Where Edinburgh Feels Like Home: Living Abroad in Scotland

The first winter morning light in Edinburgh feels different from home. It reminds me of 6am in Bangkok, when the city is still and the air is cool. But the light that filters through my apartment window here, in a small three-storey flat, is not the same as the light that once touched the windows of my high-rise home in Bangkok. It is softer, colder, and carries a scent of sea air.

Can I call Edinburgh my home? I am not sure yet. I have entered my third year in this city, and each season brings change — new homes, new faces, and new ways of seeing.

There was a time when I was a student.

A time when I lived abroad again after graduation, seeking inspiration in California.

A time when I lived alone, without best friends or housemates.

A time when I did not know who I was, where I belonged, or what I wanted to do.

A time when I felt lost in my career and uncertain about my path forward.

After moving house five times within the city, I have begun to understand what it truly means to make a place feel like home. For me, it starts with rooting inward — learning to express myself honestly, no matter where I am.

Moving 9,800 kilometres across countries meant crossing worlds: geography, culture, values, and light. Bangkok was fast-paced, structured, and full of rhythm. Edinburgh is introspective, organic, and soulful.

Finding a sense of belonging

My first year here was all about exploration — discovering new streets, new knowledge, and new ways of living. I found joy in the simplest things: the architecture of the city, cosy cafés, independent stores tucked into corners, and the way spring water sparkles in the air.

Slowly, I began to rebuild and rediscover myself. I walked from the city to the sea, through Leith Walk to the Ocean Terminal where the Royal Yacht Britannia rests. The walk itself taught me to stay with myself, to notice the nature woven into the city, the diverse cultures along the road, and the dynamics of daily life.

Art, too, found me here. Edinburgh’s creative spirit hides in small corners — murals, galleries, and poetry in window displays. These details awakened my creative instinct again.

Creativity as a way home

Nature persuaded me to get closer to flowers, my way of expressing both art and emotion. It began with a simple bouquet I made for a friend’s graduation in winter 2023. That moment bloomed into something bigger. I learned new flower species, how to care for them in a colder climate, and how their lifespans echoed the rhythm of the city.

Working with flowers became a healing practice — a conversation between hands, heart, and nature.

Before this, I was trained as an architect, and I used to express myself through drawings and design, not words. When I first moved here, I had to strengthen my second language, English. During that time, I felt voiceless creatively. Slowly, I discovered other ways to express my feelings: photography, drawing, reading, and floral design. Each became its own form of meditation.

East meets West

Culturally, moving from Southeast Asia to Northern Europe has taught me independence and respect for solitude. Here, privacy and personal space are valued; freedom and human rights are protected. I have learned to enjoy my own company and to see independence not as loneliness but as peace.

Home, I have realised, is something that grows within. It is how I learn to stay grounded and perceive the world around me through an artist’s eye.

My flower project, Floral Reef & Co, has become my bridge between East and West, connecting my East Asian roots with this new landscape. What began as an online flower shop has evolved into a mindful floral brand rooted in Edinburgh. It embodies the balance I have been seeking: creativity, cultural connection, and well-being. Floral art has long held meaning in Asian philosophies such as Ikebana, where arranging flowers reflects the harmony between nature and the soul. In the West, I have found that same spirit expressed through well-being projects and community workshops. Here, art and healing coexist beautifully.

Homecoming

Sometimes, home finds you in the softest ways — through winter light, through nature, through the courage to start again. Feeling at home is not about returning to where I was born. It is about arriving at a version of myself that feels whole, grounded, creative, and open.

Just listen to yourself, and take the path your heart tells you.

Sara Ananrojwong is a multidisciplinary artist based in Edinburgh who connects people with nature through floral art, experience design, and visual storytelling. Her work explores the intersection of culture, place, and human experience — particularly how mindful living can support emotional well-being.

A heiter approach to movement with Studio 70 founder Laura Rice

heiter contributor Anna Considine sat down with Laura Rice, founder of Glasgow yoga and pilates studio, Studio 70. Laura shared how she follows a joy-led approach to movement, both personally and in the studio’s new reformer pilates space.

Hi there Laura! First of all, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Studio 70?

Hi Anna! I’m Laura Rice and I’m the founder of Studio 70 in Glasgow. We offer yoga, mat pilates, and now reformer pilates too. We are a purpose-driven studio on a mission to make yoga accessible and inclusive for all.

Studio 70 founder Laura Rice

Amazing, I can so see that in everything you do. Getting more personal, I’d love to hear how has your idea of “joyful movement” evolved over time?

Well, I didn't actually have any particular sports or movement practice as a young person or as a child. I gradually got into running and found yoga complemented that, and I got into rowing as well. From speaking to our clients, I think not finding movement that resonates is so common at school, especially for women.

But, over the years, yoga has been my consistent practice while other things have come and gone. The most recent example has been getting into strength training since having my last baby 18 months ago. I've been wanting to refocus on regaining the strength I lost through pregnancy and focusing on other things over the last few years!

I’ve definitely found that exercise has also been about finding that social hub; it was one of the ways I made friends when I moved to Canada, and we've seen the studio become that for folks here, too.

I love that so much. I'd love to hear what your vision was when you first imagined Studio 70 and how it has shifted since opening?

Well, before opening Studio 70 I was teaching from different community venues and it left me wanting a space to teach and that I was able to shape… a bricks and mortar business where people could gather. It was normal to be in a room with a dance class next door!

Over the years, we’ve evolved a lot, expanding multiple times to create the space Studio 70 is now. We've brought in an amazing team of teachers, as I'm sure you'll know, and they’re sharing so many beautiful offerings. It’s let me step back a little, which has suited me for the last couple of years especially, but I’m always listening to the community to see what they want. 

We’re definitely more values-led now: we’re really clear on what our values are and they impact every business decision we make. I love that we’re making choices like offering a scholarship space for our teacher training, because we know that the wellness space can be quite whitewashed, and we want to bring people of colour into the seat of the teacher. Nowadays, I think that when folks come to our studio, it’s quite clear what we stand for.

That’s beautiful… I think a lot of fitness spaces can feel really intimidating! How do you ensure that Studio 70 is welcoming to all bodies and all abilities?

One of the things that we were really clear on with our teachers is that it’s really important that our classes feel welcoming and accessible. This means we encourage them to suggest a range of options for poses, and we have plenty of props too. It’s about ensuring everyone can decide what’s the right version of a pose for them on that day, and there’s no pressure for that pose to look a certain way. We also educate our teachers on asking for pronouns, to ensure that nobody will be misgendered while they are here.

And of course, we are very intentional about our marketing too. We try to make sure we are showing bodies of varied sizes and shapes, and also different ethnicities too.

Brilliant. heiter is all about joyfulness; how does that philosophy resonate with your approach to movement?

I think my approach to movement is that it should come from a place of self-love rather than punishment. So, I'm going to go to Pilates tonight because I know that that is a way of nourishing myself on so many levels: not just a physical level, but also for my mental being. For me, it's really about finding a sense of joy and nourishment. 

I love that too. Lastly, I'd love to know: where do you see Studio 70 in five years?

Ooh gosh, that’s a question! We’ve expanded a lot over the last few years, so on the one hand I can see that continuing. On the other, we might decide we are really happy at the size we are now. We have a project in the pipeline that we haven't announced yet, where we’re working on a bigger reception area, which is exciting. I could see us focusing on events, retreats, and workshops, that kind of thing. We shall see.

You can find Studio 70 on Instagram, TikTok, and on their website here.