2022 so far.

Hi there, long time no see.

This year has been pretty epic so far. Not just in terms of where I've been and what I've done, but also mentally, emotionally and physically. It's been a year of awe, wonder, excitement but also uneasiness and self-reflection.

January

This year started off with a bang in January when we spent New Years at our friend's house for fajitas and cocktails with a couple of their friends and our dogs. We kicked off the night with a Bloody Mary (A bloody good one too!) then a delightful Woo Woo and ended with Tyler's superb Espresso Martinis. I, was meant to make a Strawberry Daiquiri but it failed miserably - I blame it on the alcohol that was previously consumed!😁 We then went on to play Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme up until Midnight which was a comedic blast.

Other than that, January was a pretty calm and relaxed month with Frodo turning 3 at the start of the month and we met my cousins, auntie and uncle mid-way through the month for a nice long walk in the beautiful Cotswolds.

February

February was our skiing month! Woohoo! And what a treat it was. Tyler decided to snowboard as he was unable to learn skiing due to an previous ankle injury but I kept to Skiing - according to Tyler apparently snowboarding is "cooler" anyway. 😆

We went to Les Arcs in the French Alps for a week and LOVED it. The food was great, the scenery was stunning and learning to ski was definitely an experience. Tyler and I, being amateurs decided to immediately head to the blue slopes, naively thinking we were capable enough and, I especially, was quickly reminded that this was not the case. 🫠 I spent more time fogging up my goggles with my tears than skiing and so ended up walking down the last 100 yards. (Bad, I know!)

On our way down we discovered that our skis and snowboard were far too big so we fixed that issue before heading back to the green slope to get back on track.

Tootling down the green slope was invigorating enough for me, but we did go back to the previous blue slope as well as various other blue slopes to conquer the initial flop we had. Now, I can completely understand why people get lessons at the resorts. Skiing in an indoor slope in the UK vs. actual slopes is a very different story, and I think because of my lack of confidence paired with my fear of heights I really needed it. So, note to self; book a lesson or two for next time.

Aside from skiing itself, as a foodie I really do need to address the topic of FOOD. Our hotel actually had some pretty impeccable food. Being a French hotel, the cheese selection was incredible and available from morning until night. They had wine on tap (brilliant) and on Valentines Day they had cocktails and steak cooked to order, which Tyler enjoyed very much. We also found a gem of a local café nearby with amazing coffee and a great selection of food and desserts. (An amazing meal we had is pictured below!)

By the end of the holiday we both managed to get up the top of the mountain and take a couple of blue slopes the whole way down without issue. Tyler seemed keen to try the red slopes out, but considering I did a 'Bridget Jones' down the previous slopes I thought I'd save myself from returning with a cast on my leg and gave it a hard pass.

All in all, it was a very exhilarating experience and we are ready to plan our trip for next year. 🤌

March

March was a very chill month, with us mainly working and visiting friends, accompanied by a long weekend trip to Yorkshire to see my family mid-month. It was surprisingly good weather so we made the most of it with some leisurely walks around Bransdale, Farndale and Hawnby. If you've never been to North Yorkshire, I recommend you go. It's absolutely stunning.

April

April is one of my favourite months for sure. I love the blossom, bluebells and buds on the tips of the trees and it's just the right temperature, not too hot but not cold. Tyler's birthday is on the 3rd of April too so we always do something special at the beginning of the month. This year, we went out for a nice meal with his family the night before and on the day we drove to his family's for a lovely walk to a nearby pub. We ended the day with a deeeelish pizza and a bottle of his current favourite wine, Cabalié.

Tyler and I went on quite a few long walks throughout the month. We love finding local gems to walk Frodo through and now that Tyler's got a One Wheel (pictured below) he loves any excuse to tear around country paths so we always have it in the boot of the car "just in case" 🤪.

At the end of the month, my brother Joe and I headed up to Yorkshire again for a long weekend and had some beautiful walks, a beach BBQ and lots of competitive football games in the garden.

May

In the first week of May we headed to Stourhead for a picnic and a walk in the beautiful gardens. Last time we visited Stourhead it was my 19th birthday in the Autumn, so we thought a spring trip was definitely needed. The assorted colors of the foliage were stunning, with bright fuschias, violets, yellows and blush pinks; pictures really don't do it justice. All the ducks, swans and geese were out sunbathing and intermittently fighting over the abundant amounts of duck feed thrown into the lake by the passersby.

Half way through the month we headed to Tenerife for a Mastermind Tyler and his brother are a part of. We picked a perfect little airbnb in the North, just a 4 minute drive from the Mastermind villa. Tyler attended the Mastermind for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday and I joined him for the evening meals. The villa was right on the coast, with the most unspoilt view of the Atlantic ocean and the most stunning view of the evening sunset that I've ever seen. I was extremely nervous to attend but I'm glad I joined in as I met some awesome people and it gave me a new spark of energy I really needed.

On the Sunday, we went to the Mastermind Villa and then took a walk down the side of the cliff to a hidden gem of a beach. It was so hot that day and neither Tyler or I had brought swimwear so we said "f*ck it" stripped down into our underwear and ran into the sea. The waves were so strong but the sea was so warm and clear you didn't want to get out. It was truly one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. That evening we chilled out on the villa terrace and played party games until dusk.

For the last few days, we visited Loro Parque, the infamous water park and drove up as far as we could to the volcano. Unfortunately, we didn't get the cable car to the top but this is absolutely on our bucket list for next time.

All in all, it was great fun and honestly, I miss the beautiful weather, despite being 97% British and extremely prone to sunburn.

A couple of days after coming back, we ended off the month right with a visit to see the cousins for a water sport day. Tyler tried windsurfing for the first time and Joe, Frodo and I tried paddleboarding for the first time, although I was the only one to return back to shore dry. 😜

I'm so excited for the upcoming months, especially considering we're starting off the summer right with Glastonbury Festival at the end of this month. 🎪

Let's hope the rest of the year is as joyful and crazy as the first.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Sophie 🐻