To Bristol and Back... And Everything Inbetween

I always get into this rut when I'm at home, living life as usual. I feel like there is nothing to write about. Well, nothing very interesting at least. But writing is a habit, and like all other habits it's use it or lose it. So, on this perfectly-Scottish-rainy-day, I'm going to write a short post about the goings-on in life during the past few months.  

First, we've been making semi-regular trips down to Newcastle to visit Paul's family. One of the best things about living in Edinburgh is how close we are to his family. They are so lovely and welcoming, and we always enjoy seeing our nephew's smiling face or meeting his aunts and uncles and cousins for lunch or tea. It feels nice to have a family support system so close by.

We also made a previously planned trip down to Bristol to see our friends and to watch Wicked with the Metsons. We got to sit in a box where we could see into the orchestra pit - and it was my favorite part! I tried not to sing too loudly throughout the show, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the company and the entertainment. We also got the chance just to spend time with our friends and their children - some of the cutest kids you've ever seen. The older I get, the more I think spending time with family and friends = happiness. 

 

   

 

Several visitors have come to the Szczypka B&B since our opening - including our friend Cam who (as soon as we had a spare bed), promptly jumped on a train up here. My mother-in-law Joan, my brother-in-law and family, Mark, Steph and Sebby, and our dear friends from the rainy bit of Scotland Ruth and Stu all trekked out to our house. I feel so privileged to finally be able to host people in our home! I absolutely love cooking dinner (even when the power goes out!), enjoying a night of games, wine and good conversation, and commiserating (about how we should have had less wine) over breakfast. If you are thinking of visiting, please let us know the dates then book are flights. I am definitely all for it!

 

 

The biggest news is that Paul has started his new job with IBM! This meant we flew back down to Bristol - Paul to do a week of training and meeting the team, and me to visit friends again. It's moments like these that I absolutely love the flexibility of my job. Every morning Paul got up early and trooped off to the office. I alternated my full work days with visiting friends. Two days I got to spend time with my adorable niece Libby. I swear she is getting cuter (and more mischievous) every day. With lots of bubbles, swinging, jumping, hopscotch, puzzles, tag, and hide-and-seek, I think I laughed and smiled more with her than I normally do in a whole week. Kids sure have a way of making life fun! 

 

I also got the chance to visit a wetlands park called Slimbridge with my dear friends Anna and Rob and their incredibly beautiful daughter Sylvie. They even let me hold her most of the day! Together we fed ducks (Na-nas? Ni-nis? Ne-nes?), watched an otter show, and explored all the different birds in the area (including creepy black swans!). My camera was out of battery so I've borrowed a few pictures from my friends. 

 

 

Paul stayed in Bristol to work a few days longer than I did, and that gave me the opportunity to do lots of running, swimming, and cycling. I even did 60+ kilometers on my bike into the Scottish Borders. Can you guess what I am in training for? 

With Paul away I also had panic-crazy-mode as my provisional UK driving license arrived and I had take my theory test (I passed!) and then my practical test (passed again!) within three days of each other. That must be a record! It was not the most productive week work-wise, but again, I am grateful for its flexibility!

 

Once home from the training, Paul had a few short days to be with me before I dropped him back at the airport and he flew to Boston for a big, week-long IBM meeting. The timing was pretty terrible in that I had just been scheduled for a last-minute surgery. When the NHS gives you a surgery date, you don't say no. So Paul flew across to America without me, and I checked myself into hospital for a few days. It wasn't anything big, don't worry, just an exploratory laparoscopic surgery to find out why I had been having several months of abdominal pain. My kind friends from gymnastics here in Edinburgh were around to check-in with me, take me home from the hospital, and be my moral support.

Paul is now back (yay!) and we have a lot to look forward to. It's my birthday on Tuesday, then I fly to Switzerland in a few weeks to visit friends and enjoy Caves Ouverts. June looks to be pretty calm (for now), and then in July I am flying to Chicago to visit my family there, then LA to see everyone in Cali. August is crammed full of visitors, and then September looks like it might be back to normal. I've reverted into my normal state of keeping myself as busy as possible, but I think you should live life to the fullest, don't you?

Whew, so that's all on the update frontier. What have you been up to?