About time for a wee blog update, isn’t it? Let’s fast forward from my month in Tokyo (we’ll come back to it, I promise) and jump all the way up to present day, where Scott and I are just your typical, everyday serial expats settling in after yet another international move. We’ve been in Edinburgh for about five weeks now, long enough to have most of the new-country administrata out of the way. The first few weeks of a new expat gig feel the same pretty much anywhere, even if the details are different. Register this, paperwork that. Sign up for a cell phone, figure out where all the various kinds of recycling go before the growing tower of vodka bottles in the kitchen falls over, that kind of thing.
This time around we’ve been busy signing up with the NHS, figuring out how to pay our Council Tax, and becoming members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. I must say the administrata of settling into a new country is much more enjoyable in English (and accompanied by whisky) than it is in a foreign language (as it was for our last three moves). It almost feels like we’re cheating, parading around using our mother tongue everywhere we go. There are still plenty of little reminders that we’re not in Kansas (or Munich or Milan or Zurich) anymore, though: men running around in plaid skirts, daily bursts of bagpipe music from unexpected sources, nurses who ask you how many stone you weigh.
As for our new home city, Edinburgh has been busy charming the pants trousers off of us. The city center is just stunning, making every outing a treat (even those in the sleet and wind, although I suppose that could get old pretty soon). It’s going to take us years to try out all of the interesting-looking pubs and restaurants we’ve come across. And there are so many delightful little things that we’re still not entirely used to. Free ice water in restaurants! Free museums! Grocery shopping until 11pm! And on Sunday! (Any kind of shopping you want on Sunday, really, but the only kinds of shopping that I get excited for are food and art supplies.)
Of course there are bits we miss about our life in Munich. Our friends, most of all. We moved to Edinburgh knowing exactly one person (hi, Jools!). It sounds kind of scary when I put it that way, but we’ve done this enough times to know that we’ll make plenty of wonderful new friends here. It’s just going to take time. We’re off to a good start already – this city has shown itself to be full of interesting, smart, creative, open-minded people. And our friends from Munich (and elsewhere) are sure to come visit, too.
Doing it all in English does feel suspiciously easy. But I can feel myself becoming more like…myself. It’s easier when you’re not clunky with the language. I have lots of friends who’ve moved to the UK from other places and had complaints so I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I definitely know what you mean there. I am so much more myself in English. I feel like I’m remembering my sense of humor.
Hurray! You’re back! On the language thing: I always felt that people thought I was a lot sweeter and earnest in French than I appear in English, since I couldn’t exercise my normal sense of humor. I don’t know which is the “real” me – the French one might well have been a better me.
Thanks for the blogging encouragement, Mark. Good to be back. 🙂 Real me vs. better me… interesting one to think about.
Some of my dearest friends from New York, David and Debi, have been living in Scotland for about five years, and in Edinburgh for at least a year or two. She writes a blog about her vintage sewing adventures ((http://www.myhappysewingplace.com/) and is an all around superwoman and he is the most thoughtful guy you’ll ever meet. I’m sure you could drop a line through her blog if you’re looking for some expats that really love Scotland. 🙂
Thanks, Mandi! I’ll definitely drop her an email.
Strangely I found your blog when looking at blogs of expats living in my hometown Munich on expatsblog.com, only to find out that you just moved to Edinburgh in March, like I did! Moved here in the last week of March and I love it here.
Even weirder, some of your commenters are familiar to me, and your blog URL rings a bell as well, making me think I may have stumbled upon your blog before. Anyway, fantastic to find another blogger who just moved from Germany to Edinburgh. Not too bad of a city, eh?
Would love to hear from you!
Edinburgh has been on my list for a long time. Looking forward to your impressions.
Best,
Richard
Hi! I just found your blog looking for expat blogs in Munich- I’m actually doing your move in reverse, going from Edinburgh to Munich! (albeit with a wee stop-off in the Netherlands in between). Hope it’s all been going well! I’m going to go and have a look at some of your older posts now.. 🙂
Congratulations on your move and settling in Scotland! I’m still struggling with living in Germany, but I like that I can live vicariously through you and find out tips about Scotland, should we visit! I can’t exercise my humor here in Germany, I just don’t know enough words to even try, and then when I do get a chance to speak English, I don’t quite feel like myself with it. But when I travel back to America, it comes back in an instance and I feel like myself again. So I think I know how you feel, and I really look forward to reading more of your adventures!