An American in London
One of my favourite areas to explore in London is the beautiful London Bridge, home to the historic Borough Market, The Shard, aka the tallest building in the UK, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Tate Modern, the HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge. If you’re visiting, I’d highly recommend checking out some fantastic hotels around the London Bridge area as it has some of the best restaurants, bars and pubs in the capital and will give you a glimpse into what it’s like to live like a local.
Today is my 28th birthday and for some reason, I am having a tough time coming to grips with turning a whole year older. I wish time would slow down as it seems to quite literally be flying by! It feels like just yesterday I was living in the US when Ciaran flew over to propose. It feels like just yesterday we were getting ready to say ‘I do’ on the Isle of Wight. How was our Bali trip six months ago!? 27 was one of my best years yet, filled with so many amazing memories, so 28 has some big boots to fill! As I inch one year closer to 30, I’ve created a bucket list of 28 things to do before I turn 29 that I wanted to share with you guys.
The Amalfi Coast in Italy has always been a destination on my bucket list with its stunning, pastel coloured cliffside villas, beautiful umbrella-lined beaches and warm, turquoise water. My dream of visiting came true a few weeks ago, when my in-laws brought Ciaran and I along with them on their vacation to Minori, a charming beachside village that my father-in-law visited growing up. Needless to say, it was nothing short of a dream and ended up being one of the best holidays! We took a lot of day trips to more popular towns like Positano, Capri and Ravello and while they are all gorgeous, I found that Minori is a real hidden gem along the Amalfi Coast. Read on to discover why…
Today’s guest post is written by Rhiannon Yee, a California gal pursuing her Master’s Degree in Advertising and Public Relations at Richmond the American International University. For her dissertation, Rhiannon is exploring Anglo-American relationships and the cultural differences in regards to dating in London, which is quite a hot topic and one that I am often asked about! Rhiannon is revealing all that our friends across the pond need to know before dating a Brit!
The Cotswolds is one of the most beautiful places in England, filled with rolling hills, charming villages and picturesque landscapes. It’s a short two-hour car journey from London, making it the perfect weekend escape. Since I moved to London, it has been on my bucket list of places to see so a few weekends ago, I headed on a little day adventure with Rabbies Tours to explore the enchanting villages of Burford, Bibury, Bampton and Oxford.
I can’t believe our Bali adventure was four months ago already! It has taken me a bit of time to edit all of our video footage from our drone, Go Pro and camera, but I finally finished going through it all and have created a video filled with highlights from our trip. Ciaran and I spent twelve full days in Bali, travelling from the North in Munduk, down South to the Gili Islands. It was a full on few weeks, but we enjoyed every minute of it. We purposely decided to steer clear of super touristy areas, with the exception of Ubud for a couple of days. We wanted to experience less populated areas and see the “real” Bali as much as we could. Of course, this was sprinkled with visiting temples, waterfalls and rice fields, which you can’t miss when you’re visiting. We covered a lot of ground and for anyone planning a trip, I wanted to share our full itinerary with you.
Being an American expat in London, I get a lot of questions from other Americans about life abroad, tips and must-dos when visiting as well as what I miss most about living in the USA. I always answer everyone individually when I am asked, but thought I’d pop my most frequently asked questions into a single blog post for you guys! Here we go…
The London Underground is the best way to get around when you’re visiting! I take the tube every day and while it’s both incredibly convenient and usually pretty quick, it can be quite frustrating to navigate, especially as a tourist when you are not familiar with the polite courtesies and expectations from fellow passengers. Having lived here for nearly four years, I can pluck a tourist out of a pack on the tube, and sometimes it’s because they are doing something wrong like standing on the left-hand side of the escalator or blocking the passageways to the platform. While it’s no fault of their own, it can be mutually confusing and irritating for both tourists and Londoners alike. So, to save you from sticking out like a sore thumb, I’ve put together a handy guide of useful tips and etiquette to follow that will help you seamlessly blend in like a Londoner!
