#when I first met my bf we went wine tasting as one of our first dates

[unfortunate17]

NOT WILLE TAKING SIMON TO A SUSHI RESTERAUNT BUT HES ALLERGIC TO SEAFOOD 😭😭 SIMON HE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU PLEASE GIVE THAT MAN YOUR HAND IN MARRIAGE

akcndknskxnsksk Wille’s down HORRENDOUS ok, and so is Simon, he’s just in his denial phase.

I’m happy y’all are enjoying Wille in this I was truly terrified that I’d over done it but this is a Wille that is infinitely more tragic than the one we see in canon - he didn’t meet Simon until much later, he’s already King, and he’s desperately searching for a genuine, real connection. It makes him eager to please, like he has to bargain to keep Simon’s interest.

But I digress, we will see more of this dynamic play out in the next chapter 🤭

Thank you for reading anon!!

[imnotwolverine]

The Accidental Family - Chapter 4

Henry Cavill x OFC - multi-chapter

< Chap 3 | Chap 4 The First Date night | Chap 5 >

Disclaimer: fluff, mild smuttiness, some strong language

Word count: 2.303

Author’s note: I had so much food the past couple of days 😂So yea, despite the Christmas days having been weird at best, me and my bf had quite a bit of fun - and a whole lot of romantic dinners to kill the time. And ..now we’re talking romantic dinners..

(Link to my Masterlist)

--

‘Black or purple, what do you think?’ Henry held up the two ties before Kal, the dog tilting his head left and right, as if deciding which one was better. The answer was apparently quite simple according to Henry’s dog; with an excited huff the Akita jumped right up in Henry’s face, licking him all over.

‘Yea, yea, hahahah - that’s the goal. Hahahah. You got me there. So..no tie, then?’ He pushed the dog back down and ruffled him through his thick fur. Kal borked softly and Henry agreed. ‘Very well, a little less formal is probably better, you’re right. We’re having a date at home, anyways.’

Henry breathed in deeply and looked in the direction of the kitchen, his stew simmering on a low fire as he heard Phoebe rummage upstairs, some closet cabinets opening and closing in a mildly hasty manner.

With Henry still in full recovery, it was decided that it would be best to just stick to a cute home dinner for their first dinner date since his memory loss - just to avoid any overzealous fans that would disturb him in a restaurant after the news had been released that he had suffered a serious head injury in a motorcycle accident.

The accident had left many scars. Both physical and mental. It was weird to be here at home now more people lived here, the kids on a prolonged stay with the grandparents while Henry and his wife recuperated from the shake-up his - their - life had had.

In the past days Henry had seen about every specialist and doctor in the book. He went from lengthy couch sessions with a psychologist - the story of the introduction of his kids having been received with mild horror - to the keeping of sleep and medication schedules with his doctor to make sure he got enough recovery and rest in between re-learning the basics of his new life.

The fact that a good many people surviving such head trauma would never be the same, troubled Henry greatly, and so whenever he was allowed to search the internet, which was sparingly, he scoured it like a starved man, the printer in the living room doing over-time to print all the articles and research he had found.

But, all that research would have to wait for the moment. First he’d have to get reacquainted with another part of his life: his wife. And even now as he heard her rummage around the master bedroom, he couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter with nerves.

What if she didn’t like the new Henry? What if he couldn’t fall in love with her. Or the sex would be awful, or..

NO! Stop those thoughts.

Looking back in the hallway mirror, he unbuttoned his blouse a little further, a little peek of chest hair popping out over the sleek white fabric.

‘Button up or down?’ Henry looked over at Kal, but the dog thought his human dad was being ridiculous, his body turning around to trod back to the kitchen to slobber up some water.

‘..Very well then.’

--

It was near surprising how easy dinner went by. Which of course, shouldn’t be too much of a surprise; Henry and Phoebe had several dinners at home before this one, though they never had been quite so romantic. Henry had turned the lights down low and lit some candles, the kitchen radio playing some soft jazzy music playing in the background.

With dinner over and the dirty plates returned to the dishwasher - the dance of moving around the kitchen together now quite well practised, they ended up on the couch, the both of them sipping on some tea, since it was strongly advised not to consume alcohol after Henry’s brain injury.

‘So...’ Henry finished the last sip of his tea and placed it on the side table next to his right elbow, his blue eyes searching for his wife’s slightly dazed expression - she did have a wine or two with his stew.

‘Hmm?’

‘Are you falling asleep on me, wife?’

‘Hahaha you wish.’

‘I do wish.’

‘Oh stop it!’ Her cheeks burned a bright pink, making Henry chuckle - at least he still got some of his charms.

‘I WAS actually wondering about what you mentioned earlier. When I asked you on this date..remember?’

‘Yea…’ She lifted her legs and crossed them, snuggling herself more comfortable in her nook on the couch, lips blowing over her slowly cooling tea.

‘What did you mean by “we never really dated”?’ Henry quoted the last words with his fingers.

‘Oh!’ She quickly looked away, her hands deciding it was best to put her tea away on the side table on her side of the couch. ‘Yea….’ She looked back at Henry. ‘That’s a funny story..’

‘Mmm?’

‘Okay, okay. So, I’m just curious. How do you think we met?’ Her eyebrows rose in expectation, her body fully turning towards him, legs still crossed before her chest. Henry also turned slightly, his arm stretching out over the back of the couch, his fingertips just about able to reach her knees.

‘Hmm. I’ve actually thought about that. Though of course I don’t know. But ehh..’ He squinted his eyes a little, as if playfully wanting to guess. ‘I think I met you on set.’

‘How’s that?’

‘I don’t know. Just a feeling.’

‘Well. It’s not. Try again.’

‘Okay..Ehm, then I totally met you at the grocery store and hit on you so hard that you thought I was some weird creep?’

She laughed. ‘That has happened. Not with you though.’

‘Shame.’

Phoebe laughed and shook her head. ‘Dork.’

‘OH! A comic book store?! A Comic Con? A..’

‘No, and.. no.’

‘Alright, I don’t know. Spill the beans, wife-dear.’

She shot him an exasperated look, before clicking her tongue. ‘We shagged at an after party.’

Henry’s face blanked. ‘I’m sorry, say that again: AT an after party?’

‘Yea..we definitely did it AT the after party.’

‘Was I drunk?’

Phoebe laughed. ‘Shit Henry. Of course we were. We both were. I wouldn’t for the life of me shag anyone on any party, but there we were, fumbling hands and tearing expensive dress shirts in a toilet stall.’ 

Henry’s eyes widened at her words.

‘Yea..classy, right? And you left me a little present too.’

‘We’re not talking about just a phone number here, huh?’

‘Nope. You knocked me up with our ray of sunshine, Sam. Funny thing was that I lost my phone that night, and with it your number. I then contacted your assistant, Aunt Lea, whom TOTALLY didn’t believe you’d do anything of the sort, so it took me a good three months to get in contact with you.’

‘Holy crap.’

Phoebe sighed deeply and turned away again, as if wishing to shut out Henry from her thoughts. ‘Yea, it’s been a wild ride.’

‘Wait.’ Henry pushed himself a little closer so he could brush a hand over her shoulder, his eyes searching the curve of her nose and the pull of her lips. ‘Do you regret it? It’s okay if you do. I mean, we’re all out, bums out - besides I can’t remember a thing of the things you just said.’

Phoebe shook her head. ‘No.’ She finally looked back up at Henry, her eyes a lot more warm and welcoming than he had expected. ‘I was already smitten with you before I rang this doorbell to give you the happy news you were about to become a dad...and I’d have kept sweetheart Sam either way the wind would have blown.’

‘Sam..Fixing his dad and all.’ Henry smiled.

‘Gods.’ Phoebe chuckled. ‘That was bad.’

‘Kinda. I’ll need some help with managing that rowdy bunch.’ Henry sighed, feeling Phoebe’s hand reaching out to brush through his curls again - he liked it.

‘I had a good night.’ She said.

Henry looked at her and instantly felt his heart flutter, his stomach dropping and palms going sweaty. It was quite obvious that IF he wanted to make a move, he’d have to do it now. And so, with perhaps a bit too awkward a hastiness, he scooted closer to Phoebe, his black burning eyes staring down into her expecting dark blues.

‘I liked it too. I like YOU..too.’ He breathed, making her eyes also grow darker by the second.

‘Good,’ She whispered, switching her focus between his left and right eye, noses slowly crawling closer to one another until their lips were but a breath away from touching.

‘Can I kiss y..-?’

His words lingered somewhere in between the crashing of their two bodies, Phoebe’s arms eagerly pulling him towards her, her lips savouring the taste of mint tea and musk on his tongue. And as eagerly as they started, so eagerly it to-tal-ly escalated. In moments Henry had flipped her flat onto the couch, his hands scorching the skin on her neck and chest, fingertips teasing and touching whatever piece of flesh her simple black dress revealed.

‘FUCK.’ She whined, turning her head to offer him more neck for him to bite down into.  

Henry growled and lowered his hip, making her feel the eagerness he felt in the tightness of his dress pants, the fabric strained around his crotch.

‘Oh gods,’ Her breath hiccuped and were it not for Henry’s attentiveness, he wouldn’t have picked up on the tears that had started to spill from her eyes, his body immediately pushing back up before he wiped the stray hairs in her face away, worried eyes studying her trembling lips and blurry gaze.

‘I-I’m so sorry.’ She mumbled, turning her head into the couch pillow, wishing to hide from his penetrative gaze.

‘No, no. It’s okay. Sshhh.’ He sat up on his haunches and pulled her with ease onto his lap, his chin pressing down onto her head as she cried into the open V of his shirt, his chest hair wetting with her agony - yep he kept it buttoned down. ‘Sshhh.’ He hushed, pressing more and more kisses into her golden hair. ‘I’ve got you.’

‘I’ve missed you so much.’ She whimpered, and it was in that moment Henry hated himself for the way his erection twitched beneath the plush of her thighs, his mind having to focus on anything but her scent and warmth - and failed. Henry failed miserably, Bee’s head starting to shake “no” as she pushed herself off his lap.

‘Fwooo…’ She breathed, focusing on slowing her breath before she looked back at Henry with watery eyes, their bodies separated by the magic of opposing magnetic energy; if Henry tried to come closer, she leaned back and vice versa.

‘Maybe we should give THAT a little more time.’ She chuckled through her tears, the back of her hand wiping away the smudge of mascara that was running down her cheek.

‘I’m sorry about that.’ Henry muttered, feeling like he had failed completely, though thankfully Phoebe could only see the hilarity of it:

‘Guess nothing much has changed in that department.’ She sighed and turned her body back towards him. ‘Is it okay if we sleep apart for a little bit? Just to..-’

‘Calm down?’

‘Yea.’ Her lips curled in a smile.

‘I’m not really used to sleeping with women on the first date anyways.’

Phoebe laughed, poking him in the bicep. ‘OH PLEASE, don’t tell me I was the only one you ever..’

Henry laughed along and shrugged with boyish innocence: ‘Can’t remember, but from what I know, I ...never..’

‘Will you go on another date with me though?’

Henry let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He was pleased with her gentle plea, his hand catching hers to press a sweet and tender promise of a kiss onto the back of her hand. ‘Absolutely.’

--

That night Henry found himself bunking up with a bed full of stuffies, the bed of his 4-year old the only one he could somewhat fit into.

Turning towards the stuffies, he remembered the notes his wife had given him in the past days: Sam had a stuffy named Mr. Stinky, which he had left behind to watch over his other friends while he was away. 

Henry studied the line up of rabbits, elephants, bears and foxes. Which one was Stinky anyways? His wife had said it in between a avalanche of other information, so Henry hadn’t quite managed to catch on like he so wished.

‘Oh..There’s a LOT to learn huh..Mr Stinky? Or ..were you Mr Stinky?’ He looked from stuffy to stuffy, the large beady eyes looking back at him in silence. With a slight smirk on his face Henry pushed his nose into their fluffy bellies, inhaling deeply to find out which one would be Mr. Stinky. But, apparently it was just a name; they all smelled fine.

Rolling onto his back, he switched off the Mario mushroom shaped night light, the ceiling above glowing up with a hundred small stars that had been put up to keep the nightmares at bay.

‘Woa..’ He breathed, feeling his heart flip at the idea that everything about this was real. He had kids. He had..a wife. A family life. And now all he needed to learn was how to fit into his new role. This new ..Henry. And, for the fuck of sakes: if he wasn’t going to jerk off soon, he’d jump his wife before the night was through. It was quite clear how they had never made it to a first date; she simply made his heart and loin ache in a way he had never quite felt before.

Sighing deeply he looked back at the dark row of judgmental beady eyes next to him. He chuckled.

‘Yea...let’s not do that here.’

--

Chap 5 >

--

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@ceilingfann @do-youseeme

[hoodie-at-the-bar]

over-sized baggage claim

This was an interesting one. Since our date, he has unmatched me on Tinder and Bumble, but I thought we left on amicable terms? Sorry! I’m reading/writing ahead!

Aaron was tall, and cute. We first matched on Tinder when I was visiting Boston. It slowed down then we matched again on Bumble and went back and forth. I already saw one yellow flag, in that he asked me to come to Capitol Hill versus trying to see if we can meet in the middle or compromise - it had a “come drink with me!” vibe. I was discussing with two friends at a bar about him, and both of their consensus was : “he’s really cute, go out with him and if there is nothing there let us know so we can go out with him.” Okay - he was cute

He kind of had that Zack Morris look - you know All-American, with that warm smile. He had a great smile.

So I met him at a sushi place in Capitol Hill, which now appears to be Chungee's Drink 'N Eat for a drink. Right away he came off as antagonistic - reminded me like a more charming of “Fuck you/Google it” guy. I was telling him how I’m not a private person, in the sense that when I post things on Facebook, I don’t mind sharing photos of what I do, or checking into locations. If the government was spying on my food photos, or Buzzfeed shared links, I have nothing to hide.

“Ok then, send me your bank information and social security number”

What? One of my pet peeves is when people try to stump you by comparing Apples to Mountain Goats - not even remotely close to the topic. I tried explaining that I don’t post private information due to financials and identity theft - that’s it’s not even the same category, and he tapped my leg and gave me as mile and said “I’m just kidding” in a condescending ‘calm down’ tone.

Oh I get it - he’s one of those guys who thinks he’s funny when it’s not even a witty remark, or a joke with a punchline.

“I’m never really mad” “Oh yeah? What if I shoot you in the face and start beating you up, then would you be mad?” “Well, I’d like be dead” “I’m just kidding!”

“I don’t really like coconuts” “Oh yeah? Hat if I gave you a million dollars inside a bag that had coconuts on it?” “I don’t like the taste of coconuts, not the image” “I’m just kidding!”

“I don’t think having lunch with a male friend is bad, if I let my boyfriend know about it” “Oh yeah? So you’re saying you wouldn’t mind if I sleep with your best friend?” “...” “I’m just kidding!”

Again, I can go on - but that type of communication and style of humor - if you can call it that - doesn’t even have a rationale flow of thought. One of those “it’s not even the same thing! And the moment you attempt reason, first mistake, you get the “whoa, calm down - can’t even take a joke”.

He definitely had some arrogance to him. Said he was dancing with Kirsten Dunst in a nightclub, but he wasn’t interested so she went to find him , with bodyguards, and grabbed him so he could dance with her. I stopped listening, because it wasn’t a humble brag, an aggressive brag he barely tried to disguise as humble.

He was calculated though - he knew how to keep me from calling it a night. He smiled the whole time and kept a conversation. He paid for the bill and invited me over, very open about that was why he asked me to Capitol Hill. He had no intentions of sleeping with me - he said he had met some girl he was somewhat interested in. I asked, “So are you not single? What are we doing right now.” He said they weren’t official, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to date her, but he liked her. I can’t follow thee words, but I went over anyway.

He said come over for some wine, and platonic cuddling. It had been a while since I had that kind of affection, so it didn’t seem like a bad idea. We each had a glass, and he was being flirtation and a bit handsy on the couch - but he never kissed me. Something about it seemed like he was cheating on the girl he wasn’t dating. Even when we made it to the bedroom, there was some more than platonic cuddling, but still: no kissing, and no sex or any other things to that matter. At one point he seemed a bit out bf breath and stopped and said, “I can’t have sex with you.” It makes me laugh - “that makes two of us?”

I had no intentions of sleeping with Aaron, just flirtatious light intimacy seemed to be how the night ended. In the morning, he was a bit weird, saying he was a mess and he wasn’t sure what he wanted in life or a relationship. He had baggage and wasn’t in the right place to date. I chuckled and smiled and said, “I kind of got that impression before we left the bar - don’t worry, you were not a contestant to bring home to mom.”

He was thrown off, as if he was expecting me to be sad and ask him to try to date me. “Oh - um, okay cool. Sweet - see you’re really cool, and I enjoy talking to you. I know it sounds weird to say but if you … wanna be friends and hang out?”

I smiled again, and said “Sure” that sounded like I was being sarcastic, but just so slightly it could pass for honesty. We never really talked much after that.

-March 31, 2018

Date #1 w/ BMBL Aaron Smile Suitors in 2018 YTD: 9 Dates in 2018 YTD: 10

[awkawardmissie]

My LARPing Experience

I promised, and here we are, a month later 😅 (I’m always way too optimistic about my deadlines)

Day 1

So my boots’ sole gave out 30 minutes before we got in the car. So there’s that.

I drank a sip of chartreuse and it was absolutely disgusting, had to drown the taste with a whole bag of gummy bears, got a sugar rush and crashed after 15 minutes. I slept through the whole trip, and I apparently I snored and was in such a weird position with my pillow that I looked like I got in a car crash.

We got to the site around 7PM, got in our costumes and made a bit of catching up, and my friends (my bestie and her boyfriend) and I settled inside a wooden shelter. We all registered our characters. Saw a guy I previously dated, he registered me, it was super awkward.

We then got called to the castle to hear the rules and the new settings of the story. Fall of a star, return of a demonic character, cool stuff.

Fun fact: when you died, you stayed on the ground until nobody’s on site, you went to the cemetery in the woods, arms crossed, and stayed there for a minute, and then you were back in the game, but you didn’t remember how you died or who killed you.

When the story got set, I was nauseous, so I tried to make myself a meal. Took me a whole hour, with the help of 4 guys, to start a decent fire. I ate half cooked rice, with some half warmed up canned herring in tomato sauce.

The Baron (who governed the land) interrupted us like 3 times while we were trying to make the fire, asking about the Crows tribe, that he wanted to kill.

I went to sleep at around 1am, it was super cold outside (around 10C, or 50F). I heard everything. People died, and a necromancer raised them as zombies (I left just in time). A zombie became someone’s “bitch” and got ordered to reenact a fellatio, and I was super weirded out.

I managed to fall asleep in multiple layers and the cocoon I made myself with the sleeping bag.

Day 2

I woke up at like 9. I burned my oatmeal to a crisp, I’m still trying to scrub it out now.

The Baron relinquished his power to the Crows. The village lived in fear. I got killed twice.

Once eaten by a Crow. The second time from an arrow in the head and from fire hits from a woman-hating enchantress and her horde of bewitched men who killed every woman in sight.

Being a Redhead is a disease called the Rednarok. You become a Redhead by being bit by them.

I met a guy, an air master. We clicked really fast. We met while he was climbing a house (he actually nailed that) to avoidthe Rednarok. We spent the rest of the day together, sharing snacks and exploring the woods together.

Both my boots completely gave out in the woods so we got duct tape.

My best friend got sick, so her bf drove her to his parents’ house.

I saw a public “execution” because someone stole from the Great Crow. That someone was the air master I was with.

He took me to the fortress’ library, left me there with weird pirates who “raped” a sailor with a dildo-horned “unicorn” (a bald guy with a dildo sucked on his forehead). And I had to heal the guy’s knees, I refused to heal his crotch (bc you have to almost touch the person’s “injured” part to heal). My gift from the pirates to thank me for healing the guy? The damn dildo.

Yay...

The air master had a lot of questions when he got back. He then took me back to the village and shared a bottle of “wine” (juice) with me.

The Final War

The night of the 2nd day was the final war.

Two camps were facing each other, one marked with orange glow stick necklaces, the others were green.

I was with neither. With my friend’s bf’s troops, with blue necklaces (mercenaries, I guess?) who were aiming to slash the greens.

The air master was drunk on white wine (lemonade), and he charged on the enemy before the battle started, and he slashed his own throat in front of them (idiot).

I hid with other healers in the grass. Then we got busted and I took off, and my boots gave out again. I traded them for my tennis shoes for the rest of the night.

The Party

There was a big party at the “Inn”.

More like a frat party where all there is is alcohol and everybody chants inappropriate (aka super sexual or ironically racist) songs.

My guy and I shared a bottle of mead and a cup of Japanese beer. We got piss drunk and left very early.

Now picture this...

Two young people in capes, very obviously drunk, in the woods, in a weather very near the freezing point (1C, or around 34F), shivering and gripping to each other and giggling at nothing else than the fact that they are so horribly drunk.

Pretty...

He brought me back to my shelter and offered me to sleep in his car. I, ever the optimist, declined and said I would be fine. He then let me climb the ladder leading to the sleeping floor of the shelter (big enough for my 2 friends and my sleeping bags) and he left.

He then got back and told me he forgot to do something.

And this how I kissed someone drunk for the first time. I stopped him and told him it wasn’t wise to do it in that state. He agreed, left and I froze all night.

I heard a lot of cars. Nearly everybody got home bc it was over at that point.

My best friend’s bf never went to sleep at the shelter.

Day 3

Nobody cared at that point, so we were in pjs outside trying to warm up

My guy and I got to the Inn to see if some people slept there. All we saw was piles of arms and armor parts scattered. We brought them back to the village in an effort to help the personnel.

He took me to the castle, we talked about the kiss, kind of agreed to wait before doing anything else.

He brought me back to the village, my friend was worried, thought the guy already gave me a ride home.

My friends and I packed, I exchanged numbers with my guy, and I got home.

So yeah... it was a mess, I didn’t do a lot of stuff, I was a level 1 priestess, which didn’t leave a lot of skills available, and I was unarmed on top of this.

Was it fun? Hell yeah!

Will I go back? Maybe... I’d have to practice my fighting skills.

[imaginethebeautifulworld]

71- and what was ur fave thing about each of them? and for the us, can you do states??

71: Countries you’ve visited?

United States

PennsylvaniaI love the fact that in PA, you just can’t escape the trees. The forest is everywhere. Deal with it.

New YorkI’ve only been to New York a couple of times, and each of those times was to the Big Apple. My favorite thing about NYC I think is how no one bats an eye your way. No one asks questions, and it’s kind of great. (That’s the image I got anyway).

New JerseyNew Jersey is kind of one of those layover states for me- a place that I’m only passing through to get somewhere else. But I did have the chance to stay at my roommate’s house when we were getting ready to head to Newark to fly to London. She’s the granddaughter of some really rich dude- Her house is big enough to fit my entire village in, no lie. She took us to her local mall, and I was faced with the blooming reality that there are actually people out there that can spend $3785 on a single pair of shoes and not bat an eye. She is among those. But she also now knows how to thrift shop like a boss, and I think we really balanced each other out in that end.

MarylandI’ve only driven through Maryland, sadly. But as it stands now, my favorite part is probably that it’s the state where one of my homies lives. Oh! And the Baltimore Barnes and Noble! They had a kickass train set in their children’s section, and I spent a good portion of my afternoon there. Got a full set of Shakespeare there~

VirginiaI’ve been to Virginia once in my life, and that was for my high school senior class trip. We hit up Busch Gardens (where I rode my first upside down roller coaster ever), Virginia Beach (my first time seeing the ocean, where I decided to run as far in as physically possible while wearing jeans and all my outer layers), and Norfolk (where I and my best friend hopped aboard a wedding cruise, were mistaken as wedding guests, and basically completely avoided our classmates as we danced with the wedding party and shared stories under the stars with the bridesmaids.) For Virginia- it was the memories. Good, good memories. But mostly Busch Gardens. I love the way that park is set up; each section is based off another country. Highly recommend the pretzels in their Germany, by the way. And check out the Loch Ness Monster- it goes into a tower and- Yes. Terrifying. Love it.

United Kingdom

EnglandMy beautiful, precious England. Lived in the centre of Westminster for about six months, and I had never been happier. I did get to visit a few places outside of London- Rochester, Nottingham, Sherwood, Bath, Dover, Canterbury, Stonehenge- but not as many as I would have liked. For England as a whole, I adored how easy it was to travel around the country- the public transportation there is leagues beyond anything the US could hope to find within the next decade. As for London- I feel I’m a bit more of an expert on this from living there. London- Despite being one of the bigger cities in the world, it never felt crowded? I only was overwhelmed by the size in my first week (then I explored a bit and realised it’s honestly one of the easiest cities I’ve ever had to navigate), My favorite part about England was that, no matter where I was in the country, despite being completely different soil (sometimes brick red, sometimes white chalk), it always felt like I was home. I’ve never fallen in love with a human, but the emotions I feel in regards to London- I find it’s comparible. I didn’t want to leave. I’ve been stateside for over 2 years now, and every day my heart still pangs in longing for the Belgian waffles outside Baker Street station, the roasted chestnuts that are floating around between Tate Modern and the Millenium Bridge, the annoying voice of the lady at Charing Cross always reminding you to “mind the gap,” the houseboats of the Romani in Regent’s canal, Little Venice, the way the hot cocoa from Pret a Manger is so rich that it just melts in your mouth, the peppercorn sauce from Garfunkle’s, the secret gardens in Regent’s Park, the divine massages that come with every new hair style, the salt in the air, the brilliant colours alligning the Queen’s Walk (whether you’re heading towards Southwark or Victoria), and the constant, spontaneous hailstorms that go totally vertical if you’re on Westiminster Bridge.London- London was honestly a dream come true, and as the real world creeps ever closer, I’m becoming more resigned to never having the opportunity to go there again.

ScotlandI only got to spend a couple of days in Aberdeen. We three (my roommate, her boyfriend, and myself) were going to visit Edinborough, but after comparing costs, we realised it was way cheaper to rent an apartment in the coastal city than it was to rent individual beds in the latter. We explored the coast, found a mall, saw a film, I flirted with a cop, befriended a couple of cats, discovered an abandoned castle- Scotland was the most peaceful place I have ever been. I would be entirely content with a small flat somewhere in Aberdeen- The library was very much like one in one of our coal towns, the theatre is active, the shopping district is lively, Primark of course has wonderful selections, and there is a lovely deli/cafe hidden away that makes the best homemade lollis I have ever tasted.

France

I think I would have enjoyed France a lot more if I hadn’t gone in the spring. As it was, I visited Paris (and Versailles!) during my Easter Break, and for the first two days, I was extremely disappointed. Paris itself is amazing; the food at any pop-up stand is to die for (totally recommend the Croque Monsieur served at the open-air stands in Jardins de Tuileries!), you can buy really fucking good wine at any grocery store for less than 10 quid, and there are little secret nooks and crannies you would never expect. However, the city itself smells like shit, and the homeless population is almost overwhelming. It was by far not the cleanest city I toured while in Europe, but it was definitely the… There is gold in most of the buildings, and a certain romanticism that is purely French in itself. My third day, the sun was out, and I did most of my exploration then. If you abandon the Metro, you’ll find gold (literally). You just have to… Learn to ignore the negatives and appreciate the positives. Perhaps one day I’ll return, and give her another chance. When that happens, I’ll take someone with me.

Belgium

Belgium was quiet, there were swans everywhere, I met at least four cats in each of the three cities I explored, and it’s the perfect blend of Germanic architecture and French linguistics to make my heart skip a beat. In Ypres, I found some really cool looking in-ground huts, and a giant wooden cat sculpture in the town square (all cobblestones, by the way). My afternoon was complete when I saw a tractor just roll on through the main streets like it was a normal thing. In Oostende, I was nearly blown into the sea by a squall and found the most romantic little park I’ve ever come across. In Brugge, I danced with an older gentleman playing an accordian, sampled more chocolate than should be tolerated, threw a bottle of beer at a party I wasn’t even invited to, and accidentally found a thrift store and befriended the elderly couple who managed it. I also purchased a watercolor from a local artist and his fiance, both of whom I’m still penpals with to this day. Belgium was quiet, peaceful, and perhaps the most genuinely friendly of countries I’ve wandered.

Netherlands

Another in which I went with my roomie and her boyfriend. We stayed in Amsterdam, and oooh boy there were some moments. At one store, I was mistaken for a local and had a gentleman start talking to me in Dutch. We toured the Jewish Historical Museum; it was the first time I had seen my roomie brought to tears simply by being in a room. There was a carnival in the Red Light District, and we bought a cotton candy that was bigger than our three heads combined. I loved Amsterdam because it was probably one of the most laid-back, cleanest places I have ever seen.

Italy

Spent my birthday in Rome, took a train to Venice. Rome is easily walkable, but be warned that it’s mostly cobblestones and there are a lot of hilly spots; don’t wear shoes you haven’t broken in yet, no matter how cute they are. Don’t take pictures with the guys dressed up; they’ll try to charge you about 5 quid per photo. If you’re craving pizza, there is a tiny, almost invisible pizzeria just across the road from the Spanish Steps. Buy yourself a whole pie; it’s worth the 8 quid. I liked Rome for the mere fact that it felt like a foreign city. It had distinctly contemporary aspects to it, but the orange trees, the heat, the dry air- that was all a new experience for me. I honestly wish I had been there for more than a day. As for Venice- we (my roomie’s bf and me- We scored a deal on Groupon for flights, hotes, train ride for Rome and Venice for two, and we met up with my roomie in Venice with her folks, who had taken her to Florence and Naples) splurged on 1 euro gelato, the best damn apples I have ever found, really bad films- That was just the first night. Our train ride had us sitting across two glorious lads from Brighton- I don’t think they actually had any luggage; their sacks were filled with at least five bottles of wine and half the breakfast buffet. The second day in Venice, we toured the city, moved from our hotel to a private apartment that my roomie’s parents rented, and I discovered the joys of premade toast with nutella, Italian bridal showers, and befriending the local fishermen. The food, the culture, the drinks- well, the wine. I will never do limoncello again in this lifetime. The absynthe in Paris was leagues better, and that’s saying something.- Venice is- There’s something almost mystical about the place. The water trickles all around you, and the wind whispers in old dusty walls. It’s a complete maze, and some corners you turn into have no ending, no life. And’s almost completely walking, which only adds to the whimsy. I- Venice was magical, and I hope I can return to explore on my own before she succumbs to the sea.

Vatican City

Stopped by while in Rome, and I was super disappointed by the hellishly long queue waiting to go into the Chapel. My traveling buddy and I instead opted to explore the mini city within the tiny nation. We found the ATM that has Latin as an option, and played a small round of catch with a young Swiss boy who was there with his grandparents. I feel bad as I don’t really have much feedback on Vatican City, but I can say at least the exterior architecture is ace.

Spain

Oh Spain. Where to begin? Barcelona houses the best gelato out of all the cities I toured (with a small exception to the Gelati Leche I found in Rome, but it still dominates in Vanilla and Chocolate.) The beach is wonderful, the waters were so blue it was almost like looking at the sky again. Our Irish buddy was with us, and it was the first time someone taunted me enough to swim out into the sea deep enough that I could no longer touch the bottom. Again, I always underestimate how much I like being in water, so I didn’t pack a change of clothes that first day. We did do some exploring and some shopping, but the best part after the hours spent on the beach was finding an Italian restaurant that was playing Spice Girls’ music videos in the background, while the owners spoke in French. Spain was the last trip I did while abroad, and the flight home was to Finals Week, and my last week in London. Our flight home brought with it the sunrise over France, knowledge that I was coming to a new chapter of my life, one I still haven’t written yet. But the greatest and most transformative moment came after we had returned.Traffic was fucking shite man. I didn’t get back to school until about halfway through my one history final, so late that I didn’t even go to my room. I hauled ass in with my big backpack, my notes in my free hand, panic written on my face, desperation in my words. Unofrtunately, the professor could not by contract allow me to take the exam. However, in a private meeting later, he asked me to confide what grade I needed to earn full credits back in the States. On account of my earlier performance, he gave me the grade, assured me that I “would have gotten an A anyway; I know you know your history,” and only gave me a brief chiding on poorly timed scheduling.Somehow though, I didn’t mind. I should have been more upset about missing an exam- a Final, no less!- but in comparison to everything I had done that weekend-Spain taught me that sometimes in life, there will be conflicting paths. Both will give you an opportunity, but it’s up to you to decide which one to take. I chose the path that gave me more stories to tell, gave me memories of soft sand and amazing french fries and complimenting strangers over breakfast, gave me a hat and a hand-painted fan that I couldn’t have found anywhere else. I chose to follow my heart, and while I may not have gained the A I wanted for that module, I earned something that can never be replaced.Spain taught me that life is short, and while there are goals you will want to reach, don’t push aside those chances to live a little.In The EndI miss traveling. I want to see more of the US, I want to visit friends and family in Ukraine, Phillipines, Louisiana, Madagascar, Russia, Germany, and Brazil. But for now, I’m here. For now, I’m bettering myself in the small ways. The world is so much bigger and far more wonderful than you could even begin to imagine. I may never see Nepal or Alaska, I might never get a chance to explore the Amazon or wander Kenya. But what I can do is keep collecting each memory, every moment, keep it all close to my heart. Because those little moments?

Those are what make the adventure truly amazing.

[tavarillasgalen]

 So, yesterday was my 21st birthday.

I rode Bella and she was super. I actually used my tall boots for once, and it’s amazing the difference they make. I felt so secure and balanced; I actually felt like a good rider, and it helped that Bella was being good as well. Cantered without a fuss. I gave her some treats and a bath and then turned her out so she could enjoy the day.

I went to Jamba Juice and got a free smoothie. Then, I went down to Salt Lake bc I had planned to have a pregame at my apartment with some friends and then bar crawl with the ones who were over 21. I showered and cleaned the whole place and then did my makeup. My bf came over and he gave me a Polaroid camera! We cuddled and then we went to Trio to get dinner. I ordered my first legal drink - a glass of rose wine. I had some bomb pizza and he had pasta and then we went back to my place to wait for people to come. 

Half an hour past the time I’d told people to come, and no one had. Jaimie came soon after and so we talked with him for about an hour and a half. Neither he nor my bf were drinking, so I felt awkward, but I kept taking shots of Malibu anyway. I texted some people who said they’d come, and never heard back from them. One girl texted me at like 10 and asked if this was still going on, since she had nothing better to do.

Since it was a wednesday and it’s utah, bars closed at 1am, so the bf and I rolled out to Twist, where we met the girl who’d texted me and her roommate who actually had planned on coming. She lent me a 21st bday sash, the bouncer scanned our id’s and then we went in. Random people wished me a happy birthday and there was this group of three - two girls and one guy, who had obviously had a few drinks. They were so excited, telling me how awesome it was that I was going out on my actual birthday, saying how cute and pretty I was, and helping me with the bar. Asking what I liked and recommending drinks. When I wanted a picture, they were like “oh I’ll take it for you!!” They were so, so nice, it was lovely. I got a free drink from a guy at the bar and it tasted like candy, I was surprised. I’d never had an actual drink before, just the ones you mix yourself at frat parties, which aren’t too good. But that was really good. We went downstairs and I danced around a bit, then we went to Campfire Lounge, somewhere I’d been wanting to go since I’d first heard of it.

It was past midnight when we got there, so the kitchen was closed and we couldn’t make smores. But it was really cute, and all of the drinks had like camp names. I got one called “trail mix” with Bailey’s and raspberry liquor and other things. We went out and sat around the fire and talked until the bar closed. Then the bf and I went to McDonald’s and brought it back to my apartment to watch Netflix and then cuddle. 

[jessflewitt]

ROAD TRIP ( 3rd Jan-29th Jan)

Since we brought the van it's a struggle to keep the phones charged never mind find wifi! I've been keeping little notes on my phone if what we've been up too so that we don't forget in a few years time... BLOG 3rd January- Abbie gone :( we brought a van! Battered and bruised with a cracked window screen but we had a little test drive and all seemed fine so we took the risk - spent the next couple of days after that doing admin! We had to get the van kitted out and open a bank account to be able to get the car registered Bla Bla .... few hiccups along the way including a little scare at the registration office where we were led to believe we had actually brought a stolen car.... But turned out the paper work was just wrong and it was all fine. We had our last night at the hostel on the 4th - and in the 5th morning went to move into our new home - only to find the battery was dead - great start. Some lovely guy jumped us and we spent the rest of the day cleaning the van and buying a few more bits - drove back to the blue mountains. Parked up in a free campsite and crashed! Slept like babies too - Blow up mattress worked a treat :) 6th Jan = Worst day ever Battery was dead again in the morning- got jumped again. Went to a garage to get it checked out and they couldn't work it out and sent us to another garage. He couldn't work it out ether ... Said there was nothing wrong with the battery. Next thing the engine overheated - there was no water in the radiator ( life lesson ) managed to get it filled up which was really messy with the engine so hot! ... Drove a few miles down the road back to the electrical mechanic who fixed the cigarette lighter and a few miles down the road after that the engine is over heating again. It's nearly half 5pm on a Friday at this point ... So we rang the garage again ... And he was about to tell us he couldn't see us till next Wednesday until he must have recognised our accents ..and asked if we were the English couple from this morning with the van. Told us he thought the battery dying in the morning and the engine over heating were linked and to bring the car down straight away. Another scare ..... Told us he thought it was the engine that had gone! But turned out it was just the hose that had disintegrated and he fixed it all for free. Said he wasn't going to charge two young people on their holidays... Amazed by the people out here once again <3 that night we brought a bottle of wine and met some fab Irish people travelling the opposite way down the coast . Had a right giggle with them and got some great tips so great end to a horrific day! 7th- Jan Got the van started without Jump leads woop! Did an amazing walk through wentworth falls. Really tough walk which we loved and I got to swim in my first waterfall pool :) we climbed up the rocks and stood right beneath it - started a trend and everyone started copying so funny. Parked up by a lake that night in a massive field - hot showers and everything for free:) I got behind the wheel for the first time in 3 years and had my first driving lesson round the sites- went well ! 8th - Jan- drove an hour down a steep clifftop to a place called nunes where we had planned to see some glow worms in a cave. Turned out you had to park up and do an hour and a half traverse to get there and it was just far to too hot so we had a swim in he river down there and I drove back. Oli took over when we hit the main road and we went to dunns swap national park camp site. Beautiful campsite it reminded me off the one in America at the end of parent trap. We had about 2 litres of water left which is nothing and asked someone where the water tap was and they laughed and pointed at the river! Rationed the water enough so we could stay the night and do a walk in the morning ( amazing ) and we had a swim in the river to cool down before we drive back. I had another practice but couldn't get quick enough to do the main roads so we swapped again! So nervy on the road after the crash. This was just a really HOT day in the van - lots of miles and 38degrees so just too hot to even function. We ended up in a town called Bulga poured water over ourselves to try and cool down , and had our first sweaty horrible night in the van we just couldn't cool it down. Everytime we trying to open it up for breeze we got swarmed my mozzies! 11th HOT day again - but we learnt from our mistakes the day before - got up early and drive to Newcastle and hid out in an air conned shopping centre all day getting some shopping bits done. Went to the tuck wells for dinner - the couple that we met in Bali and had a lovely evening with them. Met their kids and their bfs/ gfs- they had food ready and we ended up getting quite tipsy! Tania kept feeding me champagne and rum! 12th- has a great night sleep in the lovely cool house because they refused to let us sleep in the van . They gave us towels and a key and even had two bikes left out for us on the drive. Amazing people treated us like family. We took the bikes and got the ferry over to Newcastle. Cycles the 10k coastline ( which was really hilly) jumped in the Bogey Hole which is an ocean pool on the side of a cliff - awesome and freezing! We thought Newcastle reminded us of a British coast - maybe even Newcastle at home. We had some chips on the beach and realised that we'd both been fried! So went back for a swim. We made home made burgers on the bbq and ended up having more drinks with tania and Paul that night. Next day we got up and went to a nature reserve - wasn't what we expected ( more like a zoo) so we didn't stay very long but got to see our first koala. Went back to the house for lunch and another swim and then packed up and got on the road again. We couldn't believe how generous they were they gave us a cooler , packed it with ice, beers, washing powder, sun shields , coolant- they just couldn't do enough for us so sweet. We only managed an hour up the road because it was so hot again - still 38 degrees at 6pm at night! Our air con doesn't work at that temperature feels like a hair dryer is blowing in your face! Found a really cute campsite and went for a swim in the bay to cool down before dinner. 14th HOT SWEATY night again- impossible to sleep. Ol got up for sunrise ( I just opened the van up and watched from bed too early for me) another long day driving - I did my first proper stint which felt good. Had a quick swim in the sea half way (seal rocks) and it starred to pour just before we got to port Macquarie but we're glad to have a break from the heat - the van had finally cooled down woohoo. Amazing sunset after it rained all day at Lake Campsie. Camped on the side of a lake - brought some chocolate and watched a film. Next day we walked the 10k walk along the coast of Port Mac - gorgeous walk and not too hot. Got the bus back went to the shop and brought some chicken to bbq and some beers- camped in the same spot. Next day - we did the national park - sea acres board walk. Had a lovely guide (graham, leave a review?) telling us all about the rainforest was great. Drove half way to Coffs Harbour and camped out early - gorgeous campsite near a river. Rice and eggs for tea. Dorrigo National park - wonga walk the next day . Amazing - followed by wine tasting and pasta for tea. Same campsite. Next morning we got up and drive to Coffs Harbour - had a swim in the sea when we got here -went to the big bananas - lunch on the beach - mutton bird island walk at sunset - coffee and then drove half way to Byron bay. drove late because it was cooler - nightmare getting there in the dark though. Boiling hot , loads of mozzies - neither of us could sleep! Ended jog erring our the van and pouring water over ourselves in the middle of the night! 19th - got up and drove to balina- half way to Bryron bay - had a coffee - drove into the centre had a pootle around ( cool place ) brought a bikini- parked up in a car park about 25 mins out for free ( faffy day) 20th Hired boards went surfing- chilled on the beach- back to the free car park - I made pasta in a thunderstorm 21st- rain - miserable day - Oli got his hair cut 22nd- booked all our trips for the eat coast with travel bug - Frazer island -Whitt Sunday's - skydive and Everglade canoe and sea kayak with dolphins! Walked to the most easterly point of aus and did the national park walk alone the rainforest beach - tallow beach - found a little surf paradise spot at the far end of byron bay beach - beans and eggs and avo for tea 23rd gorgeous day - got up at 4.50 pm for sunrise - amazing - drive out of town to have brekfast and camd back in for our sea kayak with dolphins at 9 but missed it because our travel agent gave us the wrong time! They booked us into the afternoon one instead so we just chilled in the beach and went to a nice restaurant called dip for lunch. Sea kayak in the afternoon was cool - saw lots of turtles but no dolphins so they Said we could go again for free u till we did . Popped to the library to seal some charge and had a early night. 24th - surfing fail - too windy - then walked tallow beach - gorgeous - met some car park friends 25th - went sea kayaking again- didn't sea anything - went swimming at Brunswick in the afternoon - then we picked up a long board - had a lovely dinner by the river and the camped - illegally in the national park ready to get up at 3 am to hike to the top of the volcano for sunrise. 26th - woke up 3 am - hiked to the top of a volcano - awesome. - went swimming in a river - changed time zones and long boarded the surfers paradise board walk - shopping - found an awesome little camp site just outside the city - paid 25 dollars between us but so worth it. Hot shower / power / kitchen - lush 27th - rained all day but went to the library and sorted loads of jobs out - admin day - booked a couple of trips/ fixed the car - low on transmission fluid / sent a load of postcard / sorted out money - student loan ect - went to springbrook national park in the evening to see the glow worms - cool . Amazing drive- went past a vast river with loads of dead trees in it - so cool - hairy drive back nearly ran out of petrol / car skidded in the rain and there were tons of dead frogs all over the road. 28th Washing day ! Sorted pictures - drove to Brisbane. 29th Day drip into Brisbane city centre. Nice enough city but we weren't blown away. Thank god it was Sunday because parking would have been $80 a day otherwise. Luckily it was only $17 for us. We did the south bank walk which was cool - very sexy skyline. They have a man made pool and beach looking at the skyline too - cool to see but moved on swiftly. Found a really gorgeous campground and met a lovely German lad that night.