16 MONTHS IN EDINBURGH

I had originally planned this post as a 1 year lookback/holyshitImadeitthislong recap but (since I am a brilliant procrastinator) that never happened and so we’re here now some 16 months since arrival and I’m keen to look back on how incredible this country has been.

Over 16 months I’ve explored my new home and country, had awesome travel adventures and made some incredible friends. I’m at this very moment living alone, fending for myself and attempting to Be An Adult for the first time in my life. I did have Popcorn for dinner tonight so that’s not going too well.

I love Edinburgh. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Here’s a list of reasons why I fell in love with this city - and a reason to dislike it. Let’s go!

EDINBURGH IS BEAUTIFUL

I am so lucky to have lived in the most beautiful cities in the world. Sydney is stunning, Wellington is gorgeous, but Edinburgh is EVERYTHING. The moment I stepped off the Airport Bus in the centre of Edinburgh at 7am on my first day in Scotland, I remember staring at Old Town in front of me, Edinburgh Castle to my right, Princes Street Gardens below me and the towering Arthurs Seat to my left and I was BLOWN AWAY. And 16 months later I still feel that way. Every time my bus passes Edinburgh Castle I do a stealth shoulder shake of excitement as I get to live in this amazing city.

EDINBURGH IS CHEAP

Being from Sydney I am the only person (apart from the few who have lived in London) who believes Edinburgh is cheap. Transport? Cheaper than Sydney. Fresh Food? Cheaper than Sydney. Drinks? WAAAAAY cheaper than Sydney. People don't believe me. The other week we hit City Cafe where you can purchase jugs of 4 different kinds of cocktails for £8. The jugs were the equivalent of 8 cocktails. FOR EIGHT POUNDS. And while others were hesitating at the price, I was ordering a jug for each hand.
Not to mention all the online stores that have free shipping in the UK. I'm looking at you Amazon and your exorbitant Australian shipping fees. Now I get my Amazon and Asos goodies shipped for free.

EDINBURGH IS SMALL

I always have a chuckle overhearing about the length of time it takes people to get places in Edinburgh. “Oh she has to drive from Fife - that’s 45 minutes away!”, or “It’s going to take 2 hours to fly to Spain. TWO HOURS!”, or my favourite: “Rachel you live so far from work! How can you stand the commute?” I live on the harbour which is as far north of Edinburgh you can get before you are literally in the water. My bus takes me 30 mins. A taxi to town takes 12 minutes. I can walk to town in 1 hour and 12 minutes exactly. Yes, I timed it. If this were Sydney I would be living in the Inner Suburbs. I love how quickly I can get around town. It’s also such a novelty after living my entire adult life in Sydney where it takes hours to bloody get anywhere. Which leads me to my next point:

EDINBURGH IS GREAT FOR NIGHT’S OUT (for those who don’t usually enjoy a night’s out)

I don’t go out often, I love a night in either at home or at someone’s house for dinner and board games. In Sydney I did this quite regularly, and honestly can’t remember the last time I went into the city for a night out. It was always just such a ridiculous effort to get home, or unfair to make someone our designated driver again. In Edinburgh there are night buses that get me home in 25 minutes and a taxi cost around £10 to get home. Such a novelty!

TRAVEL

One of the main reasons I moved to Europe is to travel. This whole year has been about getting paid and spending every single pound on exploring this awesome part of the world. I've even done the unthinkable and dipped into my savings (damn you Iceland #noregrets). I think I’ve seen more of Scotland and any other country I’ve been to and can’t wait to explore it more. I love the cheap flights out of Edinburgh, often I can find a return flight somewhere in Europe for around £50.

NETBALL

I’ve joined a netball team for the first time in 16 years and now I can’t wait for Tuesday nights. We play in George Heriot’s School which is basically Hogwarts and I love playing again so much. My team is called Nets Go and I could not have asked for a more awesome team. Everyone is so fun to be around and though we don’t win often we try and have fun each game.