Oh Darling, Let's Be Adventurers

[wherevergraciegoes]

Pumpkins For Days

Sarah Gif

Pumpkin pickers!

The harvest was bountiful

Oliver (he’s OLDDDD) overseeing our bounty

Sarah’s expert carving skills

From left to right, I did Mike Wazowski, Sarah did a bat and Sarah’s mom did the Cinderella pumpkin.

Again, from left to right, my Frankenstein, Sarah’s sister’s Donald Duck, Sarah’s sister’s girlfriend’s happy pumpkin and finally, the scariest pumpkin, was done by (are you ready for this long winded explanation?) Sarah’s sister’s girlfriend’s sister!

Hi All!

Since being back in the states, there hasn’t been too much to update you on, mostly just doing errands, hanging with family/friends, the usual stuff we did in Europe but with more of an entourage haha

But today was super fun! We went to a pumpkin patch, did a corn maze, carved pumpkins and just enjoyed a gorgeous fall day in the midwest! Don’t get me wrong, it was colder than heck, but at least the sun was out and the sky was blue so it looked nice. 

Pumpkin carving is an art form that can be enjoyed by young and old. I’m nearly 26 (my birthday is tomorrow!) and I enjoyed myself, while our youngest group member at just 6 also enjoyed herself, so really, a perfect way to spend an afternoon. 

Tonight, I believe, we’ll be going to some kind of outdoor light show? I’m not really sure, but it should be nice. Last night we stayed in and played board games, while the night before that, we went to a family wedding, so this seems like a good way to cap off a great weekend. 

I’ll keep you updated with things as they occur (if they’re worth documenting lol) and don’t worry, I know I still owe you a Cardiff and Highlands trip post. They’re coming!

Till next time! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Elated

Can I just quickly express the sheer joy that I felt hopping into a car and going to Target today? No bus schedule to check, no train to catch, nothing but running errands on our own time. Equally as exciting, doing laundry and having access to a dryer. Washing, and the subsequent, drying of our clothes was not a full day’s agenda item. Everything was washed and dried in a few short hours. Incredible.

No further updates today:) -G 

[wherevergraciegoes]

Last Day Abroad

Platform 9 3/4

Sarah gif

Victoria and Albert Museum + Sarah

Disney Store

I’m a princess

Selfridges

Harrods

What a day! It’s our last day abroad, can you believe?? (Insert Jonathan Van Ness voice here)

While it’s been the trip of a life time, it’s beyond weird we’re heading back to the states. On the one hand, I’m very sad to be leaving since that means heading back to reality, on the other hand, the reality of constant travel hasn’t been exactly what I imagined either. Lots of emotions and thoughts swirling away in my noggin this evening, but that’s a rant for another time. On to what we did today!

This morning we headed first to King’s Cross train station to visit Platform 9 3/4 as Sarah has never been. We puttered around the shop and Sarah got some good pics of the platform itself. Next, we went to Selfridges, I’ve watched parts of the show and love it, so I wanted to see the actual store. It’s GORGEOUS. So, again, we puttered around there and walked along, took some pics at the Disney store, and continued on towards Hyde Park and Harrods. Same with Selfridges, I’d heard a lot about Harrods but never been, so I wanted to check it out. Again, very beautiful, very expensive, very lovely. We then walked to the Victoria and Albert Museum (after seeing Kensington Palace yesterday, how could we not??) and enjoyed looking at the art and the shop there.

Then we went back to the apartment for a bit, we did a lot of walking and just wanted to rest our legs. We popped back into town for dinner, our last in the Europe, and walked around enjoying the sites, sounds, smells and general vibes that London has. 

I think, in our travels, we’ve come to know a lot more about each other, about what we want, both as individuals and as a couple, but also learned about how we operate as human beings outside of our usual surroundings. That’s some pretty heavy learning to do in a few months’ time, but I feel it’s been worth it. 

Tomorrow, we travel from London to Iceland and from there onto Chicago. So there will likely not be a post update tomorrow as we’ll be tired and jet lagged. 

Also, that being said, I’m not sure what shape this blog will take once we’re back in the USA. Will we continue to travel? Heck yes. Will it be for several months at a time? Highly unlikely, but who’s to say? I think it’ll be fun to continue the blog, maybe not as a travel blog only, but more of a way to keep track of what’s going on in our lives through pictures, videos and life updates. But I digress, we’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings!!

Till then, thank you so much for reading along and being a part of this journey with us, it’s been life changing!

Ta for now! -G

P.s. 

We know we still haven’t done our Wales and Scotland posts yet...we will do them, I promise you! Till than just go back and look at all the great gifs of me;)

-S

[wherevergraciegoes]

Breakfast at Buckingham

Lil Sarah gif for you

Sightseeing along the Thames

Westminster Abbey looking beautiful

Lego Big Ben

Kensington Palace

Grace gif

Sarah looking very debonaire and dapper

Hello hello! Today was a gloomy rainy day in London, but we made the best of it by starting off having breakfast at Buckingham Palace! Breakfast, of course, consisted of a muffin and a tea that we then ate outside the gates, but it was a delightful way to start the day. 

To avoid the rain as best we could, we alternated between ducking in and out of buildings and sightseeing in the city. We walked along the Thames and saw the London Eye and the face lift that Big Ben is getting. And when the weather got wetter, we ducked into the shops at Westminster Abbey. We also went to Covent Gardens and shopped along there at the LEGO store and some specialty tea stores. It’s always fun to window shop:)

To end our adventure in town, we went to Kensington Palace. I’d never been before and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Walking along the halls and seeing the art/architecture that so many lords and ladies and royalty had also seen was very cool. We then stopped off to grab some groceries so we could make dinner at our Airbnb and have spent the rest of the evening watching Victoria on Netflix since the palace got us in the mood for more royalty. 

I believe tomorrow is a toss up between a day trip to Windsor Castle, or further adventuring in London (maybe check out Platform 9 3/4 or Harrod’s/Selfridges (because I started watching Selfridges on Amazon and love it)). We’ll see where the day takes us! The fall weather, the rain, the cold, the impending end of our European adventure has put me in a bit of a ~mood~ and it seems all I want to do is sleep. So we didn’t even get going today till mid morning, it’ll be interesting to see what time we get going tomorrow! 

Ciao for now! -G 

[wherevergraciegoes]

We’re in London!

I know I still owe you a post from yesterday, we had a long day yesterday and a long day traveling today so I’ll get around to it because it was a magical day:)

Today, we left Glasgow for London! We have a few days here to enjoy the city and all its splendor before we head back across the pond, ending our European adventure.

So we’ll keep you in the loop! Friday post to come!

Cheers! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Because I can’t add it to the previous post for some reason, here is a stand alone Sarah gif to tide you over till a full Highlands post is written:)

Enjoy! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

A whole post on this will be coming, but until then please enjoy my Insta-story from Friday’s adventure to the.... *drum roll please* .... Scottish Highlands!!!

It was an absolutely magical day and I can’t wait to tell you all about it, but for now, please enjoy:)

Ta! -G

(sorry if the audio is weird... it shouldn’t be!!)

[wherevergraciegoes]

Hi my peeps!

Just a quick update for today (I’m a wee bit tired and we have an early wake up call tomorrow).

We started our Thursday packing up our bags to hit the road (tracks) again. Edinburgh is v close to Glasgow so we took about a 45min. long train set us back £13, which isn’t bad at all! The Scottish countryside is beautiful and we can’t wait to see more of it. The not so beautiful thing today was the weather. For the most part it’s been grey, cold, and rainy. Once we got settled into our new place we sought refugee in a near by palace. It’s called the People’s Palace and has been a free museum to the public of Glasgow since the 1800s! It was very interesting to see the history of both the city and the people who came from here throughout the times.

Afterwards we grabbed our umbrella and headed out for some lunch. Even on chilled days eating makes me happy. #fatkid

Of course we had to do some Primark shopping while we’re here and bought some new warm clothes for tomorrow and another (yes, another) luggage...we like to shop.

The shite day wasn’t getting any better so we picked up some yum yums for dinner and called it a day.

Tomorrow’s agenda is still a surprise, but we’re both very excited to see the beauty this country has on offer. Also, spoiler: Jamie Fraser, need I say more?

K bye girl!

-S

[wherevergraciegoes]

What. A. Day.

Today we decided to make the most of the Scottish sunshine and climb up to Arthur’s seat. Pictured above looking very similar to Table Mesa from Golden, CO.

It was a test of endurance as we are both very out of shape, but between frequent stops to catch our breath, as well as frequent selfies and making fun of ourselves for carrying a Starbucks on a hike, we made it to the top! The view was just gorgeous. Like, wow. On one side you had the city, you had the castle, you had Holyroodhouse Palace, then there were more hills off in the distance as well as shipping boats and islands on the Firth of Forth (or the body of water above Edinburgh that connects the Forth River and the North Sea). It was seriously stunning, made all the more magical by the warmth the sunshine provided and the backdrop the blue skies gave the landscapes. Simply stunning.

So after our first venture into hiking complete, we stopped by the Holyroodhouse Palace and wandered around that part of town. Then we grabbed some lunch and continued to wander. Into shops, into galleries, into museums, it’s great to be in such a walkable city! And, again, the weather was so delightful it seemed the best way to spend an afternoon in Edinburgh. Because it is our last day in Edinburgh. Tomorrow we’re off to Glasgow, earlier in the day so we can enjoy a mostly full day in town because on Friday we’ve booked something extra exciting, but I’ll keep you in suspense because I’m terrible at keeping secrets but this should be fun lol

For now though, I’ve wholeheartedly loved our time in Edinburgh and would love to come back and visit—maybe with friends or family so more people I love can enjoy the city with me! I’m looking forward to seeing Glasgow though as I’ve heard it’s quite different from Edinburgh. I’ve been told that if you like history, you’ll like Edinburgh and if you like to party, you’ll like Glasgow. So I’m curious to see what the city is actually like.

Till tomorrow! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Day 2!!!!! aka a magical day, aka a long day, aka my(Sarah) day to gush over, aka strap in for the ride!!

Obviously because I’m writing this post be prepared for a lot of photos of me because I’m so into myself 😉

(Here’s one to get your mouth watering)

We started our day by not leaving for another airport to catch another flight at a ridiculous hour in the morning but instead having a wee lie in and some tea, my favorite way to start the morning. After getting ready in our chosen Harry Potter colors (don’t worry we’ll get there😁), we headed out to the famous Edinburgh Castle! It sits on top of one of the cities many hills so it has gorg views gurl!

(Rooftops & hills, rooftops & hills, rooftops, rainbow, & sea!)

And of course we all so look great in front of these stunning views.

(Me in front of the castle, me with a pretty lady, sexy beast)

After taking in the castle, we made our way back down the royal mile (street leading to the castle filled of souvenir shops) to grab some lunch. I had the steak and ale pie again (see pic above) and Grace went for the classic English/Scottish breakfast.

(Don’t worry, they were vegetarian sausages)

Next part of the day was by far my favorite! Fun fact for all you muggles out there, the Harry Potter books were inspired by and written in Edinburgh! Although there are many walking tours to choose from, the most highly rated one was also free! We saw some graves that inspired names for characters, McGonagall, Moode & the dark lord himself, Tom Riddle!

Stay tuned……

[wherevergraciegoes]

....Welcome back! Sorry, I had too many photos in one post 😒

As I was saying, Lord Voldemort!

(Notice the small change to the spelling of Riddle, due to the anagram “I am Lord Voldemort”)

The grave yard was very spooky but also very fall!

It also provided stunning views of Edinburgh Castle, believed to be the inspiration for Hogwarts.

Along the way we got to practice our magic spells with our handy dandy wands!

After seeing a few cafes where J.K. wrote books 1-4 (there not that special looking, just google it mate), we ended our tour on Diagon Alley! The real street is named Victoria St., but in my eyes it will forever be Diagon Alley. One can see how this street inspired J.K. with its colorful shops with large front windows allowing people to look in at what’s on offer.

Overall Edinburgh is like jumping into the sets of the films and it just makes me smile so much! If you’re a Potter fan at all, put Edinburgh on you bucket list!

Thanks for coming on this adventure with us and always remember Slytherins are the best🐍

-S

P.s. have these three beautiful photos for possible screen savers.

[wherevergraciegoes]

Day 2!!!!! aka a magical day, aka a long day, aka my(Sarah) day to gush over, aka strap in for the ride!!

Obviously because I’m writing this post be prepared for a lot of photos of me because I’m so into myself 😉

(Here’s one to get your mouth watering)

We started our day by not leaving for another airport to catch another flight at a ridiculous hour in the morning but instead having a wee lie in and some tea, my favorite way to start the morning. After getting ready in our chosen Harry Potter colors (don’t worry we’ll get there😁), we headed out to the famous Edinburgh Castle! It sits on top of one of the cities many hills so it has gorg views gurl!

(Rooftops & hills, rooftops & hills, rooftops, rainbow, & sea!)

And, of course, we also look great in front of these stunning views.

(Me in front of the castle, me with a pretty lady, sexy beast)

After taking in the castle, we made our way back down the royal mile (street leading to the castle filled of souvenir shops) to grab some lunch. I had the steak and ale pie again (see pic above) and Grace went for the classic English/Scottish breakfast.

(Don’t worry, they were vegetarian sausages)

Next part of the day was by far my favorite! Fun fact for all you muggles out there, the Harry Potter books were inspired by and written in Edinburgh! Although there are many walking tours to choose from, the most highly rated one was also free! We saw some graves that inspired names for characters, McGonagall, Moode & the dark lord himself, Tom Riddle!

Stay tuned......

[wherevergraciegoes]

First Day in Scotland!!!

Ok, I know, I’m sorry we didn’t post this yesterday, it was just a very long and exciting day yesterday that started off very early and ended late and I didn’t feel like going through ALL my pictures/feelings and writing a halfhearted post at 11:45pm. So that brings us to today, where it’s technically day 2 in Edinburgh but we did so much I need to break it up into two posts anyway.

Intro aside, hello! And welcome to Edinburgh! I have been here for one day and am already thoroughly enjoying myself and think I may be in the love with the city. 

Look at this. THIS IS GORG.

ummmm INSPIRATION FOR HOGWARTS MUCH!?

Excellent gothic tower in the middle of town that I’ve now walked by several times but still don’t know the name of? Check.

GORGEOUS HILLS AND PLATEAUS AND GENERAL WONDERMENT?? Also, check.

So basically, just a great day.

We landed in Edinburgh around 11, took the bus into town (our Airbnb in a stones throw from the city center #lovinlife) and grabbed a cheeky Pret A Manger for lunch. If you didn’t already know, Sarah is OBSESSED with their ham and pickle sandwich and will eat it at any given opportunity. Once we’d eaten, found our place to be and settled in, we headed back out to see the city. It’s honestly just an absolute pleasure to walk around. There are lots of hills, so I feel like I’m working off my lunch, but it’s easy to walk. You walk, pop into shops, grab a tea, check out an art gallery, it’s literally my tourist dream. 

For dinner, we popped into a local pub and I was pleasantly surprised at how fabulous it was. It’s called the Southsider and the decor is adorable, the drinks are cold and they have, wait for it, a wide selection of vegetarian (and some vegan!) options! I was floored. I had halloumi “fish” and chips and it was delicious. Sarah had a meal that was so amazing we ended up going back there for lunch today (day 2). Steak and ale pie ftw.

We then did something that was an amazing birthday present to myself (because I enjoy celebrating my birthday for the whole month), I got to see Zoe Sugg! She has done a book tour for the launch of her latest book Cordially Invited and it was an absolute pleasure getting to see someone you admire from the internet in real life. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever gotten to meeting a celebrity in real life. Hearing her talk about her book and her inspiration for it was quite lovely, and she was quite lovely too. It was an experience I am so grateful to have gotten to do.

See? I’m beyond jazzed.

And thanks to Sarah for coming with me to something that so isn’t her thing but is totally my thing. Find yourself someone supportive people! ❤️

Isn’t she gorg?? Yes my camera doesn’t do her justice, but please believe me when I say she is a genuinely lovely person inside and out.

And obviously we can’t forget a Sarah gif!!

Post about day 2 coming soon! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Last Day in Helsinki

We spent all day setting up for, enjoying and cleaning up my grandpa’s 85th birthday party! He’s a delightful man and getting to spend this time with him has been really wonderful. Also, getting to meet more of his extended family, kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, was such a great way to spend our last day in Finland. 

Look at how gorg that sunset is!!

Tonight we just cleaned up, packed up and are ready for our next adventure in Scotland!! The airport taxi is set to pick us up at the butt crack of dawn, so I should head to bed and try to get some rest for tomorrow.

See you soon Edinburgh! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Hi there!

Happy Saturday to you all! 

We started off our day slowly, which I’m always game for. It was another chilly day here so we decided it was best not to do too many outdoor things. We made our way to one of the major shopping centers in Helsinki to pick up a birthday gift for Gracie’s Grandpa. Spoiler alert, we got him a fidget spinner, obviously the most awesome gift a 85 year old could ever want!

After grabbing a bite to eat, I needed to walk off my ever growing belly. Plus, we both agree that possibly our favorite thing to do in new cities is to simply walk the streets and see what’s around. However we quickly found out that Helsinki is not a “walk the streets” kind of town. Apart from it being cold and grey, there’s not that many shops, attractions, and cafes to walk into. Everything here is pretty much within a closed, winter protected, major shopping center. There’s a few of these that it seems people just move from one onto the other without stopping in between. 

Once it was decided we’ve seen enough and walked off our lunch, we went back to the mall to a coffee shop to have a snack;) It was delicious and warm and exactly what we needed.

We ended our day on a very happy note. Two of our very close friends are getting married today so we were able to Skype with them and send all of our love and well wishes. I’ve been a little bummed about missing out on the wedding day but seeing the smiles and happiness, even for a few minutes, I will cherish forever.

We have a busy day of cooking, setting up, and partying tomorrow planned, but also a major UFC fight is starting at 5am here, so well see how much sleep I get haha

Till next time!

-S

[wherevergraciegoes]

I don’t have many photos to show you of today since it wasn’t really a take photos kind of day.

Sarah took one for the team and stayed behind today so that our bag could be picked up and shipped back to the states, we’re slowly getting rid of things and onto a more manageable load of stuff, which is nice.

That meant that I went to Helsinki to see my grandparents other apartment and the location of my Grandpa’s 85th birthday party on Sunday. Their city apartment is very nice, lots of amenities and their friends are there, so I got to meet lots of new people. Some spoke English, some did not, which meant I did a lot of smiling and nodding and hoping I didn’t look like an idiot bobble head. After some lunch, my grandma and I headed to a covered market to see what they had and to just kill some time before I headed back to the ‘burbs. We walked around lots of stalls, it reminded me a little of a portable version of the indoor market we visited in Cardiff. Lots of little stands selling little nicnacks. After some wandering, we sat and had some tea and shared a pastry. It was good to spend some time just me and my Grandma.

I got a message from Sarah saying our bag had been picked up and would I like to meet her at the mall at the end of the metro line? You bet! So I hopped on the metro, got off at the wrong stop cuz that’s just how I am as a person, and made it to where I needed to be right when Sarah did too, so it worked out.

Being stuck at home all day with little to eat, we got Sarah set up with a snack and bought tickets to see Venom. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous the movie would be dubbed like they do in Germany, but it was in English! They just had Finnish and Swedish subtitles. Complete side note: I turn 26 this month, and yet I still had to show my ID to get into the theater because you couldn’t be admitted if you were under 18... do I look under 18? I think not. Anyway, no spoilers, Venom was good. It didn’t get good reviews from, you know, the Rolling Stone critics of the world (just an example, I didn’t even read a Rolling Stone review so don’t shame me) but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed Tom Hardy—no surprise there—and the soundtrack was very exciting. So if you’re looking for a good Marvel action flick, give it a go!

So that’s been our day! Welcoming the weekend, I think we’ll head to Helsinki and check out one of their islands. Or not! It’s a day just for us, so we are free to do whatever we want! The beauty of living that no plan life lol

Till next time! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Helsinki!

What a day!

Sarah and I woke up and figured out the bus and Metro on our own and went back to the dumpling stand for more tasty food. As you can see, it was a highlight:)

It was a cold day so riding around the metro was nice. It’s very orange, clearly, but very clean and bright. We commented on how the air when taking the underground in Munich or Paris seems dry and musty and polluted and that here, that’s not the case at all.

Finally, this afternoon, we went to a cousin’s house for afternoon “tea” which was an AMAZING and DELICIOUS meal. It was delightful talking with people our own age and hearing their ideas and seeing how they live their lives, it was a real treat.

Tomorrow we’re sending off yet another bag (minimalism is right around the corner, let me tell you). So Sarah will stay behind to get our bag sent off and meet me and my grandparents in the city at their other apartment. Because they’re moving from one apartment in Helsinki to another in the ‘burbs, they still have stuff in their Helsinki apartment, but are slowing moving it to their new place. But, ya know, they’re old, so it takes some time to move anywhere lol

So tonight will be a night of packing, planning, and making sure our ducks are in a somewhat organized fashion before we head out on the next leg of our journey!

Till tomorrow! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Another day in Helsinki

We got a bit of a later start today as Sarah wasn’t feeling the best, but decided to take it easy and head into town for a late lunch. We had DELICIOUS ramen and oh my goodness was it good. Hit all the right spots:)

Later, we went to the Sinebrychoff Art Museum. It was the closest we could come to a Finnish palace, or so my grandma says. The inside was beautiful, lots of classic European art, gorgeous furniture and decor, and a stunning atmosphere. So it was a great way to spend an easy afternoon.

We went back to my grandparents to watch Grandma’s new favorite Shakespeare and Hathaway, something from the BBC. I really enjoyed it so maybe we’ll watch more of it. After MasterChef Australia we left to head back to ours and made some dinner.

Now we’re cozied up and watching Mad Max Fury Road (honestly? What’s better than Tom Hardy AND Charlize Theron? Nothing. It’s ideal.)

I think the weather tomorrow is bad, so I’m not sure what we’ll do, but I just hope Sarah continues to feel better. It sucks when she’s ill. So we’ll keep you posted! Thankfully she was ok enough today to present us with a Sarah gif lol

Till tomorrow! -G