Even though we're now in Spain, getting ready to move to Madrid next week, it seems like just yesterday that we were whizzing down leafy roads in New England, country music playing on the stereo of our rental car. The three months that we spent travelling on the east coast of the USA made for one of my favourite travel experiences to date. I was so happy in New England, particularly in Vermont, that I often ache to be back there. Whilst reminiscing, we've put together this short USA travel video of our trip highlights.
Our trip to the USA was one of my favourite travel experiences to date. During our three-month stay we took an epic autumn road trip through New England, visited mighty Niagara Falls and hit up the bright lights of New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC.  We ate plenty of delicious food, stayed in some amazing places and took on all kinds of activities, from boat trips and ghost walks to historical tours and museum visits. So, how much did it cost us to travel for three months in America?
It’s a sad fact that places can become synonymous with tragic events that occurred in them. Vietnam, for instance, may immediately bring to mind images of war for many people; when we travelled in Cambodia, I couldn’t help seeing the scars of genocide everywhere we went.   Similarly, we couldn’t ignore the huge mark the 9/11 terrorist attacks have had on the world, so while we were visiting New York City we chose to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Tribute Center.
We spent our last week in the USA with Andrew’s relatives in Brooklyn, New York City. Much of our time was spent sightseeing on foot in Manhattan, visiting museums, landmarks, parks and soaking in the atmosphere of this fast-paced metropolis.  Our visit also happened to fall over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we were able to celebrate our first ever, somewhat unconventional, American Thanksgiving.
We couldn’t visit America without taking a trip to the Capital: Washington, DC. What we discovered during our fast-paced visit was a small, understated city full of museums, memorials, history and a few blogging friends. Visiting Washington DC was thought-provoking and intense as we looked back on past struggles, caught a glimpse of the less-affluent side of the city and learned so much about the history of the USA.
2015 has been a year of two very different halves for us; the first spent in Asia, the second in America and the UK. We lived in Vietnam’s crazy capital city, Hanoi, where we saved over £14,000 (and nearly lost our minds!) by teaching English. We relaxed on beaches in Thailand, house sat in London, toured South Wales and took the best road trip ever through New England in the USA. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas in Blighty for the first time in nearly three years, here’s our 2015 travel round-up.
I’m not going to lie; Philly came as a bit of a shock after spending two months in idyllic New England. Gone were the tiny towns full of independent shops and cute cafes, the craggy coastline and sweeping forests. When our bus pulled up in Philadelphia we found ourselves back in a concrete jungle, ready for five days of intense city sightseeing; what we hadn’t banked on was an Airbnb bedbug disaster and the tougher side of city life in Philly.
Ever tried using Airbnb? The website has become our go-to choice for booking travel accommodation these days and we used it exclusively during our trip to the USA. Airbnb has saved us tons of cash, allowed us to stay in some beautiful places and meet some amazing people. Unfortunately, we’ve also had some less comfortable experiences with Airbnb, from freezing cabins in the woods to last-minute cancellations and the worst of the worst: bedbugs.
By the time we reached Cape Cod, our last stop in New England, it felt like we’d come full circle. The sun was shining and the air was almost as warm as it had been when we’d first arrived in September.  As always when we travel, time seemed both long and short; although the days had whizzed by in an idyllic whirl, I also felt like we’d been in New England forever.
Maine: the Way Life Should be, proclaims the state slogan, which greets us as we drive over the border into this wild, beautiful land. Cars all around us bear the former slogan, Vacationland, on their licence plates and before too long we realise the truth of both these statements. In summer, crowds flock to Maine searching for quaint seaside towns, unspoilt beaches, well-preserved national parks and miles of rugged forest. Although we visited in Autumn, Maine's beauty still struck us hard - here are the highlights from our time there.