Faithful followers of Just Frances will know that, after many trials and tribulations, I am now a dual citizen of the United States and the…
It has finally happened: I am now a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland citizen*. That means no more visas, no more immigration…
Today I took one of the last steps towards becoming a UK Citizen: I enrolled my biometrics for my citizenship application which I submitted last…
Thanksgiving came early to Castle Ryan, with a lovely feast for my neighbours last night. As an American living abroad, Thanksgiving is a little harder…
Well, it has finally happened. I have finally applied for settled status in the UK. And let me just say, it’s not been without a…
It has been more than 22 years since I first arrived in Scotland, and now it’s time to test my knowledge of this place I…
Twenty-two years ago, I arrived in Scotland to begin a one-year study abroad programme. It is sometimes hard to believe that it was that long…
It’s been a year since my last Skype call with Mum. It was a “short” call lasting just 2 hours 33 minutes and 39 seconds.…
As I’ve said before, one of my favourite things about my Homeland Holidays is all my favourite foods. Each time I come home to visit,…
Once again, my Homeland Holidays have come to an end, and I am slowly settling back into life in The Heartland. And, oh, how my…
I arrived home in Scotland yesterday, a month later than my initial plan. Home, and heartbroken… My holiday was meant to be a wonderfully happy…
I’m home! After 856 days away, I have finally returned home to hug my parents. (Real hugs are way better than proxy hugs!) I began…
I have been holding my breath for the past several weeks, anxiously awaiting news on my new work visa. As I shared at the start…
It’s been a month since I shared that the start of my job was delayed for a few days as I was still waiting on…
Yesterday marked the last day of my post-doc life and today was meant to mark the first day of my lecturing career. But, alas, things…
Today marks 20 years since I first arrived in Scotland for “just one year” as a study abroad student. At the time, I never expected…
It feels as if nothing is “normal” in the world today, and that includes the process for my latest visa. Yes, my new work visa…
Today is Independence Day in America and, as an American, I always like to mark the day – even though I live in Scotland. Because…
I have always enjoyed a bit of crafting, and now I am trying to do COVID19-inspired crafting to keep myself from total boredom and as…
I started a new job at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) today and am extremely excited about it! The new job means that my visa…