It feels impossible to communicate what a sweet time we had in Scotland. It was everything we needed. We knew going into it that we needed some serious family downtime. The heat had gotten oppresive in Bologna and we were feeling overall worn down. We flew out of Bologna with great expectations, but also with a bit of guardedness. It didn't take but drive from the airport in Edinburgh to Troon to realize how good this time was going to be. There was a very physical sense of relief and relaxation. From the green rolling hills of southern Scotland to the familiar "American" products at the grocery store, we were met at every turn with surprise and joy. Most of our time was split between touring old castles and simply resting. It was such a good thing for us as a family to be able to spend the days focused on spending time as a family and having fun. Many games of Uno were played while there. And while the kids are essentially fluent in Italian, it was a nice rest for us to be able to converse in English for awhile. It was amazing how quickly we got simple daily activities done when we could completely understand what someone was saying!
Our return to Bologna at the beginning of August was like returning to a ghost town. It was so weird! We felt like we were literally the only people in our entire apartment building. Everyone was at the beach. . . a serious pasttime for Italians, who believe you need two weeks of sun every year to get enough vitamin D. And August is the best time to do it.
Life finally feels like it is returning to normal, and we think the heat has finally broken. We are looking forward to so many things this Fall. We are so thankful for the genuine rest the Lord provided for us, at just the right time. Because of it, we feel like we're ready to tackle all that is in store. We can't wait to share more.
