We've been in America over a week now, and I've been thinking about blogging everyday, and writing tidbits here and there, but neglecting posting. You've probably wondered if the US of A has swallowed us whole. It has. As always when we're first back, I've covered my ears and squinted hoping the waves of noise and the gargantuan size of everything around me will suddenly shrink. After a few weeks, though, I'm used to it all, and loving the sun.

We arrived two weeks ago and promptly started the expectedly hectic apartment hunt, the reason for this trip to America. May I present what tidbits I've saved of our days, and an apology note slipped alongside that there are no photos. There was just no room for ole cam-cam. So the point-and-shoot in traffic had to do.

It looks quiet and calm. It's so not.

Thursday
Here we are, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean going 573 mph. I did the whole sitting-on-the-duffle to close it last night, only to realize that I had to unzip it again to reduce the weight. This morning, our 4 suitcases and 4 carry-ons somehow all made it out of our garden, through the dust of men drilling directly outside our gate, and onto our flights. College moving was a breeze, it turns out.

I think I’ve decided we’re definitely leaving home, but it's a strange feeling not being sure if we're flying toward home or away from it. Maybe, just maybe, in two weeks, we’ll be leaving our new home. But we aren’t there yet, and I am not moving on from Scotland while we still have a place there. No sirreebob.

Friday
The dealio is this: we're in the NYC area for a few weeks to look for housing, and praying we find something that’s just right really quickly. Today was mission scout-out-neighborhoods, and with some help from new friends, in just one afternoon and evening, we’d narrowed down our we want to live here 'nabe list. And we'd succeeded in some serious pot-hole avoidance (these humdingers are literally the size of inner tubes).

Saturday:
So today a miracle happened. We visited one building, walked out, turned to each other, and said there is nothing wrong with that place. We absolutely loved everything about it from its turn-of-the-century beams to huge windows. We're going to apply.

Monday and Tuesday:
Application? Check. Deposit? Check. No pun. So here we are, perusing furniture and waiting to see if we've been approved.

Insert a week and a half of paperwork, outlets and department stores, two job interviews, and a whole lot of time in the car, and here we are. We're about to sign a lease, and have spent much of our time repackaging our wedding gifts and trying out mattresses. We're playing restaurant with my nephew and watching my niece learn to talk. Seeing family is nice. Starting to picture our new start is exciting, and yet there is a scary, daunting, and hard side to this all that stings me whenever I think of Scotland. Thank you for following our life there this past year. Come back for a visit soon, as the next few weeks hold some European travels that I'm 'callifragilistically excited about, and our last hurrah in Scotland. I.can't.wait.

Off into the wide blue yonder today!