My 6 Year Anniversary

Of course we're looking tan, we're in Nice in the picture!

I moved to Stirling in January 2007 and it's 6 years down the line.  It's been a hard adjustment, I miss my friends and family and funnily enough, thought that this would somehow get better but it doesn't and there are times when I miss my sister so much that I'm just bereft.  It's difficult coming in as the 'new guy' in your late thirties.  You have no history with anyone, no stories to share that anyone will 'get' and you sit around and listen to the countless stories that everyone else share with each other - normally really funny stories which are great but you never know who the people are or where the places are and, well, you understand what I mean.  

That said, David's friends have all taken me under their wings and include me as one of their own and you couldn't ask for better people. 

The reason I'm writing this little blip this morning is because last week when I was walking into town, I ran into some friends who were on their way back from the farmer's market and then immediately when I left them I saw a little puppy that needed some petting and when I looked up it was one of my former work colleagues at the University and, as we were having a chat, the nurse from my doctor's surgery walked by and then as I finished my final stretch into town, I ran into the lady who works at Sainsburys who I always chat with.  It was the first time that I've felt that I was part of the Stirling Community and it was amazing.  I've always referred to America as my home and it always will be but now it's really quite nice to actually feel that I've got a new one here.