another august in edinburgh

I love Edinburgh in August.

Here we go again!

The days are long, shops and bars are open late, there is entertainment at every turn and the atmosphere is electric with the excitement of the Fringe Festival.

Of course there are also tourists walking ridiculously slow, stopping abruptly in front of you to take photos, and swinging around with no regard to their backpack wacking you off the footpath.

But every rose has its thorn right? Or something like that...

I started August off with a bang (so much so that it was actually the end of July...) with a visit from a friend and a couple of festival preview shows. One of those was Abandoman which turned out to be awesome fun. However, sitting in the front row of a comedy show with 2 guys who aren't afraid to get involved was almost bit much for me!!

Festival drinks - love the pop up bars outside all the big venues

Geoff having a song written about his first crush...Buffy!

Tom also having a song sung about him! Thankfully I escaped this...

Hot Dub Time Machine hotness!

Best party ever

This was country number 3 for Geoff and I, having met in Thailand, then I visited him in Germany and now he has visited me in Scotland! It gets to be a confusing story when people ask how a Kiwi and a Canadian who don't live in their own countries have come to be friends...

Next up was a bit of not so much fun with packing up my flat. Kind of a strange feeling to not know when I would be having my own room again or even where it will be! The last time I did that was in New Zealand, and I didn't get my own room again for over a year until I arrived in Scotland. Exciting though since it means I'm about to start another journey!

Unfortunately not a purely travelling journey, since I am still working for another few months. I do have a month off in between for a mini backpacking trip though! Thankfully I have some awesome friends letting me stay at their houses while I am homeless either side of that. The irony of working in homeless services and being homeless does not escape me...

Packing away treasures sent to me over the year

There were some awesome final sunsets from my window

I realised last week that it has been 10 years since I embarked on my first travelling adventure alone - leaving small town New Zealand for the middle of the USA. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! My memories of that year are so clear and it doesn't feel that long ago. I suppose when I think of everything that has happened since a lot has changed! I am extremely grateful that I am still a part of my host family's life in the USA and they of mine and can't wait to see them again in the future!

10 years of the travel bug and still going strong...

I also had the chance to meet up with some more of my Scottish relatives. For various reasons I hadn't realised that some of my grandfathers cousins and their families lived so close! So in between packing up my house I ticked another item off the bucket list (note: no real list exists...I don't think I could ever narrow it down or stop adding things!) and attended a Highland Games in Scotland. I used to go to these as a child, and had been meaning to go here but it never seemed to work out. Luckily I ended up going with family to the North Berwick Highland Games, before having a delicious meal out. It was so lovely to meet more relatives and they immediately made me feel welcome and like family!

The New Zealand Police band marching in

Strong men doing crazy things like throwing weights over bars backwards...

Band competition

Family!

My grandfathers cousins

Stuart, May and Sheila

Driving back to Edinburgh from North Berwick

August seemed like the month for reunions, which friends from home, Scott and Adam, passing through and Hanna visiting from London. This meant lots of good times out and spending much more money than a should, but it was worth it!

Meeting friends from home for dinner and drinks!

Catching up with the girls for delicious cocktails the following night!

And I also attended my first football game in the UK! I can't say it was the most thrilling game I've ever watched, but the immense amount of Scottish swearing was definitely entertaining.

Saturday Football: Hibs and Falkirk at Easter Road

I rounded off my festival time with another visit to Hot Dub Time Machine, an awesome night where the DJ goes through music from the 1950s to now.

And finally, it's time to get back on the road with my pack and be off on holiday for a month! Greece, Italy and Spain watch out...and also anyone who actually reads this because there will be multiple blog posts on the way!

x