“Everything just started falling apart” for the US couple nine years ago.
Justin Brulla, who was studying for a master’s degree in Texas, hadn’t received the scholarship he needed to complete his education.
Nor could he or his wife Anna find suitable work.
So they started researching overseas study opportunities – especially in English-speaking countries – and felt drawn to Scotland.
Why US Instagram influencer family settled in Fife
Today, the couple and their four children – Maggie, 12, Laurel, 10, Ailie, seven, and Finnan, one – live in the Dunfermline area.
Over the past eight years, Justin, 38, has completed a master’s degree in social work at Stirling University and landed a role in the industry.
Anna, 37, who works in hospitality, has given birth to their two youngest children.
And they’ve even built up a following of nearly 18,000 followers on Instagram, where they share the ins and outs of life in Fife.
Speaking to Anna on the phone, I say it was brave to pack up their lives and move across the world with two children.
She says: “We figured our kids were really little, so what is holding us back? We might as well.
“Justin applied to the course at Stirling University and we just kind of jumped in head first, not really knowing what to expect.
“And now we’re still here eight years later.”
Were there any culture shocks?
According to one of their most viral Instagram videos – where Anna points out that many everyday items have different names in Scotland – it was a “culture shock” to begin with.
Speaking to their (mostly US audience) while holding baby Finnan, Anna explains: “The first time I did shopping online, because we didn’t have a car, I couldn’t find anything that I was looking for because I didn’t know what it was called.”
These items include squirty cream (they call it “whipped cream” in the US), washing up liquid (they call it “dish soap”) and candy floss (“cotton candy”).
Clothes shopping was difficult to start with too, she says.
“I just didn’t know which stores to go to,” she says.
“You’re kind of relearning your environment
“The only way to adapt was to just go into stores and walk around.
“I was like: ‘Okay, this is what this store sells’, and, ‘Okay, this is what this item is called’.
“It’s almost learning a new language.”
The hardest thing about living in Fife
But the biggest challenge of all?
Anna, who grew up on the sunny East Coast, says: “I remember our first summer here it was really, really wet.
“I was thinking, ‘Okay, when school’s over, we are leaving!’
“But I mean, you just learn to adapt.
“And when you get nice days, you learn to really enjoy them.”
The family like to make the most of their downtime, often visiting beauty spots across Scotland.
Some of their favourite attractions include Kinnoull Hill in Perth, The Hermitage in Dunkeld and Aberdour Silver Sands beach.
“Sometimes we’ll just get in the car and just drive and kind of see where it goes,” Anna says.
“We like hiking, exploring new little towns and doing coastal walks.”
They enjoy sharing their adventures with their social media following.
Why the Brullas decided to share family life on Instagram
The couple, who met while working in Utah in the summer of 2008, started their Instagram account – The Irn Brulla’s Abroad – in 2018.
Anna says: “Initially, it was just to show friends and family what it was like living abroad.
“And then we decided to open it up to others.
“It has sort of taken off recently.
“We’ve gotten a few thousand extra followers just the past few days – I have no idea why!”
Much of their content is consumed by Americans who are either living or considering living in Scotland.
As well as posting what they have been up to, Anna and Justin share a lot of useful tips for expats.
Their content ranges from amusing to helpful.
In one video of a standard toilet roll dispenser in a public bathroom, a seemingly unimpressed Anna asks her followers if they have “ever seen toilet paper like this in the states?”
A more recent video shows the mum-of-four breaking down the differences between the tax systems in the US and in Scotland.
The couple receive questions about life in Scotland every day.
The children crop up in videos here and there, but Anna says she is trying to find a “balance” when it comes to posting them online.
She says: “I don’t want to put them on social media a tonne.
“You know, they’re part of our family and they’re in videos.
“But there are still safety concerns. I just don’t want them out there a tonne.
“But they do ask to be in videos. They like taking part.”
‘There are school shootings in America – our children are safe in Scotland’
Indeed, the safety of her children in Scotland is one reason she loves living in Fife.
“It definitely feels safer to raise our kids here.
“You know, there are a lot of school shootings and things happening in America right now, and [Scotland] just feels like a safe place.”
They also love their newfound ability to travel overseas with ease.
“Europe is right there, and it’s really inexpensive to travel,” Anna says.
“We’ve been able to take our kids places that like we never would have been able to do had we just stayed in the States.”
So far they’ve been to Italy, Germany, France and Slovenia.
They even spent one Christmas in the Netherlands.
But it does mean they can’t afford to visit their family in the US as much as they would like to.
“It’s definitely hard. We miss [our family] a lot, and it makes me sad that our kids aren’t growing up around like their cousins or grandparents.
“It has definitely made our little family unit stronger.
“We’ve had to rely on each other more.”
Are the Brullas here to stay?
It begs the question, are they here to stay?
“We all just got indefinite leave to remain [a UK immigration status that allows non-citizens to live, work, and study in the country without time restrictions].
“So we want to stay at least a few more years and get everybody’s dual citizenship.
“Ultimately, we’d love to be able to go back and forth [between Scotland and the US].
“Or, if we were able to work online and move around, that would be nice.”
With their follower count rising day by day – influencing can be a high-earning career – the nomad lifestyle could well be within reach.
- Is your family a little bit different? Email poppy.watson@dcthomson.co.uk to share your storyÂ
Conversation