Heading Home

Our first European holiday is drawing to a close as we head back home to Edinburgh today. I promise to get pictures and stories up on the blog as soon as possible, but it may take a few days. Fortunately, I get Friday and Monday off (public Easter holidays). Have I mentioned how much I love the British/European approach to time off work. It's fantastic!!

Last Leg

For our last leg of what I am sure has been an incredible holiday, we again have no booked travel plans! We are going to take a train (maybe bus) from Salzburg to Munich where our trip will end. On the way, however, we are hoping to stop in Innsbruck for a quick look at the home of some theologian Joe likes and home of the Golden Roof.

Then, we will spend a few days in Munich before heading back to Edinburgh.


I feel so European.

Salzburg

You may, or may not, know that as a child I watched The Sound of Music a lot. Like daily. Seriously. I still know every word and could recite the entire movie to you at any time, if you had a few hours to spare (really, I could. Try me sometime). So, it's no wonder why we had to include Salzburg on this trip!


Despite my deep love for that movie, we will not be taking the Sound of Music tour, but are planning to enjoy roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes (or jeans, as the case may be) and having a marvelous time.

As I said in my previous post, I'm not certain when or how we will get to Salzburg, but get there we will!

Prague

Today, we depart the Frankfurt region to head to Prague in the Czech Republic. We don't have a ton of plans for this part of the trip, but are hoping to see a few of the major sights like the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Bridge Tower, and Charles Bridge. Prague is one place I have always wanted to go. I saw some pictures of Prague years ago and was so taken with it from that point on.


We've not booked our travel out of Prague yet as we are planning to take the train. So, our options are open in terms of how long we stay in this city and where we go next. Ultimately, we are headed to Salzburg, but we may stop in Cesky Krumlov or Linz on the way there.

The trip is looking a lot like a "choose your own adventure" book..

Happy Birthday, Mom (Ronda)!

Happy Birthday, Mom (Ronda)!

Today, we are actually celebrating two birthdays. March 19th also happens to be the birthday of Joe's mom, Ronda, another very special lady!

Mom, you are a great mom (and mother-in-law!). I miss you a ton and can't wait for you to come visit out here. Love you mah.

Happy Birthday, Victoria!

Happy Birthday, Victoria!

Today is my sister's birthday, and so we are celebrating (albeit from afar) the birth of a very special person!

I've said before that I feel very fortunate to have two really great sisters. One of the things I have always appreciated, and admired, about Victoria is that she has always been really intentional about being in my life. She was 14 when I was born, and I feel pretty certain that through most of my life there was not a lot of reciprocity in our relationship (I doubt I was asking her many questions about her life when I was 12 and she was 26). But, she's always taken an interest in me and what I'm doing and has been great at writing letters, calling, and visiting. Hopefully her experience of me has changed over the years as I've gotten older, but my experience of her has not--she remains one of the most passionate, thoughtful, and dedicated people that I know.

Victoria, I love you very much and we are wishing you a very joyful birthday today!

Travelling

Today Joe and I are embarking on a 12 day tour of parts of Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria. I'm not planning to blog while we are away, but have scheduled a few posts to be published on the blog while we are away showing you where we are and a bit about what we might be doing. We actually haven't planned much about this trip, beyond purchasing a few plane tickets and are really planning to just take things as they come, going to the places that interest us and hopefully having the opportunity to find some things a bit more off the beaten path.

After a late night of cleaning and packing (I have a neurotic need to have my home really clean before I leave for a trip--a need that also extends to work where I have to have all my work done and my desk in order), we got up this morning to catch a bus at 4:30am. That's in the MORNING, people. Early. Really, really early. Our flight left this morning at 6:30am, Edinburgh time and we should be arriving in Frankfurt around 9:15am local time. Actually, as we were able to find incredibly cheap flights (approximately $15 each) we are really flying into an airport 100km outside of Frankfurt. So, we'll be hiring a car (assuming they have some left, since I never did make the reservation) and driving our way around Frankfurt, Heidelberg, and the Rheingau area for the next few days. Here are two of the places we are planning to visit:

Heidelberg

Frankfurt

Tapas

Last Sunday morning (over a week ago--I'm a little behind in the blogging) we ran into some friends at church and decided to check out a Spanish Tapas restaurant later that evening for dinner, before hanging out to play our favorite game, Settlers of Catan. The spontaneity of life here in Edinburgh is one of the things I am enjoying the most. I love having plans but also love just running into friends and making plans off the cuff, or texting someone last minute and getting to enjoy an unexpected evening with them. It's a kind of community experience that I haven't had since my college days and am so enjoying.


Anyway, after a quiet day at home, we met up with our friends at La Tasca, a cute place just off Princess Street and very near to our flat. The inside was so fun--decorated perfectly for a festive but not overly-done ambiance.

But, better than the decor, the food was amazing. I really love tapas, as it's just such a fun way to share a meal with friends--everybody shares the dishes and tastes everything. And, this tapas was so delicious! Together we shared calamari, lamb, Polla Marbella (a chicken/chorizo/cream dish), chicken croquettes, mushroom croquettes, Patatas Bravas con Queso (potatoes with cheese and tomato), Tortilla Espanola, and a goat's cheese/tomato/olive salad.


It does seem sort of silly to me to be blogging about a dinner out. It's mundane in many ways, writing about our dinner plans. But, it's evenings like these that are really making Edinburgh feel like home to us and these kinds of experiences that are defining our time here. Sure, we are here for Joe's studies, but the opportunity of living abroad, and developing our community of friends, is a big part of what we are doing and what we are loving. So, forgive the seemingly mundane posts--as cliche as it may be, these are really the memories that define our time here and that we are going to remember the most.

On American Soil

After our random excursion to an American-esq shopping center, I made my way, last Thursday, to the most American place in Edinburgh: The American Consulate General. Actually, there wasn't much that cried out America in the Consulate, other than the American employee, the American sized paper and the American flag flying outside. And, despite the title of this post, I don't think the Consulate is actually considered American soil. But nevertheless, it felt American.

Perhaps the reason for the American feel of the visit was the reason for the visit itself--help with our US Income Taxes. I mean, seriously, how much more American can you get than IRS tax returns and trying to find every possible deduction to reduce tax owed and (hopefully) increase your tax refund?!


After reading through copious amount of IRS publications on tax rules for American citizens living abroad, I actually think I have become quite well versed in the details of taxation and expatriation (a fact of which I am, quite honestly, very proud). But, despite all of the IRS's very clear explanations, I still had a few questions and so resorted to the internet to find the answers. I was happily surprised to find out that the Consulate in Edinburgh offers free tax assistance, by an IRS trained volunteer, during tax season. So, I made an appointment. And, I'm so glad I did. The volunteer answered all of my questions, reviewed all the work I had done, and gave me some very helpful pointers. Plus, I got to see the inside of the Consulate. And, I got to miss 2 hours of work.


Edinburgh friends (who are also American): If you need any help with your taxes, I would definitely suggest calling. Florence is the volunteer and she is really quite sweet and very helpful. You can reach her at the Consulate (you have to leave a message) at 0131-556-8315.

Tuesday Nights Out

Over the past few weeks, several girlfriends and I have been making our way around the West End of Edinburgh (near where we all live), checking out the various bars and restaurants. It's been a fun way to get to know some of the great places we walk past so often and to spend a little time with the girls!

Me, Leah, Ashli, Rebecca, and Katie

So far, we've checked out four places:

The West End Room. This was the first place we visited. It's new and really small, but the food (dessert, anyway) is really good. Apparently it's catching on too....we tried to go back here one night and it was packed. Which is what prompted us to check out another place...La P'tite Folie, a quiet little French restaurant, with a bright clean decor. The food here (again, dessert) was really good, if not quite what we were expecting when we placed our order. It was really quiet on a weeknight and was actually a great place to sit down and chat.



The next week, though, we went across the street to check out Sygn. This is definitely the most trendy place we've been to yet, and I have to admit I didn't feel quite chic enough to be there! But, the food (and this time, I actually had something not on the dessert menu) was so, so good.

Finally, last week, we were meant to try Harry's Bar...but sadly they were let out for a private party and we couldn't stay.
So, we headed back to the French restaurant to check out their wine bar. This, so far, is my favorite place we've been. I loved the atmosphere, which was a bit darker and more open (high ceilings, big spaces) than the other places we've been. I also had some really good port wine here--my first time ever ordering port wine.

I'm not sure where/when we'll make it out again, but it has been such fun to explore the West End (which is right near where Joe and I live) with some friends. Good friends, good conversation, good wine, and good food definitely make for good times!

6 months!

It's hard to believe, but we have been in Edinburgh for 6 months now. Time is flying by and I am a bit amazed to think about all that has happened in 6 short months.

We arrived in Edinburgh jetlagged and a bit uncertain of what to expect. Six months later, we are feeling settled and immersed in life here, enjoying all that Edinburgh has to offer. We feel incredibly fortunate that things have fallen into place so quickly and, honestly, so easily. We've already made--and continue to make--some great friends, have seen some incredible sights, and are both plugging away at our work/jobs.

Maybe it is thinking back on all that the past 6 months have brought, but I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Not homesick for what we've left behind but really in awe and grateful for what we have gained. This move--while hard to leave good friends, family, a great church, and a great job behind--has been so good for us. We are enjoying the time together, enjoying this opportunity to see a new part of the world, and enjoying the community that we have been so warmly welcomed in to. It's been fun to make new friends together and to see those friendships blossom, fun to make our way in a new place and to see our own friendship with each other growing, and really fun to take in a new culture and be immersed in it. There have been hard times, to be sure, but I am really glad we did this and am looking forward to what the next 2.5 years have in store. It's been fun to look back over the blog and through our pictures to see what we've been up to....here's a look back at some of my favorites:

We've enjoyed the beautiful architecture and historic sights on Edinburgh:

View of the city, from Arthur's Seat

New College

Edinburgh Castle

Holyrood Palace

Fettes

We've seen Edinburgh in two seasons: Fall and Winter

Edinburgh in September

Edinburgh in December

We found a flat and got settled in our new home:

We live in a village--Dean Village, to be exact

Setting up house

We've celebrated several holidays with friends, adding new traditions and carrying on older family traditions too.

Halloween Pumpking Carving

Christmas Market

HogmanayFriends

We've even had a few chances to explore Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland:

Park in Morningside

East Nuek Fishing Villages

The Beach at St. Andrews

A day trip to Portobello

A day trip to Stirling

Our first excursion, to the Falkirk Wheel

All that, and so many other, un-photographed (even, gasp, un-blogged) experiences and memories. Thanks for taking the time to read the blog and to be a part of our time here. It really does make it that much more special to be able to share it with those that we love (and even a few that we don't even know!). Hopefully the next 2.5 years will bring many more great memories that we can share with you!

Date Night

Last weekend was the first weekend in awhile that Joe and I didn't have plans. While we've thoroughly enjoyed the friendships we made and being part of this community, we really did welcome a low-key, quieter weekend. We actually realized that it had been quite some time since we spent any length of time alone together, so decided to make a date night out of Saturday evening.

After a bit of research, we decided to book a table at Cafe Marlayne, a little French restaurant right off the Royal Mile. The reviews were stellar, the menu looked great, and they were running a great special.

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It turns out that the reviews were pretty accurate and the menu was actually as good as it looked (always a plus, in my book). The restaurant had two floors--a main level and basement seating. The main level was a bit more cafe-like, a little brighter, a little more open. We were seated downstairs and found the red walls, fireplace, walls with French film posters, and quiet music to be a great ambience--a bit trendy, a bit mysterious, a little bit seedy. The food was fantastic. After reviewing the handwritten menu, we both ordered crab atop an avocado/tomato/red onion salsa with a lime mayonnaise sauce, for our first course. For the second course, Joe had lamb (which he said was amazing) and I had roasted cod which was cooked perfectly.

The evening was so lovely with a quiet corner table, good French food, and time alone with each other. Definitely a great date night and definitely a place we'll go back to!

(For our Edinburgh friends: Cafe Marlayne actually has two locations and I hear that the food is fantastic in both, though the menu and atmosphere are apparently different. We went to the one on Fishmarket Close, off the Royal Mile. I doubt you could go wrong at either).

Hijack Cover (Travel Insurance)

Joe and I are getting ready for our first big trip since moving to Edinburgh. Since we will be traveling outside of the UK, I've been looking into travel insurance, mostly to cover medical expenses should one of us fall ill or be injured in some way. Because we are insured through the British government, additional medical coverage is suggested when traveling to other countries (there is some medical reciprocity within the EEU, but supplemental insurance is still recommended).

In any case, I was reviewing various insurers and noticed that most include a plethora of other benefits in the policies, in addition to medical insurance. Things like loss of luggage; cancellation of trip due to illness, death, etc.; and theft of personal possessions. I was, however, surprised to find "Hijack Cover" in a policy provided by ASDA (Walmart). Hijack Cover is described as follows:

In the unfortunate event of you being held hostage by hijackers whilst travelling to or from a holiday, compensation will be paid to you for each 24 hour period held.

I am honestly not sure which troubles me more: that there is Hijack coverage in the first place, that the description is prefaced "in the unfortunate event" (did we just spill red wine on our favorite dress, or get taken hostage by terrorists?); or that you actually get compensated for being held hostage. The rate, by the way, is £50 per day.

Happy Birthday, Alex!

Happy 18th Birthday, Alex!

You are super cool and soon to be a Razorback! You're a band-playing, Jesus-loving, weather-knowing, Cubs/Colts-following, Rock Star kind of guy. We can't wait for you to come visit us this summer--and you have to wait until you get here for your present.

The Language Barrier

Today was a slower day at work and so I was taking the opportunity to get some things created for future sessions. I was working on making cards to use in sessions and, being the perfectionist that I am, was getting really aggravated that I could not get the cards to be the exact same size, despite measuring them out with a ruler. So, I found our administrative assistant to ask if we had a paper cutter:

A: Emma, do we have a paper cutter?
E: A paper cutter?
A: Uh-huh.
E (looking amused) Do you mean scissors?
A: Um, no.