New Home, New Beginnings

Hello readers,

Apologies for the radio silence, but my husband and I have been in the process of moving out of our flat in Edinburgh and into our new home in Perthshire.

I love Edinburgh very deeply, but ultimately wanted to settle somewhere more rural. My husband comes from a small town in Canada, and I lived in an even smaller town in Vermont before moving to Scotland, so the both of us were keen on a little more space for ourselves. I wanted a garden for my cats to enjoy some time outside without the traffic noise, and I, personally, longed to have a quieter place to write, go for walks, and relax.

For almost a decade, Mr May and I have been on Tier 4 (student) visas, which restricts the residence of migrants to within a certain distance of their university. So despite adoring Edinburgh, my husband and I were, in all honesty, circumscribed to its immediate area.

Once I was granted the Tier 1 earlier this year, I began to think about moving again. The visa lets me live anywhere in the UK, and my occupation as a writer allows me to work from anywhere — both of which are immense privileges.

So when my husband was offered a job in rural Perthshire back in May, we decided to take it and start fresh in a new home. We had less than a month to find a house, give notice to our landlord, and move our belongings and cats. (Some of these photos show us still in the decorating stages!)

The house we found is on a very long, single track dirt road surrounded by farm fields, hills, forests, rivers, and streams. It was love at first sight.

We’re still adjusting and settling into our new lives here (the cats, too), so work is slow, but it’s starting to feel like home.

More later, much love,