June was a fun, whirlwind month. During a busy trip back to the U.S., we caught up with friends and family and attended three World Cup games. Outside of that trip, I also had the chance to explore a few new places near Cheltenham, where we live.
Destinations visited:
Tewkesbury, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Cheltenham, England
Herndon, Reston, and Sterling, Virginia
Prospect Park, Media, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Elizabeth and Meadowlands, New Jersey
New York, New York
Columbia and Elkridge, Maryland
Favorite destinations:
Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire – A friend recently moved back to Tewkesbury, a town about 20 minutes from Cheltenham, so we spent a day there exploring Tewkesbury Abbey, strolling along the high street, and enjoying drinks in a riverside beer garden. In July, I’ll return for Tewkesbury’s Medieval Festival, the largest free medieval event in Europe, and on another visit, I’ll spend an afternoon boating down the river with friends.
Highlights:
Attending the World Cup – This was my fifth World Cup, a tradition my family has kept up every four years. It was especially exciting that this tournament was held in the U.S. We attended three first-round games: Ecuador vs. Côte d’Ivoire and Brazil vs. Haiti in Philadelphia, and France vs. Senegal in New Jersey/New York. It was wonderful to experience the energy of the World Cup with my family and help welcome so many countries to the U.S.
Seeing friends and family – In addition to the World Cup games, our U.S. trip included several gatherings with friends and family. Since I live abroad, it means a lot to stay connected with longtime friends and relatives.
A close friend moving nearby – One of my close friends, who had been living in the U.S. but is British, has moved back to the UK. I’m excited to have a good friend close by.
Getting upgraded to business class on our way back to England – After our whirlwind U.S. trip, Mark and I were happy but exhausted. We were thrilled when British Airways upgraded us from Economy to Business Class, likely thanks to the BA points Mark earned last year. Having extra space and seats that lay flat made the overnight flight back to England much more comfortable.
Challenges:
Our U.S. trip was fun but exhausting, and I got sick right after – I’m grateful we were able to see friends and family and attend three World Cup games during our trip back to the U.S., but there was very little time to rest. I think the pace caught up with me as we were preparing to head to the airport, when I started feeling sick. After landing back in England, I spent the next three days mostly sleeping. It was a good reminder that I sometimes over plan and wear myself down, so I’m going to make a better effort to build in downtime.
Posts:
Looking ahead to July 2026:
July is shaping up to be another fun and busy month. As I write this, Mark and I have just returned from a long weekend in Mallorca, a Spanish island, where we relaxed in the sun and enjoyed the local food and wine. Later this week, an old neighbor from Maryland will visit, and I’m excited to show him around town. Mid-month, I’ll attend my first cricket match in Birmingham, which should be interesting since it’s a sport I don’t know well. At the end of the month, my son Markell and his friend Nick will arrive for a visit, which I’m also looking forward to. In between it all, I’ll be following the FIFA World Cup to see how far my teams go and who wins it all.
What are your plans for July?
Noelle Across The Pond 