THIS IS MY LIFE: WE ARE FAMILY

He made it! My big little brother Bryce arrived in the United Kingdom, all the way from little old New Zealand! I am so proud of him for being brave enough to get out of his comfort zone and take on this amazing adventure.

It really does take a strong person to leave the familiarities of home behind and to follow your dreams. I know that he will be a better person having stepped on that plane, and he will have some wonderful memories to treasure forever. There is also something to be said about the travel bug running in the family!

It was so incredible to see Bryce for the first time in two years. I wasn't sure what to expect in seeing him again but I have learnt that while some things never change, others change drastically. He still had that same shy and quiet nature, but I found myself a bit unsure about how I should be treating this much older version of the guy I said goodbye to two years ago. He had now proved that he could look after himself and that maybe he didn't need as much help as I would have once thought.

Despite my best interest, I couldn't help but treat him like the kid he once was, and found myself constantly looking out for him and generally telling him what to do. It may have been due to the fact that I know what it can be like moving to a new place and being unsure of how things should be done, but I think it was more that the Au Pair still lives on strong inside me!

We met in Edinburgh, him having just flown 24 hours and making his way across London and onto the five hour train ride north. It was already 7.30pm by the time Bryce arrived, and having hardly slept in over 24 hours it was safe to say that he just wanted to get some sleep.

Despite running on very little sleep on Bryces part, we basically spent the next 48 hours on our feet taking part in four different walking tours of Edinburgh's Old Town. They all showed us the city of Edinburgh where we learnt about how it was created and how people had lived in the olden days. I had already throughly explored the Old Town, but it was great to hear some new stories from different guides.

Bryce had a massive willpower to make the most of his sort time in Edinburgh. He was very keen to see as much as possible. We walked the length of the Royal Mile and I showed him the Castle, the Scottish Parliament and the Royal Residence of Scotland, Holyrood Palace.

We explored the Underground Vaults of the South Street Bridge. The bridge is a 19 Arch Viaduct with a series of chambers below. These chambers were used for storage for the taverns during the 18th century and were later inhabited by the homeless where it is believed many of them died. It was pretty spooky inside but really interesting to learn about another part of Edinburghs history.

Unfortunately the weather wasn't the nicest and so we decided that it wouldn't be worth climbing Arthurs Seat, a mountain range to the east side of Edinburgh which has stunning views on sunny days, but offers little on a foggy day. Instead we ventured up Carlton Hill which provided a spectacular view of the city from below the mist!

Bryce's body was so confused and he didn't seem to know how he felt, meaning a great lack of hunger - something which is completely out of character for him! We saved a bit of money this way though and I taught him how to eat on a budget!

After two full on days of walking, we took a two hour bus ride further north to Saint Andrews. Bryce crashed out. Fortunately I was working during the following two days, as the jet lag finally caught up with him and he spent a large amount of time playing catch up on sleep. I never got jet lag when I moved over, so there may have been a lack of sympathy there!

It happened to be Easter weekend and there were a lot of tourists in town, much to Bryces disgust! We managed to avoid the crowds though and braved the typical Scottish weather to show him the sites of the place I call home. We climbed St. Rules Tower, saw the Cathedral and Castle ruins, and took a photo on the famous Swilken Bridge where all the 'Whose Who' of golf have their pictures taken.

We walked around the famous old golf course on Sunday as it is open to the public and closed to the golfers. Fortunately the sun had come out and we did this great 7km walk along the golf course to the 9th Hole and back along the West Sands Beach. At the furthest point from the city, halfway through our walk, the sky opened up and the wind set in. The walk back along the beach was not so pleasant - thats what you get for walking along the beach in Scotland in March!

I took Bryce to see a Ceilidh at one of the local restaurants. It is such a fun place to be and it is surprising to see how many people get involved. Bryce and I agreed that there is no way that would happen in New Zealand, not without a lot more alcohol involved!

We went to a couple of bars where I got Bryce to try some of the local cuisine. He had Balmoral Chicken, my favourite way to eat haggis, where a chicken breast is stuffed with haggis and then wrapped in bacon. He was introduced to drinking pints with a Scottish beer called Tennants. I will definitely miss drinking pints when I get home! He drunk a 1.5L bottle of Irn Bru in two days, as it is the Scottish equivalent of L & P, and can only be found here in Scotland!

I have put Bryce on the train back down to London where he is now off on his very own Topdeck Adventure. He is visiting 13 countries in 24 full on days where he will tick off Europe's must see attractions including the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum and the Brandenburg Gate, before we will reunite in London in a couple of weeks time to show him one of my favourite places in the world!

Waving goodbye has given me itchy feet. I am jealous of Bryce off exploring Europe, but I only have about 20 days left here in Saint Andrews until I will be off on my own adventure. It is time for me to start packing up my life one more time as I head on to the next chapter.

"If it makes you happy, do it. If it doesnt, then don't." - Unknown

I hope this has inspired you.

LARISSAJODEE x

#travel #family