#wherevergraciegoes

[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]

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]

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]

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]

Sick-y-McGee here!

Although I’ve tried to sugar coat it and will myself to be better, it’s just not the truth. I have a lovely little thing called IBS, which means my tum is all sorts of unpleased. One of the sideffects of my IBS is feeling extremly ill and throwing up just about the moment I wake up every morning. We’ve realized that stress exacerbates the issue but when you’re feeling poor in a forign country it’s hard not to stress. Every morning it seems like I’m on death’s door but come the late afternoon and evening I feel 100% and completely like myself again! It’s this strange cycle of abuse I’m in with my stomach. But, that being said, the afternoon and evenings have been so amazing and wonderful to do things with Grace. It seems to be fitting our style of travel as well (no real plans, just doing and seeing what we want to do and see), which I’m all about. I am very excited to be in Brussels as I’ve never been here before, and I can’t wait to update you all on our time here!!

-S

[wherevergraciegoes]

Our 2nd day in Paris!

We made it to the Louvre!!! I’ll be honest, with Sarah still not feeling the best, it was a bit of a surprise we made it, but we did! Saw the big ones we’re supposed to see, but mostly just enjoyed the indoors (it was hot today), the paintings, there were loads of marble statues and those are my absolute favorite so seeing those was great, it was great!

We then hit up the gift shop, cuz that’s one of the most fun parts about museums, is seeing what miniatures and magnets they’re highlighting. Found some awesome stuff btw like a new phone case for Sarah and a new collapsible backpack, it’s covered in cats, for me!

Sarah started feeling poorly again, so we grabbed some cheese and a baguette for lunch and hung out in the apartment.

Once it had cooled off a bit and Sarah had had a couple of bananas and was feeling better, we took off again for Notre Dame! We stopped in at the Shakespeare and Company book store, which was an absolute delight, and then took loads of pictures cuz the lighting was 👌 When in Europe, I often get hit with this sense of awe at how old and immaculately preserved things are, and how millions and millions of people have stood where I’ve stood and seen what I’ve seen and it makes me feel a weird connection with humanity. It’s a little fanciful, but it’s true!

After Notre Dame, we headed towards Montmartre (it was recommended we go from a friend on Instagram). To get there took 11 stops on the Metro, and an ungodly amount of stairs (I now know why people have good legs in France!) but the view... holy cow was it stunning. The sun was setting, people were out enjoying a nice summer evening, it was just a magical experience.

Tonight is our last night in Paris, then tomorrow we are off to Brussels! I’m so hoping Sarah feels better tomorrow and is up to a day of light travel, I know her health has been frustrating for her. But she’s been a real trooper, and she felt well enough to want some chicken nuggets and French fries for dinner so I take that as a good sign.

Till tomorrow!

-G

[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]

Hello all you lovely people on this lovely day!!

We had a high of about 80 degrees here in Munich today which meant PARK DAY! We do love our park days:) Started off by packing our bag of towels and blanket and snacks and drinks the night before. Then we caught an earlier train into the city, picked up our desired lunch options from the station and made our way to the English garden. Found ourselves a lovely little shady/sunny patch by the Isir river and settled in for the afternoon! My favorite thing is to watch all of the good puppers run and play about. Grace did a good bit of reading which I know is her favorite. After we were both happy with our amount of laying in the sun, we decided to go for a walk to the other end of the park. Which given that it’s a massive park it was a very pleasant walk:) We found the famous Chinese temple beer garden just in time to hear some traditional Bavarian music. It was so lovely! We ended our park trip with a stop at another beer garden within the park and grabbed some cold drinks:) Of all of the places here in Bavaria, the English Garden is going to be one of the things I’ll miss the most. It’s such a lovely, relaxing, and very German place that if you ever make it to Munich, please stop by for me:)

We’ve got a few more trips planned but we can already sense the ending of our German adventure:/ Although it hasn’t been everything we’ve wanted it to be, it’s taught us so much. Do not fear though! We still have over a month of adventure left ahead of us! Stick around for the ride won’t you?

All my love and happy hump day!

-S

[wherevergraciegoes]

WE FINALLY MADE IT INTO MUNICH!

After a full week of being here, we FINALLY made it into the city! The weather wasn’t too hot, Sarah wasn’t feeling poorly... ahh it was a thing of glory to be back in a major metropolitan area.

To start off, we went to the Alte Pinakothek (Munich’s art museum). Did you know Sarah studied art history in college? Going to any art museum with her is like going with your own personal tour guide, it’s very cool. So anyway, it was great. The AC was real, the paintings were stunningly gorgeous and MASSIVE and I finally started to feel like myself again.

Then we went on the hunt for dinner. It was beginning to rain now, so we were ducking into shops as we walked and found electrolyte powder (on our to do list for days now) and a health food store! Back in the states, our usual grocery shop was Sprouts, so walking in felt so comfortable. I found protein powder, oat milk, gluten free pasta and coconut oil--things to have around that I know will make me feel good. Walking away, we found a vegan restaurant and stopped in for some serious noms. Eating something that is good for you and tastes good after a week of having to cook for yourself using the bare minimum was absolutely delightful. 

After dinner, we walked around the Englischer Garten, which was stunning. That’s where most of these photos were taken. But seeing folks out and about enjoying the cooler weather, playing lawn games--seeing all the good puppers--it really rejuvenated my spirits. 

All in all, it was so great to get out, to enjoy the city, to see people besides Sarah (yes, she’s great, but I think we were both getting a little stir crazy cooped up in our little apartment) it has helped put things into perspective and made me much more enthusiastic about our continued adventures!

-G

Post by Sarah on the art museum to come tomorrow.  -S

[wherevergraciegoes]

In case you were wondering what our Monday looked like:

We LOVE this show lol

But truly, we did some housekeeping: Laundry, cleaning, last grocery run, packing, preparing our bags for shipping tomorrow, looking towards our future, all that good stuff. Not much to report, so I’ll update you when something epic happens!

Till tomorrow! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Oxford!

We didn’t do much of anything yesterday, Sarah felt really poorly, so we stayed local and spent the day like true Londoners: binging Love Island. It’s addicting.

So today we went to Oxford! I’ve never been and wanted to see the town where Inspector Morse is set.

We stopped in at the White Horse Pub, where Emdeavor and Fred Thursday often grab a pint, and we saw pics from the show of the cast taken at the pub, ate fabulous pub food... it was just lovely.

Then we walked around town, took pics, saw the pub where C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien sat and wrote and bothered each other. Speaking of Tolkien, we made our way to a FREE TOLKIEN exhibit. It was amazing. To see his original sketches and his notebooks and ahh it was so cool! I realize it’s a bit nerdy maybe, but it was a great way to spend an hour.

I think we’ll spend our day wandering around town tomorrow, so expect more “buildings I think look cool” pictures lol

Till then!

-G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Sick Day #2

I realized I didn’t do a post for today and frankly there’s not much to write home about. We’re both ill, both shuffling from the bed to the couch to the kitchen table, sipping teas, soups, sucking on lozenges.... it’s a thrilling life we live.

Movies were watched, business was taken care of, a wee grocery run for soy milk and blue berries was had. It was also super gray and rainy today, so unless we wanted to prolong our illness by getting our feet wet, it was just best to stay warm and dry inside. 

The weather is rainy again tomorrow, but I’m hoping we’ll both feel a little better and have the motivation to leave the nest for a bit. Maybe see a movie, I’m not sure. But we’ll keep you in the loop regardless:) 

-G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Our latest post was a little late due to technical issues, so to make up for it, here’s the sunset!

We’ve also adopted a weird sleeping pattern. We fall asleep around 1-2AM and wake up around 1PM. Is this ideal? No. Has it been super fun staying up late watching Meryl Streep movies? Yes. 

That means we just woke up, so hopefully Sarah feels better today, or continues to. Because we need to get out and enjoy the city!!

-G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Thursday + Friday

Hi everyone!

I’m just gonna be straight up; we have done diddly the last two days. After our gorgeous day in the park, the weather turned rainy and much cooler, so we stayed in and watched Hocus Pocus (I’m BEYOND ready for Halloween and October to be here, it’s my birthday month!). And today... I just wasn’t feelin’ it. 

It’s hard to explain. The mental images of what I had envisioned us doing, and what I thought this trip was going to be like, it’s just been so different from what we’ve actually experienced. Because of this disconnect, I’ve just felt a lack of motivation to do anything. It’s not super simple (you have to take a specific train that only runs every two hours) and expensive (€25 for a day pass) to get to the city, that some days it just doesn’t feel worth it, you know? I envisioned us being in the suburbs of Munich and it wasn’t until arriving that I realized Munich doesn’t really have suburbs. You’re either in the city or you’re in the middle of some corn fields, and we all now know how I feel about corn fields LOL Is this a pessimistic outlook? Maybe. Is the lack of sunshine negatively effecting my mood? Also maybe, it’s hard to say. It may also be homesickness settling in. 

I’ve had some people ask me recently if I regret going on this trip, and Sarah and I ask this to each other pretty often, and my answer is always no. Had I not taken a leap of faith and done this, I think I always would’ve regretted not going for it. And while it hasn’t been what I’d hoped it’d be, this experience has taught me so much about myself, about what my priorities in life are, how compatible Sarah and I are living together (which was a nice realization), and how Sarah and I can handle situations differently but both parties are satisfied with the outcome (aka if a situation goes south, I find I go for a calm, logical, though maybe callous approach, and Sarah handles things her way and we work together to make things better!).

Basically, we’ve just hung out in the apartment the last couple of days, taking care of some business, planning for our final trips, and watching lots of movies/YouTube. This has also given me lots of time to overthink everything, freak out, overthink some more, and reach the conclusion that I’ve overthought everything and need to just relax and let life unfold. Anxiety problems, amirite?

Probably won’t have much to fill you in on tomorrow either, it’ll be mostly a laundry and pack kinda day, but Sunday, we’re off bright and early to London-town! Then on to Cardiff for a few days, land of my people, then back to London for a few days as well. We get back to Munich the following Sunday, our bags we’re shipping back to the US get picked up Tuesday, we’ll hit up Oktoberfest and then we’re off to Finland at the end of the month!! All the travels!

Thank you for reading my rambles, if you made it this far, it’s good for my mental health to just vent a bit LOL

Till next time! -G

[wherevergraciegoes]

Day # Whatever of “It’s Still Flippin’ Hot”

From what I understand, most everything is closed on Sundays in Germany. So we stocked up on ice cream, popsicles, fruit and veg last night and made it a day of doing nothing. It’s just too hot to go out. Sarah still feels woozy if she’s out in the heat for too long, and frankly, so do I. It’s just been a good and proper lazy Sunday. 

That being said, we did leave the house for a bit to go explore the town and see the sunset. 

Who knew I’d have to go to Europe to fully comprehend that I don’t enjoy corn fields, no matter where they are? #learning The sunset is GORGEOUS though, so that does help:)

-G

I am also gorgeous. -S

[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