Florida and Georgia: Part 2

Click here to read Part 1 of this post if you haven't already.

After leaving the Coca Cola Museum, we walked through the Centennial Olympic Park.

Florida and Georgia: Part 1

I know I'm far from the first person to acknowledge this, but...long-distance relationships suck! Two months have never felt longer than the two that Angela and I spent apart last December and January. Even using Skype almost every day, nothing made up for the fact that we couldn't hold one another or share the same physical space. It gave us both a huge admiration for all the couples out there who've endured even longer periods apart, especially those in the past who didn't have the luxury of high-speed video chatting.

Thank goodness we both have awesome parents who allowed us to share the month of February with one another before our return-trip to Korea. In late January, my mum paid for my flight to Cape Coral, Florida, where Angela was living with her mum and dad. They let me stay at their beautiful canal-side home, the same place we stayed in last March. During those four weeks, we didn't do as much touristy, sightseeing-type stuff as last year; instead, we spent a lot of time relaxing together, and we also helped Angela's parents decorate the house. We did go for a trip up to Atlanta, Georgia at one point though, since that had the closest embassy where we could finalise our Korean visas.

Reunited at last! Here we are on a street near Angela's parent's house, cycling in the sun. February in Cape Coral has its chilly days, for sure, but there's still more sun than England gets in a year (or at least, that's how it feels). It definitely made this winter a lot easier to get through!

Home, Sweet Home: Part 2

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Here's Zombie Doctor James, Skeleton Angela, and Werewolf Scarlett, dressed up for a family Halloween party.

Home, Sweet Home: Part 1

Over two years ago, I started this blog with the intention of documenting my experiences living, working and travelling abroad. Predominately, it would focus on my time teaching in Korea, though I always planned to backpack across Asia afterwards as well. For the longest time, my return to England seemed so far away it was barely worth considering. I was wrapped up in a new life, preoccupied by new friends, new environments, and of course, a new partner. Though I kept in contact with friends and family back home via Skype and Facebook, living abroad often felt like living in another dimension.

Valenciennes

By the end of October, Angela and I had been travelling for eight months straight, rarely stopping in one place for more than a week or two. Asia was far behind us, and we were quickly edging our way back to England via pit-stops in Sweden and France. Our very last stop before crossing the Channel would be Valenciennes, a town in northern France, close to the Belgian border. Angela lived and worked there for nine months back in 2012, not long before coming to Korea, so there were fond memories and lasting friendships drawing her back. In fact, one of her old friends, Libby, still lived in Valenciennes, and when she found out we'd be doing some travelling in France, she invited us to come and stay at her place for two nights.

Two Lovers in Paris: Part 2

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The next day, we went to the Eiffel Tower, enjoying some gaufres along the way.

Two Lovers in Paris: Part 1

The very first day that Angela and I met, one of the first things that brought us together was our mutual love of France and French culture. We'd both visited the country several times - Angela even living and working there for a year - and we loved sharing our stories, musing about potential future trips through Provence, Aquitaine or Normandy, and practicing our French with one another from time to time. During our time in Korea we even visited several French-themed tourist sights, such as Petite France, Seoul's French Quarter, and Paju's Provence Village. Nothing beats the real thing, however, so we were always looking forward to going to France together someday.

A Weekend in Stockholm: Part 2

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The next morning we explored Södermalm, a creative and trendy district just south of Gamla Stan.

A Weekend in Stockholm: Part 1

It's strange how the act of travel so frequently defies our expectations. Rarely does a country feel precisely as we imagined it, and no matter how many stories we've heard or photos we've seen, nothing compares to living and breathing the real thing. One thing I've learned from travel is that no country or city is a fixed constant, that they are always evolving, and places never feel quite the same when you return to them for a second or third visit. I think part of this is physical change - change of weather, new buildings, fashion trends, and so on - but the traveller's internal changes can also have a marked effect on the surroundings. Your mood, your energy, your circumstances...these can change the atmosphere or quality of a place in immeasurable ways.

Rishikesh - City of Yoga

Barring a brief return to Delhi, our final stop in India would be the small city of Rishikesh. It was only a half-hour tuk-tuk drive from our previous stop, Haridwar, and it's said that if you visit one you may as well visit the other. Plus, we'd met some fellow travellers who'd recommended Rishikesh to us for its relaxing, zen atmosphere, as a place to escape from the craziness of so many other Indian cities. Known as the yoga capital of the world, the Beatles famously stayed at an ashram there before returning to the UK to record the White Album.