All Around Here

And we relaxed with a beautiful view! (This isn't our Airbnb lol, just the common room in the building)

We went hiking in the Mississippi gorge to Minniehaha falls...

So far in Minneapolis, we've been to the Mall of America (specifically nickelodeon world, which was way cooler than we expected)...

Oh also our plan was to spend the night in Cleveland, which not only are we not doing but we couldn't do even if we wanted to. So instead we are... winging it!

Like right now, we're moving. Had to pack up the whole apartment and put everything in storage. We're living life on the edge

Oh did I mention that we're moving too?

We're currently stopped for Gas+food+water+break at a rest stop just outside of Syracuse. We were up until 3am last night packing and then had a bunch of cleaning to do this morning, so our plan is to drive for another 2-3hrs and then do the lion's share tomorrow

Day 1 of our three month road trip! We're starting (late lol) with a dead sprint from Boston to Minneapolis in a single weekend! Wish us luck!! 🫠

we're getting ready for our next trip, and it's a big one. we're moving apartments, moving cities, and road tripping for two months between them. gonna be wild

Aaaand we've made it! Ask me how I know lol

Time for boarding. Wild to be leaving at 3pm, flying for 6 hours, and the landing at 4pm. Timezones man (also this is actually our plane this time)

I really wanted an Irish coffee (for the first time this trip would you believe it) but this airport bar doesn't offer them. So I'm getting a latte and a Guinness and calling it even

And we've made it! Customs guy only asked a few questions so overall not bad. Now for food.

Ok, bags rechecked and we've made it through security! Now for the big one: US customs

Our flight leaves in three and a half hours. Wish us luck! 🤞

Ok now for the fun part. Because the Scotland leg of this journey was planned much later than the Ireland leg, this is not, technically, a connecting flight. So, uh, we need to 1) go through customs, 2) collect our bag, 3) recheck our bag, 4) go through security, and 5) re-go through customs

Made it to Dublin!

And we're off! Should be just about an hour until we're (back) in Dublin!

Also that wasn't actually our aircraft lol. We are on a very very small ATR72 today, which is the 2nd smallest commercial plane I've ever flown on. It's got propellers for crying out loud

Travel day, heading home! Edinburgh airport is nice, very small though. Taxi ride here was very chaotic (Monday morning traffic) and we're only on this flight for an hour before we have to change in dublin

And after all that we've made it back to Edinburgh for one more night. Tomorrow is our flight home (or, flights actually) so it feels like a bit of a send off to have this be the view that we get coming out of the train station

Trains really are just the best way to travel

Made the train back! We also got an upgrade to first class because this train is basically empty. On the downside, the train is pretty broken so there's no cafe service in first. On the upside, they didn't charge us for the upgrade! Also on the upside, that sunset ✨

Sorry I didn't get a photo of this, but I kid you not the bar staff gave us a squirt gun with our food so we could fend off the seagulls. And ya know what, it's a good thing they did cause we needed it

Hopped a quick taxi back to town, and now dinner at a very strange sports bar across the street from the train station. The views from the rooftop bar clash (in a good way) with the neon lights and pop music.

And Urquhart Castle is here too! Of the four ish castles we've seen this trip, this is by far the oldest and the most run down

It's so cliche to talk about how beautiful the highlands are, but it really is that gorgeous

We found a boat! This is a quick tour with Jacobite Cruises out on Loch Ness itself! It's cold and windy and a bit wet but I wouldn't be anywhere else!

A quick pint at Gellions, the oldest pub in Inverness (allegedly) and we're off by cab to our next adventure!

Oh and we found Nessie! (Or at least her cousin who lives in the river rather than the loch)