Trying to be great-ful...

Another month, another place to call home. Well, that's what it seems sometimes. Dave and I now live in Scotland. We knew that moving up north was a very real possibility but it wasn't a certainty. That is, until Dave got a job offer to be a reporter, his life's ambition. It was such a wonderful day when we got the news, especially since he turned down another offer to work in London. We considered it but decided that we'd have to bankrupt ourselves just to move to The City and we'd have to scrimp by because of the astronomical cost of living. After Moscow, London is the most expensive city in the world. So that got a big ol' thumbs down. So here we are - on the east coast of Scotland. We live by the sea and I can just stare out into it's watery mysteriousness for ages. It's lovely. The weather has been alright as well. And Edinburgh. Such a beautiful city, but calm as well. It's busy, but not at all as frenetic as London. The shopping is great (a little too great), and one can waste away days in the old streets. I think I'm going to really like it here. So what's all this about trying to be great-ful, you might ask? Well, one of the drawbacks of being a frequent mover/traveller of sorts is the loneliness that accompanies re-rooting oneself. It happened in Ottawa (to a very small extent), definitely happened in Japan and re-surfaced in Nottingham. By far, Nottingham was probably the worst just because I was without a support network and initially, a job. I learned some hard lessons during my time in Notts and I'm not even going to try to go down that road again. I'm just trying to keep my head up, be optimistic, appreciate the awesome situation we're in and cherish this time here.

So here I am. Currently unemployed with money in the bank and no expenses. Such a dangerous combination. But I'm trying to keep busy. Looking for job is my new raison d'etre. This global financial crisis is definitely not helping things but yet I soldier on. I have faith in myself and I know it's just a matter of time until I'm back at work and complaining about it. I hope I find something soon though. When you're without friends, sometimes co-workers are all you've got. But I do not rest on my laurels. I've started the search for pals. I've turned to the internet like I did in Nottingham to find girlfriends and I'm hoping I will be as successful as I previously was. Fingers crossed I don't meet any psychos.

I mentioned that I don't have an expenses right now. That's because I'm living with my future parents-in-law. To some people, this would be a nightmare, but I actually like my future family and am extremely grateful for them opening their house to us. They are such lovely people and I'm so happy that my bethroed comes from such good stock.

So on the days when the sun is shining brightly and I want to explore, I head to Edinburgh by train and spend an afternoon by myself or with my future sister-in-law Louise. There are galleries and museums, shops and cafes, tourist traps and secret haunts - things that catch my eye and make me sigh. With a population of just under half a million people, it's not a big city, but it feels larger than life. It has a castle, old churches, and a rich history I'm actually gagging to learn about it. I repeat, I think I'm going to like it here.