Many of us have felt like outsiders in one way or another. To find your tribe, where you can be the truest, the most authentic version of yourself, is vital. As an immigrant, I understand that feeling of starting over, creating a new version of yourself. When you enter a new community, the place and its inhabitants can make or break that connection. Both protagonists in Shiny Bits are displaced, outsiders. Dorie and Clementine must search for not only their tribe, but perhaps more importantly, their truest selves. In my personal experience, this feeling of connection with Bolivar is because of the authentic character of its landscape, combined with the fact that I never met one person there who was not friendly, welcoming, and generous. Shiny bits in between is my love letter to this place and the people who live there.
Guess What?! Is this entry book-related? Yes, sort of. But most importantly, it's a life-changing moment for me. I've finally achieved a decades-long dream of moving back to the UK! Those of you who follow me on social media will have seen posts about my new adventures in bonnie Scotland where we recently bought an historic 1832 stone schoolhouse. It's on the edge of the Cairngorms in a remote part of the highlands, and I sit outside my house each day staring at the braes in awe of their stunning beauty. This is the place my family are from. My grandfather was an Anderson and had that soft Scots burr that I find so beautiful. Mum went to boarding school here while her parents worked in Brasil, and she still has a visceral love of Scotland (bagpipes make her cry). She always shared stories of her life which I believe imprinted that love of Scotland onto me over the years. When I spent time here two summers ago, I was walking along Rosemarkie beach and turned a corner to a s...
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