An afternoon by the sea

We've still been settling in to life in Scotland, but I was anxious to start exploring this beautiful country and jumped at the chance to see Anstruther.

This beautiful little seaside village is an hour and half from where we stay (in Coatbridge) and we decided to let Dexter tag along too. The drive up was very picturesque, with gorgeous green countryside and lots of little towns along the way. 

Originally founded as a fishing village, Anstruther is located in Fife, about 9 miles SE of St. Andrews (where the famous golf course is). Only 3500 people live in the town, but it is frequently visited by tourists, especially in the summer months.

Now that my geography lesson is over, I'll get to the fun part. I would have loved to spend a whole weekend exploring this place, checking out every nook and cranny. There are loads of cool spots like this:

and this:

We spent the afternoon walking along the town's main street, venturing up into the residential parts a little bit to get an idea of what it might be like to live there. There is a mix of old stone homes (which are absolutely amazing), nice new builds, and vacation-type homes for annual tourists. Along with that are incredible old hotels and pubs, no two alike, and lovely gardens around every corner. 

Anstruther is famous for it's "Chippy" (Fish & Chip shop) and we had to see what the fuss was all about. Anstruther Fish Bar had a line up out the door (which I'm told is the norm, see photo below) and we waited almost a half hour for our food. It was well worth it, with a light, crispy batter and the freshest fish I have ever had. In true Scottish tradition, we washed it down with an ice cold can of Irn Bru. Two thumbs up!

While the town itself was lovely, we decided to walk down to the beach, which is unlike any I have seen before. Layers of rocks in various heights, colours and textures cover the beach, adding a beautiful backdrop to the coast. 

 And the very dramatic beach shot...

And these incredible stone steps... imagine if that led up to your backyard!

All that walking around had gotten us thirsty, so we of course found a beer garden to have a pint in. A lovely little restaurant and pub called Haven seemed like a nice spot to stop, and I tried a nice local beer from neighbouring St. Andrews. I'm not usually one for lighter beers, but this was crisp and refreshing, just what the doctor ordered on a hot day. 

Almost instantly, I absolutely loved Anstruther and my opinion didn't change as we walked the streets of this town. Old stone buildings, cobbled streets, quaint little restaurants and pubs and a breathtaking coastline make this the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I am so envious of Paul and his family spending many summer holidays here, and think this would be such a great place to sit and watch the world go by, if only for a weekend. I will be back soon!

7,584 Kilometers Later...

I always wanted to leave Winnipeg.

As a child, I was enthralled with the idea of living overseas, brought on partly by my love of Paddington Bear books and partly by my strong inner desire to see the world. The older I got, the more sure I became that I needed to live elsewhere.

While most of my college classmates stayed at home for their work placement, I opted to arrange my own in  Southampton, England, and loved every minute of it. After school was done, I had high hopes for an opportunity to work somewhere in Britain, but a bad economy and a difficult visa process quickly put my plans to rest, and I resigned to the idea that I would settle down in Winnipeg.

At first I was depressed about this, (and oh-so jealous of my Facebook friends who were living out my lifelong dream), but in time I grew to see things in Winnipeg I had somehow never seen before. I moved downtown, and realized that if you live in the right spot, you have some of the country's best restaurants and pubs a short stumble home from your front door. I made friends with some incredibly talented artists, and learned that the arts and culture scene in our city is pretty great. It wasn't Winnipeg as a whole I hated, it was suburban living, and all it took was a move downtown and I was seeing the city in a whole new light.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I'm now living with the love of my life, who happens to be from Scotland. We've been talking for a year or so about how much of Europe we want to see, and how I want to get to know his family, and how we are ready to move out of our comfort zone and on to new challenges. One failed passport application, two job interviews, a trip to Toronto and a successful (and incredibly expensive) visa application, and we were organizing a move to Scotland in just six short weeks. Selling all of your belongings, wrapping up your many jobs and preparing to move almost 8,000 km away made for a ton of work, and I didn't have time to feel sad about leaving until the last week.

I've always had a bit of a thirst for adventure, and I truly believe that comfort breeds complacency, but it was still scarier than I thought it would be to leave a job that outlasted many friendships, all romantic relationships and any home I had ever lived in. Tough to leave the arts community I had only just recently became a part of. Especially frightening to leave the photography business I started from scratch, and have worked so hard at growing over the past seven years. What if I can't make contacts in Scotland? What if I can't find work? What if there is no market for photography? There is nothing harder than leaving a comfortable life (career, friends, family, and home) for the complete unknown. But there is also nothing more exciting, or that can give you that kind of life experience. I know what life is in Winnipeg, but why not see what life could be like somewhere else? Once I looked at it that way, working up the courage to go wasn't so hard.

Saying goodbye, on the other hand, was much harder. Leaving my coworkers, some who I'd worked alongside with for 8 years was tough. Leaving friends I've known for my whole life, and the friends who are those rare kindred spirits I met later in life, was even harder. And leaving my wonderful family behind was the toughest of all. Saying goodbye is never easy, but everyone was so supportive of our decision and so happy for us about the opportunities that await that we somehow made it through. It's was never goodbye after all, only see you soon, and that we will!

After three long days of driving from Winnipeg to Toronto, one very delayed flight (with me biting my nails all the way there, worried about our little Dexter (dog, travelling companion and world class singer/howler) and how he was doing on the cargo plane) and a four hour drive from Manchester to Coatbridge, we had arrived! A few days of jet lag and we are slowly settling into our new lives in Scotland. Dexter has adjusted quite well to life over the pond,  and is spoiled rotten by his grandparents here just like at home.

Certain things about starting over in a new country have been very frustrating, most notably the fact that I have no credit score here, which makes it pretty much impossible to get a credit card, bank account or cell phone in my name. The things you take for granted!

Aside from that though, I'm finding life here pretty comparable to life in Canada, with a few bonuses. If you drive for an hour, you've gone through five or six lovely towns and some beautiful and diverse landscapes (a far cry from flat prairie and a whole lot of nothing). Public transit is convenient and reliable and the moderate climate here makes it much easier to travel on foot. Most notably though, the beer is cheaper. A LOT cheaper. As in, 7 Canadian dollars for a 12 pack. 5 Canadian dollars for a 20 oz pint in a nice pub. And you can buy it at the grocery store! (No stupid MLCC regulations here).

All in all, the adjustment hasn't been too bad and while I know there will be things I miss about Winnipeg, I can't wait to explore a whole new country (and continent) as it's all at my door step.

Over and out!