October 16, 2015

48 Hours in London + Sample Itinerary

October 16, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

London is huge. There are litereally hundreds of things to see and do in the city, and there really is something for everyone. From night ghost walks, to historical sites, to museums, plays, and shopping, there is something to tickle anyone's fancy in this city. It could easily take a week or more to do everything you want to in London, but sadly, Aaron and I only had 48 hours to do it all (or as much as we could). We researched things to do and see, prioritized them, and then planned. Sadly, there were some things we missed out on (Westminster and your ridiculously long line - I'm looking at you!), and I kind of felt like we were back and forth across the city. In retrospect, we could have timed things out a little better, but hindsight is 20/20. In an effort to save you from making the same mistakes that we did, below is a sample itinerary for you to use.

October 13, 2015

The Tower of London

October 13, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Sunday morning, we headed to the Tower of London, one of the most famous sites in all of London. It was here that many were famously imprisoned and then loss their lives. It was first built by William the Conqueror as an actual palace in 1066. Over the next 500 years, more buildings were added on to the structure. It sits right on the banks of the Thames and, today, looks out on Tower Bridge. Although historically used as a prison for treasonous individuals, it is more tourist attraction today, but it also houses and guards the most coveted collection of jewelry around - the Crown Jewels. Sunday was a beautiful fall day - slightly windy, but sunny and in the low 60s - to tour the tower.

October 07, 2015

Walking London

October 07, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Part of the charm of visiting London, one of Europe's biggest and oldest cities, is just taking the time to walk the street and explore. And with so much to see, this could definitely take you hours, no days, to see it all. There were some highlights we wanted to hit on our mini-tour of London: Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Changing of the Guards, Buckingham Palace, the banks of the Thames, Big Ben. And, we managed to actually see them all!

October 01, 2015

Kayaking on Lake Superior

October 01, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

When we were in the UP, someone had taken the initiative and organized a kayaking tour for those interested. Of course I was all over this - kayaking, Lake Superior, no cell service, what could be better?! Our morning started off with a hearty breakfast at probably the best breakfast place in town - Soumi bakery. They serve an assortment of eggs, omelettes, and quite a big variety of Finnish specialities, Pannukakku and Nisu being two of their most popular. We then hopped in the car for the hour ride to the end of the Earth. Well, it feels like the end of the Earth. Fun fact, Copper Harbor is the city farthest from a major highway in the lower US (no one can compete with Alaska). How's THAT for off the beaten path?!

September 25, 2015

London Calling

September 25, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

With many of the close destinations crossed off the bucket list, Aaron and I left with destinations that require a plane to get to. Well, if we want to do them in a weekend, they require a plane. So that's where London comes in. I usually check about 6-7 weeks out for flights (they are cheapest then) for places to go. Flights to London were cheap and fit in our schedule, so we booked them! I have been to London once before - 11 years ago - with my sister, but Aaron has never been. It will be exciting to go back and exciting to show it to Aaron for the first time! An added bonus, one of my friends from University and her family are coming with us!

September 23, 2015

Reunions and the Upper Peninsula

September 23, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

At the beginning of September, Aaron and I made a trip back to the US. It was our first time being back together in over a year. We spent two weeks there and boy were we busy! Between appointments, seeing friends and family, a baby shower, selling Aaron's truck, and a long weekend to God's Country (also known as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), we barely had any downtime. But being back there made me realize that I miss Michigan much more than I thought.

September 15, 2015

Naming a German

September 15, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Almost immediately after Aaron and I first found out that I was pregnant, we started discussing names. I mean, naming a human is kind of a big deal. That name sticks with them for life (well, in most cases it does), so you have to make sure it's the perfect choice. We wanted something classic, but not overused; uncommon enough to make it fairly unique, but nothing that people would have trouble pronouncing or snicker at after an important job interview. I mean, there are definitely some interesting names out there, but how hard is it to take someone serious when they have a name like Abcde (pronounced ab-se-dee), or Xena?