On May 9, 2017, me and my lovely wife finally got the chance to go on our honeymoon, and it was well worth the wait. We decided to revisit a place that we enjoyed so much the first time we visited back in 2013, a place where we could spend quality time with each other and just forget about our troubles for a while - that place was Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Day 1 - 09/05/2017
An early start for us (5am!). We'd driven to Windsor Locks the night before to stay the night at a Hampton Inn, so that we could be right next to Bradley Airport, our departure point. Taking advantage of the hotel's airport shuttle, we had the usual security proceedure, which we got through fairly quickly, before having a fair amount of time to wait and grab some food before we boarded our flight. The flight itself was pretty uneventful, and as well as seeing some awesome views of the Eastern Seaboard, including a good look at the Maryland and South Carolina coastlines, we got to take full advantage of the in-flight wi-fi (I'd never been on a plane with wi-fi before, for the record). It was a 2-and-a-half hour flight, but it felt more like a short hop.
Once arriving at Orlando Airport, we made our way to the Magical Express coach, and about half an hour later we arrived at our hotel for the trip, the Caribbean Beach Resort. We were a little confused at first because we were dropped off at a small building called the Customs House ("Is this it?"), but we soon learned that there was a resort bus that took guests to the different sections of the hotel. Aside from a couple of parts of the hotel being under construction, it was a very nice place, with a Caribbean island theme (if the name didn't already give that away), a lake surrounded by the hotel buildings, plus a small island in the middle with a playground, and an open air pool. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we took some time to have lunch and take in the scenery, before we got the call to head to our room, which was in the "Aruba" section. It was very comfortable and had a homely island shack feel to it - plus sliding bathroom doors!
After unpacking, we then jumped on the bus and made our way to the first park of the trip, Epcot. Stepping back into Epcot brought back all the memories there from the first trip, as well as reminding us of the places that we didn't get teh chance to check out the first time round - one of those places was The Seas with Nemo & Friends, which housed an aquarium featuring many different marine life, including clownfish, turtles, stingrays, manatees and dolphins. Speaking of the dolphins, we got to watch a demonstration of their memory abilities, and it was very impressive to watch.
Next up was The Land pavilion, which contained the ride Soarin'. I was nervous about going on it, as I heard it involved being suspended from a height, but it turned out I had nothing to be nervous about it, in fact we both thoroughly enjoyed it. After that it was time to revisit my favourite Epcot ride from the previous visit, Test Track. It didn't quite go to plan however, as halfway through, the ride broke down, leaving us stuck in a tunnel for about 15-20 minutes. Thankfully the problem was fixed, and we got to enjoy that crazy high-speed section at the end.
It was then time to take a walk around the world - the World Showcase, that is, which was just as fascinating as last time. We paid a visit to the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany section, where we were paired up with three other couples for a German buffet. I can't say either of us were crazy about the food, although I can now say I tried pork schnitzels. However the company more than made up for it, we were chatting away about our plans for the trip as well as some Disney World history - I was actually quite sad to say goodbye to them, knowing that none of us would probably ever meet again like this. There was also a live German oompah band, and they certainly got the kids moving.
Epcot's landmark is of course "Spaceship Earth", and it was only fitting that we should take a ride on it for the first time, it was an interesting look at the history of communication, and I found myself thinking it was quite impressive how they managed to fit all that ride inside a giant dome.
By this time night had fallen, so we decided to head to the United Kingdom (not the real one sadly) to find a place to watch the spectacular "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks display on the lake, before my wife requested that we go to the Norway pavilion to do a character meet-and-greet with Elsa and Anna from "Frozen" - needless to say, it was very popular. We finished up Epcot by quickly paying a second visit to The Land (it was nearly closing time) to ride on the very informative "Living with the Land" boat ride.
We finished off our first day by chilling in one of the hammocks at our hotel, with a view of the lake and the stars, and I'm not joking when I say we could've fallen asleep right there and then.
Day 2 - 10/05/2017
Started the day with some breakfast at our hotel, from a handy little market shop in our set of buildings. I caught sight of some of the hotel's resident wildlife in the trees, namely geckos - it was quite unusual to see a place where geckos and squirrels hang out in the same habitat.
Then it was for a refreshing splash at our second park of the trip, the Blizzard Beach waterpark. In 2013 we only got to check it out briefly, however this time we made sure to explore the entire park, and as well as taking a ride on the chairlift to the top of the "ski slope", my wife encouraged me to take a ride on the Teamboat Springs raft ride, and I'm glad she convinced me to! We then took things easy on the Cross Country River before taking a dip in Melt-Away Bay and jumping those waves. After a quick meal and getting dried off, we attempted to check out the mini golf course next to Blizzard Beach, however we'd forgotten to bring some coupons that would've gotten us in for a discount. Still, we got to have a look at the course anyway.
The Florida heat was very overpowering, so we took a quick breather back the hotel before heading back to Epcot to take a couple of rides on the monorail to our third park, the most famous park of them all - where else but Magic Kingdom? Just like Epcot, all the sights came back, and it was just as crowded as ever too. Our first stop was Frontierland, to take a ride on my favourite Magic Kingdom ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and it was just as awesome as the first time. Then it was off to Fantasyland, where we jumped on my wife's favourite Magic Kingdom ride - you know the song. "It's a small world after all..."
We also took a short ride on Goofy's Barnstormer at the Storybook Circus before taking the steam train back to Main Street USA and hot-footing it to Tomorrowland, where we took the tour on the PeopleMover, which decided to pull a Test Track on us and stop momentarily inside the Space Mountain ride, thankfully the wait was much quicker this time.
Then it was time to make our way to Adventureland to join the Jungle Cruise, where we took a riverboat trip through a jungle, complete with gorillas trashing a camp, bathing elephants, natives attacking us and a spooky temple, not forgetting the pun-tastic commentary from the tour guide.
Unfortunately at this point the Florida heat had become too much for my wife, so we took a lengthy breather and downed some much-needed drinks, before we made our way to Tony's Italian Restaurant for our dinner. The food was great, as was the service, and the restaurant looked really impressive too. Did I mention it was also themed around "The Lady and the Tramp"?
We then had to move quickly to find a good spot to watch the "Wishes" fireworks display around Cinderella Castle. We previously saw "Wishes" in 2013, and it was once again amazing to watch. It was especially poignant this time round, as it was the second-to-last performance - "Wishes" has now been replaced with a new display, but at least we can say that we got to see it twice.
Things got a bit chaotic following "Wishes", as we had to try and make our way back to Adventureland while all the crowds were making their way out of the park (it was closing time, but as we were hotel guests we were allowed to stay in the park a bit longer due to the extended 'Magic Hours'), but we eventually made it, and I got to take my debut ride on the famous "Pirates of the Caribbean". This was a ride my wife really wanted us to experience, and we certainly did. It was mostly a boat ride through scenes of a pirate story, including a certain Jack Sparrow, however there was one point with a fairly big drop into the dark, and we did get a little drenched!
We finished off our Magic Kingdom experience with a second ride on Big Thunder Mountain, plus a ride on the newer Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which had some nifty theming and some cool wobbling cars, and also had an encore of "It's A Small World" before saying goodbye to "The Happiest Place on Earth". Needless to say, we were canny tuckered out that night.
Day 3 - 11/05/2017
Our third day in Orlando was the hottest day of the four, but me and my wife didn't let that stop us one bit. Park #4 was Animal Kingdom, which seemed to be more crowded than Magic Kingdom! There, we visited Dinoland USA and took a ride on Dinosaur (that dinosaur face coming right at you at the end threw me for a loop!) and Primeval Whirl, before taking a walk through the Asian village, where we dared to take a ride on the Expedition Everest rollercoaster - I can now say that it's the most intense rollercoaster I've ever been on, I was feeling the Gs on that 80-foot drop! Following that excitement, we took a walk on the Maharajah Jungle Trek through some temple ruins, and saw various wildlife including birds and bats, before getting absolutely drenched on the Kali River Rapids ride - it was actually refreshing with all that heat, and a much tamer ride compared to Everest. We then made our way to the African village, where we had a meal at the Tusker House Restaurant - it was also a character meal, so we got the chance to take pictures with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. Then we finished up our Animal Kingdom adventure with a walk along the Gorilla Falls trail, where there was more wildlife to see, including zebras, gorillas, and to my wife's delight, meerkats. (She wanted to take one home.) One attraction we didn't get to experience was Pandora, the Avatar themed land, as it wasn't open at the time we visited, however we did get to see it under construction, and it certainly looked impressive.
With the blazing hot temperatures, we decided it would be a good idea to go and chill back at the the hotel for a while, that ceiling fan certainly felt good after all that walking in the sun. We also took the opportunity to take a dip in the hotel pool, which was warm, had a couple of slides and a lively atmosphere including a live reggae band.
It was then time for park #5 - Hollywood Studios. By the time we got there it was dark, so we got to see it in all its neon-lit glory. We didn't go on any rides there, it was mostly just checking out the sights - there was absolutely no way I was going on the Tower of Terror, sorry thrill fans! However we did have another character meet-and-greet, and continuing the "Frozen" theme, it was no less than Olaf the snowman. And aye, I told him that he gave warm hugs.
The highlight of Hollywood Studios was the spectacular Star Wars themed fireworks display, featuring projections of famous moments from all the Star Wars films, complete with not only fireworks but lasers and pyrotechnics (we felt the heat from those jets of flame). It was a great way to end our time there.
After a lengthy wait for a bus, we then took a late night trip to a previously unexplored area of Disney World, a shopping district known as Disney Springs. Most of the shops were closed, however we still had a walk around, looking at some of the eye catching shop fronts (most notably the erupting Rainforest Café volcano) and having a meal by the boardwalk. There was also a tethered hot-air balloon ride there, and even though we didn't have time to take a ride on it, it was still cool to see.
We ended the night chilling in the hotel hammock under the stars one last time, and this time we did doze off for a little bit - we were starting to get the "going home" blues, but there was still one more day left.
Day 3 - 12/05/2017
As with any final day of a holiday, it felt very bittersweet, but me and my wife absolutely made the most of the time we had left.
After packing up our stuff and bidding farewell to Aruba, we checked out and decided to make a second visit to Magic Kingdom, where Big Thunder Mountain and It's A Small World both got another ride out of us, before my wife used her powers of persuasion to get me to agree on riding Splash Mountain. We first experienced that 50-foot drop in 2013, and it was just as fun again second time around. We then took our final ride on the Tomorrowland Speedway before saying our goodbyes to the Magic Kingdom.
One quick bus ride later, and we were back in Disney Springs to check it out in the daytime, but especially to have a meal at the T-Rex Café, which can best be described as "the Rainforest Café, with dinosaurs." The food wasn't bad, and neither of us could keep our eyes off all the animatronic dinosaurs inside the café.
We still had time to check out one final park, and this was a park we hadn't previously visited, the Typhoon Lagoon waterpark. We braved the Crush 'n Gusher slides, not once but three times, on all three of the different slides; rode the rapids on Miss Adventure Falls; chilled out on the Castaway Creek for a little while; rode three different rapids rides (Gangplank Falls, Keelhaul Falls and Mayday Falls) and got attacked by the giant waves in the wave pool. Typhoon Lagoon was a hit, and a great way to end our time at Disney World.
Then it was time for the moment we'd been dreading - the going home part. After a frantic two-bus ride back to the hotel, we hopped back on the Magical Express coach for the half-hour drive back to Orlando Airport. (The coach driver waited a little longer for us because our bus back to the hotel cut it very close, can't thank him enough.) After the usual security drill, we chilled at our departure gate with a meal, while I took the opportunity to plane-spot.
The return flight was a little more eventful than the flight down to Florida, and not in a good way. Firstly the announcement for boarding was somewhat quiet and late; secondly it was quite hot on board the plane, the pilot explained to everyone that the plane had been undergoing maintenance for the last few hours, and as a result the air conditioning wasn't working properly - and they chose to announce this after the plane had started taxiing for the runway. Not really something a nervous flyer wants to hear. Lastly, the flight was quite choppy in places, especially over the Carolinas, and needless to say I didn't take that too well, as airplane turbulence is what makes me nervous about flying - I'm glad my wife was there to help keep me calm.
Thankfully, we made it back to Bradley in one piece (after landing I heard a couple of passengers remark "I thought we weren't gonna make it", I sure hope they were joking), and after all of the excitement of the past four days, we certainly got a good night's sleep that night.
Our time at Walt Disney World was just as fun, action-packed and memorable as that first visit, and not only did we make so many memories, it was also a wonderful way to spend our honeymoon.
You can watch our videos from the trip here:
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #1
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #2
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #3
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #4
You can also check out my photos from the trip here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskX4GMjp
P.S. Me and my wife want to give a special thank you to my wife's parents and close friend for helping us out with the honeymoon, we really appreciate it and cannot thank you enough.
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
30/05/2017
29/02/2016
February 2016
Well, January certainly was eventful, with it being my first full month living in the US - but this month was also very eventful, and I don't just mean because of experiencing the crazy New England weather of snow followed by pretty much everything else.
I thought things had already come full circle when I made the big move from the UK to the US, however there was one more very important part of the puzzle that needed to be put into place, and it was something that me and my fiancee Nicole had been waiting for for well over a year.
On February 20, at Branford Point - a place that holds so much memories for us both, not least because it was also the place where I proposed to Nicole back in 2014 - in front of Nicole's family and friends (plus my grandma, who was able to tune in from back in the UK, thanks to the wonders of modern technology), me and Nicole became husband and wife. I can't put into words how it felt, but every minute was special, and I am so over the moon to now be able to call that lovely American lass, who I first met in an internet group over 15 years ago, my wife. It also won't be the first time we get married, either, because this was a legal wedding (my visa required us to be married within 90 days of my move), so it was very low-key, however we plan to hold a second ceremony in the summer, with the traditional ceremony and reception - but our wedding this month was the official joining together, and in no way will we ever forget it. It was one of those moments that you just don't forget.
On another note, I got to experience one of the American traditions for the first time this month - the Super Bowl. Aye, I'm talking about the big American football final which is basically the American equivalent of the FA Cup Final back in the UK, which is famous for its half-time musical number (it was Coldplay this year, which was great since I'm a fan of their music) and the special adverts that air during the game. To be brutally honest, American football is not a sport I really have any interest in, and the whole pomp and circumstance of the game just grated on me, much like most similar events. For me, the best part about watching the Super Bowl was getting to spend time with my lovely wife and our friends, chatting the night away. Forget the game, that's what it's all about, in my opinion.
Just before I get onto my usual slice of artwork for this month, I want to give a shoutout to one of my artist friends on DeviantArt, Josh aka Jowybean - I've been following his work since 2008 and I can't put into words how amazingly talented he is, he is a master of many different art styles and frequently puts insane amounts of detail in his work too, both in his fanart and his original works - please go and check his artworks out right here: Jowybean on DeviantArt
I'll leave you with this picture I made to commemmorate my wedding to my lovely Nicole - and I should also mention that this Valentine's Day was the very first one that we got to spend together, which pretty much made it the best Valentine's Day I've ever had. Just remember that love is for every day, not just for Valentine's, and that applies even if you're single - and on that note, it's ciao for now.
P.S. I can't believe one of my favourite metal songs is 20 years old: "Roots Bloody Roots" - Sepultura
I thought things had already come full circle when I made the big move from the UK to the US, however there was one more very important part of the puzzle that needed to be put into place, and it was something that me and my fiancee Nicole had been waiting for for well over a year.
On February 20, at Branford Point - a place that holds so much memories for us both, not least because it was also the place where I proposed to Nicole back in 2014 - in front of Nicole's family and friends (plus my grandma, who was able to tune in from back in the UK, thanks to the wonders of modern technology), me and Nicole became husband and wife. I can't put into words how it felt, but every minute was special, and I am so over the moon to now be able to call that lovely American lass, who I first met in an internet group over 15 years ago, my wife. It also won't be the first time we get married, either, because this was a legal wedding (my visa required us to be married within 90 days of my move), so it was very low-key, however we plan to hold a second ceremony in the summer, with the traditional ceremony and reception - but our wedding this month was the official joining together, and in no way will we ever forget it. It was one of those moments that you just don't forget.
On another note, I got to experience one of the American traditions for the first time this month - the Super Bowl. Aye, I'm talking about the big American football final which is basically the American equivalent of the FA Cup Final back in the UK, which is famous for its half-time musical number (it was Coldplay this year, which was great since I'm a fan of their music) and the special adverts that air during the game. To be brutally honest, American football is not a sport I really have any interest in, and the whole pomp and circumstance of the game just grated on me, much like most similar events. For me, the best part about watching the Super Bowl was getting to spend time with my lovely wife and our friends, chatting the night away. Forget the game, that's what it's all about, in my opinion.
Just before I get onto my usual slice of artwork for this month, I want to give a shoutout to one of my artist friends on DeviantArt, Josh aka Jowybean - I've been following his work since 2008 and I can't put into words how amazingly talented he is, he is a master of many different art styles and frequently puts insane amounts of detail in his work too, both in his fanart and his original works - please go and check his artworks out right here: Jowybean on DeviantArt
I'll leave you with this picture I made to commemmorate my wedding to my lovely Nicole - and I should also mention that this Valentine's Day was the very first one that we got to spend together, which pretty much made it the best Valentine's Day I've ever had. Just remember that love is for every day, not just for Valentine's, and that applies even if you're single - and on that note, it's ciao for now.
P.S. I can't believe one of my favourite metal songs is 20 years old: "Roots Bloody Roots" - Sepultura
31/01/2016
January 2016
It's safe to say that I never thought I'd be celebrating my 30th birthday living in a different country - but that's exactly what happened this month.
January '16 has been a time of major adjustment - I would say I'm pretty much used to being Stateside now, mine and Nicole's flat feels like home now. I would say the only part of living in the US that I'm still getting to grips with is the getting around, most of my travel has been Nicole driving me places, I've barely dared to venture out on my own. The cold weather hasn't really helped either, especially the winter storm Jonas that hit in the middle of this month - me and Nicole had a very memorable trip to Rhode Island to escape the worst of it (we ended up spending an extra night there because of car trouble).
So I'm sure some of you are wondering, "how does it feel to be 30?" I can say that it feels pretty much the same as my 20s so far. Some say that turning 30 is when the rot sets in, but others say that life begins at 30 - I would say that it's different for everyone.
It was a little strange not getting to celebrate my birthday with taking on my brother in a bowling match, but I was still able to wish him well via Skype - I also ended up getting a couple of half-unexpeected birthday presents from Nicole and her family, for the first time in years I have a bike of my own once again, and also I got a top-of-the-range Canon camera, so expect to see a lot of photography.
Me and Nicole also celebrated the occasion with a trip to Rhode Island and to Foxwoods Casino, where we had that game of slightly-sloshed birthday bowling - it was a blast, and I can't thank Nicole and her family enough for everything.
Keeping with the birthday theme, on the art front I hosted an art jam on DeviantArt - I was born in the 80s, so it was only fitting to host a jam themed around everything from that crazy decade, "Back To The 80s". I have very vague memories of living in the 80s as I was only a baby at the time, but I do remember some of the music, and 1980s music is something I enjoy listening to as well.
Unrelated to the jam, I've also been experimenting a little with my artwork - I recently purchased some Copic markers, and while they're expensive, they're really high quality, the ink doesn't bleed through the paper, and it also enables me to make pictures at much higher resolution. I'm hoping making my drawings this way will also reduce the amount of time I spend working on a drawing, while still keeping it high quality.
That was my January, and quite a way to start the new year it was - and by the time of the next blog, I'll be a married man, all being well.
I'll leave you with some artwork as always, one of my own entries to the 80s art jam, my homage to the classic animation "The Snowman".
In fact, I'll leave some music this time, too - one of my favourite songs from the 80s, and also the song that was the UK no. 1 when I was born : "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys.
January '16 has been a time of major adjustment - I would say I'm pretty much used to being Stateside now, mine and Nicole's flat feels like home now. I would say the only part of living in the US that I'm still getting to grips with is the getting around, most of my travel has been Nicole driving me places, I've barely dared to venture out on my own. The cold weather hasn't really helped either, especially the winter storm Jonas that hit in the middle of this month - me and Nicole had a very memorable trip to Rhode Island to escape the worst of it (we ended up spending an extra night there because of car trouble).
So I'm sure some of you are wondering, "how does it feel to be 30?" I can say that it feels pretty much the same as my 20s so far. Some say that turning 30 is when the rot sets in, but others say that life begins at 30 - I would say that it's different for everyone.
It was a little strange not getting to celebrate my birthday with taking on my brother in a bowling match, but I was still able to wish him well via Skype - I also ended up getting a couple of half-unexpeected birthday presents from Nicole and her family, for the first time in years I have a bike of my own once again, and also I got a top-of-the-range Canon camera, so expect to see a lot of photography.
Me and Nicole also celebrated the occasion with a trip to Rhode Island and to Foxwoods Casino, where we had that game of slightly-sloshed birthday bowling - it was a blast, and I can't thank Nicole and her family enough for everything.
Keeping with the birthday theme, on the art front I hosted an art jam on DeviantArt - I was born in the 80s, so it was only fitting to host a jam themed around everything from that crazy decade, "Back To The 80s". I have very vague memories of living in the 80s as I was only a baby at the time, but I do remember some of the music, and 1980s music is something I enjoy listening to as well.
Unrelated to the jam, I've also been experimenting a little with my artwork - I recently purchased some Copic markers, and while they're expensive, they're really high quality, the ink doesn't bleed through the paper, and it also enables me to make pictures at much higher resolution. I'm hoping making my drawings this way will also reduce the amount of time I spend working on a drawing, while still keeping it high quality.
That was my January, and quite a way to start the new year it was - and by the time of the next blog, I'll be a married man, all being well.
I'll leave you with some artwork as always, one of my own entries to the 80s art jam, my homage to the classic animation "The Snowman".
In fact, I'll leave some music this time, too - one of my favourite songs from the 80s, and also the song that was the UK no. 1 when I was born : "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys.
31/12/2015
December 2015
Where do I begin?
To say that December has been a month of mixed emotions doesn't begin to cover it. There comes a time in everyone's lives where something has to change, and on 28 December 2015, such a moment happened to me - I said goodbye to my family and my life in my home country of the UK that I've known for the past 29 years, and took a one way flight across the pond to start a new life in the USA with my soon-to-be wife Nicole. This was something that had been in the works for this whole year, and while the waiting and the whole process of applying for the visa got a little bit frustrating at times, it all came together in the end.
I always knew that saying goodbye to my family, especially my twin brother, would be one of the hardest things that I would ever have to do, and as emotional as it was, it needed to be done. At the end of the day, they all want me to be happy, no matter where I am in the world. And making this move doesn't mean that I intend on losing touch with any of my family or friends back in the UK, if anything it makes my connection with them stronger. As a good friend said to me, "you can take the lad out of County Durham but you can't take County Durham out of the lad."
My flights over to the US were absolutely fine, and to my surprise I had no trouble at US customs either - the only problem that happened was that British Airways left one of my bags in London, but that all got sorted thankfully. And when I was reunited with my lovely Nicole, I was finally able to say "I did it!"
We got moved into our own place, a very spacious apartment - it took a couple of days to adjust to it, there were a few moments where we both thought "pinch me, is this real?", but it already feels like home now. There's still much for me to get used to, but I'm sure in time that I will, and I know that Nicole will help me to do so.
With all that's been happening, Christmas has almost been an afterthought - however I'm glad that I was able to spend Christmas with my family before the move, as well as apending the New Year with Nicole and her family and friends - the best of both worlds, really.
As 2015 draws to a close, I can only wonder what 2016 is going to bring, not just for myself but for everyone. To this I say, it will bring what it will bring, let's just see what happens.
I'll leave you with my final artwork selection of this year, a festive group shot for my DeviantArt friends. Which leaves me to say just this: wherever you are in the world, whoever you're with, I wish you all the best for 2016 and beyond. :)
To say that December has been a month of mixed emotions doesn't begin to cover it. There comes a time in everyone's lives where something has to change, and on 28 December 2015, such a moment happened to me - I said goodbye to my family and my life in my home country of the UK that I've known for the past 29 years, and took a one way flight across the pond to start a new life in the USA with my soon-to-be wife Nicole. This was something that had been in the works for this whole year, and while the waiting and the whole process of applying for the visa got a little bit frustrating at times, it all came together in the end.
I always knew that saying goodbye to my family, especially my twin brother, would be one of the hardest things that I would ever have to do, and as emotional as it was, it needed to be done. At the end of the day, they all want me to be happy, no matter where I am in the world. And making this move doesn't mean that I intend on losing touch with any of my family or friends back in the UK, if anything it makes my connection with them stronger. As a good friend said to me, "you can take the lad out of County Durham but you can't take County Durham out of the lad."
My flights over to the US were absolutely fine, and to my surprise I had no trouble at US customs either - the only problem that happened was that British Airways left one of my bags in London, but that all got sorted thankfully. And when I was reunited with my lovely Nicole, I was finally able to say "I did it!"
We got moved into our own place, a very spacious apartment - it took a couple of days to adjust to it, there were a few moments where we both thought "pinch me, is this real?", but it already feels like home now. There's still much for me to get used to, but I'm sure in time that I will, and I know that Nicole will help me to do so.
With all that's been happening, Christmas has almost been an afterthought - however I'm glad that I was able to spend Christmas with my family before the move, as well as apending the New Year with Nicole and her family and friends - the best of both worlds, really.
As 2015 draws to a close, I can only wonder what 2016 is going to bring, not just for myself but for everyone. To this I say, it will bring what it will bring, let's just see what happens.
I'll leave you with my final artwork selection of this year, a festive group shot for my DeviantArt friends. Which leaves me to say just this: wherever you are in the world, whoever you're with, I wish you all the best for 2016 and beyond. :)
30/11/2015
November 2015
I just do not have the words to say that can cover how eventful this past month has been - but I can say one thing for sure: the wait is over.
The absolute highlight of this month was the last week, when after 11 months apart, I got to see my fiancee Nicole again, she flew over to the UK to spend a week with me, both at home in the north-east and for two trips to London. This was Nicole's first time getting to visit the capital, and we had a hectic but brilliant time seeing the city's sights, including Buckingham Palace, London Zoo, Regent's Park, Baker Street, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, as well as also having a skate on an ice rink down on the South Bank, and seeing the night lights of the London skyline from the top of the London Eye. Both the hotels we stayed at were great too, especially the Doubletree on the second visit (minibar and iMac in the room, anyone?)
We also combined the London trip with another DeviantArt meet-up, it was great getting to hang out with Dracorum-Order, Granitoons, TopperHay and LaptopGeek again, not forgetting meeting Qwertypictures (aka Chris Signore) for the first time. There was much walking, food, chat and drawing involved, and though it flew by, it was still something neither me or Nicole will forget for a long time.
However, spending timt together in London wasn't the only reason Nicole flew over, there was another very important reason for her being here - on 23 November, I had my visa interview at the US Embassy. It was a lengthy process, which involved waiting for two hours in between being called to a booth to have documents and fingerprints taken, the staff were very pleasant however. The actual interview consisted of questions about me and Nicole's relationship, and it was very quick, but also informal, it was more like a conversation than an interview, which made us feel at ease.
And now for the big announcement - how did the interview go? I can now finally say it after all these months...the embassy told me there and then that my US visa had been approved. It is finally happening after all this time, I can scarcely believe it - but needless to say both me and Nicole were overjoyed on hearing the news.
So this means December will be my last month living in my home country, because I've decided that I will be flying out to the US in the last week of December. This is because I want to spend one more Christmas with my family, before starting the New Year and a new life with Nicole. We both have a lot to do between now and then, that goes without saying.
Changing subject, the other highlight of this month was attending the Lumiere Festival in Durham for the third time - for those needing to know, it's an outdoor art festival that's been held in Durham every 2 years, and all the exhibits are themed around light - it was very crowded, but as always the exhibits were impressive. Some of the highlights included two flying fish creatures, mist across the River Wear, a projection of a whale swimming on the Wear and a dramatic projection on Durham Cathedral. Lumiere also saw another DA meetup, I hung out with DragonRichard for the event, which was nice.
I can't even imagine how December is going to be...but it's going to be a very important and very likely an emotional time - a lot of changes are happening, and I just hope I'm ready for them.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - a homage/parody of the B-movies from the 1950s that I drew for CowboyCrocket's 1950s art jam this month.
Till next time.
P.S. - Click the links below if you want to see pics and videos from my visit to the Lumiere Festival.
Videos:
Durham Lumiere 2015 #1
Durham Lumiere 2015 #2
Photos:
Durham Lumiere 2015 - Photos
The absolute highlight of this month was the last week, when after 11 months apart, I got to see my fiancee Nicole again, she flew over to the UK to spend a week with me, both at home in the north-east and for two trips to London. This was Nicole's first time getting to visit the capital, and we had a hectic but brilliant time seeing the city's sights, including Buckingham Palace, London Zoo, Regent's Park, Baker Street, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, as well as also having a skate on an ice rink down on the South Bank, and seeing the night lights of the London skyline from the top of the London Eye. Both the hotels we stayed at were great too, especially the Doubletree on the second visit (minibar and iMac in the room, anyone?)
We also combined the London trip with another DeviantArt meet-up, it was great getting to hang out with Dracorum-Order, Granitoons, TopperHay and LaptopGeek again, not forgetting meeting Qwertypictures (aka Chris Signore) for the first time. There was much walking, food, chat and drawing involved, and though it flew by, it was still something neither me or Nicole will forget for a long time.
However, spending timt together in London wasn't the only reason Nicole flew over, there was another very important reason for her being here - on 23 November, I had my visa interview at the US Embassy. It was a lengthy process, which involved waiting for two hours in between being called to a booth to have documents and fingerprints taken, the staff were very pleasant however. The actual interview consisted of questions about me and Nicole's relationship, and it was very quick, but also informal, it was more like a conversation than an interview, which made us feel at ease.
And now for the big announcement - how did the interview go? I can now finally say it after all these months...the embassy told me there and then that my US visa had been approved. It is finally happening after all this time, I can scarcely believe it - but needless to say both me and Nicole were overjoyed on hearing the news.
So this means December will be my last month living in my home country, because I've decided that I will be flying out to the US in the last week of December. This is because I want to spend one more Christmas with my family, before starting the New Year and a new life with Nicole. We both have a lot to do between now and then, that goes without saying.
Changing subject, the other highlight of this month was attending the Lumiere Festival in Durham for the third time - for those needing to know, it's an outdoor art festival that's been held in Durham every 2 years, and all the exhibits are themed around light - it was very crowded, but as always the exhibits were impressive. Some of the highlights included two flying fish creatures, mist across the River Wear, a projection of a whale swimming on the Wear and a dramatic projection on Durham Cathedral. Lumiere also saw another DA meetup, I hung out with DragonRichard for the event, which was nice.
I can't even imagine how December is going to be...but it's going to be a very important and very likely an emotional time - a lot of changes are happening, and I just hope I'm ready for them.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - a homage/parody of the B-movies from the 1950s that I drew for CowboyCrocket's 1950s art jam this month.
Till next time.
P.S. - Click the links below if you want to see pics and videos from my visit to the Lumiere Festival.
Videos:
Durham Lumiere 2015 #1
Durham Lumiere 2015 #2
Photos:
Durham Lumiere 2015 - Photos
31/12/2014
December 2014
Where do I start...what a month this has been, and without a doubt it's been a month of two halves.
You know that feeling when the festive season slowly starts to creep in, even though you try so hard to try and resist the cheesiness of it all? I had that, but also a lot of nerves, which was pretty much how it was for the first half of this month, working at my charity shop placement and keeping busy with that, my artwork and buying Christmas presents for family and friends (as usual, I cut it fine).
Those nerves were all for the anticipation of the second half of the month, as I knew I would be spending my first Christmas and New Year away from home (27 years though, quite a record) - on the 11th, I jetted off on my second trip across the Atlantic to the US this year, and my sixth US trip overall. It was very bittersweet leaving my family behind, but at the end of the day I know that they want me to be living my life and enjoying it - and when I travel, that's what I'm doing.
And now the trip itself - with only an annoying delay to my long haul flight and a customs office giving me the third degree, my travel to the US was pretty much fine, so once again all the nerves about the flying was for nothing. Since I arrived Stateside, so much has happened - I got to be with my lovely Nicole again, as well as her family and friends, we revisited places that we'd been to before, including Branford Point, Stony Creek, Mystic Village, and of course the Big Apple aka New York City, as well as also spending a couple of days over in Long Island revisiting a couple of close friends from DeviantArt, however I was seeing it all slightly differently, with it being my first trip to the US in Winter - my previous visits were all in either Spring or Summer, and while there were some unseasonally warm temaperatures and no blizzards, there were also some freezing days too - and as I type this, there's still every chance of one of those infamous wintry nor'easters to hit. I also discovered some new places previously unseen, including the beautiful Chatfield Hollow State Park with its forests and lake, and the impressive collection of planes on display at the New England Air Museum.
It was a little bit strange celebrating Christmas over 3,000 miles away from home, but I still enjoyed it, and I got to experience the occasion American style, and not that this is much of a big secret, but the Americans don't half make a bigger deal of Christmas than what we Brits do, that's for sure - every other house had elaborate lighting displays, Christmas music was all over the radio, and Nicole's family certainly weren't shy with the presents, not that I asked for anything - the only present I wanted was to be able to spend the festive season with Nicole, and I think that's the one present both of us truly asked for. (I apologise for the slushiness.)
I also got reacquainted with some old American food favourites, as well as giving some new ones a try - and there was also another first this trip, as myself and Nicole attended two of her friends' wedding, and we weren't just spectating, we were both in the wedding party, Nicole was the maid of honour, I was one of the groomsmen, and we were both dressed the part for it too. The ceremony went beautifully, the reception was blast, many congratulations to the happy couple, and I was glad that both me and Nicole got to be a part of it too.
As I type this, 2014 is into its last 24 hours, and I will be getting to see in the New Year over in the States, with Nicole, her family and friends. My final thoughts on this year? Like most years it's been up and down - there have been times where I've wanted to crawl into a hole, but also times where I feel like I've had the time of my life. No-one knows what 2015 will bring, or what'll be happening a year from now, but I will be celebrating on New Year's regardless. If there is definitely one thing I want to celebrate from this past year, it's all the memories that have been made.
To sign off, I'll leave you with this festive group shot I made for my DeviantArt friends. Wherever you are, and whoever you're with, all the best for 2015.
You know that feeling when the festive season slowly starts to creep in, even though you try so hard to try and resist the cheesiness of it all? I had that, but also a lot of nerves, which was pretty much how it was for the first half of this month, working at my charity shop placement and keeping busy with that, my artwork and buying Christmas presents for family and friends (as usual, I cut it fine).
Those nerves were all for the anticipation of the second half of the month, as I knew I would be spending my first Christmas and New Year away from home (27 years though, quite a record) - on the 11th, I jetted off on my second trip across the Atlantic to the US this year, and my sixth US trip overall. It was very bittersweet leaving my family behind, but at the end of the day I know that they want me to be living my life and enjoying it - and when I travel, that's what I'm doing.
And now the trip itself - with only an annoying delay to my long haul flight and a customs office giving me the third degree, my travel to the US was pretty much fine, so once again all the nerves about the flying was for nothing. Since I arrived Stateside, so much has happened - I got to be with my lovely Nicole again, as well as her family and friends, we revisited places that we'd been to before, including Branford Point, Stony Creek, Mystic Village, and of course the Big Apple aka New York City, as well as also spending a couple of days over in Long Island revisiting a couple of close friends from DeviantArt, however I was seeing it all slightly differently, with it being my first trip to the US in Winter - my previous visits were all in either Spring or Summer, and while there were some unseasonally warm temaperatures and no blizzards, there were also some freezing days too - and as I type this, there's still every chance of one of those infamous wintry nor'easters to hit. I also discovered some new places previously unseen, including the beautiful Chatfield Hollow State Park with its forests and lake, and the impressive collection of planes on display at the New England Air Museum.
It was a little bit strange celebrating Christmas over 3,000 miles away from home, but I still enjoyed it, and I got to experience the occasion American style, and not that this is much of a big secret, but the Americans don't half make a bigger deal of Christmas than what we Brits do, that's for sure - every other house had elaborate lighting displays, Christmas music was all over the radio, and Nicole's family certainly weren't shy with the presents, not that I asked for anything - the only present I wanted was to be able to spend the festive season with Nicole, and I think that's the one present both of us truly asked for. (I apologise for the slushiness.)
I also got reacquainted with some old American food favourites, as well as giving some new ones a try - and there was also another first this trip, as myself and Nicole attended two of her friends' wedding, and we weren't just spectating, we were both in the wedding party, Nicole was the maid of honour, I was one of the groomsmen, and we were both dressed the part for it too. The ceremony went beautifully, the reception was blast, many congratulations to the happy couple, and I was glad that both me and Nicole got to be a part of it too.
As I type this, 2014 is into its last 24 hours, and I will be getting to see in the New Year over in the States, with Nicole, her family and friends. My final thoughts on this year? Like most years it's been up and down - there have been times where I've wanted to crawl into a hole, but also times where I feel like I've had the time of my life. No-one knows what 2015 will bring, or what'll be happening a year from now, but I will be celebrating on New Year's regardless. If there is definitely one thing I want to celebrate from this past year, it's all the memories that have been made.
To sign off, I'll leave you with this festive group shot I made for my DeviantArt friends. Wherever you are, and whoever you're with, all the best for 2015.
30/04/2014
April 2014
No fooling about this April, I can tell you now. Two important things have happened this month, one very much more exciting than the other. I'll get the less exciting stuff out of the way first.
I mentioned in my last blog that I'd gotten a job interview at a shop in Barnard Castle - I'll cut to the chase, I didn't get the job. It was probably just as well that I didn't, because the commute would've made it financially unviable, and they also didn't mention what the hours would be. Still, at least it was some interview experience, which I need badly considering interviews are a rarity for me. The jobsearch continues.
Now for the exciting part - I also mentioned in my last blog that I would be flying to the US for the fifth time to see my lovely Nicole. As I type this, I'm there, on the second week of my two week trip, and it's been great to be back, seeing the sights and getting to spend lots of time with Nicole and her family and friends. The best part was that I was more or less Nicole's main birthday present (how cheesy does that sound? XD), as her birthday was on April 23, and it was great that we got to spend it together. We were also in Newport, Rhode Island for that, where we explored the town, visited some of Newport's famous mansions, walked on the beach and also checked out the International Tennis Hall of Fame, all good times.
I also visited Long Island once again and met up with long-time DA friends Shane and Paula for the third time, took a nice hike in the Rocky Point Pine Barrens and also got together to make some collab drawings, which was just as fun as the previous times.
Despite the weather not being on my side for this trip, I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far, and things between myself and Nicole are as strong as ever. Going back home is going to royally suck, like it always does, but hopefully it won't be much longer before we see each other again.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a somewhat belated Easter greeting.
I mentioned in my last blog that I'd gotten a job interview at a shop in Barnard Castle - I'll cut to the chase, I didn't get the job. It was probably just as well that I didn't, because the commute would've made it financially unviable, and they also didn't mention what the hours would be. Still, at least it was some interview experience, which I need badly considering interviews are a rarity for me. The jobsearch continues.
Now for the exciting part - I also mentioned in my last blog that I would be flying to the US for the fifth time to see my lovely Nicole. As I type this, I'm there, on the second week of my two week trip, and it's been great to be back, seeing the sights and getting to spend lots of time with Nicole and her family and friends. The best part was that I was more or less Nicole's main birthday present (how cheesy does that sound? XD), as her birthday was on April 23, and it was great that we got to spend it together. We were also in Newport, Rhode Island for that, where we explored the town, visited some of Newport's famous mansions, walked on the beach and also checked out the International Tennis Hall of Fame, all good times.
I also visited Long Island once again and met up with long-time DA friends Shane and Paula for the third time, took a nice hike in the Rocky Point Pine Barrens and also got together to make some collab drawings, which was just as fun as the previous times.
Despite the weather not being on my side for this trip, I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far, and things between myself and Nicole are as strong as ever. Going back home is going to royally suck, like it always does, but hopefully it won't be much longer before we see each other again.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a somewhat belated Easter greeting.
30/08/2013
From US to UK
I can't even begin to describe this past month - it's been a case of both the extremes.
At the start of this month I was still in the US, coming to the end of my 6-week trip there. Most of it was covered in the previous blog, but it's about time I mentioned the rest - that special place I mentioned? It was a little place down in Florida, you might've heard it...Walt Disney World.
This was at the end of July, both me and Nicole flew down there, and I just can't put into words how awesome of an experience it was...we were there for 3 days, and while that was nowhere near enough time to see absolutely everything in WDW, we still made the most of it. We saw many different animals, hit the African plains on a safari and took a walk in the jungles of Africa and Asia in Animal Kingdom; had a brief but splashing time at Blizzard Beach; saw a show about animation, walked through a fake New York street and witnessed a Monsters University party at Hollywood Studios; saw Spaceship Earth, walked around the World Showcase, rode on the Journey Into Imagination and had not one but two high speed thrills on the Test Track at Epcot.
Of course there's one part of the park that we couldn't not go to...the Magic Kingdom. We covered pretty much all of it - Adventureland with its treehouse and lively Tiki Room; Frontierland with a boat ride to Tom Sawyer's Island and a late night ride on Splash Mountain (three words: 50 foot drop) and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; Liberty Square with its fancy buildings, classic steamboat and the Haunted Mansion; Fantasyland with its fairytale/circus setting and the classic It's A Small World ride; the futuristic Tomorrowland with the PeopleMover, a rain-soaked Tomorrowland Raceway (still enjoyable though), monstrous laughs on the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor and a close-up encounter with Stitch in his Great Escape; and last but not least, Main Street USA, with the classic American street and shops, plus that famous path leading up to the even more famous Cinderella's Castle, which was the backdrop for a spectacular projection and fireworks display, both were just amazing to watch.
It was my first time at any Disney park, and I'm glad I was able to get to visit one - the best part was that Nicole was there with me, and we got to spend our 10 month anniversary there too, which I marked by giving her a dragonfly pin as a present, in front of Cinderella's Castle. Guess there is a little bit of a romantic in me.
Say what you want about Disney, but at the end of the day, both me and Nicole thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and I would definitely go back again.
There was also another first a few days afterwards - I got to experience a live baseball game for the first time, the Bridgeport Bluefish vs the Sugarland Skeeters - the Bluefish lost, but regardless of the result I enjoyed the atmopshere of the game.
The last visit of my US trip was to Southwick's Zoo in Massachusetts - only the second zoo I've been to, and by far the biggest, with so many different animals, including a lot that I'd never seen up close before (e.g. kangaroos, lions, lemurs). The zoo also had some unique features - a chairlift that travelled over the exhibits, including an alligator pool; a forest where me and Nicole got up close to deer and were able to feed them; and a giraffe encounter, where we got to hold up tree branches for giraffes to feed on them, all of those were great experiences.
My last night in the US ended up in a hotel in Nicole's town, which me and her parents arranged on the sly without Nicole knowing, and needless to say she was very happy with the surprise. We spent the night taking a dip in the hotel pool, having a meal at an Italian restaurant, and some wine and snacks back at the hotel, and above all, spending some quality time together.
We were both dreading August 5, the day I had to fly back to the UK...and it was hard to let go, as anyone in that position will know all too well. My flights back home were a little on the bumpy side, but I made it back safely, mad dash for my flight back to Newcastle and all.
Arriving back at home felt alien to me, almost - even more so this time round, because it was the longest I'd been away from home. The jetlag had something to do with it as well, of course. It took me a little while to get back into the normal routine, but it all fell into place in time. I was happy to see my family again, and it was good to be back with my home comforts as well. I couldn't see out this summer without taking one last visit to my favourite beach at Tynemouth, either.
I can't say everything's been OK though...with being away there was bound to be issues regarding rent and finances, had to poke the council more than once about stuff, but I think it's all been sorted now. As well as that, the situation on the job front is the same as ever, absolutely no joy whatsoever. And something's also happened that makes me think that keeping my mouth shut is better for everyone - I don't want to go into it.
In the end, I just had the most amazing time in the US, it's something I will definitely not forget for a long time, and I'll miss being face to face with Nicole most of all.
Some summer themed artwork to leave you with:
At the start of this month I was still in the US, coming to the end of my 6-week trip there. Most of it was covered in the previous blog, but it's about time I mentioned the rest - that special place I mentioned? It was a little place down in Florida, you might've heard it...Walt Disney World.
This was at the end of July, both me and Nicole flew down there, and I just can't put into words how awesome of an experience it was...we were there for 3 days, and while that was nowhere near enough time to see absolutely everything in WDW, we still made the most of it. We saw many different animals, hit the African plains on a safari and took a walk in the jungles of Africa and Asia in Animal Kingdom; had a brief but splashing time at Blizzard Beach; saw a show about animation, walked through a fake New York street and witnessed a Monsters University party at Hollywood Studios; saw Spaceship Earth, walked around the World Showcase, rode on the Journey Into Imagination and had not one but two high speed thrills on the Test Track at Epcot.
Of course there's one part of the park that we couldn't not go to...the Magic Kingdom. We covered pretty much all of it - Adventureland with its treehouse and lively Tiki Room; Frontierland with a boat ride to Tom Sawyer's Island and a late night ride on Splash Mountain (three words: 50 foot drop) and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; Liberty Square with its fancy buildings, classic steamboat and the Haunted Mansion; Fantasyland with its fairytale/circus setting and the classic It's A Small World ride; the futuristic Tomorrowland with the PeopleMover, a rain-soaked Tomorrowland Raceway (still enjoyable though), monstrous laughs on the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor and a close-up encounter with Stitch in his Great Escape; and last but not least, Main Street USA, with the classic American street and shops, plus that famous path leading up to the even more famous Cinderella's Castle, which was the backdrop for a spectacular projection and fireworks display, both were just amazing to watch.
It was my first time at any Disney park, and I'm glad I was able to get to visit one - the best part was that Nicole was there with me, and we got to spend our 10 month anniversary there too, which I marked by giving her a dragonfly pin as a present, in front of Cinderella's Castle. Guess there is a little bit of a romantic in me.
Say what you want about Disney, but at the end of the day, both me and Nicole thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and I would definitely go back again.
Kilimanjaro Safari - Animal Kingdom
Meeting Chip n Dale - Dale tried to hit on Nicky, while Chip raided my bag for nuts
Adventureland - Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland - Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square - Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland - Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland - Magic Kingdom
Spaceship Earth - Epcot
A taste of home - United Kingdom pavilion, World Showcase - Epcot
Blizzard Beach
Monsters University party - Hollywood Studios
Not-quite New York - Hollywood Studios
Main Street USA - Magic Kingdom
There was also another first a few days afterwards - I got to experience a live baseball game for the first time, the Bridgeport Bluefish vs the Sugarland Skeeters - the Bluefish lost, but regardless of the result I enjoyed the atmopshere of the game.
The last visit of my US trip was to Southwick's Zoo in Massachusetts - only the second zoo I've been to, and by far the biggest, with so many different animals, including a lot that I'd never seen up close before (e.g. kangaroos, lions, lemurs). The zoo also had some unique features - a chairlift that travelled over the exhibits, including an alligator pool; a forest where me and Nicole got up close to deer and were able to feed them; and a giraffe encounter, where we got to hold up tree branches for giraffes to feed on them, all of those were great experiences.
The Bridgeport Bluefish and Sugarland Skeeters in action
Skylift - Southwick's Zoo
Giraffe encounter - Southwick's Zoo
Deer Forest - Southwick's Zoo
My last night in the US ended up in a hotel in Nicole's town, which me and her parents arranged on the sly without Nicole knowing, and needless to say she was very happy with the surprise. We spent the night taking a dip in the hotel pool, having a meal at an Italian restaurant, and some wine and snacks back at the hotel, and above all, spending some quality time together.
We were both dreading August 5, the day I had to fly back to the UK...and it was hard to let go, as anyone in that position will know all too well. My flights back home were a little on the bumpy side, but I made it back safely, mad dash for my flight back to Newcastle and all.
Arriving back at home felt alien to me, almost - even more so this time round, because it was the longest I'd been away from home. The jetlag had something to do with it as well, of course. It took me a little while to get back into the normal routine, but it all fell into place in time. I was happy to see my family again, and it was good to be back with my home comforts as well. I couldn't see out this summer without taking one last visit to my favourite beach at Tynemouth, either.
I can't say everything's been OK though...with being away there was bound to be issues regarding rent and finances, had to poke the council more than once about stuff, but I think it's all been sorted now. As well as that, the situation on the job front is the same as ever, absolutely no joy whatsoever. And something's also happened that makes me think that keeping my mouth shut is better for everyone - I don't want to go into it.
In the end, I just had the most amazing time in the US, it's something I will definitely not forget for a long time, and I'll miss being face to face with Nicole most of all.
Some summer themed artwork to leave you with:
Fyfe & Sparkplug: Summer Dragons
26/07/2013
Summer in the States
Well, to say that this last month has been a break from the norm is putting it very lightly - as I type this, I've been in the US for over a month, and quite a lot has happened, which I won't be able to cover in huge detail here, so I'll try and give you the basics.
It's been great spending time with Nicole of course, and even though she's been at work most days we've still made the most of the free time that we've had with each other, and even though it probably won't hit me until the day I fly home, I'm gonna miss her being around. I think I'll keep the mushy stuff between me and her though, I'll spare you that.
Been to quite a few places during this trip, some that I visited on my last trip in 2011, some that I hadn't been to before - Branford Point (mine and Nicole's favourite spot to hang out), Newport in Rhode Island with its beautiful beaches and coastline and an enjoyable cruise around the bay; Stony Creek - one of my favourite places from the last visit, still as picturesque as before, even more so as we got to take a cruise around the Thimble Islands there; the distinctive Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos; saw a terrific fireworks display at the Sailfest in New London; the bustling Boston; the sprawling Long Island with its scenic towns and beautiful coastline, including the Montauk Point Lighthouse; not one but two aquariums, both with a great range of sealife on display, in Norwalk and Riverhead on Long Island; and also not one but two separate trips into New York City, which was still as hectic as it was adventurous just as it was 2 years ago.
I also met up with a few friends, some I'd met on my last visit, others I hadn't - those I previously met included most of Nicole's friends, her parents, plus Shane and Paula (PierreAndAndre and youlittlemonkey from deviantART respectively), and Shane's family; those I didn't meet last time were Ryan, Dawnsy, Victor and Paul (friends of Nicole), Ben (a fellow Brit who is also friends with Shane) and another deviantART friend, Rich (FAC-AgentC) - it was great getting to meet them all.
I also have to mention how the weather's been - I was definitely not prepared for the humidity, much higher temperatures than what I'm used to back in the UK, though it made for some good walking days out to Branford Point, although I nearly overdid it one day. However I got the opposite as well, I was able to witness a thunderstorm approaching on Long Island, it was actually very cool to see.
This trip is not over yet - myself and Nicole will be taking a trip to Massachusetts on the last weekend before I leave, and before that I'll be getting to experience my first ever baseball game, and before that we're going somewhere special, which I'm not going to reveal until it's been and gone, but we'll be celebrating our 10-month anniversary while we're at that place.
I honestly don't know where the last month has gone, I feel like I've been in the US much longer than I actually have, and I'm really not looking forward to the day I have to fly back home (August 5) - but I'll have the memories.
I managed to do some artwork during this trip, so I'll leave you with this pic of Bob & Flyer, but not as you know them:
It's been great spending time with Nicole of course, and even though she's been at work most days we've still made the most of the free time that we've had with each other, and even though it probably won't hit me until the day I fly home, I'm gonna miss her being around. I think I'll keep the mushy stuff between me and her though, I'll spare you that.
Me and Nicole
Been to quite a few places during this trip, some that I visited on my last trip in 2011, some that I hadn't been to before - Branford Point (mine and Nicole's favourite spot to hang out), Newport in Rhode Island with its beautiful beaches and coastline and an enjoyable cruise around the bay; Stony Creek - one of my favourite places from the last visit, still as picturesque as before, even more so as we got to take a cruise around the Thimble Islands there; the distinctive Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos; saw a terrific fireworks display at the Sailfest in New London; the bustling Boston; the sprawling Long Island with its scenic towns and beautiful coastline, including the Montauk Point Lighthouse; not one but two aquariums, both with a great range of sealife on display, in Norwalk and Riverhead on Long Island; and also not one but two separate trips into New York City, which was still as hectic as it was adventurous just as it was 2 years ago.
Montauk Point Lighthouse
Stony Creek
Thimble Islands
Easton's Beach, Newport, Rhode Island
I also met up with a few friends, some I'd met on my last visit, others I hadn't - those I previously met included most of Nicole's friends, her parents, plus Shane and Paula (PierreAndAndre and youlittlemonkey from deviantART respectively), and Shane's family; those I didn't meet last time were Ryan, Dawnsy, Victor and Paul (friends of Nicole), Ben (a fellow Brit who is also friends with Shane) and another deviantART friend, Rich (FAC-AgentC) - it was great getting to meet them all.
L to r: Nicole, Shane, Paula, Ben
Back (l to r): Alicia, Paul, Michael, Crystal
Front (l to r): Ryan, Dee, Kristin, Nicole, me
I also have to mention how the weather's been - I was definitely not prepared for the humidity, much higher temperatures than what I'm used to back in the UK, though it made for some good walking days out to Branford Point, although I nearly overdid it one day. However I got the opposite as well, I was able to witness a thunderstorm approaching on Long Island, it was actually very cool to see.
This trip is not over yet - myself and Nicole will be taking a trip to Massachusetts on the last weekend before I leave, and before that I'll be getting to experience my first ever baseball game, and before that we're going somewhere special, which I'm not going to reveal until it's been and gone, but we'll be celebrating our 10-month anniversary while we're at that place.
I honestly don't know where the last month has gone, I feel like I've been in the US much longer than I actually have, and I'm really not looking forward to the day I have to fly back home (August 5) - but I'll have the memories.
I managed to do some artwork during this trip, so I'll leave you with this pic of Bob & Flyer, but not as you know them:
"Stoopid Bugs" - my entry for Granitoons' "Super-Stoopid Art Jam" on deviantART
28/06/2013
From UK to US
Well, in my last blog I did mention that in June I would be heading over to the US for the fourth time - as I type this, that's right where I am. I'm in Connecticut for the second time, staying with and visiting my girlfriend of 9 months ago today, Nicole. So far I'm having a great time, hoping to meet up with a few friends and see a few places, but most of all I get to spend time with Nicole. My first week of 6 is almost over, but there's still lots to come.
As for the rest of the month before I flew over, spent some of it going out walking as there was a bit of a heatwave back home (not as warm as in Connecticut though!), as well as preparing for the US trip, which involved a bit of worrying over nothing. I was a bit reluctant to say bye to my family, anyone who goes on holiday for a while, especially if they're going abroad, will know how that is, but I just had to remember it wasn't a goodbye, more like a "see you later".
Now for the getting there - I stayed overnight at the Doubletree hotel at Newcastle airport, it was spot on, had a nice room and bathroom, and I also had a good meal at the hotel's Italian restaurant, though I went and overdid it a little but I having a margherita pizza and a garlic bread pizza (I didn't realise it would be big!). Unfortunately, because of some noise outside and my excitement for the trip, I didn't get very much sleep at all.
Checked in just fine at the airport the next day, however my flight down to London Heathrow was delayed by about 20-30 minutes because of the sucky weather. The flight itself was a little choppy, but nice and quick all the same, and despite the delay I still got down to Heathrow with plenty of time to make my connecting flight to New York JFK, which was a canny long flight at 7 hours, and again that also was a bit choppy in places, but the seat-back entertainment and views of the sky, sea and land were worth it.
And then, the part I was dreading most of all, US customs - as far as the actual interrogation goes, it went better than last time, I showed the officer my documents to prove I had enough money to cover my time in the US, and she let me through, though not without barking at me for putting my fingers on the fingerprint scanner the wrong way. The only part that was worse than last time was the insanely long queue, because my flight arrived at the same time as two others, so you can imagine how chock-a-block it was. None of that mattered once I met up with Nicole in the terminal lobby though.
In short, it's great to be back in the US with Nicole, and hopefully in July's blog I'll have a lot of stories to tell about my time here, so stay tuned.
To finish things off, because the Wimbledon tennis has started, here's some tennis-themed artwork:
As for the rest of the month before I flew over, spent some of it going out walking as there was a bit of a heatwave back home (not as warm as in Connecticut though!), as well as preparing for the US trip, which involved a bit of worrying over nothing. I was a bit reluctant to say bye to my family, anyone who goes on holiday for a while, especially if they're going abroad, will know how that is, but I just had to remember it wasn't a goodbye, more like a "see you later".
Now for the getting there - I stayed overnight at the Doubletree hotel at Newcastle airport, it was spot on, had a nice room and bathroom, and I also had a good meal at the hotel's Italian restaurant, though I went and overdid it a little but I having a margherita pizza and a garlic bread pizza (I didn't realise it would be big!). Unfortunately, because of some noise outside and my excitement for the trip, I didn't get very much sleep at all.
Checked in just fine at the airport the next day, however my flight down to London Heathrow was delayed by about 20-30 minutes because of the sucky weather. The flight itself was a little choppy, but nice and quick all the same, and despite the delay I still got down to Heathrow with plenty of time to make my connecting flight to New York JFK, which was a canny long flight at 7 hours, and again that also was a bit choppy in places, but the seat-back entertainment and views of the sky, sea and land were worth it.
The view from my seat on the Newcastle-Heathrow flight
The view from my seat on the Heathrow-JFK flight
And then, the part I was dreading most of all, US customs - as far as the actual interrogation goes, it went better than last time, I showed the officer my documents to prove I had enough money to cover my time in the US, and she let me through, though not without barking at me for putting my fingers on the fingerprint scanner the wrong way. The only part that was worse than last time was the insanely long queue, because my flight arrived at the same time as two others, so you can imagine how chock-a-block it was. None of that mattered once I met up with Nicole in the terminal lobby though.
In short, it's great to be back in the US with Nicole, and hopefully in July's blog I'll have a lot of stories to tell about my time here, so stay tuned.
To finish things off, because the Wimbledon tennis has started, here's some tennis-themed artwork:
"Bob & Flyer - Anyone for Tennis VI"
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