Hi, we’re the Kellys. Welcome to our little corner of the interwebs! I started this little blog in 2011 when Will and I were figuring out the next step in some crazy Postgrad path God had put us on. There was a good chance that we would be moving away from our small city of Richmond, VA so I wanted to start something that would let me share our adventures with our friends and family back home.
So, let me introduce us to you. There’s me, Jackie. I’m an introverted, non-Spanish speaking Puerto Rican (no judgements please) who just wants to love on those around me and take a picture of it. I’m a sucker for action flicks and love to bake. I’m also the funniest person I know…true statement.
And this is Will. Aka: “my Love”. He grows a beautiful beard, did the whole Boy-Scout-to-Eagle-Scout thing so he can survive – Bear Grills style, and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Oh, and he’s a genius. JACKPOT!!
We met in August 2008 when Will got a job leading worship at our church in Richmond. Two months later, on October 15, 2008, we went out on our first date; he proposed January 16, 2009; and we got hitched June 6, 2009. It was a classic case of “when you know you know.”
On our honeymoon!Side note: Will and I had actually met twice before August ’08 and obviously didn’t make an impression on each other! We both didn’t realize we had met each other already (twice!) until we were engaged! I’ll chalk that one up to God’s timing.
Flash forward two and half years and we’ve found ourselves in the UK, with my Love working towards a PhD in Old Testament at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. So, here we are, living the expat life.
We’ve been able to travel a lot…
And make wonderful friends…
Now we’ve spent the majority of our married life here, which feels both crazy and natural at the same time. We don’t know where the “next step” will take us once Will finishes his doctorate, but we’ll grab that adventure by the horns when it comes. In the meantime, welcome to the Kelly Lyfe!
KELLY LYFE 
So rad! Where did you relocate from? We dream of moving to Europe at least for a year or two. Best wishes!
We moved from Richmond, VA. Yeah, this has always been a dream of mine so I’m really blessed God’s allowed it to be a part of my life! Thanks Julia!
congrats on moving to the best country in the world :D and settling near a giant volcano!
I know, right?! I do love this country! It’s gorgeous :) I feel so lucky to be able to call this home.
Aww that’s lovely to hear!! Have you visited Stirling Castle? It’s waaaaaay better than Edinburgh Castle.
No, not yet, but soon!
So I am searching through expat blogs to scotland, and I LOVE that you are there because your husband is studying. My husband wants to pursue a doctorate in NT Hermeneutics. He is seriously considering St Andrews (he will obviously have to be accepted). He is a year away from applying, but it has made me really curious about what life would be like as a poor student family living there. Ha! We have three kids and have lived in Arequipa, Peru for almost 5 years. The cost of living will be a shock for us, AND the fact that I have no clue how we will make an income during that time. I look forward to keeping up with your journey. I have a million questions, but I think I will hold off until I know that we are headed that way for sure. :-)
Thanks. It’s not the easiest decision to make but when it means moving to an amazing city like Edinburgh, it takes the edge off ;) Also, Will has always been a student during our dating/marriage life so I’m used to being the “bread winner” and “sugar mama”. There are several families at New College (University of Edinbugrh’s Divinity School) that uprooted themselves (along with 1,2,4 kids in tow) to start living out a dream. That’s what helps me a lot. Every hardship is worth it because seeing my husband live out a dream of his makes it all worth it. I know it’s cheesy but it’s true. PLease don’t hesitate to ask any questions. It’s what I did when I found out we were moving. And, Scotland is amazing! All the best of luck to you! I’ll be thinking of you come Feb/March (decision letters!).
Wow awesome blog! :)
Hi Jackie! Just saying ‘hello!’ Found your blog through Mary of My Life In Scotland. We’re also living in Scotland (Aberdeen) and husband is doing theology PhD! We almost went to Edinburgh, but decided at the last minute on Aberdeen, but Edinburgh is SOOO beautiful! Cheers!
Oh man, what a tough decision! I’ve heard great things about Aberdeen! My husband and I haven’t made it up there yet but we’re looking at some springtime exploring of the highlands! I’ll keep you, and Mary, posted when we go up and you can show me around!
Love your blog, the pictures are beautiful and your posts are so engaging, looking forward to my visit to the beautiful city of Edinburgh!
Oh you’re going to LOVE Edinburgh! Let me know if you have any questions about where to go and what to do on your visit :)
Hi Jackie
It is so good to come across your blog! I am from New Zealand, moving to Edinburgh in 2 months time. I have been to Scotland last year although didn’t have a lot of time to explore Edinburgh. I’m heading over on my own so pretty nervous! I’m just wondering what advice you could give in terms of getting started and meeting people? Or even if there are any expat groups that do things together that you know of? Congrats on the pregnancy too!
Alice
Hey Alice! I don’t know of any specific groups that you could meet up with but I know a few in my church that would help you feel a little less far away. Of course, it’s probably the same for any other church so my advice would be to go to a church. I don’t know if that’s your thing, but it’s an option. Another thing is that Edinburgh is great! It’s a beautiful place and the people are nice. The weather kinda blows but there are more than a few things here that make up for it. There is a website for meet ups you can check out (http://www.meetup.com/cities/gb/u8/edinburgh/). It’ll be a good way to meet some people with similar interests.
Thanks for the congrats! We;re pretty excited!
Feel free to email if you have any more questions :)
Thanks for the info, I will have a look into those options when I arrive. The meet up website looks really cool for walks and yoga etc. Yes I’m sure there must be plenty to do to keep out of the cold and rain!!
Hi Jackie,
My name is Natalie Sullivan and I’m casting an international travel show about expats moving abroad. We’d love to film in Scotland and wanted to know if you could help us find expats who have moved there within the last 15 months or have been there for 3-4 years, but recently moved into a new home. The show documents their move to a new country and will place the country in fabulous light. The expats on the show would also receive monetary compensation if they are filmed. They must also speak English fluently and can be buyers or renters for their homes. If you’d like more information, please give me a call at 212-231-7717 or skype me at natalieesullivan. You can also email me at nataliesullivan@leopardusa.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi
My name is Joyce, I am a marketing executive at expatfinder.com which is a leading expat information and services website.
I saw on your blog that you are and expat. I wish to interview you to further share some of your tips. The questions are mainly about the housing, the daily life etc.
It just takes 5 minutes (or more depending if you have lots to say :)
Of course, if you accept we can add a link to your blog or some of your website.
If you are interested to participate at this project, please send me an email at interview@expatfinder.com
Hi! I am Nerissa, a Filipino living in Italy.
We just started a website dedicated to the lives of all those living in a country other than the one where they were born. Thru PeopleAbroad.org we intend to increase connections, awareness, and understanding among people.
We would like to ask you to contribute to the website by writing one post with photos and/or videos about any region of the world. Your post will be linked to your personal websites, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter account, and/or anything else you like, in order to promote your own activity.
We could also publish some of your posts as a summary and link them to your website where your articles could be read in full length. If possible, we would also like you to write your story (bio – where you live and how you decided to live your life abroad) – example: https://www.peopleabroad.org/nerissa-filipino-living-in-italy/.
To contribute, it is not necessary to live in a different country from where you were born, but simply to know a bit of the world by having lived, studied, or traveled.
This website is still under construction, we do not have yet made it available to search engines for indexation. We are just starting and that is why your help is essential.
All the best,
Nerissa