Now we’re officially into Autumn, we thought it would be a good time to look back over the past few months and reflect on the summer we’ve had. It’s definitely been an unusual one for sure! It was our first summer here after moving to Bristol, so we wanted to make the most of the sunny weather and enjoy the city as much as we could. We’ve also fully embraced the summer staycation, with lots of trips to Cornwall to stay with Freya’s mum, a trip to London to see friends, a glorious British camping trip, and a night away in Bath. We’ve loved being able to explore more of what’s on our doorstep.
It’s crazy to think that we’ve been living in Bristol over a whole year. The time has gone SO fast, it honestly feels like it was yesterday we were moving into our flat. Looking back on it now, we can confidently say that we made the right choice to leave London when we did. At first, we were both apprehensive about the move; it felt like we were leaving our careers and friends behind. However, it turned out to one of the best decisions we’ve ever made; we absolutely love it here! Being in Bristol means that we’re now so much closer to our families, who have been a vital support network these last few months. We did have to say farewell to some friends in London, but we still see them as much as we can, and obviously have lots of virtual chats with them too!
One of the biggest things we’ve enjoyed about the past year in Bristol is the amount of time we’ve been able to spend away from the city. Bristol borders beautiful countryside, and within a 15-minute drive, you can be somewhere almost totally remote. We’ve managed to spend so much more time surrounded by trees or in open fields of grass, and it’s honestly been so therapeutic. To get a chance to switch off and have a picnic together has been so lovely. As you may have seen on Instagram, we’ve been having a lot of picnics and BBQs this summer.
A great example of this time outdoors is a camping trip we took just the two of us. It was a few nights away at a basic campsite near Malmesbury in the Cotswolds. It was essentially a field and shower block. Glamorous, I know! We had done plenty of camping in the past, but that was all at festivals, so going away only to camp was new for us. We spent the days in the sun walking around beautiful historic villages like Lacock and Malmesbury, and the evenings laying down by a fire-pit, watching shooting stars and toasting marshmallows. It was nothing short of idyllic. One of my favourite memories was finding a river spot on a map close to our campsite, and setting off with some peaches, water, and swimming gear, then spending the day wild swimming. We sat underneath willow trees, surrounded by tall wild grass, and ate juicy peaches and swam in the cold river. There were even swans floating up and down the river with us! It sounds like something out of a film, and that’s essentially the way I remember it.
We can’t ignore what’s happened this summer though; it was the catalyst for our UK based camping trip. It was by no means the summer we had planned, with lots of cancelled events, like I’m sure you’ve all experienced too. The main one for us was that we had to postpone our wedding until next year. Sure, that really sucks for us, but honestly, I’m glad that’s the worst of our complaints. We’re planning to go ahead with it next year, and it’s great to have more time to plan it all through and have another year of excitement and anticipation.
To mark our ‘would-be wedding day’, we had a few friends round for an Indian feast. We took our time and enjoyed making it all from scratch, onion bhajis and all. Some things we made the day before, like the daal (because it always tastes best the next day!), so technically, it took over two days to cook! It’s possibly the best thing we’ve ever made. Cooking for friends and family is one of our favourite things, but you probably already knew that by now!
We feel very fortunate that we’re able to look back at summer and have so many happy, positive memories about it. We enjoyed being with friends and family again, going back to all our favourite cafes and restaurants, discovering new places, and spending lots of quality time with each other. These past 6 months have really taught us some valuable lessons. Being unable to plan ahead can definitely be anxiety-inducing, but it’s also forced us to live in the moment and be more present. That’s something we’ve tried to fully embrace this summer.
How has your summer been? We’d love to know! Let us know in the comments below, or on any of our social media channels.