In case you missed the news, Russ, Damaris, and I are moving to Scotland. Yes, that Scotland. The one across the ocean. A whole different country. Almost 5,000 miles away from where we currently live in Texas.
And we leave on Sunday, August 25th, (less than 19 days from now at the time of the writing of this post) so you can surely understand the craziness I mentioned above.
Another reason for my disappearance has been my health. It has gone from bad to worse to the point where I struggle to function through each day. I leave the house only about once a week and spend most of my time in the recliner. Sleep has been difficult (insomnia issues, troubles staying asleep, pain during sleep, etc.) which has been hard as well. It stinks! I hate it! I'm hoping for a change after the move.
So, yes, Russ is going to be attending the University of Edinburgh to study for his PhD in Theology. Damaris and I are going to homeschool (she'll be starting 9th grade after we arrive) and knit. Hopefully, I'll be getting my chronic illnesses under control (we won't get into a political discussion about healthcare) because I will have healthcare in Scotland. Damaris and I are hoping to be able to go to a swimming pool that is located very close to where we will live for exercise. And we want to explore and travel as much as possible in this totally new to us city and country.
We have sold (or are selling - for Abilene people, we're doing another garage sale on Saturday, August 17th if you're interested) almost everything we own as we prepare to move. My parents are storing 4 or 5 Rubbermaid tubs of stuff for us (memories type stuff that we want to keep but won't be taking with us) and Russ' mom is storing several boxes of books that he wants to keep but can't take with us. As for what we're taking with us, we each will have 4 bags for a total of 12 bags (3 of those are military duffle bags full of clothing, 3 of those are suitcases full of other stuff although 1 of them is completely full of Russ' books, 3 small duffle bags that will be our carry-on luggage that are full of Russ' books, and our 3 personal bags that we'll carry on the plane) plus my folding wheelchair. That's it. It's kind of scary and kind of refreshing all in one. LOL!
We have secured a flat (that's an apartment in American speak) from the University that is 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom that we'll move into upon our arrival in Scotland. Thankfully, it is furnished with the necessities of furniture as well as the basics for cooking/eating and cleaning. We'll have to fill in all the blank spots but at least the basic stuff is there for us. Our official arrival date in Edinburgh is on Monday, August 26th, and we'll move into the flat on that day. Russ doesn't start University stuff for a couple of weeks after that so we'll have a bit of time to recover from jet lag and adjust to our new surroundings.
You may have noticed that my blog has undergone a makeover of sorts. I have moved to a different host and made some changes to a few things. I also updated the RSS feed but as long as you're subscribed to the feedburner RSS, you shouldn't have to change anything to keep receiving my posts. If you want to receive my posts via email, you'll need to enter your email address in the box over in the far right column (near the top just under my photo) ----> and then after you do that, you'll receive an email that you'll need to click a link in to confirm your subscription.
The reason for the changes are we're planning to use my blog as a platform to share photos and such about our time in Scotland. We'll be there at least three years and we hope to have lots to share.
I know I owe yall a HUGE post to check in on my word of the year, create, since I haven't done that since March. I hope to do that soon but will need to fit it in between all the other things on our "to do before we move to Scotland" list.
Prayer Requests:
1 - For Russ as he finishes out his final days of work at his job here in Abilene (his final day will be Friday, August 16)
2 - For our garage sale on Saturday, August 17
3 - For safe driving travels for us as we visit family in New Mexico and Texas between Saturday, August 17, and Saturday, August 24
4 - For no complications with flights and for safe travel (we fly from DFW to Newark on Sunday, August 25th in the morning hours and from Newark to Edinburgh in the evening hours of Sunday, August 25th into the morning of Monday, August 26th when we arrive in Edinburgh)
5 - For my health as we are doing all this traveling.
6 - And for my health after we arrive in Scotland. Especially that we find a good doctor and can work together to make my pain manageable and life more livable.
7 - For our adjustment to life in a new city and country
8 - For Russ as he begins his research and figures out a schedule for his studies
9 - For financial implications of our move including a part-time job for Russ in Edinburgh (his visa only allows him to work part-time)
10 - For us to find a community to live life with, for new friends for all of us
Thanks for your prayers and support during these past months and during the days, weeks, and months ahead. I'm glad to be back to blogging. I've missed it more than I realized (it has felt amazing to sit here and write these words to yall today). I'll be back as soon as I can with the post I owe yall and hopefully much more regularly in the days and weeks ahead. If not, I give you permission to pester me repeatedly until I post. :-)
Good luck with all your travels and I hope your health holds up during the process.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Andrea!
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