OK, well I wish this were a 'woohoo I'm in the UK and starting my wonderful adventure' post, but it's not. This is one of those posts I truly don't want to write, but I feel compelled to publicise this before everyone hears it through the grapevine. As I simply don't have the time or energy to write a bunch of individual emails, explaining what's going on and I'm not sure who will really care...I'm simply going to tell y'all here.

I am in the UK, in Edinburgh specifically, however it has not been a smooth ride. I was detained, interrogated and my luggage searched upon arrival at Glasgow Airport. Immigration officials asked me numerous questions, poked through my papers and personal belongings, held me in a detainment room for three hours and then proceeded to tell me they were denying my entry to teh country because thye did not believe I was here merely as a visitor. I can't go into all the details, but basically they had their 'suspicions' based on circumstantial evidence that I might be planning to stay longer than three months and find employment. It was a horrible, horrible experience and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. I told the whole truth and they twisted it all around to make it seem like I was lying...when in fact I volunteered more information than they would have readily been able to access.

I've been trying to sort it all out and called on the help of the local Citizens Advice Bureau and my former employer back in Canada, but it seems I am in a corner. The immigration authorities have absolute power and there is nothing I can do about it. I have to return to Glasgow airport on Saturday for a formal determination of whether I will be granted entry into the country, but it is just a formality and it looks like I will be flying home via Zoom on Saturday at 3.00 pm GMT.

So, yeah. I am blown away by this and not so happy about it. As you can probably understand...