I go back and forth on this subject. One day I'll be so mad at some of, (few) people I "meet" on social media who hail from Scotland, and who are (for the most part, on these forums) rude and nasty, feeling that they are the only ones who have any real knowledge on a subject if it deals with Scotland because THEY were born there. I get so upset about them, and the ignorant way they express themselves, and I tell myself I'll never live in Scotland. Then I remember how many gloriously wonderful people I've met both in person and online (on other forums) who are citizens of my adopted country of Scotland, and I say to myself "Stop being such a dweeb, you know you're going to end up in the tartaned Land of Heather, shut up about it, and stop complaining." Yes, I do get onto myself from time to time. I need it. I recognize that I need it, and I take care of it. Then I take another breath.
For me, the only city I have ever wanted to be a resident of has been Edinburgh, but I have to be both realistic and pragmatic about the decision because it will not only involve me possibly renting a home, but it could involve a purchase of a home. When it comes to money, I think I'm more "Scottish" than the Scots I know; I'm really very frugal and some would even say cheap. I won't pay more for a home or flat than I know is necessary, and that is not going to be the case inside the walls of Edinburgh, Scotland. NOPE. You can bet your bottom dollar or pound, that the houses and flats in and surrounding the E.C.C., or Edinburgh City Centre, are not only expensive, but they are also stupidly priced. They are priced for supply and demand of course, but I don't need to be a part of that party.
If I go south of Edinburgh I find that the transportation isn't quite as good as it is going east or west. The bus system is amazing there, far better than what we can expect in the U.S., that's for sure. Somehow the southern routes don't meet the same standard of awesome they do going from say Stirling to Edinburgh (which is west of E.C.C.) or going out east, say to Dunbar, Musselburgh, or even Dalkeith. The issue with east, or East Lothian, is it too is rather expensive for what you can get for a much better price out west or in my case, my preferred choice, of going north to the Kingdom of Fife. Besides, who wouldn't want to say they lived in the Kingdom? It's a treat for my lips just seeing the words on the screen in front of my face!
The Kingdom of Fife, or really, just "Fife" is the council (area) just north of the city of Edinburgh, it is separated by a beautiful body of water known as the Firth of Forth. Now, say that again. "The Kingdom of Fife is just above the Firth of Forth", Yes, I like saying that. I know, it's silly; but then again, so am I. If I'm going to be a nutcase and rattle off funny-sounding words just because I can, I want to do it in a city called Inverkeithing or Dunfermline, both of which are in Fife, which is yes, above the Firth of Forth. By the way, if you do decide to go to Fife, which means you'll have to cross the Firth of Forth, you can do so using one of three really extraordinary bridges; or you can travel north from Stirling on land and then double back to the east about 15 miles, but why do that? Take a bridge!
Fife is (I think) the third-largest council in Scotland. I'll have to check that fact. You'd think I would have checked that fun fact before typing this blog, but no, it's later in the evening and I really haven't any inclination of being responsible. I just want to talk and my fingers are happy to make me happy. Imagine how crazy I could sound if I were a wine drinker! I'm not. You get all this crazy rattling at no extra charge and without being charged up as well! Imagine! Can you imagine being me, just sitting around the house in my jammies, typing in the dark with only the illumination of the monitor to guide me? Why am I even doing that? Again, not drinking, just sitting in the dark thinking about Fife. That's who you're listening to at this moment people. That's who you are paying a little attention to. Let that sink in for a minute.
So, Fife, as I was saying, is a really good-sized council. It has about 350,000 people scattered in and around it. There are 5.5M people in the country altogether and about half as many people then, living in Fife than living in Edinburgh (and surrounding areas). Fife is both history-rich and accessible by train, bus, commuting (if you dare do that) and by ferry, but I'm not into ferrying so I'm thinking bus and/or train. I could walk, but that's probably not going to happen either. I mean, I might actually take a trek over the right bridge and end up in South Queensferry, and that would be a hike; I could get a coffee at a nice little local shop on the prom and just walk back - - or take a bus. Fife is pronounced "F-eye-ph" in case you were wondering. It rhymes with LIFE, not LIFF or LEAF.
Though there are among many gorgeously wonderful and quaint (scenic) areas and/or cities and townships in Fife, I'm going to end up most probably, in either Inverkeithing, Rosyth, or Dunfermline. Dunfermline is larger and more populated as well as more situated for shopping, dining, entertainment, and social activities. Inverkeithing doesn't even have a large enough grocery store to keep me happy -- if you know you know. I'm rather into grocery shopping. I love my Aldi and yes, they do have Aldi (and her sister Lidl) in Scotland. Be still my tongue and belly. I am in LOVE with Aldi. There, in Scotland, Aldi doesn't have or carry the same reputation it does here. It's rather low on their grocery totem pole; but with me, it's number one. Then again, I've not really shopped at Salsibury, Morrison, or any Asdas. I have been to Tesco, and Tesco Express, and I have been to Iceland. Still, I'm an Aldi fan. I did cheat on Aldi twice, and I went both inside and around Lidl, just to see what it was all about. If Aldi ever left me, I could handle being a Lidl fan.
I've also decided, because I am that way, to probably get a two-bedroom flat rather than a terraced or semi-detached home. Flats are what we call apartments, but you can buy them in Scotland. We don't have that option in Oklahoma. When we buy a flat here we call it a condo. A flat may or may not come with a communal garden, most do, but they don't always. There are some flats that even have private gardens. That may be nice too. I think the flat would give me a sense of security, but I'm not entirely sure of that either. I'd need to be in a really nice area so I'm not ending up with neighbors I couldn't write home about without my son getting on the next plane to come and scoop me up to bring me back to the U.S. I halfway expect him to try that no matter where I end up. He's OK with me visiting, but when I put down a downpayment on a mortgage he may end up making his own plans to retrieve me. We'll see.
Dunfermline is fun to say, as is Inverkeithing. Rosyth is OK, but not nearly as much to grab a hold of. Inverkeithing has a better view of the Firth of Forth, but Dunfermline has more old churches with really cool dead people. I don't know if you know much about my love for dead people, but I do have one. I love old cemeteries and in Scotland, you're going to find a few -- a lot. I love old churches, old buildings, old roads, old closes, old bridges, old anything. Walls are cool. I love walls, but give me an old cemetery and a nice sunny day and I'll walk it, read every stone, think about the lives of the people under the ground, and I end up praying for the remaining families and those who once loved them. I make up stories about them. I choose to believe every last one of them is in Heaven, even though I know that's not possible. I tell myself that I will go to a church again, to attend in person if I move to Scotland, but only if the church is really old, looks like a gothic building, and has really cool dead people outside. I can get that in Fife.
It may take me a year or so. I have to plan the escape carefully. I have to earn enough to put down on the house/flat. I have to earn enough to live off of my savings for a year so I can get the correct creative visa and stay at least one year without working, so I can write the next murder book in the series I'm working on now. I'll still trade of course, but I won't be "working" per se. I'll be home writing, and trading for myself, not for others. I'll either extend the visa or get an entirely different one that allows me to stay. It's not entirely unheard of for a person to get an investment visa. One just has to plan with a bigger dream and pipeline, that's all. It happens. Goals. It will happen. How do I know it will happen? I'm the one setting the goals. That's how I know.
Firth of Forth.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
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