Big announcement: I am probably turning into Laura in....

[Laura Corin]

Scotland! DH is being offered a transfer to the head office of his company. We expect to get the final details in the next few days.

I've spent most of the last twenty-three years in Asia; DH came earlier (1979) but has had more gaps. We are feeling like moving back to the West. It won't be 'going home' for any of us (I'm English, DH is Texan), so we are expecting to have a lot to deal with, but it's a direction that we feel is right for us all now.

We talked to the boys about it today. They of course have doubts - they remember nothing but Asia - but they very much like the idea of a house of our own, a car, a dog, a garden. They have no experience of any of those things.

If this goes through, we will be moving in early August. It's going to be a busy time: packing up our China flat (preparing it for my sister to move into) and clearing out our rented place in Hong Kong.

Wish me well. This may be quite a ride. This is the area (http://www.buyimage.co.uk/photonet/fife/fife.html) we are looking to go to.

Laura

[Snickerdoodle]

That's wonderful!

Wishing you pleasant and smooth transitions...

[Amira]

Good luck! I love living in Asia, but I think I could handle living in Scotland too. I hope things work out well for you.

[Amy in NH]

Wow! That IS huge! And exciting! And congratulations to dh on his promotion!

[Remudamom]

Scotland sounds like an exciting place to be, Mary, Queen of Scots, William Wallace..........history, history

[Amy loves Bud]

Very exciting! Good luck with it all!

[Heather in the Kootenays]

They absolutely loved it despite some misgivings at first. My dh always says he'd take a transfer there if offered.

Have a wonderful time.

[Kelli in TN]

OH NO!!!! :willy_nilly: This is disturbing news, what will you do about your posting name? Will the admins change it for you? How can we go around calling you Laura in China if you are not in China? I am very worried about this.




Scotland sounds wonderful! Think of the field trips you can take there!

[sleepy]

The Kingdom of Fife! How exciting, Laura. :001_smile:

[Michelle in TX]

I think I'd move to Scottland in a heartbeat! So beautiful and the history! Best wishes!

[Krista in LA]

I hope it all goes smoothly for you.

[Kate in Arabia]

Wow, that is going to be a big change -- exciting and daunting at the same time!

Hope all goes smoothly for you!

[Michelle in MO]

would be very envious! We have posters and books about Scotland; she has a strong desire to study in the United Kingdom.

The pictures from the link you posted look beautiful---but I'm sure it'll be a big transition. We'll be thinking about you in your upcoming move!

[Tracey in TX]

Congrats, Laura in Transit!
What wonderful life experiences you're offering your children. Scotland is practically home for you :) (Texas it is not, though. Add a "Ye-haw!" for effect and then it'll be home.) I have a good friend who's lived in many countries (India, Argentina, USA, UK, etc) and her best times with family are Scotland and Ireland.
Can't wait to hear details as the time nears.

[Tarheel Heather]

Wow, very big move! Scotland looks beautiful!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

The place you are thinking about moving to looks absolutely beautiful and everything I picture when I think "Scotland"! Happy and smooth transition!

[Colleen in NS]

Scotland! DH is being offered a transfer to the head office of his company. We expect to get the final details in the next few days.

I've spent most of the last twenty-three years in Asia; DH came earlier (1979) but has had more gaps. We are feeling like moving back to the West. It won't be 'going home' for any of us (I'm English, DH is Texan), so we are expecting to have a lot to deal with, but it's a direction that we feel is right for us all now.

We talked to the boys about it today. They of course have doubts - they remember nothing but Asia - but they very much like the idea of a house of our own, a car, a dog, a garden. They have no experience of any of those things.

If this goes through, we will be moving in early August. It's going to be a busy time: packing up our China flat (preparing it for my sister to move into) and clearing out our rented place in Hong Kong.

Wish me well. This may be quite a ride. This is the area (http://www.buyimage.co.uk/photonet/fife/fife.html) we are looking to go to.

Laura

Lucky you! How totally fun!:)

From Colleen in New Scotland ;)

[momofkhm]

The area you are going is beautiful! Can we come visit?

[nancypants]

How exciting!!!

[Jenny in Atl]

Wow, that will be a culture shock for you all I would guess.
Scotland! Very cool... :cheers2:

[elegantlion]

Oh my, how exciting! It looks beautiful.

[Jackie in AR]

That sounds wonderful to me! And the area you are looking to move to is just beautiful.

Good luck with all your decision-making and moving.

[Peso]

... to explore the world!

Good luck with your move, and may it all be better than you can possible imagine!!!!!

Cheers - Penny

[Hathersage]

Good luck and best wishes to you and your family!


Heather

[Jen3boys]

Good luck, Laura!

[Closeacademy]

It looks like a beautiful area you are looking at moving too. I wish your family the best of luck and a great move.:001_smile:

[KAR120C]

Now you'll have to read Macbeth!! LOL

Hope it's a smooth transition -- it sounds awfully exciting!

[A.J. at J.A.]

Wow!! How exciting!!

Blessings,
Angela

[Tammy in Germany]

Awesome! Just awesome! :D

[tess in the burbs]

That is so exciting!

We would love to move to another country. I know it will be crazy for a bit, but try to enjoy the adventure :-)

[Crissy]

What an exciting time, Laura!
The pictures you linked are stunning. What a beautiful place that will be to live.
Our best wishes to you as you make this incredible transition.

[runningirl71]

Congratulations! Ireland has always been on my "I wish I could live there someday list" and Scotland is really close! Maybe it is my Irish roots that draw me there!

:party:

[JudoMom]

Wow! Exciting! Here's to a smooth transition :cheers2:!!

[Karenciavo]

Fantastic Laura. I came across this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sl8kNXmgrc) the other day for learning Scottish, it may come in handy. ;)

[Jackie in NE]

It's beautiful, Laura. You have the most interesting life.

Have fun, and keep us posted,

Jackie

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Congrats! How exciting!!!! Good luck with everything.

[DawnUK]

Oh Laura! I'm sure that you've been, being that you're British, but I fell in love with Scotland last year. The very northern most part of is gorgeous. My daughter and I took a day trip to the Orkney Islands, and they were amazing! I imagine that the weather will take some getting used to, but I'm sure that you'll love it! Enjoy!

--Dawn

[MeganP]

How exciting! Congratulations! It looks absolutely beautiful. And, though it's not 'home' for you, it's a lot closer to home than where you are now.

Hope the move goes smoothly as well as the transition for the kids.

[Puma Mom]

How exciting! It will be a big change for your family, but that's a lovely area of Scotland. We have very good friends who live in the area you're looking at.

[MerryAtHope]

Wow Laura, how exciting!
Happy for you!

Merry :-)

[Mom2GirlsTX]

How exciting for you and your family! I did not realize that your sister was also in China too.
If your DH wants some chips and salsa just let some of us Texans know and we will ship him some for the trip! Seriously I hope all goes smoothly for you, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity.

[jmgconner]

How exciting! I wish you a smooth transition.

And I can't help but smile because only here at WTM would the follow-ups include tidbits about incorporating history, literature, etc. into your new home. :)

[Laura Corin]

How exciting for you and your family! I did not realize that your sister was also in China too.


She got the China bug and is coming back to study with her boyfriend. It just so happens that we have the flat free for them when they arrive.

Laura

[OnTheBrink]

How exciting! I wish you all the best and for a smooth, easy transition.

[Laura Corin]

Oh Laura! I'm sure that you've been, being that you're British, but I fell in love with Scotland last year. The very northern most part of is gorgeous. My daughter and I took a day trip to the Orkney Islands, and they were amazing! I imagine that the weather will take some getting used to, but I'm sure that you'll love it! Enjoy!

--Dawn

I visited Glasgow over twenty-five years ago and Edinburgh more recently. DH just spent a couple of weeks at head office and took lots of photos in the countryside around. I'll try to put together a slide show for my blog.

Weather... well, I've spent the evening on Lands' End overstocks getting us all kitted out: parkas, flannel sheets, comforters....

Laura

[Hannah]

We have friends who have just come back from a year in St Andrews and they loved it. They were on a year's rotation with our company. They are looking hard at other jobs to be able to go back. It's a beautiful area.

All the best and good luck for the planning and packing phase ahead!

[linders]

I have loved reading your messages and blog entries on life in China, so shall look forward to the next location.

Now, Scotland. Part of Britain, right? And didn't you say you are English? So it isn't even a little bit like "going home?":001_smile:

Happy trails!

[Dana in OR]

What a wonderful opportunity for your family. Wishing you all the best.

[Stacy in NJ]

Very exciting! I once vacationed at the Glen Eagles golf resort, near St. Andrews. We experienced all four season (extreme heat, wind, rain, hail and a bit of snow) during one round of golf.

[BritAnnia]

How awesome for you all! Scotland is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I'm tartan with envy. :)
Alba gu brath!

[Anne/Ankara]

Wow, Laura! Major transition, but sounds absolutely wonderful. That is very exciting for you... Nothing like a fresh start! Great.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Scotland! DH is being offered a transfer to the head office of his company. We expect to get the final details in the next few days.



Holy cow! You lucky lady, you. Congrats!

Field trip to Laura's! September-ish? You think you'll be moved in by then? :D

[strider]

Congratulations! What a wonderful opportunity for your family. I have often wished we could live all over the world.

I have friends who relocated to Scotland (Glasgow area) about three years ago. She is American; he is British. Part of why they chose Scotland is they feel it is friendlier, more relaxed. Aside from the fact that it is a culinary wasteland, we found it to be a truly lovely place when we visited.

Keep us posted--I am interested to hear all the details.

[Sandy in Indy]

How exciting...there's something about Scotland that's very intriquing. I've never had the chance to travel there--and probably never will--but it certainly would be one of the top places on my list.

Jealous...yup, that's me!

What a great opportunity for your family.

[mcconnellboys]

Super cool!!! I LOVE Scotland (and I LOVE St. Andrews)! Wish I were moving there!

[Sahamamama]

Wow, that's quite a transition. You all will probably experience "reverse" culture shock/culture shock, but give yourselves and each other time, and you will adjust to life in the West (hopefully). Good luck!

[Jennifer in MI]

Wow!!! This is major news!! So, I'm coming with Pam. Do you have room for all 6 of my family?

Congrats!!

[chiguirre]

Congratulations on the move!

If you haven't already read them, check out Alexander McCall Smith's Scottish books. There's the Isabel Dalhousie series and the 44 Scotland Street books. They're set in Edinburgh, but they may help you get in the Scottish groove.

[amber in GA]

congratulations!

[Lisa at Home]

Best wishes for smooth transitions!
~Lisa

[Laura Corin]

I have loved reading your messages and blog entries on life in China, so shall look forward to the next location.

Now, Scotland. Part of Britain, right? And didn't you say you are English? So it isn't even a little bit like "going home?":001_smile:

Happy trails!

But it's culturally quite different. I look forward to learning a lot.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Holy cow! You lucky lady, you. Congrats!

Field trip to Laura's! September-ish? You think you'll be moved in by then? :D

Sure..... well, actually we'll be in temporary accommodation at that point, trying to work out which was is up.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Aside from the fact that it is a culinary wasteland, we found it to be a truly lovely place when we visited.

DH had some great meals when he was there.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

I haven't read them. I've read some of the Ian Rankin books and also a Kate Atkinson set in Edinburgh. I'll look for the McCall Smith ones.

Laura

[Debbie in OR]

Scotland? I'm not jealous at all. Not.at.all. Nope, not me. Really. Not at all.

[rockermom]

How exciting!! The area looks beautiful. Best of luck with everything!

[Patricia in WA]

Laura soon to be in Scottland,

CONGRATS!!!!!!! We will share weather woes! :D I am so excited for you and your family. When we lived in Ireland I wanted so badly to get to Scottland and the UK but we never made it that far. Maybe on our next stop......

Pam, sign me up! Septemberish??? I will clear our calendar. :auto:

:cheers2: Here's a Chai Latte to keep us warm and to keep you up for all that packing.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Oooooo, Castles!

Beautiful!

[Liz CA]

Scotland sounds like an exciting place to be, Mary, Queen of Scots, William Wallace..........history, history

I loved every minute when I was in Great Britain. What a change though! It'll be such an experience for your boys, kids adjust fast.
Just show them all the cool pictures of the highlands, the ocean, the cliffs, aaaaahhhhhhh.

:)

[gardenschooler]

How thrilling!!! Just when I think you can't get any cooler - Scotland! You're moving to Scotland!

I'm pretty sure you're going to need someone to do housework and gardening and such for you. I'll report for duty Sept. 1! (these kids won't miss me, they'll be fine).

Actually, there's a section of dh's tribe (sorry, clan) going in late August. They can just drop me off. :D

I'm overjoyed for you, Laura! I'm sure you'll make the transition with ease. What a wonderful experience for your boys.

[Laura Corin]

Thanks! We can commiserate about the weather, but I think I win (lose) on shortest day in midwinter.

Come on over. We'll find you a bed. With the dog if there's nowhere else ....

Off to buy a spare pair of glasses. I have to get used to driving every day, for the first time in over ten years.

Laura

[Trivium Academy]

How exciting, scary, and wonderful all at once! I know you're normal but from the outside looking in, you seem to have an amazing, rich (not money) life. Hopefully this will move you a bit closer to family. :)

[Lizzie in Ma]

You have got to love anyplace where this is the motto!

Nemo me impune lacessit

No one injures me with impunity

[Peela]

Oh, but then we won't be in the same time zone anymore :)
I am happy for you...very exciting!

[Laura Corin]

Hopefully this will move you a bit closer to family. :)

It's still a six-hour train ride to my mother's place, but it's a lot cheaper than flying across the world. Calvin needs to start paying full fare for plane tickets from Christmas onwards, so this is a good time to cut back on the intercontinental travel. We still need to see the other side of the family though.

Laura

[Maria/ME]

Laura:

I just found this thread! I'm really excited for you! A great opportunity. I'm moving across TOWN and freaking out, so I wish you the best in the packing/moving department! We look forward to following your adventures.

Laura in Scotland has a nice ring to it! I have a cyber friend in Scotland I keep thinking "someday" I'll visit...what a beautiful place....

[Nakia]

That sounds wonderful! I love the idea of Scotland! Good luck!!

[Laura Corin]

I'm pretty sure you're going to need someone to do housework and gardening and such for you. I'll report for duty Sept. 1! (these kids won't miss me, they'll be fine).


I haven't coped without household help in eleven years, so that actually might be the biggest shock.

Laura

[ckmommyof3]

What a beautiful area!!! Best wishes for a smooth move!

[Elm in NJ]

Fife is gorgeous. I visited it a few times when I was studying in gloomy, rainy Glasgow.

Elmeryl

[Laura Corin]

It's been announced in the company and we have a provisional move date of August 1st. Good grief. Seven weeks.

Laura

[Leah]

How thrilling!!! Just when I think you can't get any cooler - Scotland! You're moving to Scotland!

I'm pretty sure you're going to need someone to do housework and gardening and such for you. I'll report for duty Sept. 1! (these kids won't miss me, they'll be fine).



:D My thoughts exactly! I was reading the message, thinking wow-Laura in China is so, so cool!

[brehon]

My husband and I loved driving through the area when we last visited Scotland. So beautiful!

I'm actually envious (is there a little green eyed monster emoticon?). We've often talked about packing it all in and moving to Scotland. We have friends who live on the Isle of Harris and they keep trying to talk us into moving there. Oh, if only....

Congratulations again and :cheers2: !!

[readwithem]

My dd would be so jealous! She's been doing Highland dancing competitively for a few years - her dream is to dance in Scotland! :)

[Brigitte]

Congratulations! You must be so excited (not to mention a bit overwhelmed).

[Mamagistra]

Wow! I'm so excited for you! :001_smile: I have always wanted to visit bonny Scotland.

[Laura Corin]

Laura

[Jenny in Atl]

This kept going through my head yesterday.. kind of a farewell song as you move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhC8LnFd2LE

[CactusPair]

Wow! That's coming up fast!

Good luck to you in your upcoming adventures!

It sounds exhilarating. And you'll get to Scotland in time to plant some perennials & bulbs. :)

And a little dog with a plaid winter sweater would be charming.

Best wishes

[DIY-DY]

Children do adapt so quickly, and there is so much to explore in this world - you're all going to have an amazing time of it. And honestly, if a Brit and a Texan can find home-sweet-home in China, then a segue into Scotland should just round out the adventure beautifully, right? ;)

Now, you are boning up on your photography skills, right??? *ahem* Because you've GOT to keep us updated with photos galore when you get there. :D
Dy

[Susan in KY]

That's wonderful news! Congrats!

Susan

[Stacia]

Children do adapt so quickly, and there is so much to explore in this world - you're all going to have an amazing time of it. And honestly, if a Brit and a Texan can find home-sweet-home in China, then a segue into Scotland should just round out the adventure beautifully, right? ;)Dy

:iagree:

Good luck & good wishes! You'll have a busy few months, but I'm sure the short-term upheaval will be well worth the trouble.

Sounds like you are leaving one beautiful place for another....

[Laura Corin]

This kept going through my head yesterday.. kind of a farewell song as you move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhC8LnFd2LE

Thanks

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Wow! That's coming up fast!

Good luck to you in your upcoming adventures!

It sounds exhilarating. And you'll get to Scotland in time to plant some perennials & bulbs. :)

And a little dog with a plaid winter sweater would be charming.

Best wishes

I love snowdrops, and I think it will brighten our (dark) spring to see the ground coming to life. I suspect serious planning (perennials) might need to wait until the following year.

Plans depend on our managing to buy a house in the first couple of months though. We are hoping that the slow housing market will work in our favour: sellers will be happy to see a buyer without a 'chain' (their own property to sell) and will come to reasonable terms.

Thanks for the good wishes.

Laura

[Karin]

Wow, I just found this thread. How EXCITING! I spent 4 weeks in Scotland when I was single and LOVED it. Your bodies will adjust to the climate, especially if you learn to enjoy the outdoors there. The culture is very different from that of England, but it's closer to that of the part of Canada where I grew up (lots of Scottish influence in BC) so I felt right at home there, plus all the ferns, etc, reminded me of home.

Just one question, how will Calvin and Hobbes continue speaking Mandarin? Just curious, because I've always thought it so cool that they can speak it fluently. My parents have neighbours whose dd spoke fluent Korean with her nanny until they moved her to Canada to get a Canadian education (she's Canadian, he's British.)

[Laura Corin]

Just one question, how will Calvin and Hobbes continue speaking Mandarin? Just curious, because I've always thought it so cool that they can speak it fluently.

There's a Chinese community Saturday school that they will be attending. I'm sure it will hand out lots of homework to get them through the week. I'm hoping that there might be social opportunities with the other students too. If that turns out not to be enough, we'll hire a Chinese student from the local university to give extra practice.

Best wishes

Laura

[Karin]

There's a Chinese community Saturday school that they will be attending. I'm sure it will hand out lots of homework to get them through the week. I'm hoping that there might be social opportunities with the other students too. If that turns out not to be enough, we'll hire a Chinese student from the local university to give extra practice.

Best wishes

Laura

Excellent! I wondered if that would be available there.

[Rebecca in VA]

from spending 11 days in Scotland. We spent a morning touring the St. Andrews Cathedral and Castle, which are amazing. You're moving to a beautiful area which should be intellectually rich, with the university close by.

We went completely unprepared for the cold, wind, and rain. I wore linen skirts and thin summer tops, and I froze every single day. But we had an incredible time. We saw Sean Connery and his wife during a fire alarm in the middle of the night in our hotel in Edinburgh (he was staying just down the hall from us), and my husband and daughter glimpsed Queen Elizabeth on Friday in Edinburgh (she was in town visiting her palace at Holyrood).

We spent some time looking through a real estate guide at housing prices, and we were shocked at how high they are. Most little houses (which aren't all that cute) run at least $400,000. I read in the newspaper that the housing market around the Firth of Forth is competitive now, with North Sea oil drilling picking up. Prices for many things run about double what you would pay in the States.

Scotland is an extremely beautiful and interesting place. You will probably love it there and feel quite at home.

[Brindee]

So how are plans coming now? August 1st is not that far away!

[Laura Corin]

We spent some time looking through a real estate guide at housing prices, and we were shocked at how high they are. Most little houses (which aren't all that cute) run at least $400,000. I read in the newspaper that the housing market around the Firth of Forth is competitive now, with North Sea oil drilling picking up. Prices for many things run about double what you would pay in the States.

Scotland is an extremely beautiful and interesting place. You will probably love it there and feel quite at home.

Fife prices are cheap compared to the south east. My brother lives in a very ordinary four bedroom house fairly near London (two of the bedrooms are just big enough for single beds) and it's worth about 500,000 pounds (a million US dollars). It's a small country, with not much land, controlled development, and a lot of people.

The weather: yes, I'm not packing much in the way of summer clothes. I just went out and bought long underwear for Calvin, who carries no padding of his own.

Thanks for the good wishes

Laura

[Virginia Dawn]

How does an ordinary person afford a million dollar house?

[Jenny in Atl]

How does an ordinary person afford a million dollar house?

I would love to know that myself! I live surrounded by them and really would love to know where all these folks work. And how can my husband get a job with them! :lol:

[Laura Corin]

So how are plans coming now? August 1st is not that far away!

On the journey back from Hong Kong to China, I managed to lose our passports and laptop. Embarrassing, and the only time I've lost passports in thirty years of overseas travel. It shows just how frazzled I am. Anyway, the British embassy in Beijing has come up with replacements very quickly, and I am all ready for the movers to come on Wednesday. The schedule is:

July 9/10/11 - movers pick up our stuff in China
July 12th/13th - saying goodbye to friends here
July 14th - we can pick up our exit permits
July 15th - fly to Hong Kong
July 16th to 28th - run around Hong Kong doing last minute bureaucratic stuff and saying goodbye to friends
July 29th - movers pick up our stuff in Hong Kong
July 31st - fly out from Hong Kong
August 1st - pick up car in Edinburgh and move into temporary accommodation in Fife.

Slow and steady, slow and steady...

Thanks for asking

Laura

[Caroline]

I would love to know that myself! I live surrounded by them and really would love to know where all these folks work. And how can my husband get a job with them! :lol:

When you find out, could you let me know? I don't need a million dollar home, but a beach condo would be nice.

[Laura Corin]

How does an ordinary person afford a million dollar house?

My brother is a computer programmer and his wife is a school administrator. I would definitely call them ordinary.

Most things in the UK are more expensive than in the US, but wages are higher, and some areas of their lives are cheaper:


They own one car, but rarely use it: he cycles to work (nine miles each way) and she walks (half an hour each way)
Both daughters go to state (public) schools and travel there by public bus
He has four or five weeks of vacation time: at least two of those weeks are spent working on the house - they can't afford to get someone to fix it for them.
Vacations are usually within a couple of hundred miles of home - rarely do they take a ferry to France.
Health care is covered by taxes - costs for the individual are relatively low.


Laura