I now have three months until the wedding, with a wee bit more time to spare for more walking and more wedding planning! I already feel more refreshed and at ease. I really enjoyed travelling by train, but I won't miss that daily commute!
Dave and I have never had a summer holiday together. In fact, we've only had three holidays abroad together in our 6 years together, November 2010, October 2013 and February 2015! We try to take as many trips around Scotland as we can, but these generally also fall in the off-season as we work during our summers.
So it was a real treat to get a proper summer holiday together! But much more than that, we got to spend time with four very special people who we don't see very often, so it made it all the more special.
First up, we travelled to Amsterdam to meet our friends from North Carolina, Emily and Blair. Emily and I first met in 2006 when I studied abroad at the University of Chapel Hill (ten years ago!!) although we didn't really start our proper friendship until January 2007. Since then we've seen each every year until 2013, which is quite incredible - 2008 in America, 2009 in Scotland, 2010 in America, 2011 in Scotland/inter-railing around Europe, 2012 in America and 2013 in America!
With house purchases and job changes, we've had a two and a half year lapse (although we've kept in touch that whole time!) which made it all the more incredible to meet in Amsterdam - planned, but literally in the middle of the street! - and celebrate together. Celebrate so much - our reunion, birthdays been and birthdays to come, a wedding to come - or two! Emily and Blair got engaged just an hour or so before we met up!
We made some very special memories on this trip, to add to 10 years of very special memories!
Amsterdam was a great place to do it. Emily and I had travelled to Amsterdam in late March / early April of 2011, the tenth and final city on an incredible inter-railing adventure. During our time in the Netherlands, we both did a skydive over Rotterdam, which was insane!
We were perhaps a bit tired and travelled-out by the time we got there, so I'm not sure I appreciated Amsterdam in all its glory. But 5 years later, travelling with our fiances (ooo!) it just felt far more relaxed and enjoyable.
Again it was a beautiful place and we loved our time there, but it was the company and memories made that made it all the more special.
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| We walked a couple of miles to get here, and swam when we arrived! |
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| L'ile St Marguerite |
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| Where it all began! |
Lovely to spend time with friends and family.
Lovely to have time to enjoy the moment, as life rattles on by at its useful fast pace :)
