Simply the best of the best.
The highlights, if you will.
As the year comes to a close, it’s hard not to get a little bit nostalgic. This has been one of the best years of my life. In August of 2012, I moved abroad to live and study for my master’s in Edinburgh.
I kicked off 2013 in Edinburgh. So let’s start there.
It’s all the best from the year. So check it out, and catch up on my life while I take a look back.
New Year’s Eve – End of 2012/Start of 2013
My parents flew back with me after Christmas to kick off the New Year with a classic Hogmanay in Edinburgh.
During the first week of January, J and I visited the National Monument of Scotland (in Edinburgh) where we got to take in this great view of the city.
And the National Monument itself.
A few weeks later we followed up with an impromptu trip to London… our flight was at 6am which we caught after a night out for my friends birthday… can’t you tell?
Okay, now you can tell.
We met up with one of J’s friends who joined us along across the Emerites Airline Cable Cars to the O2 arena. Terrifying.
Enough of London, we’re back in Edinburgh with a rare sunny day to explore the Royal Botanical Gardens.
In March we went to Doncaster for a Kasabian Show. I think that’s probably the only time anyone would visit Doncaster. Amazing show.
On our way back home, we stopped off in York.
…where we saw York Minster in all its glory.
At the very end of March, we finally got to a Premier League Game, Southampton v Chelsea.
And after the Easter holidays, in early April we hopped on a quick flight over to Dublin.
One of our first stops was an obligatory Guinness Storehouse adventure.
Complete with a free pint, cheers!
Then we went on a looooooong walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Followed by a stop into Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells and the famous Long Room. Best library ever.
Back at home and the end of April, here is the Fourth Bridge in Edinburgh. Always visible after a short walk down to the beach from our apartment.
It’s May! Bring on the beautiful Lake District in England.
A quick surprise trip from J as a getaway to celebrate my birthday. I didn’t know the destination until we got there. Gorgeous!
After a day out on the water, we took a walk up to the top of one of the peaks…
…where we got engaged!!
Of course we had champagne to celebrate back at the hotel! (Plus a bit of a cheeky pose)
The next day was my birthday, where believe it or not, I got completely spoiled again.
Before we knew it, we were headed stateside to visit (and celebrate) with my family…unfortunately I didn’t take too many pictures at home.
After the briefest of trips home, we found our way back to Edinburgh for the summer.
And J’s best friend came to visit from England and we climbed to the top of Arthur’s Seat.
And since time flies… we were off again to London to see Kings of Leon at the O2 for their first show in nearly two years. Needless to say, we’re Fans.
At the crack of dawn, the morning after one of the best shows we’ve ever seen… we boarded a plane for a mini European adventure.
Starting on a rock hard beach in Nice, France.
Followed by an afternoon in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
And a last night out along the colorful streets of Nice.
Then we were jetting off again…
To Italia! Where we saw the Trevi Fountain…
the Colosseum…
and went exploring the grounds of the Forum and Palatine…
And with barely any time to breathe… off to Paris. One of my favorite cities in the world.
We finally made it to the very top of the Eiffel Tower…
and to the bar a bit lower to the ground.
And then to the absolutely stunning Palace of Versailles.
We left our mark on Paris as well at the Pont de l’Archevêché, more commonly known as the Love Lock bridge.
Whoooosh! Back in the UK with a drive back up to Edinburgh after our European travels…but first, stopping off in Stratford to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace. Why not?
And a bit of target practice near our place.
Then off to Open Championship in Muirfield for all the golf fans out there….(J, my dad).
Not long after, my parents came to visit too. So we met them down in London.
And walked like The Beatles.
Took them up the London Eye.
And managed to snag tickets to the first weekend of Premier League action at the Emerites.
Before we caught the train from King’s Cross and traveled back to Edinburgh.
Where we spent some time over at St. Andrews so the guys could golf and the ladies could lunch, shop, and walk about the town.
I turned in my dissertation to complete my master’s degree. All 138 pages of it.
And then it was off to Alicante, where I booked a trip for J’s birthday.
Before we knew it, we were moving out of our little flat in Edinburgh and moving down south. Where trips into London have become commonplace. And so we went to Wembley to celebrate a bit of American football (not the most successful teams, however).
Just like that, it was October and we had another trip booked back to America.
Where J went to his work headquarters for a TV appearance.
And then we spent time with my family.
Planned our wedding menu. Bought my wedding dress. Picked out bridesmaid dresses.
Had an engagement photo shoot with our wedding photographers.
And because time doesn’t stop, we headed back to the UK.
And went up to Edinburgh for my graduation ceremony.
Came back to our new home in England and then visited my sorority sister, Sara, in Brighton.
Went over to Cardiff in Wales.
And booked a trip to Geneva, Switzerland… see the gorgeous mountains?
Complete with some fun filled late night wandering in Geneva.
And we happened to stumble upon a pub where we drank authentic Swiss beer…
and tried cheese fondue. When in Switzerland, am I right?
We took a bus up from Geneva over to France… the little town of Chamonix to be exact. This is where we got to see the Alps.
And it was breathtaking.
On our last day in Switzerland, we ventured over to Lausanne and Lake Geneva, where I finally tried Ladurée treats!
And at the end of November, Sara came over from Brighton and we cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone.
And it was delicious (if I do say so myself)!
And J and I went to check out the Harry Potter Studio Tours. So essentially all my dreams came true.
I embraced my inner nerd wholeheartedly and had the most amazing time. J did too. A last glimpse at Hogwarts…
And all of a sudden, it was Christmastime. So I baked TONS of my absolute favorite Christmas sugar cookies.
And we all proceeded to eat the first batch within the week. Oops! So I made more.
Full up on cookies, we managed to pull ourselves together for Christmas Day.
Can you believe a year has already flown by?
I feel like it was just yesterday when we were waiting outside for the fireworks to start at the Edinburgh castle.
Time definitely moves fast.
Soon I’ll be moving back stateside for a little bit. And in six months time, J and I will be getting married! Eek! So many amazing things to look forward to.
While I’m sad this year is ending… it’s clear that another incredible year is only just beginning.
So cheers to the year past and the year to come!
Happy New Year everyone!!
xx Kelly
PS. What were your highlights from 2013? Share them below!