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September is one among my favourite months of the 12 months to journey. You have implausible climate in each Europe and New England, it’s nonetheless seaside time in barely hotter areas, and the youngsters are again at school, so it’s far much less busy.
Like most years, we had a September stuffed with journey plans. But this 12 months, we had some superb instances and really dangerous instances.
This month was full of celebrations and reunions. My sister’s long-awaited wedding ceremony on Cape Cod. A good friend’s milestone birthday celebration within the UK. A convention full of buddies, simply down the highway from Prague in Brno.
And then we bought hit with COVID for the primary time because the pandemic started. First it got here for Charlie. Per week later, it got here for me. I’m nonetheless testing optimistic as I sort this out, ready to recuperate so I can depart quarantine already.
Let’s check out the month!
Destinations Visited
Prague, Soběhrdy, and Brno, Czech Republic
Brighton, Watford, and Amersham, England
Reading, Malden, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Aquinnah, Chilmark (together with Menemsha), Edgartown (together with Chappaquiddick), West Tisbury, and Woburn, Massachusetts
Nashua, New Hampshire
Highlights
Celebrating my sister’s and brother-in-law’s wedding ceremony on the Cape. Sarah and Matt truly bought married in 2020, however this was their long-awaited BIG celebration. This was probably the greatest weddings I’ve EVER been to (truly, in all probability THE greatest?!) and I cherished the way it was full of a lot love and enjoyable.
I used to be the maid of honor, and Sarah and Matt introduced collectively a tremendous assortment of household and buddies in a real celebration setting. One of the highlights was the favors — Cape-themed non permanent tattoos in lighthouses, hydrangeas, clams, and sharks! We had a lot enjoyable with them!
The wedding ceremony was on the Nauset Beach Inn in Orleans, which was great in each approach (and set on the Cape’s greatest seaside, Nauset Beach). Also wish to give a shout-out to One Step Ahead, an impressive band that stored us dancing to Lizzo, Montell Jordan, and Earth, Wind and Fire!
Visiting Martha’s Vineyard for the primary time ever. For greater than a decade I’ve joked that Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are my two greatest oversights as a Massachusetts native who travels for a residing. FINALLY, I made it to the Vineyard.
And it was an important journey. I used to be genuinely shocked at how not-crowded it was in September, and we loved beautiful early fall climate — suppose sunshine, blue skies, and jean jackets at night time.
We lined the island in depth, gawking over the multicolored Aquinnah cliffs, strolling by way of the candy-colored Victorian homes of Oak Bluffs, taking the tiny Chappy Ferry to Chappaquiddick Island.
We stayed at Nobnocket Boutique Inn in Vineyard Haven, who hosted us, and if you happen to’re on the lookout for a pleasant place to remain, I adored it right here. We had an infinite suite with a sitting room, the breakfasts have been scrumptious and gorgeously plated every morning, they introduced turndown cookies every night time, and it was only a brief stroll from downtown Vineyard Haven, far more chilled out than the opposite massive cities. I might have stayed there for weeks.
Much extra on the Vineyard is coming to the weblog quickly!
Celebrating an in depth good friend’s milestone birthday within the UK. Charlie’s greatest good friend Aeon throws a bonfire celebration in November yearly, however this 12 months threw one two months earlier for his birthday. It was a lot enjoyable — buddies, meals, costumes thrown collectively on the final minute, having fun with our time in a historic house outdoors London.
Charlie and I flew into Gatwick, so we determined to go to Brighton for an evening, because it’s a brief prepare journey from the airport. I’ve wished to go to Brighton for such a very long time, and actually cherished it! Such a cool seaside metropolis with lovely laneways, an amusement park-topped pier, attention-grabbing structure, enjoyable pubs, and a proudly queer scene. I can’t wait to jot down about it.
Our time in Watford coincided with a retro prepare journey close by. An old style prepare from the Nineteen Thirties made a visit from Amersham to Watford and again, so a number of of us bought tickets for the journey. It was a enjoyable classic journey for transportation geeks!
Returning to my first Traverse convention since 2019. I really like Traverse — Charlie and I met at Traverse in Trentino! — and it was so good to see so many buddies. I noticed a number of inspiring talks and realized a ton.
Brno is a extremely cool metropolis, and has superb cafes and bars. It’s sandwiched proper between Prague and Vienna, so it makes an important place for a go to! For me, the large spotlight was Villa Tugendaht, a spectacularly functionalist house. Get tickets WAY prematurely.
And Cailin got here and stayed with us in Prague for a few of that point, so it was so good to have a go to together with her.
Good instances in Prague. What did we stand up to this month? Festivals! September brings a few of the greatest meals festivals within the metropolis, like Americká Fest, a wine fest on JZP (they really had Moldovan pink wine, which Charlie and I have been so enthusiastic about!), and Pivo a Burger, a beer and burger fest proper in our neighborhood.
We additionally took our good friend and his two-year-old daughter to Farmapark, a children’ park outdoors Prague with cattle, playgrounds, trampolines, and extra. They even have camels you possibly can feed! A terrific place to go to with children if in case you have a automobile.
Challenges
Charlie and I lastly bought COVID. We averted it for two.5 years, however it lastly occurred. We truly bought it every week aside — it took him down first, then me.
I’m grateful that our signs have been gentle. I’m past grateful I made it to my sister’s wedding ceremony. (I examined twice a day main as much as the marriage, together with a PCR check the day earlier than. My optimistic check got here the Tuesday after.)
I began feeling signs and examined optimistic whereas in Martha’s Vineyard; we had seen a ton of the island already, however I actually want I had been capable of discover Oak Bluffs and Edgartown extra. We then moved to quarantine at a resort in Woburn for a number of days, then went again to my dad’s to complete the quarantine.
Some issues I must share about COVID:
You’re in all probability swabbing incorrectly. In the Czech Republic, our house assessments are saliva assessments. In the US, house assessments are swab assessments. The swab assessments inform you to solely swab your nostrils.
But I just lately realized from these tweets that swabbing simply your nostrils isn’t sufficient. In order to get extra correct outcomes, try to be swabbing your throat and cheeks as properly. (Your nasopharyngeal area is greatest, WAY up your nostril, however I do know most individuals gained’t be capable of go all the best way up — simply go as far up as you possibly can stand.)
Just do throat, cheeks, nostril, as far up the nostril as you possibly can go.
Don’t count on two companions to have the identical COVID expertise. It went by way of Charlie rapid-fire. So far it’s taking for much longer to undergo me. We anticipated me to observe his timeline, however nope.
Assume that any massive indoor gathering might be a superspreader occasion and plan accordingly. Like a convention, a celebration, a marriage, even an evening out at a bar. If you knew for sure that it might be a superspreader occasion, how would that change your actions?
You might select to not go. You might select to go, and masks the entire time (and skip unmasked elements like post-event drinks). You might select to go, unmasked, and clear your schedule for the following two weeks or so.
Knowing what I do know now, I’m going to be a lot pickier with the occasions I attend. And I’m NEVER going to plan two occasions in a row once more. Going to a convention adopted by a marriage led to a lot unimaginable stress.
Blog Posts of the Month
My Actual Iceland Trip Cost: Detailed Budget Breakdown — The most detailed budgeting and journey value put up I’ve ever printed, with tons of details about how a lot Amanda and I spent on our two-week Iceland journey.
45 Fabulous Free Things to Do in NYC — A vastly complete listing of fabulous and enjoyable NYC actions, with submissions from lots of my blogger colleagues.
Tips for Visiting Kvernufoss Waterfall, Iceland — Kvernufoss was my favourite waterfall in Iceland, however it’s not almost as common as a few of its neighbors! Here’s what to know earlier than you go.
This Month on Patreon
On the Adventurous Kate Patreon, I publish unique content material and never-told tales you can entry for $6 per 30 days. We even have a personal Facebook group and members get free entry to the Book Club every month.
This month’s long-form put up was about how one can throw a marriage that REALLY works properly — utilizing my sister’s wedding ceremony as inspiration (and plenty of pics).
I had a hell of a narrative to inform from the Brno convention, however that might be for this month, plus some Iceland stuff too. Unfortunately I felt too exhausted to get it out this month.
Book Club This Month
I needed to reschedule this month’s guide membership as a result of my COVID and never feeling up for operating an occasion, even when on-line. Our subsequent Book Club might be on Sunday, October 23, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time! We might be studying Of Women and Salt, a novel by Cuban- and Mexican-American writer Gabriela Garcia.
“Five generations of ladies, linked by blood and circumstance, by the secrets and techniques they share, and by a single guide handed down by way of a household, with an affirmation scrawled in its margins: We are pressure. We are greater than we expect we’re.
1866, Cuba: Maria Isabel is the one girl employed at a cigar manufacturing unit, the place every day the employees discover power in each day readings of Victor Hugo. But these are harmful political instances, and as Maria begins to see marriage and motherhood as her solely choices, the sounds of conflict are approaching.
1959, Cuba: Dolores watches her husband make for the mountains in reply to Fidel Castro’s name to arms. What Dolores is aware of, although, is that to outlive, she should win her personal conflict, and commit an act of violence that threatens to destroy her daughter Carmen’s world.
2016, Miami: Carmen, nonetheless wrestling with the trauma of displacement, is shocked when her daughter Jeanette proclaims her plans to journey to Cuba to see her grandmother Dolores. In the partitions of her crumbling house lies a secret, one that may hyperlink Jeanette to her previous, and to this fearless line of ladies.
From nineteenth-century cigar factories to present-day detention centres, from Cuba to the United States to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia’s Of Women and Salt follows Latina ladies of fierce pleasure, certain by the tales handed between them. It is a haunting meditation on the alternatives of moms and the tenacity of ladies who select to inform their reality regardless of those that want to silence them.”
You can enroll right here. Patreon members get entry within the personal Patreon group.
New Hampshire Way Update
Last month, I hit 25k periods inside 30 days on New Hampshire Way and utilized to Mediavine — however Mediavine was unable to evaluation my software as a result of they will’t learn Google Analytics 4 (which Google assigns mechanically to new websites nowadays). They requested me to put in Universal Analytics, wait 30 days, and apply once more.
30 days later, I reapplied on September 19 (37k periods within the final 30 days). I bought the information on September 28 — I used to be ACCEPTED! As I write this, they’re getting ready to get the adverts on.
This has been the BIG objective I’ve been working towards since beginning the positioning. I’ve been creating wealth from resort bookings and occasional excursions and actions, however it’s not sufficient to maintain the positioning. Mediavine adverts will herald important revenue for the primary time, permitting me to recoup my sizable funding.
Here are some New Hampshire Way posts from this month:
New Hampshire Fall Foliage 2022: Where and When to Go — A information to the very best foliage spots, and how one can time your journey for the very best fall colours.
Best Bed and Breakfasts in North Conway, NH — North Conway is THE fall getaway in New Hampshire, and there are lots of great B&Bs to select from.
What I Watched This Month
Not rather a lot to share this month, however I did watch the remake of Father of the Bride with Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan and actually loved it! A candy 2022 model of the story, transported to Miami with a giant Cuban household, however with Nancy Myers-esque touches. It’s on HBO Max.
Oh, and Great British Bake Off is again! Have any favorites? So far I actually like Syabira, Janusz, and Sandro. Sandro, OMG, he’s a sizzling nanny from East London who works out twice a day and teaches baking to autistic children! HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?
And Charlie and I began watching a present neither of us have seen: The Sopranos. By now it’s a interval piece!
Coming Up in October 2022
This month was supposed to start in New Hampshire, doing extra analysis and getting foliage pictures for New Hampshire Way. We needed to cancel a part of the journey as a result of my COVID, however as quickly as I recuperate, we might be heading as much as the White Mountains.
Beyond that, I’ll strive to slot in what we are able to! Maybe going to the Frank Lloyd Wright homes and all of the breweries I haven’t been to in Manchester, NH. Maybe Salem, Mass, which matches nuts in October. Maybe someplace else in New England.
I head again to Prague in mid-October and that may start a month with ZERO journey plans. Honestly, I’ve been wanting ahead to this break for months!
I overdid the travels this summer season: three weeks of Piemonte-Milan-Liguria-Sardinia in June and July, a July UK journey, two weeks in Iceland in August, one other UK journey in September, the convention in Brno, then 3.5 weeks within the States. Great journeys, none of which I remorse, however it was an excessive amount of.
Maybe it wouldn’t be an excessive amount of for 26-year-old Kate, however it was undoubtedly an excessive amount of for 38-year-old Kate who has a house, fiancé, and cats. I’m wanting ahead to some much-needed cozy time at house with kitty snuggles.
What are you wanting ahead to this month? Share away!
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