Four days after the wedding, I took the tube out to Stanmore to see Alison, Gemma, and the kids. We only had a short two hours but it was great to spend some time in a quiet place where we could hear each other! I don't know when I'll be back next, and it means a lot to see family, especially the little ones who probably won't remember me next time.

From Stanmore I trained back to London and out to Colchester, where I spent two nights with Derek, Ria, and their two children. Some friendships are meant to last, and I'm so lucky to have had the time catching up on life. Saoirse is quite the performer, and it only took the suggestion of a song to have her up on "stage" and singing - and what a great voice she has! Cillian is a total sweetie, and I'm putting bets on him being the songwriter of the family.

We spent Friday exploring Colchester Castle, which involved a lot of dressing up in Roman garb and ogling relics which were found in a 2014 excavation. The site was originally a temple, when Colchester was the first Roman capital of Britain. The castle itself dates back to 1076.

Some of the old treasures are much like items we have today. Caches of jewellery and surgical items were in amazing condition. The chain mail was incredibly heavy, and I can only imagine how tough those old soldiers would have been to get around in it.

Fast forward three days and I've learned how to make a decent pizza dough, eaten Derek's stir fry (and survived! Just kidding Derek, it was super tasty.), and discovered that if you have a 7:30am start with a 3:30pm arrival, it's a good idea to pack lunch. Does a packet of crisps count?

Regardless of my growling stomach, I arrived in Edinburgh this afternoon and am drinking in the sunshine and familiar sights. I'm staying with Annika, and while I waited for her to come home from work, I took a walk up Carlton Hill. Even with the building works, it's still beautiful. Dear Scotland, it's good to be home.