SOMERSET + BRISTOL

I think when I come home, I will not only think of the places I have been, but more so the people I have met along the way. An old friend of mine Claire moved to London a few weeks ago and only days after she arrived I found myself in a car with her and Kieran joining two other new faces with new names to a weekend escape to the country. It's hard to be homesick when you still get to see familiar beautiful faces and make new friendships along the way. Other wanderers who just by being near them, you feel quite at home no matter where you are in the world. 

We drove for hours, escaping further and further away from the city. The more we drove, the more shades of grey were replaced by shades of green. We arrived at dusk just as the sun had gone to sleep and we followed straight after. Our home for two nights was a warm cottage tucked away in a town called Somerset. It was surrounded by acres of crisp green grass, wooden gates and galloping horses on the prairie.  

It's quite unbelievable just how much you can fit in one sunny day when you manage to wake up before the sun does. The next morning we awoke at 4am to visit a hot-air balloon festival in a town called Bristol. Bright coloured airships in all different shapes and sizes soared into the skies right before our eyes. Not long after we drove and crossed country to Wales to visit a town called Waterfall Woods. We spent the afternoon chasing waterfalls and having a picnic by a water stream. The chilly water touched our toes as we hesitated to swim at first, but eventually the beautiful sight of it all won us over as we braved the cold together.

During our last day in the country, we lazed the day away and explored the surroundings. We took a walk into the wilderness and visited the nook of where all the farmers lived. There were tree houses, vegetable gardens and friendly locals. When it was time to leave, I found myself smiling from ear to ear about just how lucky I am at this very moment in time. And how I have managed to live out the best of both worlds. I can escape quite easily and runaway somewhere magical to fulfill my wanderlust, but at the same time look forward to a week filled with hard work. I can be madly in-love with another, but still be young and free. I can have my cake and eat it too.