Scotland is obviously still new enough to me that I'm still googly-eyed. Driving to the grocery store and seeing the Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument won't, I hope, get old for quite some time. The drives that we've taken confirm to me just how beautiful this country is, and we've not even seen much. We have yet to drive north and see the aurora borealis, stand on the bonny bank of Loch Lomond, or take in the rocky crags of the Isle of Skye. There is so much yet to explore.
I do believe that for me, the quality of life here is what has contributed so much to my contentment. I've surprised myself and David with how easily I've adjusted. It's the beauty of the country that makes me feel so happy, and the amazing opportunity to experience culture at every turn. I'll never have to drive far to get that feeling of seeing something old that is so addictive for me. Five minutes away is Dunblane Cathedral....the tower dates to the 12th century. The rest of church was built in the 13th century. That, for me, is all I need.
My father-in-law is as interested in historic Scotland as I am, so I have someone to go everywhere with. During the week, we've been known to take impromptu drives to castles, and one day even visited what is called a broch (pronounced bro with a long o, then the ch is a sound like you're spitting something up). We walked through the woods and came upon the Tappoch Broch, which looks like this:
After seeing the broch, we stopped at Torwood Castle. I walked around the perimeter of the building by myself, and must say that I was adequately creeped out. If you've never been alone at a ruined castle, you may not know just how scary it can be. You can almost feel the spirit of the people that once lived there. This particular castle was interesting because in the 50's a local man bought the castle and spent the next 40 years of his life restoring it by himself. I think that would make an interesting book! In fact, in this photo you can still see the scaffolding on the left side of the castle, even though he died 15 years ago...creepy!
So, this is a place that constantly keeps me interested. I really can't imagine ever being bored here. Hop on a train and get anywhere comfortably and cheaply. I wish America had a train system like this!
Now, for the down side. I haven't had much luck in the friend department, but again, it's only been six months and it's not easy making new friends. It takes quite a bit of energy, which I don't think I'm putting in. There are days when I miss having a friend so badly it hurts. Luckily, there aren't many of those days, so I just wait for them to pass.
Certain food is really, really good here....steak pie in particular and cookies most of all. But I find Scotland to be sadly lacking in good pizza. I also miss good pickles and black olives with that particular American taste. I guess there are just days when I miss familiarity.
I also miss my hobbies back home that I haven't been able to replace yet. The local YMCA in Madison was so amazing because I could work out and there were ladies there to watch the girls. That made working out possible for me, and for one full year I religiously went. Unfortunately, there are no gyms like that here, and it has made finding an opportunity to work out really difficult. I also miss painting ceramics.
Overall, though, I have few complaints and find myself happy here. It was the right move for me, for us.
And the girls seem happy, too!
