Ever have things you’re avoiding doing and you haven’t a clue why? Yeah, that’s me with this post.

Back in December, I went to England to visit the love of my life. And please don’t misunderstand me here, absolutely nothing about the trip made it something I don’t want to talk about. If anything, I’ve wanted to shout my joy from every rooftop because it was, without a doubt, the happiest I’ve been in all my life. And maybe that’s part of the problem - ever since I got on the plane and returned home, I just can’t seem to get that level of joy back. NOTHING beats being around James. He makes me smile wider than any person ever has and we all know how much I love being across the pond. So, maybe I’ve just been avoiding making myself miss what I know I can’t have. But regardless, it’s well past time for me to talk about it, so here we are.

Before I begin, I want to make sure I mention that James and I followed all protocols thoroughly. We wore masks everywhere we went and we both completely self-isolated in an airbnb for two whole weeks after I first arrived to make sure it was all clear before we ventured out. We also made sure to follow all local laws relating to the pandemic, too. In reality, two-thirds of my time there was just simply us spending much-needed quality time together in our apartment and that’s all I really wanted.

Now with that out of the way, let’s get into the story.

So, as you all know from my most-recent post that I have a new, absolutely wonderful man in my life named James. We met online on Tinder’s global feature they were pushing for a while to help people feel more connected while isolated. We got on like a house on fire and spent every waking moment talking - either texting or on a video call for months, and we still do today. A few months in, neither one of us could take not meeting in person any longer. We NEEDED to know if the spark we felt online was real and so I booked a flight for the end of November and headed across the pond to spend three weeks getting to know this new amazing person I’d fallen so madly in love with.

Well, long story short, sparks flew and those three weeks were utterly perfect. Because the time difference is only a few hours, I still managed to work full-time and we spend our evenings and mornings watching movies, playing games, and going for romantic walks on the beach. We had an absolutely incredible apartment with an even better view and we enjoyed just sitting on our balcony watching the sun come up and go down together. He cooked me delicious dinners when we weren’t ordering the most incredible pizza in South West England and we spent our weekends drinking and laughing like college kids. It was exactly what we both needed. I’ve never had so much fun with a boy in all my life - he is a true partner. It says everything to me that we can have such a wonderful time just in each other’s company without needing anything else - just us.

Once we were done self-isolating and we were allowed to leave the house again, I took a week off from work and we got to a little adventuring around the country. It was incredible. I flew into London and James picked me up and we set off immediately for Devon - a region in South West England that I’d never been to. And after our week hiding out, we drove further South West to Cornwall and spent the week getting lost and eating pasties and cream teas.

I’ve never been anywhere south in England apart from London, but I’ve always wanted to add Cornwall to my been-there list and I’m so glad that James was the person to show me around. We made a bucket list before arriving that included things like visiting the Minack Theatre, seeing some standing stones, and walking out to St. Michael’s Mount. I really left much of the planning to James as he’d been to the area before and I am so glad I did. I was absolutely blown away by both Devon and Cornwall. That entire little foot of England is beautiful beyond all belief. I even got to tick off a HUGE bucket list item and see Land’s End! Thanks for literally going to the ends of the earth with me, James, it’s been on my list for such a long time. I can’t think of anyone I would have rather seen it with.

When we had finished shopping, eating, rock pooling, ice skating, and taking an obscene amount of pictures in Cornwall, we headed back up north a bit to James’ home in Warwickshire and I got the chance to meet his truly lovely friends and family and see the places where he lived and went to school for a large portion of his life. It was an honor to have been shown around his home and to be welcomed with such open arms by those closest to him. What a nice way to round out our magical time together.

For three weeks straight, I felt totally carefree. Spending time with him was totally effortless - it came more natural to me than anything I’ve ever done. Combine the unbelievable company and location and I can without question say that my adventure in Cornwall and Devon, England was my most successful trip ever - even during a pandemic. I wouldn’t change a single second of our time together for the world.

I’ll end this little recap by saying a huge thank you to Cornwall and James for having me. It was a truly unforgettable time. In the words of the Cornish folk, I’d just like to say, “Da yw genev metya genes, Kernow; my a'th kar, Jago.” (It was a pleasure to meet you, Cornwall, and I love you, James.)