Waiting

I have to apologize for the delay in posting today. I was surprised today to hear from a very good friend of mine who is very lucky to be living the dream I lived about two years ago.

I can't actually believe it was two years ago that I was living in Edinburgh. Two years ago that this whole journey started.

The unfortunate part of journeys like mine - and I'm sure I'm not alone in this-  is while you can do many things to help yourself along, there are certain parts you have no control over. That's the part I find myself in right now. It's hard to think of something to say really when you're wanting to write about wild planned adventures and a great new start when you have no idea if that start is even coming.

So I, better yet we, wait.

I would like to say that this post will be filled with tips on how to keep your spirits up while you're waiting. And I would like to say that I can also give you tips on not being so anxious when you're waiting for things while you travel. But the truth is I'm rubbish at both. The most I can hope for is that anyone who reads this will feel a little bit better about the fact that they're in the same boat. At least you're not alone.

That all being said, I think that I've been throwing myself into work and nothing else for a bit too long. Since I would like to be able to post some tips on how to keep from turning into a giant ball of stress during times like these, I've decided to discover some myself. Over the next few weeks I'll be working on memory keeping projects and hopefully getting a few travel books under my belt that I can share with you all. Maybe together, we can all find a way to deal with waiting.

Happy Friday lovelies!

T xx

Friday Links!

Greetings explorers!

This has been a strange week to say the least. A lot of getting things done that needed to be done but no really earth shattering or exciting events. Well... that is unless you count surprise Valentine's Day flowers from your boyfriend as earth shattering, which I do....

Tulips because he couldn't bring me a souvenir from Amsterdam <3 

But now that I'm done kinda (okay really) bragging lets get back to business.

In all honesty it's been a slow week for all things travel related. Matt and I are still waiting to hear some hopefully very good news soon but until then, it's just a waiting game.  Keeping all that in mind, I thought this week would be great to leave everyone some links. Below is a small collection of articles, blogs and helpful sites I'm really into currently. Maybe these can inspire you to stop putting off that next romantic get away or, better still, to finally take your first big trip!

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If you're like me, you're feeling the winter blues all over. I'm convinced that travel is the answer to everything and the BBC's Passport Blog agrees with me. Here's a post perfect for Valentine's Day.

Also from over at the BBC, something for those couples traveling together for the first time. You can learn these lessons on your own (Matt and I did) but thinking about these things beforehand might cut down on bickering. Emphasis on might.

Sometimes, just being able to look at destination and plan trips is enough of an escape for your mind to help you through the day. I tend to do this on Mondays. Matt and I favor the Lonely Planet travel books on travel as well as their website. With their Destination search, you can easily find anywhere you'd like to go. It's great for learning more about areas around World Heritage Sites!

And last but not least, some UNESCO news. UNESCO has just hosted an event called Marine World Heritage: Crown Jewels of the Ocean. There are 46 World Heritage Sites located in the ocean all in the name of conservation and marine sustainability.  I don't actually know if Matt and I will be able to get to some of these... maybe above them on a boat... does that count?

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Happy  Friday everyone!

xxT

The Fact of the Matter

When Matt first told me about his goal to see all 900... well it must have been 920-and-some at that time, I didn't know him well. He was very cute and I couldn't get enough but I also wasn't too sure what World Heritage Sites even were. I'm not saying I thought it was silly. I thought it was incredibly romantic. I saw images of jet-setting and beautiful hotels- Oh, the joys of loving a man who loved to travel....

A Very Special Day

Hello everyone! Today's post has mostly zero to do with traveling, just as fair warning. Then why make a post you say? 

Because it's Matthew's Birthday!!!!! 

He tries to pretend he doesn't know how good looking
 he is, but he knows...

Yes, the love of my life turns 22 today! Which means I can now tease him for being old just like he teases me. 

Since this time last year we've really fallen into sync. We've seen some amazing things and gone through some ridiculous(ly sad/painful/super-stressful) times together and, honestly, I would never want to do that again with or for anyone else. Even with all of that, I think that this past year has been a good one and I hope that Matt feels the same. 21 wasn't all that bad but I'm betting 22 will be better :)

Unfortunately, I can't celebrate it with him and, because of the perils of overseas shipping, it doesn't seem he'll get his presents anytime soon either. Below is a small birthday present for him.

A Happy Tuesday to you all :)

Happy Birthday Matthew <3