Hullo. We're Jon & Maggie.

Hullo. We're Jon and Maggie.

Jon's originally from Yorkshire and Maggie's from Minnesota, which means our life together involves a strange mix of British sarcasm, Midwestern overexplaining, and discussions about whether something is "a bit chilly" or genuinely freezing.

These days we live in a wee riverside lodge in Highland Scotland with our cats, too much coffee, and whatever weather Scotland feels like throwing at us that day.

After years of working in tech, consulting, and building businesses, we got a bit tired of the constant rushing around. We wanted quieter. More community. More real life. Less sitting in traffic wondering what the point of any of it was.

Like a lot of people, we had this whole idea in our heads about what moving to Scotland would be like. Some of it turned out to be true. Some of it absolutely did not. And most of real life sits somewhere in the middle. That's really what this site is about.

We're not experts or influencers or pretending every day is misty hills and cosy candles. Sometimes it's beautiful and sometimes it's trying to reverse on a single track road while mildly panicking. Sometimes it's finding the best bakery ever and sometimes it's wondering why your electric bill looks personally offended with you. A good sense of humour helps quite a bit.

Mostly though, we really love it here. The community, the scenery, the slower pace, the tiny everyday things that start to feel special without you even noticing. Hairy coos. Fresh bread. Village gossip. Watching the river after it rains. All of it.

This site is really just us sharing the honest version of making a big life change. The good bits, the stressful bits, the mistakes, the surprises, and the things we genuinely wish somebody had told us sooner.

Keep in touch

If that sounds like your sort of thing, you can subscribe on the home page and follow along. We only send something when we actually have something worth saying. You can also find the day-to-day nonsense over on Instagram at @naetripper.