10 years ago today, I met Rob and somehow my life has only gotten better every single day since ❤️
From that very first moment to everything we’ve built together, I’m so grateful for every laugh, every adventure, and even the challenges that made us stronger. Who knew that random meeting in a trashy bar at a pub crawl would lead to this beautiful life we have created together.
Rob, loving you is the easiest and best thing I’ve ever done. Here’s to 10 years and a lifetime more to come 🥂✨
What an unforgettable day exploring the Cape Peninsula!
We started the morning in Hout Bay with a seal watching cruise. Ironically the real stars of the show were the huge schools of dolphins that followed our boat. Watching them jump and glide through the water alongside us was almost more impressive than the seals themselves 🐬
Next we drove along Chapman’s Peak Drive, which has to be one of the most visually stunning coastal roads in the world. Dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, and endless ocean views around every turn 🌊
Later we arrived at Boulders Beach, home to the famous colony of African penguins. They are absolutely adorable little creatures. The viewing boardwalk was packed with fellow tourists and you definitely had to battle for prime penguin observation spots 🐧
From there we entered Cape Peninsula National Park, where the landscape suddenly felt like we had been transported to the Scottish Highlands or Patagonia. Rugged cliffs, wild winds, and dramatic scenery everywhere you look.
Our first stop was the iconic Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point of Africa. Another battle for prime photo spots, but completely worth it.
Next we headed to the Cape Point lighthouse perched high on the mountain. The funicular was unfortunately out of service so we took the 20 minute hike up for some bonus exercise. Just as we reached the top a massive cloud rolled in and completely swallowed the summit, leaving us with zero visibility. Bad luck? Apparently not. The weather down here is famously wild and unpredictable given its position at the bottom of the world ☁️🌬️
On our way out of the park we had one final adventure. Traffic came to a stop as a pack of wild baboons blocked the road and tried to harass cars for food. According to our guide these villainous creatures will literally break into houses to steal snacks. Judging by the warning signs everywhere, the baboons definitely run the neighborhood 🐒
A day we’ll never forget 🐘🌿
The alarm went off at 4:30am for our hotel pickup, and after a three hour drive we arrived at Pilanesberg National Park for an all day game drive. Totally worth the early wake up.
I’ve done a few safari style, free range zoo experiences before, but nothing compares to seeing these animals in their true natural habitat. Elephants, zebras, impalas, hippos, rhinos, and giraffes just living their lives freely and completely unbothered by humans. It honestly felt surreal at times.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much the different animals mix together. The zebras were almost acting like the social butterflies of the savanna, happily hanging out with giraffes and impalas and grazing together like one big multi-species friend group 🦓🦒
One of the biggest highlights was spotting a mommy elephant walking with her baby 🐘 Later near our lunch stop, more elephants joined them and it basically turned into a full blown mommy and baby elephant party right in front of us. Watching them interact, protect the babies, and move together as a herd was something I’ll never forget.
We also saw huge herds of zebras and impalas and giraffes quietly wandering through the brush. And one surprise moment was seeing a hippo completely out of the water 🦛 Apparently that’s pretty rare since they usually spend most of the day submerged.
Unfortunately we didn’t see any lions or cheetahs 🦁 Apparently that’s also quite rare on cooler days since they tend to stay hidden. I guess that just means we’ll have to come back to Africa for a proper multi day safari someday.
10 years ago today, I moved to France 🇫🇷 (photo from my first evening after arriving to Paris with my then work partner in crime,now lifelong bestie @pronouncedlikekatie
Unlike many expats who arrive for the love of French culture, to find themselves through art, or in pursuit of a complicated French love story, I landed here mostly by accident. I had only visited once, didn’t speak the language, and was happily living my life in the UK with zero plans to move.
Then my French company gave me a very clear choice. Move to France or don’t keep your job. Nothing motivates a life decision quite like a gentle corporate ultimatum 🙂 Ironically, that same job laid me off four months later, which feels very on brand for how this whole story started.
And yet, somehow, it worked out.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve built a life here that I truly love. I met @heyisntthatmatt . I found an incredible circle of friends. I built a fulfilling career. I learned French, with a strong American accent that I’ve fully embraced as part of my personality.
France has given me so much. Culture, art, food, wine, freedom, and a place where I feel completely comfortable being myself. Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like an expat passing through and started feeling like an immigrant building something permanent. And I’m really proud of that.
What started as an unexpected move turned into a life I never imagined but wouldn’t change for anything.
I audibly gasped at this moment! I need to get myself on a game show and use my 30-second platform to come for those who’ve wronged me! 😂 #priceisright #gameshow #gameshowgays #shadygay #gayhumor
Today @heyisntthatmatt and I had the privilege of touring Notre Dame only a few days after its official reopening following the devastating fire in 2019. What a magical moment and an incredible triumph for humanity having this globally-treasured landmark restored to perfection. 👏 🇫🇷
Day 20: Heading home to France via Buenos Aires.
It’s finally arrived: our final day of our amazing adventure in South America. It’s bittersweet for sure. On one hand I’ll miss the late spring temperatures, the friendly, open people and the great wine. On the other hand, I’m sick of living out of a suitcase and doing all the talking for Matt and I. We’ve been joking that Matt, because he doesn’t speak Spanish, is a “kept woman” who I “speak for” and buy for.
Jokes aside this has been a fabulous 3 weeks of our lives that we will never forget!
A quick recap of our final day for those interested: After an early wake up and quick 40-minute flight up river to Buenos Aires, we ventured into the Palermo district to visit some museums that were closed on our first visit to the city. First, we headed to the Evita museum to learn about her incredible, albeit short, life as the national heroine of Argentina. Not only was she the nation’s glamorous First Lady, she was also a movie star, human rights advocate and suffragette. Later, we visited another decorative arts museum in a Guilded Age mansion. It was gorgeous and ornate. Matt left content!
In the late afternoon, we made our way out of the city to the main international airport. We are currently sitting in the Aerolineas Argentinas lounge eating their empanadas, which are famous and delicious. We are ready to return home!
Day 19: Exploring Montevideo, Uruguay
Today we finally ventured into Montevideo proper, which is about 15kms (6miles) away from where we are staying. Given the relative population size, only 3.4 million people in the entire country and 1.3 million in the capital region, public transport is not really a thing here. There are small buses, but no metro system. Therefore, we needed to take Ubers to get around.
The historical city centre is very charming, retaining much of its old colonial buildings and tiny shaded streets. We ventured into the local decorative arts museum which is essentially an old mansion from the 19th Century. It was beautiful and Matt particularly loved their pianos. Later, we visited the Museo del Guacho which was located inside the recently-renovated national mint. The gauchos were/are the South American cowboys herding the cattle out in the pampas. They are considered iconic in both Argentina and Uruguay.
After museum hopping, we ventured to the old port market and had some empanadas. Honestly, they were the best we had the entire trip! Fun fact: Chile and Uruguay claim empanadas expertise too. It’s not just Argentina who should get all the glory!
Yesterday, we went on a visit to a local winery. As mentioned in my last post, Uruguay is famous for its delicious tannat red wines. We really enjoyed it with our steaks on Night 1 in Montevideo. We were eager to try more.
Guiding us on our visit was Miguel, a local wine expert and tour guide. He picked us up at the hotel and immediately showed me a book explaining why Uruguay, in fact, has the true claim to the Falklands (Las Malvinas) and not the UK or Argentina. He also explained during the 40-minute car ride why Uruguay is the greatest country in South America and that Argentina is evil. He was very charming but I need to take some time and fact check his nationalistic claims.
We arrived to the Santa Rosa winery and were immediately taken for a welcome drink called medio y medio which is half still white wine and half sparkling wine. We found it weird and too sweet. Next, the tour guide showed us how the winery produces jerez (sherry) fortified wines. They literally put the wine in a glass water cooler jug and let it sit in the sun for one year. Later, we explored the winery cellars and had lunch down there too. As expected, the red wines were wonderful full-bodied and well-developed. We left with 2 nice bottles for our collection.
In the evening, we took a walk around our neighbourhood of Montevideo called Carrasco. It’s definitely an upscale area with lots of restaurants, boutiques and tennis clubs. It actually reminded me a lot of St Armand’s Circle in Sarasota. I told my family to move there as it’s about 30-40% cheaper than in Florida and much less crowded.
For dinner, We stumbled upon a neighbourhood bar specialising in the local popular dish called Chivito. It’s essentially a giant sandwich stuffed with steak, cheese, fries and eggs. It was tasty but I’m shocked that we survived to tell the tale!
Day 17: Arriving in Montevideo, Uruguay
Today we woke up extremely early (like 4:30am) for our flight from Santiago to Montevideo. The flight was at 9am but the immigration line at Santiago airport is notorious for its long wait times. The flight itself was awesome because we flew very low across the Andes. I’m glad I woke Matt up so he could take photos from the window seat.
We arrived to the last stop of our trip: Montevideo, Uruguay. To be honest, Uruguay is kind of a random country for two Americans living in Paris to visit. However, I’m so glad we are here! To give some context: Uruguay is a tiny country of 3.4 million people nestled between 2 big countries, Argentina and Brazil, with big personalities. Uruguay itself has a reputation for kind people, liberal social policies and BEEF. I can confirm all of this after only a few hours in the country.
We are staying along the coast of the Rio de la Plata at the Sofitel Casino Carrasco about a 20-minute drive into the city centre. This hotel is old world glamour, think Monte Carlo or Biarritz. We arrived too early to check into our room so Matt and I walked down the riverside Rambla and found a beach shack restaurant where we had a seafood lunch and some beers. It was a really nice atmosphere to wait for a few hours.
After a much needed nap at the hotel, we ventured down the street to a popular local steakhouse for dinner. After 9 days in Chile eating white fish, we were soooo excited for a big ol’ bloody steak. We were not disappointed. We also enjoyed a bottle of local Tannat red wine. Apparently, it’s the “healthiest” wine you can drink as it’s high in tannins. That’s what I told myself as I stumbled up the stairs to our hotel room 😉
Day 16: Exploring Valparaiso
Today we spent the morning and afternoon exploring Valparaiso. The city itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its steep hills, (abandoned) funiculars and funky coloured houses. In recent years the city has become a haven for street artists. You have the impression that every house here is graffitied, some much nicer than others.
After walking through the town centre, at sea level, we climbed yet another hill to visit the National Maritime museum, which was also the former naval academy. Here we learned about the development of the Chilean navy and the infamous War of the Pacific, a late 19th Century conflict between Chile, Peru and Bolivia which resulted in Chile expanding north and blocking Bolivia from the sea. The Bolivians are still butt hurt about it. For lunch, we ventured down the hill to a local dive for chorillana, a Chilean street food delicacy of French fries topped with meat, onions and eggs. This heart attack on a plate was a welcomed change from the white fish and sweet potato we’ve been eating the past ten days. The restaurant was super cute and family operated. We really appreciated the decor too.
In the late afternoon, we drove back to Santiago and checked into the airport hotel for the evening. We have an early flight in the morning to our last destination of the trip!
