One week of social distancing down… however many more to go. In all reality, it’s not so bad here in the UK. We are allowed to go out and walk in nature, some stores are still open, with limits in place, and we can still get food from restaurants as take out. And as I’ve…
A Socially Distant Birthday
Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Spring to you all! What a weird birthday this is. I’ve been a mess most days lately, but for some reason, I woke up feeling fairly positive today. I received many messages from loved ones near and far, we ordered me a sewing machine to keep me busy in…
Social Distancing and Anxiety
It’s been a long time since I accepted my brain and all it’s quirks. After years of therapy, my therapist helped me realize that I need to challenge my brain’s anxious thoughts and tell them they are wrong. She used to say to me, “FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real” and that’s something I have…
A Socially Distant Expat
So here we are. Officially asked to socially distance ourselves from others to help reduce the spread of the Virus Which Shall Not Be Named (from here on out known only as VWSNBN). I had already planned on kind of self isolating in an attempt o stay healthy for my birthday this Friday, but for…
Magnet Fishing on the Canals
Long before there were lorries bringing our goods to market, long, shallow boats transported goods throughout England on man-made canals. Begun in Roman times and expanded during the Industrial Revolution in the 17th and 18th centuries, canals were efficient ways to get heavy loads of goods throughout the island. Long, low boats were initially pulled…
Eight Excursions to take in Beautiful Budapest
Originally three cities split by the Danube river, Buda, Pest (said Pesht), and Old Pest are now united as one large Hungarian capital, Budapest. Budapest is a beautiful city full of amazing architecture, delicious foods and a history of being taken over by it’s neighbors. But Hungarians are resilient and their capital is now a…
Blogette #7: In Search of Nessie
Long fascinated with mysteries like the Loch Ness Monster, I knew that seeing the loch with my own eyes some day needed to happen. When we planned our trip through Scotland this Christmas break, we made sure to stop by Loch Ness to, hopefully, say hi to Nessie. Days before we actually stood on the…
Wine Tasting at W&J Graham’s Port Lodge
I walked into W & J Graham’s and felt instantly comforted. The cavernous port lodge entry area was whitewashed wood and smelled old… but in a good way. Decor was sparse but clean but a massive iron “Grahams” ensured I knew where I was. We checked in to our tour reservation (reservations are a must)…
Five Ways to Spend a Weekend in Porto
Climb the Torre dos Cliergos One of my favorite things to do when visiting a new city is to climb the tallest height and survey the city below. This leads to some of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen. Porto was no different. The Torre dos Cliergos is a bell tower attached to the…
Grief as an Expat
“Grief is like the ocean, it comes on waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.” Vicki Harrison On December 16, 5400 miles from where I was, my grandfather passed away quietly in his sleep at nearly 90 years old and…
Fernweh Findings 