I may be paying off my loan for the rest of my life thanks to the loan that I had to take out to move to Scotland, but I got the best news ever in the form of free healthcare for students living in the UK. This was just the break I needed. I spend a lot of money every month on medications to keep me healthy, and I was worried about how all of that was going to work once I moved across the pond. The even better news is that I have free access to a specialist. My doc here already checked out  specialists in Edinburgh, and has given his okay for any of the ones that I choose that are near the campus. While I joke that this makes my mother very happy, truth is, I am happy too. I know that the tart of this adventure is bound to be stressful, and the stress is usually what triggers a down cycle. I cannot afford a down cycle while I am all alone and a long way from home. I was able to talk to a member of the international office and she has a similar illness and she said that the care she has received so far while living in Scotland has been excellent. That is a good sign for me….I hope. After my recent trip to Ireland, and hearing the cab driver’s horror story about waiting almost 48 hours to see a doctor when he was suffering from major heart damage that has me worried. I know that Scotland and Ireland are two completely different countries, but that story made me feel a little nervous. I’m going to try and be as careful as possible while I am gone.

Now with that taken care of, the only things that I have left to do is pay my tuition and fill out my visa application. The last one is the most of my stress lately. I am hoping that the process goes smoothly, but I have a feeling it is going to be a nightmare. I am trying not to be a negative Nancy about the process, but so far everything has been fairly easy and everyone that I come in contact with has been so helpful and nice, that I can’t help but think that something is going to go wrong. I have been trying to do all I can to make myself an attractive candidate for a visa, but I have heard horror stories about UK visas. I have a friend who offered to help me and answer any questions that I might have. but she has enough going on in her life, that I do not feel it would be fair of me to bother her with questions. Luckily I don’t have to tackle any of those issues today…..but come Monday, that fun boat leaves the dock.