Duong & Kathy's Wedding

After much anticipation, Duong & Kathy's wedding turned out to be a dazzling event! Lotsa food (wish I had more time to eat :) Lotsa colors :) Lotsa fun! I wish the day would have lasted longer!!!

Michael and I reunited with our favorite double-date couple from New York, Van & Charlie - who happens to be Duong's cousins (small world I tell ya)Texans, Texans, everywhere

Ok, let's leave it to the professionals now!
Jessica Hill, their wedding photographer did a first class job!!!

Props to My Peeps in London

I can hardly believe 15 months have passed since I first moved to London! Even though I had planned on it being just a one-year stint, it almost feels too soon to leave. Almost. No offense London baby, but I am ready to go home!!!.. but not before I give props to my peeps that kept me afloat while I was here (I'm not gonna' lie - when I made the decision to move, I was nervous. And when I actually arrived, I was scared as hell).

Michael came along for a few days to help me settle in. Look at us sight-seeing as if we were on vacation! We looked way young then. I think London has aged me :)

Joanna, my first proper English friend (who I actually met when she visited New York) and her brother Lebby took me under their wing. To ease my being homesick, she took me out. We partied. We danced. We gossiped. We ate (lotsa crispy duck). She let me cry. She understood. I love you Joanna!

**Kariley, my closest friend in New York, had just so happened to have move to England 7 months earlier, though she lived over an hour away from me in a city called Bristol. I visited her one weekend and she took me to Bath, to bathe in their natural hot springs pool.

**I've been to more continents with Kariley than I have with anyone else - 5 to be exact! Obviously the U.S. (she took me Vermont to snowboard for Thanksgiving one year when it was too expensive to fly home); Europe (another obvious); South America (she took me to her home in Brazil); Asia (I took her to my motherland Vietnam); and Australia (we met up there for New Years Eve 2006)!

My Singaporean and Polish bad asses, Sun and Juliuz - the only reason I ever go to edgy East London :)

Michael and Momo on Team Night Out.






After all the invites we made to ensure our friends and family would visit, they only decided to come after they realized we were moving home in a month! And when they came, they all came at the same time!

Both mine and Tran's first traditional English afternoon tea time was at a not-so-traditional venue, Alan Yau's Yauatcha who presented with a colorful spread of delectable sweets.





Another first for Tran - smoking a shisha in a Middle Eastern hookah bar.









Butt-buddies!!!!








Michael Le & Sandino. Another pair of butt-buddies!!!

Our crazy Aussie friend Ali, who can't be in the sun for too long :) and her crazy Aussie beer.

Out of everyone, I know Joe misses us most. I mean, check out that pout!

This is Earl, my plant that kept me company when Michael hadn't moved over yet. I've never kept a plant alive for this long, so he means a lot to me. So instead of throwing him away when I moved, I let Joe adopt him, but apparently, Joe changed his name to Harry! Because of that, I'm sure Earl's dead now.


There were plenty crazy, emotional moments for me here, but in hindsight (and hindsight is a beautiful thing :), I'm grateful for the opportunity. I wouldn't have done it any differently. I've learned so much. I've met some wonderful people, made some fantastic friends and had a blast traveling through Europe. But alas, it's time for me to go home. Afterall...

KFC in Scotland

Only difference is that they spell "flavor" kind of funny. Other than that, nothing worth mentioning in terms of flavour.

Edinburgh

Did you guys know that Scotland is not technically it's own independent country??!! Maybe I was the only one not paying attention in geography or history class, but I always thought it was its own country :)

It's actually more like a country within a country, since Scotland along with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland all form the United Kingdom - the actual country... kind of like a state within the U.S. or a province in Canada!

It all depends on who you ask too. Ask a Scotsman and he'll tell you they are their own country. Ask the British Parliament in Westminster and they'll tell you Scotland's just one of the 4 that form the UK! But while Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all act as its own country, making up their own local laws (for health care and education), they're essentially all ruled by the same federal government. I dunno' about you, but if there isn't a border control when I'm driving through and their postage stamp has the same picture of Queen Elizabeth (as they do in England), I think it's safe to say you're not really your own country! But the food, culture, and people are cool anyway :)

Edinburgh CastleViews of the city of EdinburghThe Royal Mile

The oldest whiskey shop in Scotland (supposedly :)Scottish Mussels - yuuuuuuum

Lake District

When we were trying to decide where to go for our road trip, our colleagues kept recommending Lake District, a popular holiday destination located in the northwest region of England, about 4 hours from London. With numerous hiking trails and whimsical towns bordering the different lakes, it's known for having some of the most beautiful scenery in England! So off we drove and stayed near Lake Windermere, England's "longest lake" (not sure how comparatively impressive that is :) but in my opinion, it's lived up to the hype - having the most greenest and purest landscape I've seen in Europe thus far. Obviously, this isn't anything out of the ordinary for an Oregonian, but being away from Portland for so many years, I had a whole new appreciation for the lush scenery and felt a sense of euphoria, making me look forward to moving home even more! Here are some postcard-worthy pics... enjoy!

It rains impulsively there and stops just as quickly. Look at these sheep-goats ducking for cover under the trees!When the rain passes, it's sunny again! Just like that!Town of Bowness