Last times

Well... it has properly started now.. the rounding up of ones former life :-D

Went to my last hairdressers appointment last Saturday and even got a hug, ahhh.. I didn't even have to say 'what???' that often this time which of course makes me think that I left JUST as I was making progress!

Having said that.. I called the Dutch electricity company last week to get myself organised and the conversation went so smooth.. and I wondered why.. was it just the language? The fact that I never had to repeat what I said? Not even had to spell my name? Nor my street address?

First I thought that was why it felt so nice.. but then I realised it isn't that.. the reason I feel it felt so... cosy.... was that I am one of them. And a special one of them at that because I did something exciting in moving to Scotland so everytime I mention I currently live in Scotland I just hear all doors open, everything is suddenly possible and flexible.

Even though my time here has been brilliant and I wouldn't for the world want to have missed it, it has given me so much, if nothing else another language I am fluent in but I never felt 'one of them'. My mother in law tries to convince me it is because this is Scotland and that in England it would be different but I am not to sure of that...

Why not?

Because I am exactly the same!

I have worked with people from all countries when I was working at the job centre.. and no matter how good their Dutch was and how well I could understand them I would never feel that they are true Dutch people. Not even after living in the country for 20 years.

So.. now I know first hand how that feels and it is not nice!

And of course I have made the choice to return home but in retrospect I feel really sorry for all those people who had to get out of their countries because their life was in danger and who can never go back...