How life really is in the UK..

When I moved to the UK last September (nearly 8 months ago!) I expected that the transition would be easy. I'm not easily homesick and I'd finally be rid of the 8 hour flights and 24 hours of travelling that happened each time I visited.

Funny enough I was proved completely wrong. Life in the UK is absolutely nothing like I expected. From the small things (baking soda vs. bicarbonate of soda) to the large things (taking the piss, sarcasm, etc) life has not been what I expected. One would think I'd realize that - despite sharing a language the US and the UK are fundamentally different on so many levels.

Also, since moving, I also have this weird Scottish pride thing going on. When people state things that are true about England and try to pass it off as true about the whole UK I come to Scotland's defense. When there are Scotland vs. England matches I always root for Scotland even though I could care less about sports. Heck, when I went to Stirling this weekend I bought a postcard with part of the Declaration of Arbroath on it (For, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule.) I have no idea where this Scottish pride is coming from. The husband isn't very Scottish in the way he acts, speaks, or thinks.

No matter what I think I will always look back on this first year happily. Despite Scotland (and Fife) being completely different than what I expected I do love it here. I love the people, the weather, the North Sea, the food (okay, the Turkish takeaways), and the atmosphere. I never realized you could fall in love with a place but you most certainly can.