Surprise! I’m in Scotland!

Dad Fishing in Scotland

So I’ve been quiet on my blog lately and it’s not entirely due to laziness this time. I’ve had to be sneaky about my plans because my dad reads my blog (hi dad!) and we’ve been plotting a big surprise for him for his 60th birthday. My mum had organised for him to go back ‘home’ to Scotland from Canada and my brother and his girlfriend surprised him by being in the car on the way to the airport. Then I popped up in Glasgow the morning they all arrived. So the whole family is together and ready to ring in his 60th with the Scottish side of the family and a bunch of his old friends.

But that’s meant not talking at all about my plans for the next few weeks… and I’ve got a few! I arrived in London on April 6th, promptly restocked my dwindling clothes supply, met up with friends and headed out to a freebie Mama Mia showing before a few pints and a meal and a lot of catching up. The next day was spent killing my feet and getting sunburned after a pub meal and a stroll through Richmond Park with another friend. More catching up then some drinks along the Thames. My London visit was way too short and it reminds me just how much I love the city… when it’s warm and sunny!

My dad’s birthday isn’t until April 21st but I came to the UK early so I could pop over to Dublin to celebrate a good friend’s 30th on April 9th. I know her from volunteering and she’s part of the work hard, play hard crowd so I knew a weekend in Dublin would be messy, especially since a few other friends of ours were flying in for the event.

We rented an apartment in central Dublin for about 20 euro each a night and the thing was amazing. Penthouse, full kitchen, two bathrooms, a big livingroom for dancing, and a great view of the street below. We drank, danced, laughed a lot and I got caught up with some friends I hadn’t seen for awhile and was also reminded how much I love Ireland.

Now I’m in Scotland staying with my aunt and enjoying my home away from home. I love coming to Scotland… it feels very comfortable as I’ve been coming here my whole life. I’m looking forward to a week and a half of family time and a bit of Glasgow exploration.

Up next is NYC but only for a couple of nights. Just a super quick visit with a couple of friends before heading onto – where else? – Haiti! I’m hoping my 2.5 weeks there will get the place out of my system for the time being. I find myself thinking about it a lot and I’m also curious to see what sort of progress has been made there in the year I’ve been away. I know my organisation All Hands have done lots of great work but I keep hearing stories of shelter and school delays from friends I have working in larger NGOs. Bureaucracy is a bitch.

Then I’m off back to Rwanda, arriving back on May 21st. I’m already missing Kigali and looking forward to heading ‘home’. I’ve decided to stick around for the foreseeable future and that’ll mean getting involved in some volunteer work, taking French and guitar lessons and maybe even a bit of tennis. I’m planning on making my house a bit more homey and basically doing all those things that people who plan to live in a place for the long term do. I’m not sure how long term my long term will be… but it’s kinda fun to make some settled person type plans.

So that’s what I’ve been up to and what I have in store for the next month and a bit! I’ve had a great time so far and excited for what this trip has in store. As an added bonus, I’m hoping my time away from the internet will fill me with ideas and make me excited about working again.

I’ll be near Glasgow for the next week and a bit so if anyone is in the neighbourhood and wants to go for a pint, get in touch!

About Kirsty