An American in Sussex: Arrival!

I've forgotten how damp it is in Scotland. The wind constantly blows, which felt bracing and invigorating rather than cold as I waited for my bus outside the Edinburgh airport on Monday, rather than bone-chilling. One woman worried for me. "Dear, aren't you cold? You should have a jacket", she fussed. After 13+ hours of flying and sitting in airports, the wind whipping through my thin lace t-shirt felt incredible. I was here.

My journey couldn't have been more simple, as a matter of fact. I took a direct flight from Phoenix to London Heathrow, with a short connection time before flying up to Edinburgh. I was a bit nervous for immigration as I waited in line. There was an officer barking orders at the long line of students, handing us extra papers to fill out. As I watched one student in front of me fumble with paperwork, I had the dreadful thought that I might be denied entry, as implausible as that is. No worries were needed. The man handling my entry immediately became excited for me that I was studying in Brighton, announced that he had lived in Tucson, Arizona for a few years, and wrote down the name of the THE BEST (his words) chocolate shop in Brighton on an empty boarding card. Entre-vouz to the UK!

I've been in St Andrews for the last couple of days, safely sequestered with my bestie. We've gotten me a UK phone, booked travel plans, played trivial pursuit, had a diet coke at the Whey Pat, and generally just reveled in the fact that we are once again in the same country. It's been uneventful and thoroughly relaxing.

It was sunny today (a rare occurrence for my visits!) with a nippy wind but perfect for a picnic. We traipsed down Lade Braes to eat our lunch on top of Hallow Hill. We also visited the auction house and are bidding on a few items tomorrow. I'll let everyone know if I win anything with my ridiculously low bids! I do have to convert everything to british pounds in my head ;).

I'm going to try and update once a week, unless it's a bit too crazy with travel. We have Dundee on Friday, followed by the Highland Games in Pitlochry this weekend, then I have a solid week of travel- Edinburgh, Geneva, London, and back to St Andrews for a few days before heading down to Brighton.

A few pictures: