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| Through out the year of living in Edinburgh there were times I said to myself "I wis I would have known that". I'm sure it happens to so many of us who move to a new country or new city. So I'm breaking down 5 things I wish I would have known before moving to the U.K. that could have made things a little easier or just not felt so silly when speaking with a local. 1. SHOPPING BAGS ARE NOT FREE It's really not a huge deal but shopping bags aren't free like in the states. They usually cost 5Pence per bag and that money actually goes to charity. However, buying a bag every single time you go to the market or shopping can really add up. We got some reusable canvas bags and it made life so much easier and an adding plus is knowing you are cutting down on your carbon footprint. 2. TRANSPORTATION WAS EASIER THAN WE THOUGHT Edinburgh is a walking city and a car in the city is well completely unnecessary, especially because we lived in the city center. We never had plans of getting a car since we were there short term but I think we would have gotten a flat a little outside the city center where things are cheaper and less crowded. The bus app is wonderful, if you look it up "bus and tram" in your app store it should show up. You can purchase your tickets on there and even share. The app lets you know how far your bus is and the arrival time. It is so useful. 3. THE LAYOUT OF THE CITY Like I mentioned above, the city is a complete walking city. It is so easy to get around and you can walk all of it. However, like its been said before Edinburgh is a tale of two cities. Broken into two main parts, old town and new town. You are always either going uphill or down even if you don't notice it. It's so strange how the city just flows really well but New town is so different from old town and not just in it's appearance. Aside from the look of the city, I guess I just have to stress if you're ever in Edinburgh don't be afraid to just walk everywhere. Trust me, it's the fastest and most interesting way to get around. 4. THE WEATHER Okay, so you've heard the weather is rubbish but what does that even mean? So I'll start with Autumn because thats the season we arrived. I have to say, Fall in Edinburgh is so beautiful and long. The weather wasn't bad at all. Sunny days and breezy but never really cold until Winter. December is very mild, it doesn't really snow in the city because its so close to the water and doesn't stick. It does get cold but nothing too awful. It does start getting dark really soon since we are so north. The sun is typically down by 4 P.M. which is the hard part because your days are so short. January and February and moving forward are so windy. I think thats what I expected the least because no one ever mentioned the extreme wind chills. You can have a hot day but then the wind can completely throw you off. Spring is beautiful and the days start getting longer which a plus. It does start raining a little more but the rain isn't such a big deal. There were only a handful of times when the rain would really pour down other than that, rain is light and you can still walk in it without a problem. Now, Summer is probably the hardest month. Sure your days are long and beautiful, the sun usually doesn't go down until 10 P.M. which is amazing. The downside is Scotland doesn't get a proper hot Summer. Sure its warmer than usual but the weather is unpredictable, so one day you'll be in shorts and then next you have to pull out your winter coat. That, is Scotland wrapped up for you. 5. WORDS ARE DIFFERENT I didn't realize how many words and phrases are exactly different than in America, so many to list but here are a few. Wee-Little Rubbish- Trash Lift- Elevator Chip-Fries Crisp-Chips Sweetie-Candy Mind your step/head-Watch your step/head Take away-Take out Courgette- 6. YOUR PAY CHECK ONLY COMES ONCE A MONTH I got a job really quickly after we moved to Edinburgh and I was so happy I forgot to ask any important questions, you know like how do you pay and when? I guess I just assumed it would be every two weeks like most jobs in the states. I am aware that salary jobs might be paid once a month but for a part time job it was a total foreign concept to me. It's definitely something to keep in mind if you will be working the U.K. or other European countries. Bonus: If you are move goer like Chase and I keep in mind the movie theater system is a little different than the States. Instead of having the same price across the board for the movies, they put different prices to each movie. So depending if the movie is projected to be a hit you're looking at paying a higher prices. Depending how long the movie has been around, the price decreases as well. It was so different for us to get use to since all the prices are always the same in the States. |
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| DRESS:c/o Chicwish // BOOTS: ASOS// HAT: ASOS |
