I love the Peak District—it’s definitely one of my favorite places in England. For my birthday present this year, Adam booked us onto an outdoors course in the Peaks! This was of course a great gift (well done, Mr. AWM!), but also a really fun experience. Our course was with Pure Outdoor, who run all… Read More Exploring The Peak District On The Pure Outdoor Navigation Course
The Lake District is without a doubt one of my favorite places in the world. This corner of England is simply beautiful, and one of my favorite places to go to explore the outdoors. I try to stay in a different location every time—it makes exploring different areas and going on new hikes easier. For… Read More Staying at the Kirkstone Pass Inn in the Lake District
On my trip to the Lake District this summer, I had a short weekend away not far from Keswick. Because of how close our accommodation was, we decided to start off our first day hiking Catbells! The Lake District has no shortage of fantastic walks, and I honestly thought that this was one of the… Read More Hiking Catbells in the Lake District
Since moving to York nearly three years ago, one of my favorite parts of living in England has been exploring Yorkshire and the countryside around the city. I’ve written a lot about the North York Moors National Park, so I thought it only fair to take a day out to the Yorkshire Dales National Park… Read More Exploring Wharfedale: Hiking From Grassington to Hebden in the Yorkshire Dales
Today is a big day. Three years ago today, I moved to England. Wow. Three years. Sometimes I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. On October 13th 2016, I walked off a plane (#tbt to when I checked four bags and the airline lost everything I own), got a stamp in my passport,… Read More 3 Years of Living in England: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
One of the things I love most about living in York is the easy access to the outdoors. Within an hour, I can be in the North York Moors or the Yorkshire Dales. In two hours, I can be in the Peak District, and within three hours, I can be in the Lake District. But… Read More York to Bishopthorpe: A Perfect Short Walk From York
This May, I applied to renew my UK spouse visa. If you missed my first post on applying for my UK visa, you can read up on it here. My initial visa was for 2.5 years (30 months), after which I could then apply to renew my visa and extend my leave to remain in… Read More The Complete Guide For Applying To Renew My UK Spouse Visa
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2026! Having lived in York for nearly a deacde, I’ve been to my fair share of the amazing places to eat and drink around the city. You can read my previous posts on the best restaurants in York and where to drink in York. But York’s cafes and coffee shops deserve their own… Read More The Best Cafes and Coffee Shops in York, England
Last week I was invited to attend a new exhibition in York, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. This exhibit has already been shown in Naples, Italy, and Brussels, Belgium – York is the UK premiere. This expo is immersive and very interactive and creative. Here is my full review of the new Van Gogh exhibition! Exhibition… Read More Exhibition Review: Van Gogh, The Immersive Experience – York
UPDATED JULY 2023! 1 August marks a special day here in Yorkshire: it’s Yorkshire Day! Yorkshire is my adopted home and technically made up of four counties: North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and East Riding of Yorkshire. Yorkshire has its own flag, the white rose on a blue background, and yes I do even… Read More The Ultimate Yorkshire Guide: 99 Incredible Places to Visit in Yorkshire
My parents visited me in the UK this summer for the first time since I moved abroad nearly 3 years ago! One of the places we wanted to go was the Lake District, one of my favorite places in the entire country. We wanted accommodation that was comfortable and cozy, in a rural (hopefully scenic)… Read More Review: Ellas Crag Guest House, Lake District
UPDATED APRIL 2026! Having lived in York for most of the last decade, I do consider myself something of an expert on this beautiful city. York is so photogenic and full of gorgeous, historic buildings at every turn. Whether you visit a popular tourist attraction or stumble upon a hidden gem, you’ll be wowed. The… Read More The Complete Guide to the Best Instagram Spots in York, England
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2021! The North York Moors National Park is one of my favorite places in Yorkshire, in England, and in fact in all of the UK. It’s just under an hour’s drive from where I live in York, and somewhere that I’ve spent so many days and weekends exploring. There are some fantastic hikes… Read More 21 of the BEST Places to Visit in the North York Moors
Last month, I was chosen to participate in an event in the Peak District, sponsored by Salomon! The event was to test out their new OUTline shoes and backpacks. It was also a great way to meet some really fun and nice ladies, and get a good walk in! We got blessed with amazing weather—it… Read More An Evening Hike in the Peak District With Salomon
One of the reasons I love living in York is that there’s never a dull moment. There is always something going on in the town and I love that! You can spend all year going to an event or festival pretty much every weekend of the year. This doesn’t even count long-term pop-ups, like Shakespeare’s… Read More The Best Festivals in York, England
Spring is definitely my favorite season, and I’m lucky enough to be on my third spring here in York! York is a serious Instagrammers dream in the first place, but in my honest opinion there’s no better time to visit York than spring. The city really comes alive during the springtime, with flowers and blossoms… Read More The Best Spring Instagram Spots in York
York is a treasure trove of independent shops and businesses. One of the reasons the city has so much charm is in the small and unique businesses that you just can’t find anywhere else. York is absolutely full of hidden gems. Bookshops are no exception – York has some real gems for book lovers! Whether… Read More The Best Bookshops in York
Snow here in the UK is something of a big deal. At the sighting of just a few flakes, basically everything shuts down: schools, transportation, roads, etc. As a Minnesotan, who is used to very heavy winter snowfalls, I still find this pretty cute about living in England. Snow is one of the best parts… Read More Walking in a Winter Wonderland: York in the Snow
There are a lot of pros and cons to living in a city like York. But I have to say, one of the things I love most about this city is that there’s always something going on! This weekend saw the York Ice Trail take over town on Saturday. It’s been one of my favorite… Read More Ice Ice Baby: Everything About the York Ice Trail!
Every year, I do a few big yearly recap posts on the year just gone. I’ve already written about my top experiences of 2018, and the worst travel moments of 2018! But I always like to do one about the best places I visited each year. In 2016, my favorite places were heavily skewed by… Read More The Best Places I Visited in 2018