Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse

I LOVE Harry Potter! I've read the books and watched the movies countless times, plus I was sorted into Gryffindor and know that my patronus is a horse. All terribly important information, don't you think?

So, earlier this year, when my guy invited me to a wedding in Disney, the only acceptable response was, "Only if we can go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter"!

I had been there before with my family, but back then Universal hadn't opened Diagon Alley.

Look at Hogwarts!!!

Summers in New Braunfels

Labor Day means that summer is over, right? I can't wait for fall with its red and orange leaves and amazing sweater weather! But, seeing as how it's still a balmy 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Texas, it feels ages away. The calendar agrees with me that it's still summer. Two more weeks to go!

In honor of the last two weeks of summer, I thought I'd share one of the best spots in central Texas on a hot summer day - New Braunfels!

Playa del Carmen

I love traveling in Mexico - it is such a beautiful country with amazing food and people. The country has gotten a bit of a bad rep recently due to a certain escaped drug lord and some violence in the border, but it should still be top of the list for any travel destination.

One of my favorite spots in Mexico is Playa del Carmen, near Cancun. Playa del Carmen used to be a sleepy little city, but it has grown tremendously thanks, in part, to tourists who want a beautiful beach without the craziness of Cancun.

The UK - Market day in London

My last complete day in London was my market day.

The UK - The day I fell in love with London

This is the day I fell in love with London! There was nothing in particular that did it - just the energy of the city. Does that sound crazy?

The UK - Being a tourist in London

I had a beautiful place to stay in London - a friend's flat near Camden Market.

Check out the view.

Gorgeous, no?

The UK - It's pronounced 'Edinburrah' not Edinburg

My third morning in the UK, we woke up very early to go to Edinburgh. It was to be a three hour drive, and I was incredibly tempted to hit the snooze button on my alarm and stay in bed. Fortunately, my sense of adventure prevailed, so I reluctantly got dressed and on the road.

The drive in Scotland was beautiful - all hills and castles and hairy cows. Of course I didn't take any pictures. I'm blaming this on me being half asleep, of course! 

I spent  quite a bit of time on the drive practicing the correct pronunciation of the place - torn between getting it right or just saying screw it and talking with a Spanish accent. 

We were both a bit grumpy from the lack of sleep and a little worried about the drop in weather as we got further in Scotland. My friend A had conveniently forgotten his jacket in Norfolk.

And then we got to Edinburgh.

Wow!

The UK - Feeling very British in Norfolk

I've always wanted to go to England. "The Secret Garden" was one of my favorite books growing up, and I always imagined myself living in the English countryside in a cottage with a beautiful garden. This desire has never really gone away, and I would happily move there tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself.