Just a small handful of photos here.

So we celebrated our second wedding anniversary with family before we went on a little day trip to Birsay. Sadly the causeway meant no mini island exploring but we will try again when the tide allows.

It was a beautiful view with rainbows and such.

The walk left me in a bit of a bust cycle for a few days especially with my knees so I am having to be more careful not to keep causing massive bust cycles like this. The boom and bust days are something I am having to learn to manage, like being more careful with my spoons. New location, new weather, means having to learn the new limits to what I can reasonably manage in a day. The variability of the weather all in one day is astounding so it means learning to adjust every five minutes it feels like. I am sure I will get a rhythm sorted one day, hopefully soon.

I know they say moving is a lifestyle choice up here. In a way I respect that it is, but it’s a soul choice. It’s a hell of an adjustment and there’s always so much to do and get done, it just feels different to down south.

So we’re now at the middle of February in our Journey roughly.

Safe to say it was spent settling in and viewing the sights.

Yes, there was more snow. It made for incredible pictures and quite often it was breath taking. We took a few photos of our favourite views.

We have discovered a massive difference in the food quality here vs London’s supermarkets. Here it is certainly fresher and tastier, food tastes brighter almost singing. It’s very hard to describe just how different the quality is here. It’s certainly enjoyable.

I will try my best to slow down the photo dumps.

So the first week in February, for a break in the mountain of unpacking we had to accomplish we ventured to go to see the light festival where “The travelling light circus” were a part of the action.

The toddler thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing especially the fire dancers!

Although the unhealthy part of my brain was trying to convince myself that I could totally take up fire dancing and not get any injuries or accidents… I won’t be taking up the hobby myself.

It was all very fun and exciting.

So I will keep this brief. It was a very exciting first week, and we took a fair few photos of various sceneries we came across.

Though I would like it noted, it is cold and windy but the beauty utterly makes up for it. The very first week is best described as one of those times where you spend far too much time pinching yourself to see if you’re dreaming.

A long move, stressful without a doubt, with so many unusual obstacles, but it has been so worth it.

I’ll just photo dump below because all of these were taken the very first week, mainly around Kirkwall and also on a little outing visiting the ring of Brodgar and the Broch of Gurness where the sea was absolutely captivating and not the weird brown colour that you get down south. Oh and I couldn’t not include the amazing chocolate cheesecake from Lucanos in the picture dump because it was the best cheesecake.

But maybe not 600 more.

No that is not a typo I can assure you.

I have officially moved, no longer a Londoner, although it might take a while to take the London out of me, after all it is a massive adjustment.

So it is official, the first month of 2024 myself and my family moved 600 miles north of London, and so far it has been the best decision we have ever made.

Our Goodbye to London photo one of the last ones we took on our way to our new adventure.

We ended up taking the Caledonian Sleeper (a very lovely journey I might add) to Aberdeen.

The train was an absolute highlight on the long long journey north, something hubby and toddler had been incredibly excited by. The staff are all wonderfully helpful to so while it may be a bumpy night sleep that’s all there is to grumble about, when you’re used to a stationary bed one that physically moves and transports you a few hundred miles over night will be an experience.

We awoke in a rather bracingly cold Aberdeen and killed the wait for the ferry in the shopping centre. We then hopped a lovely Northlink Ferry and off we went. It was definitely not a smooth sailing. But I am pleased or proud to say I didn’t throw up once, though it was tempting.

We arrived very, very, very late at night to a snowy Kirkwall, apparently there’s not been weather like this in quite a few years. We have had a baptism by snow instead of fire.

Safe to say the first 24 hours in our new home was a bit cold.