July was such a fun month, filled with new experiences and a visit to a new destination in Spain. I also loved enjoying England’s long, sunny summer days. Read on to see what I got up to in July.
Continue reading “Noelle’s Monthly Recap: July 2026”
Category: England
A Cotswold Day Out: Stroud, Gloucestershire
Cotswolds Days Out is a new series I’ve started to showcase the day trips I take around the Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) in England. Since moving nearby to Cheltenham, I’ve been enjoying exploring the various villages and towns in the region and sharing my experiences with readers. This is the second post in the series. You can read the first post about Painswick here.
Continue reading “A Cotswold Day Out: Stroud, Gloucestershire”
A Cotswold Day Out: Painswick, Gloucestershire
As I’ve gotten older, spending a leisurely day wandering through a quaint town with a coffee in hand has become my idea of a day well spent. Now that I’m based in Cheltenham, right next to the Cotswolds, I’ve wanted to explore more of the small villages in the area. Recently, I decided to visit Painswick, one of these Cotswold gems, as it’s just a straightforward forty-minute bus ride from Cheltenham.
Continue reading “A Cotswold Day Out: Painswick, Gloucestershire”
Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire, Wales
On the Welsh bank of the River Wye and adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, Wales, sits the stunning Tintern Abbey, a former home to Cistercian monks that was founded in the year 1131. Continue reading “Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire, Wales”
Tips on Surviving Your First Year Abroad
Moving abroad is something most people only dream of, so when it actually happens the focus tends to be on the move itself, finding somewhere to live, and settling in. But what happens beyond that initial stage?
If you’re anything like me, I had a few goals when I moved abroad: learn more about the culture, travel throughout Europe, and gain some international work experience. But there were also other parts that I was less sure about – like making friends, how my relationships at home would be impacted, and if I would become out of the loop of what was going on in the United States and my local area.
In the end, I survived my first year abroad – and I know you can too. Here are tips on what helped me make it through.
Noelle Across The Pond 