Here to Stay

        I landed in Glasgow 11 days and 12 hours ago, and only recently has it started to feel less and less like a vacation. I’m here to stay, and it finally hit me earlier this week as I stood in the alley behind my flat, waving goodbye to my mom as she was whisked away to the airport. I was being left behind, and suddenly things were real.

Melodrama aside, we had an incredible week in Glasgow together (more details to follow). Although most of our days were spent getting touristy and exploring the city, we found a normalcy here that has allowed me to transition flawlessly into this adventure. We experienced the nuances of this new place together, raved about the non-consumptive nature of this city compared to our homeland (and as a result fretted about not being able to locate certain things to adorn my room with), and came to an unspoken agreement that I would survive the next 379 days.

Things we learned:

1. The Outlander series is not the Scottish equivalent for Rosetta Stone
2. Living in this country pretty much means being perpetually windswept 
3. The University of Glasgow inspired J.K Rowling when she was writing Harry Potter
4. Crosswalks are mad.