Trip to the U.S.A!!!!

Bonjour!!!! I'm actually in Paris now! If you follow me on Facebook, you'll see I arrived today with my friend Christy and will try not to overshare there before I even post about what's happened over the past month. So, time for some catch up....

I moved out of my place in September, transported all of my things to a mix of friends' homes, and packed/prepared for a trip to the U.S. Then, for almost the rest of September, I was back in the States for my first trip home since I've moved to London. The initial reason was one of my best friend Mary's weddings, and it turned into an elongated trip to meet Jaymie's (other best friend) baby Tilly, visit my family and friends.

So Sept. 5 I arrived home.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. It’s such a strange feeling to simultaneously feel “home” while also noticing all these weird things about ‘Americans’. For example, everything immediately seemed like the stereotypical fried food, McDonald’s culture that so many Europeans think we are (and which I constantly argue against!). And people on the escalators in the States have no system. In Europe, you stand on the right, walk on the left. And what was even stranger, was that just 24 hours after having arrived, as I was prepping for an Ohio State tailgate it seemed as though I’d never left.

Anyway, this trip was several parts.

Part 1 – Columbus (Jaymie, Tilly, the Columbus crew and Dan)

Jaymie (one of my best friends) had her baby this past spring, and I’d never met her! So I was so excited to meet baby Tilly. I can say with absolutely certainty that this might be not only the cutest baby I’ve ever seen, but also the happiest! The darling girl looks like the Michelin man and giggles all the time!

Dan also flew in to see me for the first time in 2 months and was a total trooper. He met one of my best friends, stayed with her baby for 3 days, met my parents and spent a full day being forced without a choice into Buckeye territory.

Got to see several good friends at Tina’s tailgate...

even Tilly participated....

I know she looks like she doesn't like me...but she actually is just pissed that you're staring at her!

and Jaymie’s husband David overcame is self-proclaimed loathing of me (just an ongoing joke) to give Dan and I tickets to the Buckeyes game! 

(this is the Buckeyes halftime show for those of you that don't know...)

Also made several trips (several in one day!) to Jeni's Ice Cream, my all time favorite Ohio ice cream joint!

Such an awesome weekend!!!

Part 2 – Dayton, Ohio

Mom and Dad drove out to Columbus to get me and I spent the rest of the week home in Dayton with the fam. It was SO nice to just relax at home. It’s funny how quickly you get back into your life when you’re home. I love our house. I love the hammock. I love the deck and the porch swing.

I love relaxing in the countryside. We had a cookout where I got to see family. I drove down to Cincinnati for a day to see my littlest sister Kaylyn at college. 

I still cannot believe she’s graduated from high school and is away at college already! I’m honestly so amazed by the person she’s become and I miss her to death. I also got to see my high school girlfriends for a night (but stupidly realized we didn’t get a single picture!!!!! So mad!!!). It was a whirlwind that flew by, but so awesome to be home.

I do have to say it was pretty humorous to me that one of the stops we made was in Troy, Ohio where the Mumford and Sons "tour" had made a huge splash and there were all these store fronts that were decorated "British" style in honor of the band. I can't seem to get away from it!!!

Even the Queen made an appearance!

Part 3a – North Carolina: Charlotte and the Mountains

Mary’s wedding was down in Asheville, NC. My parents were also invited (because Mary is amazing and invited my family so I could spend more time with them), so we decided to drive down to North Carolina. Nice long road trip with the parents where we drove through the mountains and listened to a book on CD to make the time fly by. I squeezed in a visit with my friend Michelle who also made a trip up from South Carolina to see me.

We also stayed with my cousins Brian and Angie at their place in Charlotte a night. It was my first trip to Charlotte and have to say it was a pretty cute sprawling Southern city.

Then Mom, Dad and I picked up Kyle on Monday, and continued on to the mountains above Asheville to rent a cottage for a couple of days. 

I have to tell you right off the bat, this place was called “Bear’s Den” and the owners warned us that bears had recently been spotted. I was SO pumped!!! I’ve seriously been wanting to see a bear for years! I know it sounds silly. Whatever. Years ago my friends took a trip to Colorado and I was dying to see one. Ever since, no live bear. It’s sort of a goal of mine. I was pretty certain this was a sure thing, and was relatively bummed when none materialized after 3 days at Bear’s Den.

Most of the week was so great though. Despite Kyle being a workaholic and having to go to town to get wifi for hours every day, we made some bloody mary’s and sat in the hot tub one day…..

Went on hikes several times…..

Mom and Dad hiking...

We may or may not have had a little workout at the top of the mountain...

And all around just enjoyed relaxing in nature (something I continuously crave).

We also randomly went zip-lining (as a family) and I'm quite impressed with my mom for overcoming her fear of heights!!!!

I did end up getting sick the last day in the mountains which admittedly was a huge bummer. I felt like I had the full on flu for the remainder of the weekend, which was pretty upsetting given that I was about to spend the weekend seeing my other best friend Mary, being in her wedding, seeing Dan, my Chicago friends and my family for the weekend. <Big Sigh>

Part 3b – Mary’s Wedding!!!!!! (Asheville, NC)

For those of you that don’t know me super well, I used to be connected at the hip with Mary. I adore her. And when she moved to Fallon, Nevado to live with her Navy Top Gun fighter pilot fiancé, and I moved to London, I had a really hard time. Mary sometimes knows me better than I know myself. So I was so excited to see her for the first time since December!

Her wedding was actually AT the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. 

It. Is. Incredible. The whole weekend was such a great gathering of family and friends who love her (and luckily for me, many of them are close to me too, so I was so happy to spend time surrounded by people I’ve missed these past months). Dan was also invited, so he flew in for the long weekend as did my great friends Abby, Emily and Lauren.

Dan bonding with the Boston boys

Mary, Emily, Abby and me

I have to say, I know I’m partial, but I think I have a pretty fun family. So it was a ton of fun having my boyfriend and my closest friends around my family in a fun atmosphere and goofing around.

The wedding was incredible. I cried. I don’t usually cry at weddings. (Seriously, I don’t. I know I cry if you yell at me, but for some reason I normally don’t cry at weddings. This one was special.) We danced. (a lot). We partied. I tried not to sniffle all over everyone. ;)

Let's just talk about how incredibly nervous I was to give this wedding speech...

All in all, it was an amazing weekend. I think the older you get, it’s even more meaningful to witness someone you care about so much deciding to marry someone that makes them so happy. It really was so great to see Mary and Wes so happy.

A few other wedding weekend pics...

We were re-enacting prom here....

Cutest parents ever. My mom has the BEST blue eyes!

Wedding dance party!

Gotta love a bride that wears green Toms to her wedding....

Dan and I and our moustaches

Leaving on the other hand was tough. Waterworks central on my part. Sigh… I can’t complain. It was a wonderful long trip home. And I realized I wasn’t quite “finished” with my European adventure yet. But man….saying bye to the people you love most is tough! It doesn’t help when you have a nightmare 30+ hour trip back to London either…. Se la vie.

Group hug...and lots of crying...

Next up? My college buddy Christy’s visit to London, an impromptu trip to Paris, resuming fall classes, and then the trips I have planned in October to Lake Como, Italy and Budapest, Hungary!!!!!

Miss you all and thanks to everyone who made my visit home so wonderful. I miss everyone and while I’m loving my time here, I am newly excited again to return in the Spring! Xo