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Wanting again at July 2023, I’m in disbelief. How did this a lot stuff occur in a single month? This a lot journey?!
This was the most important month I’ve had in a while, starting with our Boston wedding ceremony on July 2, and taking me to seven international locations in complete (!), most for only a few days.
Let’s have a look — the most effective of July 2023!
Locations Visited
- Boston, Beverly, and Gloucester, Massachusetts
- London, Abbots Langley, Watford, and Bushey, England
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Mondsee, Salzburg, and Sankt Johann in Tirol, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Čilipi, Croatia
- Žabljak, Durmitor Nationwide Park, Bitine, Dabojevići, Podgorica, Perast, and Kotor, Montenegro
WHEW.
Highlights
Our Boston wedding ceremony! (I do know, I do know, you’re sick of listening to about wedding ceremony stuff — THIS IS THE LAST WEDDING IN A MONTHLY RECAP.) We knew we needed to have a Boston wedding ceremony for my household that couldn’t make it to Prague, and initially assumed it might be a small affair, possibly one thing at a restaurant.
Then it rapidly snowballed into a marriage of round 60 — and became a wonderful occasion.
It rained fairly onerous that day, however Charlie and I obtained married in Boston Public Backyard surrounded by our associates in umbrellas, and our bridesmaids in rain-soaked pastel attire! (And due to the rain, no person else was within the park!! What a bonus to a downpour.)
We had our reception at Bostonia Public Home within the Monetary District, which had SO a lot good meals and placed on an amazing occasion for us all. We completed with an after-party on the tiki bar subsequent door.
The day earlier than, the marriage, my bridesmaids and I went for afternoon tea on the Boston Public Library, and that night, everybody was invited to a get-to-know-the-guests gathering at NightShift Brewing. Each tremendous enjoyable occasions.
General — the Boston wedding ceremony was largely for my household and associates who couldn’t make Prague, although Charlie had a handful of “his folks” there too, and it was SO good to rejoice with everybody from my household to my school associates to journey blogger buds. And to have the ceremony within the Public Backyard, a spot I’ve liked since I used to be eight, made it all of the extra particular.
And our officiant canceled on us on the final minute — however Charlie and I requested our good friend Chris to step in on the final minute, and he did SO AMAZINGLY with a significant ceremony.
The skilled wedding ceremony images are by Joe Gonzalez-Dufresne, who did a FANTASTIC job with essentially the most ethereal wet images, and we are able to’t wait to see the remainder of them!
Past the marriage, in Boston we went to a Purple Sox sport, visited my dad’s new apartment on the North Shore, and spent a day hanging out in Gloucester, the place I hadn’t been in awhile (extremely advocate the Azorean Restaurant if you happen to’re on the town).
A pleasant few days within the UK. And now to see the British aspect of the household! Charlie’s sister placed on a celebration for us to rejoice with some family members who couldn’t make any of the weddings. It was so good seeing them (and having fun with his sister’s pizza shack within the yard).
Moreover, I all the time attempt to do one thing new every time I’m in London, and this time it was the Jurassic Afternoon Tea on the Ampersand Resort. It is a dinosaur-themed afternoon tea — equally enjoyable for youths and adults, and the meals is so good! You may see my Reel about it right here.
Barbie film mania! My good friend Klara and I dressed up in our Barbie finest, we went with Charlie and our good friend Nick, and we LAUGHED OUR ASSES OFF. I didn’t count on the film to be that hilarious — I feel it’s the toughest I’ve laughed in a theater for the reason that ending of The Hangover!
We went to a brand new Sichuan/Chongqing restaurant in Prague beforehand, Nali, and the spotlight was shrimp and pork dumplings swimming in pulsatingly sizzling chili oil.
French market in Prague! That is certainly one of my favourite meals festivals of the yr, happening the week of Bastille Day. They’ve now moved the competition from the Mala Strana finish of the Charles Bridge to Troja Chateau, which is a much more airier and fewer touristy location, making it extra of an area occasion.
A pleasant weekend in Austria. Charlie had an appointment within the Austrian city of Sankt Johann in Tirol on a Monday morning, so we determined to make a weekend of it and drive right down to Salzburg beforehand.
This was my first time in Salzburg in additional than a decade, and it was good to revisit town — and ensure that the Salzburg Card is the most effective metropolis card in Europe. We every paid 30 EUR for a 24-hour card and obtained greater than 120 EUR worth with out an excessive amount of effort. I’ll be going into that in a submit!
We additionally briefly stopped by Mondsee to see the brilliant teal lake, and Sankt Johann in Tirol was a stunning little city the place we loved an evening out at a brewery overlooking the mountains.
A stunning few days in Copenhagen. Charlie had a enterprise journey, and I tagged alongside for the weekend earlier than. It had been awhile since my final Copenhagen go to, and it’s such a stately, cool metropolis.
A few of the highlights have been taking a very nice guided tour on our first morning, hanging with my Copenhagen good friend Alex, revisiting my favourite Copenhagen restaurant Høst, having fun with excellent cocktails at Pluto, and eventually visiting Tivoli Gardens, the amusement park proper within the coronary heart of town.
A return to Montenegro! For my birthday this yr, I needed to be in Montenegro. We began out by driving from Dubrovnik to the spectacular landscapes of Durmitor Nationwide Park. After a full day there, we headed right down to Ostrog Monastery, Podgorica (LOL) after which the beautiful village of Perast on the Bay of Kotor.
Perast is certainly one of my new favourite locations. This gorgeous village has a inhabitants of 300 and simply sufficient amenities for every part you want. And whereas Kotor has change into massively overtouristed up to now decade, Perast has not. Not but, at the least.
Challenges
Oh boy, there have been various snafus with the Boston wedding ceremony. I suppose we have been due some points after two good weddings. The rain, the cancelled officiant, lacking flower baskets for the children, and some different issues. However it’s okay. We had enjoyable with our family members, and that’s the vital half.
Many pillow debacles. I’ve talked earlier than about how I’m having rising hassle utilizing a pillow that’s not a contour pillow. I’ve been touring with a bit contour pillow after I can, however I didn’t this month, and right here’s what went mistaken:
In Boston, the unsupportive pillows left my entire physique in ache for days and made me understand I REALLY must journey with a contour pillow any further, no exceptions.
In Salzburg, I by accident left my full-sized pillow behind within the resort (although obtained it on the best way again from Sankt Johann the following day).
In Copenhagen, I didn’t have room in my carry-on for the pillow, and each pillow within the room was so unhealthy that I ended up downstairs on the entrance desk at 2 AM, begging for some other type of pillow. And regardless of this being a fairly upscale resort, they’d ZERO different pillow varieties.
They promised to get me one other one from a unique resort the following day. They lastly did…and it was the SAME pillow squished right into a pillowcase half the dimensions, making it nearly spherical.
So I ended up working out to Jysk the following day, which seems to be a Danish firm (who knew?), and grabbed a number of nicer contour pillows for me and Charlie. We nonetheless have them right here in Croatia as I sort this.
Charlie flew with the pillows from Copenhagen to Dubrovnik, so I missed them for one night time. However you already know what works in a pinch if you happen to’re like me? A rolled-up towel on your neck. That was the most effective out of a bunch of unhealthy choices.
The worst sushi ever in Podgorica. Nicely, the worst sushi ever that didn’t make us sick! How does a restaurant have images of sushi on their menu but put together sushi that appears nothing prefer it?!
(Why eat sushi in Montenegro? After a number of days of Balkan meat platters, you’ll be craving anything.)
The Bay of Kotor follies. On our first day in Perast, I needed to get images of Budva and Sveti Stefan within the morning gentle. I headed out on the bus to Kotor very first thing within the morning, having purchased my bus ticket from Kotor to Sveti Stefan on-line upfront. That bus was packed like sardines.
After I obtained to the bus station, the road snaked across the nook. My bus confirmed up, I confirmed them my ticket, they usually WOULD NOT LET ME ON as a result of it wasn’t printed out (!!). Apparently you’re supposed to attend in that super-long line for the station to print it out for you.
I appeared to get a cab to Budva. There aren’t any ride-sharing apps in Montenegro, and the cabs quoted me 50 euros. Which is INSANE. When did Montenegro get this costly?! On precept, I gave up and headed again to Perast to relax.
Lacking my kittens rather a lot. This month we left them with two completely different live-in cat sitters, each of whom love them they usually love, however I really feel unhealthy being away from them a lot.
Weblog Posts of the Month
Yeah, not a number of time to weblog this month.
Solo Feminine Journey in Portland, Oregon — Is it Secure? — I invite visitor author Susan to jot down about her beloved city of Portland, and what makes it so superior for solo girls vacationers!
E-book Membership This Month
Our subsequent e book membership will on Sunday, August 13, at 7:00 PM ET. We shall be studying Within the Shadow of the Mountain by Peruvian creator and adventurer Silvia Vasquez-Lavado.
“Infinite ice. Skinny air. The specter of dropping into nothingness hundreds of toes beneath. That is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning, pulse-raising memoir chronicling her journey to Mount Everest.
A Latina hero within the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, privately, she was hanging by a thread. Deep within the throes of alcoholism, hiding her sexuality from her household, and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a toddler, she began climbing. One thing concerning the brute pressure required for the ascent—the chance and spirit and sheer measurement of the mountains and dying’s shut proximity—woke her up. She then took her greatest ache as a survivor to the most important mountain: Everest.
‘The Mom of the World,’ because it’s identified in Nepal, permits few to succeed in her summit, however Silvia didn’t go alone. She gathered a gaggle of younger feminine survivors and led them to base camp alongside her. It was by no means straightforward. At instances hair-raising, nerve-racking, and all the time difficult, Silvia remembers the acute nervousness of main a gaggle of novice climbers to Everest’s base, all of the whereas coping along with her personal nerves of summiting. However, there have been additionally moments of peace, pleasure, and therapeutic with the power of her fellow survivors and group propelling her ahead.
Within the Shadow of the Mountain is a exceptional story of heroism, one which awakens in all of us a lust for journey, an urge for food for threat, and religion in our personal resilience.”
You may study extra concerning the e book and purchase it right here.
You may signal as much as attend the e book membership right here. Hope to see you there!
Most Common Reel on Instagram
GUYS, AFTER TWO MONTHS OF RECOMMITTING TO INSTAGRAM, I’M FINALLY GOING VIRAL!!! I simply hit 2.3 million views on a single Reel (granted, that was August, so I’ll have to speak about that subsequent month).
However the FIRST viral Reel was this month was my Reel about 5 wedding ceremony traditions we did NOT do. Glad to see the way it’s been resonating. Do something you want!!
What I Watched This Month
Okay, so And Simply Like That is again. Sure, I’ve been a devoted watcher of this Intercourse and the Metropolis sequel, regardless that the primary season was an absolute mess in plenty of methods.
To this point, season two has improved a LOT. From episode three onward, particularly. Bizarre single-episode hookup arcs? Wonderful. Extra meals with the unique three, Anthony or Seema being the fourth? Nice. Carrie and Che paired off as associates? I truly take pleasure in their chemistry collectively!
There are nonetheless a number of issues, although. Too many characters. Bizarre writing selections. However Charlotte and Harry are nonetheless as head over heels in love as ever. (And if this present ever breaks them up I WILL RIOT AT DAWN.)
Under Deck replace: This month Charlie and I watched Under Deck Mediterranean Season Six. It was awhile earlier than we might convey ourselves again to Captain Sandy after the Malia-Hannah-Maritime Legislation scandal.
This season was OBVIOUSLY meant to be a redemption arc for each Sandy and Malia. The decision? I acknowledge how heavy-handed the producers have been in making us like Malia once more…and it labored. I feel she’s an amazing chief. And it was SO refreshing to have there be no sexism from her male crew for as soon as.
Captain Sandy? Nonetheless a narcissist, nonetheless a micromanager, nonetheless ignoring what she doesn’t wish to see, nonetheless talking in sound bites for her newest grift as a public speaker. “Oh, the second stew bodily attacked a number of of you? Make investments in her.” Fuck off, Sandy.
The remainder of the season was…nice. They’ve some of the evil crew members the franchise has ever seen, and a few cringe-worthy conditions (cooking with out a chef the primary night time!).
So sure. I can’t wait to get again to the great vibes of Captain Glenn and Parsifal III. Although first — it’s time for OG Under Deck Season 10!
What I Listened To This Month
This month I listened to The Retrievals — a podcast from the New York Occasions. In 2020, a nurse from Yale Medical Heart was arrested for stealing fentanyl from her IVF sufferers who have been present process egg retrievals. She gave them saline as an alternative, leaving the ladies in excruciating ache.
But regardless that this was taking place time and again, NOBODY BELIEVED THE WOMEN. Everybody thought they have been simply too delicate.
This podcast is about so many issues — how we ignore girls’s ache. How we, as girls, really feel like we’re being unreasonable by asking for aid from our ache.
How massive organizations blame issues on “one unhealthy apple” as an alternative of their systemic failures. How we must always punish crimes stemming from habit.
I extremely advocate listening — particularly if you happen to, like me, benefit from the twists and turns of true crime however don’t need it to be about homicide or sexual assault.
Coming Up in August 2023
I’m at present typing this from Cavtat, Croatia. After our whirlwind week in Montenegro, we headed to Croatia — first time in Dubrovnik, then time in Cavtat, a stunning little metropolis south of Dubrovnik that makes a way more chilled out different to the Pearl of the Adriatic.
However after that comes my BIG solo journey of the yr: Greenland. This vacation spot has been on my listing for fairly a while, and I made a decision to chew the bullet and put down a deposit on an 11-day bundle tour six months in the past.
This journey will take me primarily round Disko Bay — the favored city of Ilulissat, two nights at Eqi Glacier, two nights on Disko Island, plus time in Aasiaat and Oqaatsut — together with a stopover on the ice sheet in Kangerlussuaq.
That is essentially the most distant place I’ve gone in fairly a while, and I’m really excited for the journey that lies forward. I can’t wait to indicate it with all of you.
I’ve additionally obtained two days in Copenhagen on all sides of the journey as a buffer in case of any delays, so I’m again to the land of the tall folks.
What are you as much as this month? Share away!
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