That Time Mel Gibson Gave Me a Head Cold

{photo love}

You guys.  I am horribly sick.  What you should really be thinking right about now is "Of COURSE you're sick, Sabrina."  And I agree, given that I have been constantly exposed to people on the bus and in lecture halls that are sneezing, coughing, sniffling messes.

In terms of my immune system, moving to Scotland is exactly the same thing as when English settlers gave the Native Americans smallpox.  We never even saw it coming.  They attracted us with their muskets and puritanical full-sleeve dresses and promised a beautiful land full of equal rights and shared venison.  Except that now, we are all dying from plague-esque super bugs that these Europeans have developed immunity to.  And we don't even have a way to fight back, because our arrows and indigenous myths about shape-shifting warriors are completely insufficient.  And also because the NyQuil is different here.

And I am not even sure that any of this is coherent because, as I said, the NyQuil is different here.  I have taken a fair amount of it, with a glass of Prosecco (because, why not?), and now I am feeling overtired and in desperate need of Kale soup.

Which is unfortunate because 1) I can't find Kale soup, and 2) I had intended to stay up all night plotting a way to avenge the Native Americans for their smallpox genocide.  But then I started thinking that the Scots are not a people to be fucked with, and that I am Scottish.  And that made me realize that waging war upon myself would (at best) be considered suicidal, and (at worst) rip a hole in the space-time continuum.  Which is obviously possible given that those neutrinos are now traveling faster than the speed of light.  Secondarily, it's just plain fun that "continuum" has two Us in it.

But thinking about Scottish wars lead me to thinking about Braveheart by Mel Gibson.  Which is one of the MOST historically inaccurate movies of all time (probably even more inaccurate than 10,000 B.C.- which should have really been named 10,000 B.C.E. a.k.a. 10,000 B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T).  But that's neither here nor there.  What does matter is that Mr. Gibson is probably one of the most racist people ever, and if he hates the Jews (who are a wonderful people) and women (who are obviously the best gender that humanity is ever going to get) then he probably hates the Native Americans too.  I bet he's even glad that they got smallpox.  In fact, he's the kind of person that would make a tremendously flawed movie about the Trail of Tears and then keep all of the profits to himself.

Mel Gibson is a dick, guys.

Despite all of this, here is what I know for sure:
1.  My nose hurts from having to use inferior quality tissues.
2.  I will be going to school in yoga pants tomorrow (that, if I'm honest with myself, are never actually going to be used for yoga).
3.  That the NyQuil is different here.

Love & Head Colds,
Sabrina

P.s. Mel Gibson, you're welcome for your next Blockbuster movie idea.

Because You Love Us

You GUYS!  Something amazing happened yesterday!  You sent us so much LOVE via the United States Post Office!  Which is fantastic, because I'm pretty sure that after seeing what you all paid in shipping you're completely responsible for preventing the impending economic doom of the USPS.

I came home from school yesterday and had THREE packages waiting for me! Which obviously means that I am missed way more than originally anticipated.  It might also have something to do with the fact that my birthday is coming, but whatev.

Because I'm an occasional over-sharer (this time it has nothing to do with my uterus, I swear) I'm going to show you guys all the wonderful things that were sent our way!

I LOVE mail! 

 Love from my soul mate Nicole: yes, that IS peppermint syrup. 

 Remember my mocha plight?!  NO MORE!  And it was (almost) the best peppermint mocha latte ever.   Still missing: cousins. 

 Love from O'Malley: who, by the way, should probably have her OWN blog about how amazing she is for biking across the country, teaching underserved Native American kids math, and volunteering in South East Asia.  

Fact: Petrie assumes that all stuffed animals to enter the house belong to him: 

Love from my Mom: Halloween-y movies for my Birthday!  In case you haven't noticed the theme here: I LOVE Halloween!  It is the most wonderful of all the ripped-off Pagan holidays.  Also: Stephen King is my homeboy.  I wish I had the heart of a small boy in a jar, and that I kept it on my desk just like him. 

Love & Presents, 

Sabrina 

A Transportation Education

*please click for larger view. 

My Dear Friends.  Tim and I have been living in Scotland and riding public buses for almost a month now.  Needless to say I've gotten to know the system quite well.  I've also obtained quite an education in the types of bus goers based on all of my recent experience in participant observation.  

Because I've become an expert on the herding tendencies of bus riders I've created a friendly little map, included above, that you may all use to inform your seating choices on Edinburgh buses in the future.   

Please note: 

1. Green Zones.  These are typically the safest zones to grab a seat.  The front row upstairs is especially nice if you are plagued with chronic motion sickness, as you are able to look out the front window.  Downstairs Green Zones are usually populated by the elderly.  This can be nice because they are not likely to attempt to rob you or bother to talk to you.  On the other hand, you'll have to give up your seat to them if the bus is crowded.  

2.  Blue Zone.  This second level district is almost completely populated by thirteen year olds.  They wear their school uniform neckties loose because it is oh so keen.  They adore Twilight and style their hair so that their spikey bangs cover their eyes.  None of them have backpacks, but they all seem to possess messenger bags that have been curiously decorated with safety pins.  They are always sick and make no attempt to cough and sneeze into their elbows.  They cough into public air space and sneeze onto their hands (if you're lucky).  And every single time it happens the following runs through my mind: 

"Fuck.  Someone just sneezed.  That means that there are hundreds of thousands of viruses and potentially pathogenic bacteria microbes that are swirling around me.  And given that sneezes travel at about 100 miles per hour I have NO CHANCE of avoiding these germs 1."

You should not sit here if you are immunocompromised.  

3.  Red Zone.  People here are most typically average bus goers.  They seem to be commuting to and from work, or grocery shopping.  They are not likely to be very threatening.  Still though, they seem to be chronically ill.  They have whooping coughs and sneezing fits, but are usually more adept at covering their noses.  

4.  Black Zone.  As I said above, you will get herpes or hepatitis if you sit in the Black Zone.  This is where the junkies and thieves go to sit.  These people twitch and talk to themselves.  I have heard that the inability to sit still is a side effect of meth use.  Sometimes these people have scabs on their faces, and have tried to dye their hair horrific colors.  They also seem to be illiterate, as they pay no attention to the numerous signs that as you to refrain from putting your feet on the seats.  They are always putting their dirty boots on the seats around them.  

So my professional advice would be to occupy the green zones.  Of course, this diagram changes slightly depending on the time of day.  In the mornings, for example, the entire downstairs seems to be relatively safe as the buses are occupied by students and commuting workers.  But things get dicey during the middle of the day and after dark.  

Also fun to note: the red dots are the "STOP" buttons.  You press these when you'd like to be released from this fun vehicle.  

Love & Buses, 

Sabrina 

1.  http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/11-surprising-sneezing-facts

I Solemnly Swear...

{photo love}

You guys, we have a problem  It's a bit of a censorship problem.  It's my fault, really.  I realized while I was rereading my previous posts (because I'm narcissistic like that) that this little corner of the interweb has become very PG.  Which is an issue because I'm not a particularly PG kind of girl.

I think the blog was allowed to develop like this because I had real life outlets for irreverent behavior.  I had a farmhouse kitchen in Charlotte, Vermont that ensured a fair amount of liquor consumption and wicked conversation.  I had a martini lounge downtown where I was able to discuss the tactile properties of lychee nuts on the soft palate- in that they have a consistency akin to testicles.  I had a blue Toyota Matrix that enjoyed the fact that I might leap from the passenger side and scream "fuck" at a traffic worker.

Clearly, authenticity was never a problem back home.  I was surrounded by magnificent characters who accommodated and encouraged a certain amount of grit and salty language.  But now that I am thousands of miles away from those cohorts (and now that they are perusing this blog as a way to maintain contact) I feel that it's only appropriate that AMIS becomes less of a 'playground zone' and more of a fair representation of the mess that I actually am.

This means that I am going to be punctuating my blog posts with phrases like 'mother fucker.'  It's fair game now.  And if you're still reading then I'm relatively certain that you will still love me even if I say things like 'dicks,' and admit that I think Easter is a crock of shit.  Maybe.  I hope so.  I guess we'll see.

What this does not mean is that I am any less capable, likely, or interested in posting the same kind of thoughtful and introspective essays you have come to expect.  I very much enjoy writing about bucolic scenes in Vermont, and have every intention of moving forward with that line of posts.  Those entries will probably not include phrases like 'mother fucker.'  I will still attempt to capture death & dying with a bit of grace, and I will still remain entranced enough with humanity to cover great love, great wisdom, and great families.  

Also, "bucolic" is probably one of my most favorite words ever.  It has implied pestilence and clicks off the tip your tongue, but has a surprisingly mild definition.  The sound of the word makes me think of death.  Plague + Cholera = a lovely pastoral scene in the countryside?  Of COURSE it does.        

At any rate, this is me being ladylike and giving all of you a fair heads up that things might get a little gritty around here.  But it's going to be fantastic.

Love & Language,
Sabrina

Arthur's Seat

Today Tim and I went out to Hollyrock Park down the road and we did a little day hike of Arthur's Seat.  Mostly, I just want to show you guys all the pictures.  This is why we moved to Scotland.

That teeny, tiny orange dot in the center = me laying down in the grass.

Love & King Arthur, 

Tim and Sabrina 

Save the Spitters

Shelby

Happy Tuesday Friends!  Think about this: it is about 3:30 where you are right now.  This means that it's past dinnertime here and Tim and I are already snuggled up with a fire going.  Bliss.  Here is what's going on in our East-of-the-Atlantic lives:


1.  I've finished my first two days of vet school.  This has been exciting and riveting, and mundane and irrelevant. 


Exciting: I was assigned a dairy cow that we collectively named "Shelby," we had our first Anatomy and Physiology lectures today (focusing on the normal adult body plan), I picked up my locker key, saw the necropsy room on a tour, and just found out that our equipment is being delivered on Friday.  This means that I will be elbow deep in my books, wellies, coveralls, and a dissection kit by the end of the week.  


Irrelevant: We were given lectures on how to properly write an email to a faculty member: include respectful salutation, and your "pleases" and "thank yous."  We were spoken to about the fact that future employers troll social networking sites and to refrain from posting images that would provide evidence of any nefarious merriment.


2.  Tim and I are planning to climb Arthur's Seat.  More on this later, and I promise to give you pictures!


3.  Petrie has decided that going outside for anything other than bathroom purposes is not of any interest to him.  He, quite simply, hates going on walks in the park.  We have an agoraphobic dog.  


4.  We've just received our first mail!  A little magazine care package & card from Nicole, and a letter from Grandma.  So sweet!


5.  I've realized that the buses can be both horrible, and entertaining.  This morning I got a fair dose of each.  While waiting for my first bus (that was 10 minutes late and thus made me miss my connecting ride), I was standing near another bus-goer.  This boy- who seemed to be approximately my age- spent his entire 10 minute wait time spitting phlegm onto the poor sidewalk.  


I will refrain from providing you with an intensely illustrative passage on this (although I am no doubt fully capable given my recent anthropological observations) because I am a lady, and ladies do not talk about spitting phlegm. 


But then my original horror and disgust turned to severe sympathy, as I realized that this young boy was spitting onto the sidewalk every 13 seconds because he HAD to.  Clearly, he was afflicted with some sort of disease that prevented him from swallowing all of his phlegm like a person with manners would have.  I am certain that his upper esophageal sphincter was somehow incompetent.  There should be a colored ribbon for that.  That's a campaign I can really get behind.


After leaving this poor, diseased boy behind as I took off on the (fucking late) #24, I eventually made it to my stop on Mayfield.  Having already missed the original bus to campus, I was waiting for the 2nd bus to come around (#67, in case you were wondering).  It wasn't due for another 15 minutes, but while I was waiting a private coach bus pulled up next to me and the driver asked if I was going to Easter Bush.  Indeed I was, so I hopped right on!  That was a fun dose of serendipity, and it made up for the late #24, as I got to school on time.  And just to be clear: this wasn't an issue of stranger danger; I knew the school was chartering private buses for students to commute from the residence halls, so although I wasn't expecting this bus to stop for me I knew it existed (no sticky situations here: remember how I think everyone is a rapist until proven otherwise?).  So this spontaneous pick up would have been fantastic in and of itself, but it was made even better by the bus driver, who yelled above his music as I was I boarding: 


"I hope ye like Oasis!  But screw ye if ye don't!!"


Love & Champagne Supernovas, 
Sabrina 


P.S.  Our next week of "365 Scotland" photos are up.  Go check it out here (or by clicking the button on the right)!

A Photo Blog Too!

{photo love}

Hello Friends!

I wanted to tell you about an exciting new venture we're trying out.  I have been poking around on other blogs for quite some time now, and have been made aware of this thing called the '365 photo challenge.'  Clearly, it is a photo assignment that requires a person to take at least 1 photo per day all year long.  Some people take this photo of themselves, and some people take the photo of whatever grabs their attention that day.

Since this blog will eventually become our little diary for this Scotland adventure (for when these years are long gone) we thought it would be fun to at least TRY this photo thing out.  We both were talking yesterday about how we feel like we didn't take enough pictures in Vermont during the 4 years we lived there.  So this might be a cool way to keep us on the straight and narrow.

So we've headed off into this little city and have solemnly sworn to always take the camera with us.  This week it was easy to post a photo per day because we've been taking the camera with us anyhow.  We'll see if we can stick to this as the months wear on though!

At any rate, you can check out the photo blog and our first week of pictures below:

CLICKETY-CLICK! 

And for future photo weeks, you guys can now click on the '365 photo blog' button to the right!  

xo, 

Tim & Sabrina 

How To: Set Up Shop

{photo love}

Hey ex-pat Friends who will be moving to Scotland someday!  No, for serious- there are at least TWO of you out there right now!  We have spent the past week and a half figuring things out the hard way (which really IS the Tim & Sabrina typical mode of operation).  One thing we've learned is that we definitely underestimated our ability to figure out where to buy the household things we need (outside of IKEA).  This was made more difficult by the fact that we're working with limited internet resources until Friday.  So what do you do when you can't google something?  Mostly wander around and ask the locals.  It turns out that the Scots are a super nice people!

Except for the bus driver that made me throw my coffee out before boarding this morning.  Eff you, man.  

Anyhow, because we are finally starting to check off items on our 'to do' lists, we thought we'd take a break to share our hard-won knowledge with you guys.  This way maybe you can go straight to Tesco instead of wandering around hungry while your blood sugar drops.  Here is what we've learned so far:

1.  Car insurance:   

...is way out of our price range.  Tim and I originally had plans to purchase an inexpensive used car when we arrived.  The car-purchasing part of the plan went completely smoothly!  We found a little blue car that was going to work just fine for us, and signed along the dotted line.  The problems began when we tried to secure insurance.  Because we have no driving history in the UK we were treated as “brand new, 17 year old” drivers.  Which meant that the cost for collision-only insurance premiums were coming in around £3,000.00.  

But here is what you can do that might help your situation out: 

1. Bring along a state-certified copy of your driving history to provide to your new insurance company.  You can get this from your previous insurance companies, and/or from the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state.  
2. Make sure that you have your British drivers license before you seek out quotes.  
3. Check around for student discounts or package deals (we haven't yet done this!).  

This stuff might help out enough to lower your premiums to a more manageable figure.  

2. Shopping: A.K.A "Where are all the damned espresso machines?!" 

Tesco=  Kmart?  Grocery Store? they have several different “kinds” of Tesco stores, including an express shop a grocery shop, and a home shop.  Their home shop (which is the only one we’ve visited) is kind of the equivalent to a KMart.  Good housewares for reasonable prices.  

Sainsbury’s=  Grocery store/Wal-Mart.  They are primarily a grocery store, but they do have a limited selection of inexpensive clothing, electronics, and housewares.  

IKEA Edinburgh= sensory overload, but you can find almost everything there.  

John Lewis (in the St. James shopping plaza in the City Centre)= Macy’s.  They are a multi-floor department store that has everything from mens clothing to espresso machines, from computers and printers to cosmetics and jewelry.  But you’re going to pay premium prices.  Sad trombone.  

B&Q= Home Depot.  Exactly.  As in, a mirror image inside the store.  Everything you’d find back home at Home Depot you’ll find here in B&Q.  And they have several different locations.  

Costa= Dunkin Donuts/Tim Hortons.  I am a Starbucks snob, but the husband will drink almost anything... except Costa Coffee.  

Pets at Home= PetSmart.  There are a few different locations around Edinburgh to choose from!  We weren’t thrilled with the selection at the grocery stores here, but Pets at Home has Science Diet!  Petrie was so pleased!

3.  The Utilities: 

Electricity:  Our apartment has an electricity that is run off of a ‘key card.‘  It looks like a purple USB drive that plugs into your fuse box.  If this is the case for you, then it means that you PRE-pay for your electricity.  You’ll need to take the key to your local Post Office (red buildings!) and “top-up” your card.  You can put any amount of £ you’d like on the card, up to a £50 (we think?) maximum.  We have been told that the average cost of electricity for a small cottage like ours is about £30 per month.  We’ll let you know if that’s true, but so far we seem to be using about 50p per day.  

Counsel Tax: This is the cost for your street cleaning, trash removal, snow plowing, etc.  Flats here are graded into different bands, with A being the least expensive (at about £800 per year), up to about F-G.  This cost is split up into 10 monthly payments, with 2 months per year “free.”  Make sure to factor this cost into your living expenses when apartment shopping.  

*BUT, students in Scotland are exempt from paying Counsel Tax.  If you’re living with a spouse who is working, then you might still be exempt.  If your spouse isn’t exempt then you still might be able to apply for a 25% discount, so check it out!  Also, I still might be monumentally confused about all this.  So don't quote me. 

Gas: N power is our provider.  It runs a lot like in the US, where you are billed per month of gas use.  You can also set up a direct debit from your account.  

Internet: Same as in the US- you call to get connected, and they send someone out to hook up your apartment.  

Television: You’ll need to purchase a “TV License” here.  Which means that you’ll have to pay for your TV, set up your service, and then go down to the Post Office to purchase the license to have the TV.  We’re not sure how much this costs, because we opted out of TV for now.  

4. Cell Phones: 

The easiest way to acquire a cell phone is to purchase a cheap pay-as-you-go.  If you’re looking to sign on for a contract in order to pay per month (and maybe get a nicer phone!) then the cell phone company is going to have to do a credit check.  But remember that bit about how you don’t have a credit history in the UK because you’re an expat?  Oh bummer.  This means that the phone provider will probably ask you to pay a deposit on the phone, and ask that you set up direct debit for your account.  The deposit could range from £100-£300 per person.  

That being said, the main cell phone companies that we’ve come across are: O₂, Orange, and T-Mobile.

We went with O2 because they have a fantastic international calling plan.  For an additional £10 per month they give you 3,000 international minutes to call home on three different phone numbers (mom, dad, etc.).  But they also provide you with a “call me” number.  This number is set up as a US number from a city near your home- for us it was Boston.  We were given a Boston phone number to give to our friends and family, which allows them to call us at any time without incurring international charges.  It’s been pretty awesome!

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So it would appear as though we are navigating through all of these new policies and companies rather nicely.  But don't be fooled, I am only pretending to be that confident girl who strolls into Cameron Toll like she's lived here all her life.  We'll get there though.  Eventually. 

xo, 

Sabrina and Tim

Come On In! (unless you're an evil, non-sparkling vampire)

You guys have been so patient with us while we finish nesting over here!  So what kind of person would I be if I broke my 'by the end of the week' promise to give you pictures of our cottage?  So even though we aren't completely finished setting up shop over here, allow us to give you the virtual tour! 

This is our living room: 

If you look closely, you can see Petrie nestled in his bed:

This cute little staircase goes up to our loft-style bedroom:

And this is our wee kitchen: 

That white appliance is actually our clothes washer AND dryer!

These are the cacti that I forced Tim to buy for me, and then carry home on the bus:

There is also a guest bedroom off of the living room, but it is unfinished.  It will probably remain untouched until we know someone has actually booked a plane ticket over.  Then it will be decorated in Auld Scottish Tradition (I have no idea what that means yet).  

Our bedroom upstairs is so cozy!  It has two sky lights so it's very bright, and it has exposed beams in the pitched ceilings.  We aren't done decorating up there yet, so I figured I'd save those pictures until we've made a little more progress.  

SO there you have it!  The beginnings of our home in Scotland.  We still need to do a few things downstairs (install a buffet-style table over the radiator to serve as a little bar top, add an end table to the couch, adopt another dog, and hang some more art on the walls), but we're getting there!  

We can't wait to have visitors so that we can show you the real deal! 

Love & Cacti , 

Sabrina and Tim  

Because There Won’t be Mocha Powder in a Zombie Apocalypse Either

Starbucks in Scotland won’t sell their Mocha Powder or Peppermint Syrup to the public.  This is devastating news because I have a certain propensity for Peppermint Mocha Lattes (also: for expensive whiskey, but that is highly accessible here).  The lack of these aforementioned goods means that I will have to make plain lattes.  I’m sure a few of you have heard me lament about this unfortunate series of events over the past couple days.  If you aren’t already familiar with this tragedy it is surely because I am a silent sufferer, and possess the life theories of a Buddhist monk; suffering is just part of the human experience.  Obviously.

Still though, there remains the problem of home-made lattes that are missing that old time cocoa flavor.  But I’m an Estabrook.  And a Vermonter.  And always interested in honing my skills so that I may excel as a survivor of the (impending) apocalypse.  So far I have practiced shooting a few guns, carving an atylatyl (to use when munitions run low), and riding horses bareback.  I’ve also made it a point to map out the best source of fresh water in Charlotte, Vermont.  

So it clearly stands to reason that I couldn’t allow myself to spend the next 5 years in Scotland without any Mocha Powder.  I merely saw this as an opportunity to procure certain goods in order to prepare for the 2012 zombies.  It would be difficult to stand night watch without a good latte, no?  

Which is how this happened:

Not the same as home, but still good enough to fuel a defense against the undead.  I’m still working on the peppermint syrup thing though- any suggestions?!    

Love & Ingenuity, 

Sabrina 

P.s.  A HUGE thank you to Mama Russett, who deemed my addiction serious enough to buy me a new Scotland Espresso Machine as a (super) early birthday present.  I LOVE IT!!   <3 

Dhachaidh

Do you guys remember that time we moved to Scotland and rented a tiny stone cottage on the outskirts of Edinburgh?  Us too.  So after much picture-taking procrastination here it is: 

Here are the rose vines that grow above the entry: 

Here is our door, with it's cute little mail slot.  You can't tell here, but there are also two horseshoes sitting in the transom.  Which clearly means that this little cottage was meant to be ours.  

And here is the post office box for outgoing mail; 

it is built into the stone wall that surrounds the building.  

And here is the key to our cottage.  For serious.  We pretty much live at Hogwarts.  

But what about the INSIDE?!  We are getting there.  Things are slowly coming together.  I am considering providing you Friends with 'before and after' pictures of this little apartment. Right now we are hanging pictures and setting wall clocks, and unpacking as we go.  Pictures soon, I promise!  

Love & Stone Work, 

Sabrina 

Welcome to our Neighborhood

Yesterday we decided to get out of our cottage and go for a walk.

So we crossed the street and found this path: 

Which lead to this meadow: 

And then this patch of thistle: 

.

Then we climbed a hill to see these views: 

.

And then we found Craigmillar Castle: 

But we didn't go in because Petrie was with us.  A field trip for another day, I think.  

Then we walked 5 minutes back to our Scottish cottage: 

And when we were home Tim made a fire in the wee fireplace, 

and we cooked the most amazing chicken & pasta dinner.  

We are in love with this place already. 

xo, 

Sabrina & Tim 

Death Cab for Cutie (aka: Sabrina's Car Dreams Die)

{photo love}

You guys, we are in the process of having internet set up at our apartment, but it's going to take up to 10 business days.  This means that we have to venture out into the world to discover various and elusive wifi hot spots.  This is not such a bad thing.  Today it lead us to the Starbucks on Princes Street.  This means that we are currently sipping coffee and gazing out the windows at Edinburgh Castle on the hill.  Our life rocks so hard.

So while I have a few minutes of connectivity let me fill you in on our first fiasco.  The original plan was to purchase a car when we arrived here.  Tim was going to use the car to get back and forth to work, and I was planning to take a bus.  Everything looked to be working out just fine.  We went down to a local new/used dealership and picked out a tiny two-seater.  It also happened to be a convertible soft top.  This might be desirable in the States, but since it rains so much here it means that this car was not very sought after, and was priced to reflect it.  This little blue car, with its 22k miles, was a mere £3788.  Perfect, we thought!

So we signed the papers, and shook some hands, and had wonderful car-buying experience.  It seems that the Scots don't play the same salesman games that they do in the states.  We weren't pressured, or persuaded, or intimidated whatsoever.  We talked to a boy named Scott (I know, haha) and told him our budget, and he gave us our options.  Then we took the little blue car for a test drive, we liked it, and an that was the end of it.  There was no haggling, no sneaky financing to go through, no guilt tactics.

We were going to pick up our car the next day at 4pm.  But before it could be released to us we had to secure insurance.  Which is where things went south fast.  Because we have no driving record in the UK the computers considered us brand new drivers.  Which meant super high premiums.  So we spent a few hours talking to different companies about what our options were.  Basically it boiled down to this:
-even if we had our driving history sent over by the DMV in Vermont and Massachusetts (and)
-if Tim got his British drivers license before buying a car (then)
-we would still be considered brand new, 17 year old drivers (which means...)

That the grand total cost for our insurance over here would have been a gargantuan £3,000.00.  What?!  Oh yes, way too rich for our blood.  That being said, we aren't the first Americans to come over and try to purchase car insurance, so we're going to keep looking into it.  Maybe my school has some kind of international student program, or works with a specific insurance lender.  But it's off the table for now.

Which means that we are now bus people.  This may not seem ideal, but let me tell you why it's all good (no really, ALL good):
1.  Driving in the city s.u.c.k.s.  The roads are narrow, and there are millions of cars, and parking is hard to come by.
2.  So taking the bus (and buying passes) will allow us to pop into whatever little alleyway we'd like and not have to worry about paying for parking.
3.  The bus system here has great discounts for students.
4.  Now we can take the $ we would have spent on a car and put it into an emergency fund.  For vacations.  To Rome, or Paris, or Athens, or YOU!
5.  Taking the bus and then walking around to explore has already let us see the city on a total different micro level.  It's been neat to really start to see what's around us.
6.  Our apartment is in the most ideal location you could imagine.  It's a straight shot on one line into the city center, and it's still close enough to the school that I'll only have about a 25-30 minute ride in the morning to get to the Easter Bush Vet Campus.
7.  This will allow us to visit the local pubs, get thoroughly drunk, and then hop safely home.  Safety first, right?

See?!  So plans are changing, but everything here is still working out just fine!  We just had to realize that the car wasn't worth the expense, and suck it up.  So far we don't have any complaints.

Love & Bus Routes,
Sabrina & Tim

P.s. Special Thanks to O'Malley for taking me on my first public bus ride back in Burlington.  It made this whole ordeal way less traumatizing.

4 Suitcases

{photo love}

Six days ago we packed our whole lives into four suitcases and took off to Scotland.  None of these suitcases were over the 50lb weight limit set by Icelandic Air.  In fact, two of them were several pounds under weight.  So except for two (yes!) storage bins that we're leaving behind with the parents, all of our earthly possessions were checked into cargo.  I'm sure that you're wondering which bits of our life were deemed worthy enough to be included in our less-than-two-hundred pound luggage.  So for funsies, let me share with you what kinds of things we decided we couldn't live without.

1.  My chucks.  Because I'm an American All Star, and these shoes are super fly.

2.  Family pictures.  We tossed the frames that our favorite photos sat in and made sure to pack them up.  We cut two small pieces of foam-board to fit inside the suitcase... then we laid the pictures and prints in-between to make sure the weren't creased or destroyed.  Hey Boston, we're Wicked Smart.

3.  The macbook.  Because Steve Jobs makes a good machine, and you couldn't pry this thing out of my cold, dead hands.  For serious.

4.  The cameras.  Including our SUPER FANCY new DSLR camera.  After a consult with Uncle Al, we went with the Nikon D3100.  It's amazing, and a little intimidating.  But our old point-and-shoot camera just wasn't cutting it anymore.  And given that we have a blog public to keep updated on this adventure, it was a necessary expense.

5.  Our atlas and road maps for the UK.  In front zipper pockets that were easy to reach.  Even though we ended up upgrading our rental to a car that included a dash GPS, it was still neat to compare the route up.  Also, I've come to realize that a GPS device can save your marriage.  Michael S. might be on to something there.

6.  Petrie's toys and a few days' worth of food.  His HeartGard and Frontline too.  So as to minimize the culture shock for our little man.

7.  My new stethoscope and lab coat (!!!!!).  And pen light, and digital thermometer.

8.  Our photo print of Bobby Orr's flying goal.  Because we weren't sure how well versed the Scots are on Boston sports history.

9.  Clothes, of course.  Wardrobes were maximized with the help of Space Bags.  We don't know what we would have done without them.

10.  The moose head.  Currently mounted above our fireplace.  Because we're Vermonters and we have our priorities straight.

I know the whole family is dying for pictures of the apartment, and I promise to post them by the end of the week!  We are doing great on this side of the pond, and are super busy getting settled in.

Love & Luggage,
Tim & Sabrina

Fàilte

The sunset as we crossed the border into Scotland.

Today: 

-New cell phone through O2 (a cheap pay-as-you go until we get set up with the apartment and the bank)

-Discovery of Boots, the CVS/Rite-Aid equivalent where we were able to procure shampoo and toothpaste!

-The best veggie burger I've ever had (tomato mozz!)

-Petrie has decided that Scotland is boring, and has slept his whole day away. 

Tomorrow: 

-Apartment lease signing! 

-IKEA

-Car browsing

xo,
Sabrina & Tim