The History

Well, here we are. 1 1/2 years into our life on Shetland. 2 adults, 2 kids, 3 cats, 1 dog (sledging, for the use of) and our au pair, Lubica.

Our route to Shetland was somewhat convoluted. It started in North Yorkshire, moved to Edinburgh for University, down to Kent for first jobs, meandered around Kent (and the Kent edge of Greater London) for a few years and then lept to the other end of the UK.

Life in Shetland, so far, is sweet. We love the sea views we get every day - and the sunrise in the photo is not uncommon! We get the Northern Lights from time to time - and if I can find a photo of the last display I'll post it . We get near-24 hour daylight during the summer and definitely 24-hour midges. Little bitey buggers. Still, they add protein to a barbecue if you can stand to be out long enough!

Shopping up here is eccentric. But that's what the Internet is for, surely? Eating out, on the other hand, is a delight. Fish and chips to die for - freshest of fresh fish and lots of it!

Things we miss about the mainland: Pizza Hut (how sad are we?!!?), 24-7 opening supermarkets which deliver. Kebabs - which also used to deliver down in Kent. The way relatives could visit without needing an overdraft or a calm sea.

Things we don't miss about the mainland: Traffic. Motorways. Commuting (our commutes amount to about 10 minutes total). Worrying about schools. Poor fish and chips. The need for private health care. Overcrowding.

Things we've done since we've got here: New jobs, new hobbies, new cat. New toys...

Got to go - the kids are about to unplug th