~ ANNE! ~

I made it home safely, after an insanely long day that started at 4.30 am Edinburgh time and ended at 5.00 am the next day (Edinburgh time - around 10 pm Edmonton time). Amazingly enough, I did manage to make all my travel connections. Cab -> airport bus -> Edinburgh airport -> plane -> Stansted airport -> coach -> Heathrow airport (by way of Hertford University, bizarrely - no one got on or off!) -> plane -> Calgary airport -> plane -> Edmonton airport. And as soon as I stepped off that last plane the first thing I did was get a Tim Horton's sandwich and apple fritter doughnut!

I'm happy to be back in Edmonton, if a little jet-lagged and feeling a bit out of place. I spent yesterday hanging out with Steve, John and Stephen. Today's been pretty quiet - been lounging around in Steve's backyard enjoying the weather - and tomorrow I'm off to Rocky to see my family. I keep thinking this was a lot of money to spend to come home for less than two weeks, but it's so good to reconnect once in a while. I feel like if I never come home I risk losing touch with everything here, while never entirely belonging to Edinburgh. And then I really won't fit in anywhere. Besides which, I have missed my friends and family terribly and twice a year is not often enough to see them, so once a year is pretty out of the question.

The culture shock is not as bad as last time I came home, although I'm having trouble remembering which side of the road the traffic is coming from and forgot that I don't have to bag my own groceries here! The city has not changed much, although there are differences (and Churchill Square is finished!) Steve's house is pretty much exactly the same except for Derek living in my room, and the fully-functioning jam space and recording studio in the basement. The house (mostly the kitchen) is still heavily furnished with my stuff, which is fine with me because it means I don't have to store it. Although remembering what's mine if I ever want it back will be interesting...

I will see who else I can get ahold of to hang out with today and the early part of tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting back to Rocky for a bit, although I wish I had more time in Edmonton. Maybe next week?...