Life Abroad Part 1

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald opines on whether or not lovers of travel should quit their jobs and go abroad for a year at a time. The main argument against traveling is that careers and progression in one's profession suffer if someone takes an extended period of time away from their job. I agree -- taking large periods of time away from one's profession is not the way to climb the colloquial corporate ladder. That quintessentially sums up why I was not jumpin' on the bandwagon with Matt to come out to Edinburgh. However, after living here a bit under ten months, I'm inclined to be all the more enthusiastic about the author's third suggestion: work in London and travel, travel, travel. While I'm not living in London, I'm doing pretty much the same thing except that I have more flexibility as I work for an American company (or two) and telecommute. I feel so grateful for the blessing to live and work abroad.

Life outside America -- perhaps particularly the South -- is so different. Perhaps in the next few posts I'll dissect some of the amazing things about living in Scotland and lessons learned living a non-American life! (Especially in light of the current oil crisis, potential end to suburbia, and the upcoming Presidential election --- but also in light of the small things too like being unable to find red pepper flakes and Splenda at the grocery store). I travel back to the U.S. in several weeks and between now and then have some big work deadlines and am also taking a small vaca down to England ... so we'll see how much dissecting I can do.

I'll leave you with one fabulous thing about the UK. Calories are not called calories. Calories are called "energy" here. How fantastic is that? "Engery" conjurs up in my mind an exponential quality -- not something we should be trying to keep to a minimum. I mean, who wants to keep their energy intake low!?!??!