When I grow up I'm going to be a pin up girl!

Aloha petals!

I hope everyone hade a very merry Chrimbo and a debaucherous New Year.

To be completely honest,I'm glad all the festivities are OVAH.I love Xmas and the thought of a new year,but Dec has just been a total whirlwind,what with getting the visa,organising flights,getting the word out back home,starting to pack up the last 7 years of my life and figuring out how to ship the remnants.

Plus there's the emotional whirlwind that goes with such a big move + Christmas.

My 7 years in Glasgow have been a total rollercoaster.I've found it REALLY hard to make friends,a problem I've not had before.I like to think I'm a pretty easygoing,fun person and take pride in being a fantastic friend.The type you can call at 2 in the morning with a crisis (that's the MsFrangipani test of a good friendship).

A lot of my friends were therefore fellow transient travellers/gap yearers and I'm the last standing in Glasgow.

Glasgow itself is a very hard city to get ingratiated to.It can be a horribly racist,ignorant place full of junkies and beggars.Drab and grey,hopeless sometimes even,and when you live in a place affectionately known as 'Govanhell' well,you get the picture.

On the other hand,as much as Glasgow has it's problems,it will always be my second home and I like to think of myself as an honorary Scot or 'Ozwegian' as my in laws have christened me.(I could proudly tick that I can speak and understand Scottish on the Scotland census) I've got a lot of brilliant memories and experiences here and will certainly miss the fact that you can be sitting at a bus stop and within 5 mins get the entire life story of the stranger next to you.

And as for Scotland herself,well she's just the most stunning country I've ever had the pleasure of travelling about.

However,I of course can not wait to come home.7 yrs and 7 months is a long time.

I feel like the last 7 years have been in limbo,and now the Scotsman and I can finally get settled down and start planting roots.

So,bring on 2012.I know it's probably going to be an emotional rollercoaster but a fun,mostly happy one at that.

Best wishes for 2012.xox