It's official: I live at school!

Yes, yesterday I took workaholic-ism to a whole new level.  I now eat, sleep and spend most of my time at school!  Ok, so there are no kiddies here and it is full of cosy bedrooms instead of classrooms, but a school just the same :) I'm living in an old converted primary school just on the edge of Inverness.  The building is split into 2 apartments...the landlord and his wife live in one, and myself and 3 others live in the other.  I'll fill you in on more once I have met my housemates!  For now here are a couple of pics:

Other than that, this week has been a strange mixture of exploring a new place and trying to get myself established as more than just a tourist passing through.  Now that I've got an address a lot of that will be easier.  I'm planning on being ready for supply teaching this week at the local schools.  Unfortunately for now I've had to give up on getting a car...the insurance for foreigners is as much as the cost of the car!  The bus system is really good though so I will be bussing and biking my way around (don't laugh, those people who know my superior biking skills!).

A huge blessing in the last week was finding a wonderful church.  I rocked up at Hilton Church of Scotland last Sunday knowing no one but very soon felt at home there....they are such warm and welcoming people!  I was invited to lunch after, and last night went with the same family to a concert....and they have also lent me a bicycle.  Such a blessing!

Ok, enough chatter from me...if you have made it this far you deserve to see some pics.  If you have skipped the writing and gone straight for the pics, shame on you!  Haha....



About to indulge in "Haggis, neeps and tatties"
...to be honest, not too bad!

View from my hostel window last Sunday
...so beautiful....makes the cold worth it!

Inverness Castle in the snow.  I have no idea what happened
with the lighting but I think the reflection off the snow is
pretty spectacular!

With Courtney (a fellow backpacker!) at beautiful Urquart Castle

Stunning Loch Ness

Doing the London thing

First things first...the trip here.  Amazingly, I got a window seat and a spare seat next to me!  Anyone who has done long haul flights will know that equals absolute bliss! I forgot to ask for a window seat when checking in (every other time they have asked me!) so figured I'd be stuck in the middle somewhere.  Such a blessing! I slept heaps on the first flight and watched 7 episodes of Downton Abbey....all in the name of cultural awareness of course!

Which is bigger, the Leesa or the pack??

And so on to lovely London.  Ray and Hilary gave me such homely welcome it was hard to imagine I was so far away from Tassie :)
A picture is worth lots of words (1000 apparently) so here are some favourite pics of London:

On an outing with Ray and Hilary

Yummy "toad in the hole" Yorkshire pudding

The weather hasn't been that bad at all really. I had a layering strategy all worked out for nothing! I even saw some blue sky :)

Just before going in for high tea with her Majesty

I love this one! I wonder what the horse is thinking?

"You're not British."

"That hair looks like yummy straw."

"If you want me to look at the camera, pay me."

So after 5 days being a tourist, last night I made my way north to Inverness.  A strange choice I know, but am hoping it will turn into a good temporary home!  The 8 hour train trip was great....somehow trains are so much better than planes!  I got off the train in Inverness at 8pm and set off in the dark and rain to find my hostel.  After many wrong turns, and a soggy map I made it!  Now to find somewhere to live, a car, and do some teaching!  I've made a few contacts for houses, found a car that I'll check out on Monday, and got all the teacher registration stuff finalised.  There's lots of stuff to figure out but I'm really enjoying the experience of it all.  Even listening to the howling wind (blizzard forcast for today) I can feel God's protection.  Time to brave the cold (tis a wee bit colder than London here) and head outside for some exploring!  Let me know what is happening in your part of the world too.  God bless you :)

The journey has begun!

Finally, after a few stressful days of packing and cleaning, I'm officially on my way to the UK!  So here's the plan:
Fly out of Sydney tonight 9:50 with Etihad
3 hour stopover in Abu Dhabi
Arrive Heathrow 12:25pm  (11 hours difference, so that's 11:25pm Sunday tassie time)

After 25 hours flying I should be wide awake and ready to take on London! I'm then staying in London with Ray and Hilary (Alison's sis and bro in law) for 4 days.  I'm planning on visiting the Queen (surely she is expecting me) and all that other touristy stuff....or if it's too cold then just hibernating or something....apparently 0 degrees at the moment....boo hoo!

On Friday 17th I'm taking the train north (cos clearly I will be wanting to go somewhere colder...0 degrees is for woosies).  It leaves midday and goes straight to Inverness, arriving at 8pm. I've got a window seat so should see some lovely countryside :)

I'm booked in at the Inverness Student Hotel for 3 nights, but might extend. The plan is to look around and find someone to live with!  I'm already made contact with a few gals looking for roommates so will go visit and check them out.

The following week I'll do all the settling in stuff including finding a church and getting a car if I can.  Nothing could replace dear Beryl though.  It was rather sad to say goodbye to her! At least she has gone to a home and not the wreckers. After that my teacher rego should be all finalised and I can start supply (relief) teaching and see what opportunities come from there.  Who knows what God has in store?

All my worldly stuff....

Farewell to my lovely Beryl