to walk around for a bit. We would have but we were pressed for time. There were lovely  bed and breakfast cottages adorned with flowers and vines as well as large family homes in an estate fashion. We're talking big gorgeous Victorian homes. We saw families stopping at the local fish and chip shop before they head down to the beach. Lots of bicycles about on this warm breezy day. It was just lovely. Sometimes living in Scotland can feel like a dream. Saturday was one of them.

When we arrived at Tantallon Castle it was seriously windy. The castle sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. That strong sea breeze was blowing all around us. It felt amazing! There were families enjoying picnics on the grounds and several tour buses with American's! I wanted to stop and have a chat but Sebastian was pretty whiny and was running all over the place. The structure is pretty derelict and the elements have definitely had their way with her. Truly gorgeous!

There was a little island off the coast with a lighthouse on it. I was pretty obsessed with it. It had a Shutter Island feel to it. Creepy. It also had a white tint to it. What was it? It couldn't be snow. Upon closer inspection--seagulls! Thousands of them. It was truly fascinating.

We had a really good time and I wished that we had more time to spend. I'd love a weekend where we could stop and take as long as we wanted along the way. But, we were headed on a date to see Batman! Which was amazing by the way. How was your weekend?

The Gap Year

Taking a Gap Year is very popular here in the UK. Prince William even took one before he started University. It is quite common to take some time off after you graduate and go volunteer around the world. Travel. Experience life. Then come back and hunker down at school. It makes sense to me! I think this should be more common place in the United States. But hey, enough about that. How do you fit in a gap year anyway?

My husband took a Gap Year when he was 29 yrs old. He actually quit his job, grabbed his savings, and went to a language school in America. He was living his dream. He wanted to learn English and he was done putting it off. This decision has shaped nearly every major decision he's made since. His life would not be the same if he didn't throw caution to the wind and leave for America. Now he's been speaking English for 11 years and he's fluent. A shop attendant actually asked him last week if he was American! Many doors have opened for him since learning English.

There is much to consider when taking a year, or whatever time you deem appropriate, off of your professional life. Is it something you can fit in? I personally believe that if you want to do it, then you will.

I took some time out of school to work onboard cruise ships. I really loved this experience. I need to write more about it because I learned so much about myself and about the world while cruising the Caribbean. Not to mention it was some of the most fun I've ever had in my life. I also took 18 months to serve a mission for my church in California. It was an experience that shaped me to the core. I paid my own way and worked hard. These are experiences I'd never trade for millions of dollars. If you take a gap year you too can have experiences you'd never trade.

William Wallace Monument

Last week we took my sister and her family to see the William Wallace Monument. It is a gorgeous structure overlooking the scene of Scotland's victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge. This is a place where you can touch and feel history as you follow the story of Sir William Wallace, Guardian of Scotland. 

We bought our tickets and started the 15 min hike up the mountain. We didn't take the stroller and Sebastian did such a great job all the way up! It was muddy and humid, but a lovely walk just the same. Once we finally made it to the monument we were greeted by breathtaking scenery of Scotland. I could have sat up there all day if it wasn't for an over active toddler pulling me every which way. 

Once we caught our breath we started up the stairs. Oh my were there stairs! Not just any stairs either. They were narrow, made of stone, and spiralled up for 246 steps. It was a doozy. Luckily there were rooms to stop and catch our breath while we learned some history. LD was carrying Sebastian up the stairs the whole way and that wasn't exactly fun. 

When we finally reached the top it was very windy. It actually felt amazing after our climb! I've not seen anything so beautiful in awhile.  

Culture Shock

Why do you want to move abroad? What are your expectations? Why is it important to you? These are all questions you should be asking yourself {and answering} if you plan on moving abroad.

So, why am I in Scotland anyway? Well, I met my husband online and after 1.5 yrs of dating long distance we decided to stop going back and forth. We chose to get married and spend our time together. We had a dilemma. LD was living in Scotland and I was in America. Where would we make our home? After much research and deliberation, we decided I'd move to Scotland. I wanted an adventure. I wanted to travel. I wanted to try something new. And believe me...I got it. I've always felt that you never come back the same when you travel. I always want to be changing and getting better. I want to see how other's live. I want to be a part of something greater than just my neck of the woods. This is why being an expat is important to me.

Most people envision expats as having an Eat Pray Love experience.  Walking through plaza's with a creamy gelato in your hands or sitting at a cafe writing your novel with bagpipes in the background. I'd say there is some of that, but it definitely isn't the norm. When you move abroad there are some challenges.

Do you know what culture shock is? Everybody thinks they are well adjusted and they won't have any problems but let me tell you. You will. Of course you will! You are in a country that isn't your own. They don't do things the same way. Even if the people speak the same language--they really don't. Living abroad is not the same as visiting. You will go through some culture shock. 

Culture shock will hit you in a variety of ways. It is different for everyone. It hit me about a month after I'd moved to Scotland. I hadn't seen the sky in 3 weeks and it had rained every single day since my arrival. I felt trapped. What had I done? I still didn't have friends. I didn't know my way around yet and I didn't have a job. I was wasting away. I had expected to be sightseeing non-stop and had pictured myself with many friends and a job by then {idealistic, I know!}. I was living in a studio flat that smelled of mould. This wasn't what I signed up for.

If you don't want to see yourself packing up and going home within your first few weeks you need to be prepared. Now answer these questions:

1. Why are you moving abroad?
2. What are your expectations?
3. Why is this move important to you?

The answers to these questions will be what keeps you in the adventure and not cutting your dream short. You'll be able to see it through and enjoy it. For there is so much to enjoy!!

Here are some of my tips for keeping culture shock at bay {or keeping it to a minimum at least!}:

• Do your research before you leave. Find out what is around you. Grocery stores, banks, pubs, and the movies. 
• Join a church or group of some kind. You need to be around people. Locals that can welcome and help you. You'd be surprised what can be cured with a good old fashion conversation. 
• Find some kind of work. This doesn't have to be formal employment but something to keep you busy. Whether it is volunteering at the local food drive or writing a that novel. Get yourself something to do. Idle hands and all that. 
• Before you move make a list of places you want to see. Whether they are right around you or take a bit of a travel. Make a list you can check off. You wanted to move so you could see new things, go see them! 
• Learn about public transportation. Ask questions and read about it. Then try it out. Make it your friend. 
• Decide what methods you will use to keep in touch with friends and family. Email, Facebook, Vonage and Skype are my chosen forms of communication. Oh and Blackberry Messenger works abroad too! For free! I love this. 
• Find other expats. You will feel a kinship with those from your home country. It will be helpful to have someone you can ask all manner of questions to. They will also help you exponentially with finding what you're looking for. They will give you the 411 on what to do and not to do. Use them. 
• Have fun! If you wanted to walk with a gelato in your hands, do it! If you want to sit at a cafe drinking coffee and writing in your journal, do it! Just go out there and experience your new life as an expat. Carpe diem and all of that! 

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." ~Thoreau

Freaky Scottish Foods I'm Still Afraid to Eat

I've lived in Scotland for almost 4.5 years and there are still a few {weird to me} foods that I've not tried yet. I need to gather the courage and just bite the bullet already. But something keeps holding me back. I just can't do it! Take a look for yourself.

Haggis
via

{made of the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep or lamb, combined with oats, suet and other herbs and spices, and then cooked in a casing traditionally made of the animal's stomach.}

Black Pudding
via

{This is not pudding like we know it. There is something about sausage cooked in congealed blood that just doesn't work for me}

Scotch Eggs

via

{A hard-boiled egg enclosed in sausage meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried. I'm re-thinking this one. I might need to try it. Doesn't look as bad it it used to}

Deep Fried Mars Bars

via

{Before I moved abroad I was told all about these and how everyone eats them. Since I moved here...I've never seen one. I think it's a myth, but I need to try it. Fried chocolate. Sign me up.}

Pizza Crunch

{It's deep fried pizza and it is divine! I'm not afraid of this one. It is yummy! Weird, but good}