This is a post I have wanted to write for a while, but have not really had the time to do. It is about my amazing friend Cat. This Thankful Tuesday post is about her.
The first few weeks of living in Edinburgh was kind of hard for me. I was scared. Would I fit in? Would I find some friends? What would people thinking about someone my age studying abroad?
And in one of my classes, in the first week, we had a quiz about how much we knew about Scotland. The class was a class about Scotland and it’s history, so it was appropriate. Anyway we needed to be divided into teams and I did not know anyone in the class, but I ended up in the same team as Cat and two other people. I am bad, but I really don’t remember there names.. All I can say is I am so happy that I got to be in a team with her, because it was the start of our friendship. Ever after that day, Cat and I sat together in our class and she encouraged me and helped me with finding my place in Scotland then she could ever understand.
Cat’s wonderful dog Yet! 😍
Fast forward to the week we was leaving Edinburgh, we had decided to meet up and say good bye and she gave us a present. Typical Scottish things and toys for our dogs. I was speechless. I had not expected anything like that. She is just so thoughtful. And after spending a few hours together and after we got to meet both her wonderful dog Jet and her fiance Cameron we had to say goodbye. It was really hard, she has definitely made my stay abroad so much better.
Cat is an amazing person and we have so much in common. And she always make me laugh. I am so thankful to be able to call her my friend. And I really hope she and I can keep in touch and continue being friends even though we live so far from each other.
We came home to Sweden on Monday. I can’t explain the feeling in my body when we drove over the bridge from Denmark to Sweden. It was so surreal. And then when we drove into our little town and knowing that would soon see my dogs for the first time in 5 months. I started crying of happiness.
Being home these last two days with the dogs have been amazing, even if we came home to Oracle being sick. She has probably eaten something bad outside that have made her sick.
My husband and dogs out on an evning walk yesterday.
I have spent the days with the dogs and unpacking everything… And I still have a lot to unpack. Also a whole lot of washing to do. But that’s fine. I don’t mind it. I have the best company in the dogs.
Yesterday, my parents came over to take a couple of thing they had forgotten when they moved out on Monday. And my sister-in-law and nephew came over for a visit. It was so nice. I have missed them all so much.
I will try and update more about Scotland and our trip home in a couple of days. Right now I am going to spend some time with the dogs. Have an amazing Wednesday.
It’s Tuesday and I thought I would bring back Thankful Tuesday. This time as a Edinburgh Edition. I have so much to be grateful for during my time here in Edinburgh. It is hard to mention everything that I am thankful for, so I will mention a few things.
My wonderful friend Cat, that I got to know. We had on lecture together every week and I feel like I known her for far longer then just since January. She is a amazing person and she has helped me so much. And I am so happy to get to see her today, one last time before we move back to Sweden.
My husband because, as always, he has been my biggest supporter and always helped me through with my panic and anxiety. He has pushed me into doing much more then I would have done alone.
My wonderful professors that I have had during my time here. They have all been so understanding with my mental health problems and never made me feel like I didn’t belong. I am so grateful for that.
The Park near where we live, where I been able to see dogs playing every day. It has made me miss my dogs a bit less. And happy dogs always makes me smile.
The city of Edinburgh, so beautiful and so interesting. There is always something to look at or something new to learn.
I could list a thousand more things I am grateful for, but not this time. Now I need to start packing. We are leaving Edinburgh on Thursday.
Yesterday my husband and I was in to the city center of Edinburgh. We visited Calton Hill and then we went to Bravissimo, a shop with underwear for woman that have big breasts. My husband had found the shop when he had googled around to find a place to find me a bikini. And he found Bravissimo. The shop had very good reviews and when we checked their website they had many beautiful bikinis.
The storefront in Edinburgh.
The store is on 20 Multrees Walk, Edinburgh EH1 3DQ. And the staff was amazing and very nice. They also have stores in other locations in the UK. The website is: https://www.bravissimo.com/
We got in and almost directly we got a question if we needed help. I explained that I was looking for a bikini. Then she asked if I had bought clothes from them before, which a hadn’t. They said that if I waited 5-10 minutes I could get help with finding the right size for me. So we waited and walked around in the store and looked at the sortiment.
After about 10 minutes Lauren came up to me and introduced herself. She was so nice and helpful. She took me to a dressing room and we talked a bit of what I was looking for. I also decided that I wanted to by some bra’s. She came in with a couple of different styles and I get to try them on. I just have to say the service in the store was better then I ever seen before. And I usually get panic-attacks in dressing rooms, but Lauren was so nice and professional. She was easy to talk to and she listened to my wants. I didn’t feel like a burden or like I was a hard costumer with what I was looking for.
The whole experience was amazing and I walked out from the store happy and with a lot of new products, both bikinis, bras and panties. And I never felt forced to buy anything. All I bought was things I fell in love with and know I will be very happy with.
I will absolutist be back to that store. And just to clarify this is not a paid ad, this is my honest opinion. I never been that good treated in a store before and I think more people should know about the store.
Today I have finished my last essay for my time here in Edinburgh. It feels so unreal. Now all I got left on my term here is two exams that I have next week. I can hardly understand how fast the time has gone buy. I love it here in Edinburgh, but I am really homesick right now. I miss my dogs like crazy. And I know that in a months time we are on our way home.
I don’t know if I have told you already but we are going to drive home. It’s going to be a amazing road-trip with out new car that we bought here in Edinburgh last week.
But first we are going to explore Scotland some more. And I am looking forward to it. I am so happy that I took the chance to study abroad. It has been a great experience and I am having so much fun.
I will miss this amazing city when we get home. All the amazing people that I now can call my friends and the feeling I have gotten when I been here. The courage that all of this have given me. I can’t really explain it.
I don’t really know where to start writing today. Last week was a amazing. My mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew came to Edinburgh for a visit. They arrived on Wednesday and left on Saturday. I got to show them my university and where we live. We also took them for a visit to Edinburgh zoo.. And spent a day walking around in Edinburgh. I was so happy to have them here and I was so grateful that they took the time to come and visit us. I have missed them like crazy. And even though I was sad that my father and dogs where not here I was very happy.
On Saturday when we said goodbye on the airport I thought I was going to break down completely, but my husband helped me through it. He reminded me that we are going to be back in Sweden in two months time and that I now need to concentrate on the last parts of my studying here. I have two exams and an essay left to write. He helped cheer me up and we took a day just spending time together watching on things on Netflix and cuddling in the couch. Just what I needed.
Then on Sunday it was my birthday. We took a couple of walks and spend time together. I was feeling sick, so we took it quiet easy. I love my husband so much. One of the reasons is because he always makes me feel better and knows how to make the best of every day. He knows I been going through a couple of hard weeks with my mental health and he helps me through it.
Yesterday was a really bad day. I was sick with fever and headache, spending the whole day in bed, trying to get better. Then in the afternoon we found out that a family friend had passed away. It has really shaken me up. And I know he has been sick for sometime, but I just can’t get my head around it. It also feels wrong that I probably won’t be able to attend his funeral.
This last week has me feeling some confusing emotions and I don’t really know what to do about it. I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy for the visit, happy about my birthday with my husband and sad about my friend. And I am still sick… I am sorry if this post is strange and not something you want to read. I just needed to write it to work through it.
I hope you have an fantastic Wednesday and please take care of one an other. Be nice and appreciate the people in your life.
I been thinking about what I want to continue writing on this blog and I figured I still want to write about the things I started writing about when I started this blog. So it’s time for a Thankful Tuesday post again.
I am a very lucky woman to have so many amazing people in my life. And today I want to share with you some of the people that have made it possible for me to study abroad.
First up is my parents, not only have they supported this dream and my goal to study abroad. They are one of the reasons that I actually could go. They have taken in my two dogs full time. Taking care of them. Doing everything I would have done if i was home. My mom has actually gone down a bit in time on her work just to be able to take care of the dogs. They are also the ones that looks after our house and makes sure we get our mail. I am so thankful to have them help us in this way. Without their help I would be home studying at my university in Sweden.
But my biggest supporter is my husband. Not only did he drop everything to go with me. He also supports me emotionally and helps me through all the rough patches I have had here in Scotland. He is my rock and I love him. I am so lucky to be able to say that he is my husband. I believe that I am the luckiest woman in the world to share my life with him. He is here with me everyday and pushes me to actually follow my dreams. I am so thankful that he wanted me to follow my dreams and that he is here with my when I fulfill them.
Old picture of husband.
Then I am thankful for my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. I know that they are here for me if I need to talk or get motivation. And I also know that both my brother and sister-in-law helps my parents with the dogs, when it is needed. I know they will help me in any way that I will possible need and I am so thankful to have them in my life. My nephew is the light in my life, he always makes me smile. He has gotten in his head that my dogs, are not mine anymore. No, they are his. So that will be interesting when I get home. I am looking forward to their visit tomorrow and I hope we will have an amazing time together here in Edinburgh. I am thankful that they (and my mother) actually takes the time to come and visit us.
Another person I am thankful for is a friend, Nisse, because he is there as a kind of extra help for my parents when it comes to my dogs. Like for example now that my mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew are coming for a visit, Nisse will take care of the dogs. For you who doesn’t know, my father has heart problems and can’t take care of the dogs by himself so Nisse is going to take them. He usually helps with the dogs when my husband and I have to much going on with studying and working. He is a rock and an amazing friend. I also know that if I need someone to talk to that he would be there for me in an instant. So I am thankful to have Nisse in my life.
Then I want to talk about Cat. She is a new friend I have gotten to know here in Edinburgh. We took a class together and she is so supportive. And so easy to talk to. She has really made me feel at home here in Edinburgh and at uni. And I am so thankful to have met such an amazing person and that I can call her my friend.
I am also thankful for my mother-in-law. I know that she might have had some doubts about me being able to study abroad, although she never said it out loud. She always supported me and my dreams. And now that I am here doing it, she could not be happier. I know that if she was feeling better she would come for a visit and see this part of our lives, but that is not possible right now. But I know that she are there for me if I need her to be.
There are a lot other persons that I am thankful for as well, but these are the persons that has made this experience happen and I am so grateful for them. I know that in two months time I will be home again. And then a lot of other exiting things are going to happen.
Now I am going to clean the apartment a bit. It’s kind of things everywhere and that just need to be taken care of. I hope you all have an wonderful Tuesday.
As of this Monday, I have Spring Break. Monday was a really good day. I handed in an essay and got the grad for two other essays I have done. I got an A on both of them.
But right now I am going trough a rough patch. I should be out exploring the city with my husband. Instead I am sitting in the couch writing. Because it helps me with all the feelings that I have right now. My husband is amazing and supportive, but I know it’s hard for him seeing me like this. He is doing his best to get me out of my funk. But I feel so tired. All I want to do is sleep, but when I sleep I sleep bad. I am anxious and I don’t know how to explain it.
I am working on getting better. But the stress from the last week of school is getting to me. I hope that I will feel better soon, I want to see more of what Edinburgh has to offer. And next week we will get a visit from my mother, brother, nephew and sister-in-law. I am looking forward to it. I haven’t seen them since the beginning of January.. More then 3 months.
One of the reasons why I haven’t been active here in a while is school work and that I have been feeling drained. I hope you understand that. I want to write more. I want to share more of my feelings and what is happening in my life. And I hope I can do that.
Now I am going to go back to writing and listening to music. My husband is working so I don’t want to get in his way.
I hope you all have an amazing week and if you are going through a rough patch: Please Keep Fighting. Never Give Up!!
It Saturday and I thought that I wanted to share a post of self-care again. I have not really had time for this blog this last couple of weeks. I have spent so much time as possible to get into living here in Edinburgh. It’s been scary and amazing at the same time. I really love it here, but I miss my dogs and my family.
I have had problems with anxiety and panic attacks these last couple of weeks. I have and am scared of the world outside the door of our apartment. Every day has been a kind of struggle. I don’t want to go home, but I am tired of being scared. I am tired of the anxiety in my body every damn day. I just want to feel good.
Do you know what I do? I hug my husband a lot. I try and think of things I want to do here in Scotland. Things I want to see. And I try to read as much as possible about Scotland. I take walks with my husband in our Neighbourhood. Edinburgh is a fantastic city. I try talking to new people in school.
Sign that I see almost every day when I walk around the river Leith.
I try as hard as I can to not let my fears and anxiety keep me from living. I am only here for about four months more and I know that I don’t want to miss out because I am scared. I mean, I am here. If I have gotten this far I can do it all.
I know this was not really a self-care Saturday post as I usually did them but I wanted to share this… And maybe I can try to write a better post next Saturday.
Have a fantastic Saturday night. I am going to eat good food and watch The Voice UK.
It’s just a couple of hours until the first lecture of the day. And this is the first lecture I will have in this course here in Edinburgh. I am a little nervous. I missed last Monday’s lecture because I was enrolling and I was told that there were no lectures at all that Monday, but there where.
I have been reading up for this lecture and I hope it’s as interesting as I believe it to be. I hope I get a great Professor that is easy to listen to.
I have been spending the morning reading and trying to get a good look at this week’s schoolwork. I believe that I really need to stay focused on the work ahead of me. In Sweden, we only read one subject at a time. But here in Edinburgh, I read four at the same time. I have 5 papers that are all due before the first of April and then two exams at the end of April beginning of May.
The Not So Secret Diary of Nea 