Reflections on One Month in Edinburgh

It's February 5th, which means we've officially been living in Edinburgh for over a month.

It was less emotional leaving St Andrews than I imagined, although Boxing Day felt sad and strange as we whisked every decoration into boxes the moment Christmas ended, including the decor that stays up throughout the year: goodbye, little felt mouse who watches me wash the dishes, goodbye, fairy lights that sit atop the bookshelf. Goodbye for now, books. Shaun tried disassembling Gloria's cat bed a week before Christmas using the logic that she prefers to sleep on the windowsill. True though that may be, the top of the stairs looked so bare and strange that he put it back before he went to bed that night.

As soon as our house was empty, though, saying goodbye was surprisingly easy. Even locking my door and boarding a bus out of St Andrews for the last time, I was anxious and impatient to catch my train and arrive in my new neighbourhood.

In retrospect, the extra six months I spent in St Andrews were just what I needed to say goodbye to a place I considered a home and bring my four years in that auld grey toon to a satisfying close.

When was the last time you stepped off the train with just a suitcase and casually walked down the street to your new home, if ever? Because Shaun and I decided to divide and conquer -- he travelled down to Edinburgh early to get the flat set up and Gloria settled in, and I stayed in St Andrews to give the house a deep clean, all I had to do the following day was show up. Truly a stress-free move.

Over the past few weeks, we've enjoyed unpacking, decorating, and slowly but surely making the flat our own. I am particularly in love with the high ceilings and moulding, our two matching desks in the new office, the rugs we found that match the rest of our decor perfectly, the rounded kitchen doorway, and, wonder of wonders, the two built-in bookshelves (I mean, seriously, my books have never looked so good).

Shaun and I have also done our share of exploring, spending many afternoons in the Waterstones Café on Princes Street, wandering around various neighbourhoods, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops. I also wasted no time in getting a library card and giving myself a tour of the National Portrait Gallery! One of my favourite things about Edinburgh is that it's the perfect size: it feels manageable and walkable but I think I could live here for many years and never run out of things to do.

Edinburgh has also offered more in the way of community than I anticipated. The joy of reconnecting with old friends and making new ones is something that deserves its own blog post, but suffice it to say that I have felt very blessed by friends old and new, near and far, who have taken the time to introduce themselves at church, meet for coffee, take the train to visit, send cards and letters, offer job leads, drop a message or swing by to say hello and welcome to Edinburgh, call on the phone, attend an event together, or catch my attention when they see me on the street. After the Stars-Hollow-like existence of small-town living where everyone knows everyone, I did not expect to feel so at home so quickly in a new city, and it is entirely thanks to these friends that I do.

I have been very fortunate to continue working remotely in my current role where I search for a new job a bit closer to home. There are so many exciting opportunities, given that this is a city rich in so many things that interest me, though I also wouldn't resist a few weeks of unemployment as I jumped straight into a 9-to-5 job following graduation...

One of the great joys of this year has been the ability to jump back into hobbies I had less time for as a student. I have been really enjoying investing time in my passion for creative writing and getting reacquainted with the editing process with my latest WIP. I've also really enjoyed the quieter moments, the time I've had to curl up with a book (or binge-watch the latest series of The Traitors), a cup of tea in my hand and a cat on my lap.

I am so thankful for this new chapter of my life, the beauty of my home and neighbourhood, the friends I have already made or reconnected with here, the time Shaun and I have had to spend together, and the opportunities Edinburgh offers for both work and play.

So far, the year has been so much nicer than expected that part of me worries (as always) that the other shoe is about to drop, that surely things are too good to be true and the things I spent December worrying about, in terms of the changes taking place in my life this year, will eventually come to pass. But for now, I'll just be grateful and try to enjoy myself before they do.