The “this is just a fun trip” trip. Our first holiday together - not a couple, not strangers… just two adventurous people who loved travelling and thought, why not? John originally suggested Japan. Alice very sensibly replied that she was absolutely not travelling to the other side of the world with someone she had only met once (on a cruise around the Caribbean and Mexico, no less). Croatia felt like a safer compromise. Standing in Heathrow arrivals felt like the opening scene of Love Actually - equal parts romantic and mildly unhinged. Alice was fairly certain this would simply be a fun trip. A good story. Nothing more. Fast forward to sailing around the Croatian islands, befriending everyone on the boat, fielding fascinated questions about our transatlantic backstory, and hosting a full glow-stick party under the stars… And then there was Hvar. We found a local red wine - confidently 15% - because of course we wanted the full local experience. Sitting on the rocks by the sea, John with his handy little speaker filling the air with music, we watched the sunset paint the sky and felt wildly poetic… until we stood up and realised walking was now optional. Naturally, this led to an emergency pizza stop somewhere between romance and mild chaos. Somewhere between the sea air, strong wine, neon bracelets, and laughter echoing across the deck, it quietly became something else. What was meant to be “just a trip” turned into the first chapter of a love story neither of us saw coming - but both of us were ready for 💛✨

John’s first visit to London and good old Yorkshire - home of Yorkshire puddings, rolling hills, and the occasional sheep that steals your picnic. They escaped to Brimham Rocks, one of Alice’s favourite places in the countryside, where the quirky rock formations sparked awe, laughter, and some mildly questionable attempts at climbing. They explored the Tower of London, soaking in history, and John was introduced to one of his new favourite bars - The Alchemist - where cocktails are practically magic, and every drink comes with a theatrical flourish (you should ask John what came with his…).

After their Croatia trip, John suggested Alice come to the USA to experience the South - Tennessee and Alabama. Still unsure exactly what this “is it a relationship?” thing was, Alice nervously headed across the Atlantic. Anyone who knows Alice knows she likes to be a wallflower and avoid attention at all costs. So imagine her surprise when she stepped out of Nashville arrivals to see John… wearing a full brown monkey suit… holding a humongous glitter-covered sign that said “Princess Alice.” Yes. Glitter. Monkey. Sign. All of it. Her face went bright red, but somehow she couldn’t stop laughing. John, of course, beamed with pride, convinced this was the perfect welcome for his “princess.” They spent the days exploring the South, soaking in live music, eating too much, and somewhere between the chaos and the glitter, it quietly became clear - this was something real. That trip also introduced Alice to Jack Daniels and Coke - a drink she’d never had before and now calls her go-to 💛✨

John took Alice white-water rafting down the Ocoee River. “You’ll be fine,” he said… just as he tried to give her a gentle nudge off the raft. You can see the difference in personalities perfectly in this picture: John shouting “Yeeaaah!” loving every second, and Alice… well, let’s just say she’s terrified.

Alice’s first haunted house experience… well, it was truly an experience. Picture this: Alice wears glasses (pre-contact lenses days), it’s freezing outside, so she decides to ditch the specs for her woolly hat - instantly a terrible idea. We enter a barn, and a masked guy with a chainsaw charges at her. Alice bolts out of the barn, thinking she’s got away… but she can’t see anything other than a shadowy silhouette. Too late, she runs straight into another chainsaw-wielding man. You can see the exact moment she realises, “Oh no… I’m trapped!” - and screams at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, John is stood watching absolutely in hysterics, laughing so hard he can barely help her.

Our first trip to Florida together. Our first New Year together. What could possibly go wrong? After celebrating New Year a little too enthusiastically, we somehow ended up staying at Andy and Jen’s house - completely unplanned. The next morning, slightly worse for wear, reality hit. It was the day Alice was meeting John’s parents for the very first time. Armed with Chick-fil-A in a hopeful attempt to feel human again, we sat in the Florida sunshine trying to recover before heading to the Dixon residence. No pressure - just meeting Jack and Gloria for the first time… while spectacularly hungover. John did the introductions, made polite conversation for approximately five minutes… and then promptly disappeared for a three-hour nap. And somehow, despite the chaos, the hangovers, and the questionable timing, Alice survived - and maybe even passed the test. Because if you can handle meeting the parents like that, you can probably handle anything together...

Our first time in Florence, we decided it was love at first sight. We searched high and low and finally discovered the perfect little hole-in-the-wall… you know, the one where we could grab a glass of wine (obviously). There was no one else around, but of course, once people spotted us sipping, they had to join in. Were we accidentally becoming influencers… or just really stylish wine enthusiasts?

We set out for a walk in Creekwood Park. Thirty minutes in, Alice spots a looming rain cloud. “That looks huge,” she warns. John, ever the optimist, waves it off: “We’re fine.” Five minutes later, the heavens open, dumping what can only be described as a bucket of water straight on us. Ten minutes of soaking later, Alice is squinting through water-logged contacts, seeing nothing but a blurry, wet world. Lesson learned: always listen to Alice. John didn’t - but at least he came prepared with a truck full of spare clothes!

In August 2024, John came back to the UK and they explored York and Scotland together. Apart from getting stuck in some horrendous downpours driving through the Scottish Highlands, they had an incredible time visiting whisky distilleries and soaking up the stunning scenery. Fair to say, John’s suitcase came home filled to the brim with scotch - a very proud new addition to his collection.

After driving all the way back from Orlando to Huntsville with warnings of a snowstorm rolling in, we made it back just in time for it to properly hit. Conveniently, it chose the exact day before Alice was due to fly back to the UK… so we ended up snowed in. With everything covered in white, we decided to brave a walk to Publix. At the time, Byron was mid-bathroom renovation, which meant there was a toilet sat on the driveway for reasons best left unasked. Naturally, John decided this was the perfect photo opportunity and sat on it in the snow (details intentionally left vague). After a few delays and a fair amount of weather-related chaos, Alice eventually made it to her flight the next day, even managing her connection in Atlanta. All ended well… though not without stress along the way - particularly for someone who strongly believes that being late to anything is not an option.

In true John fashion, he casually booked a ‘random’ gondola ride in Venice… which Alice thought was a little odd (though she didn’t think anything was going on… obviously – she just thought he was being romantic and it was his first time in Venice). After an hour of floating through the dreamy little canals, they looped back towards the start. Just before reaching the Bridge of Sighs, they passed under a small pedestrian bridge… Alice clocked two women above them absolutely beaming – which she found strange. Moments later, they rolled down a huge banner with a photo of the two of them and the words: ‘Alice, will you marry me?’ Meanwhile, Alice – in complete shock that their faces were suddenly stretched across a huge bridge – hadn’t even noticed that John was already down on one knee (so much for being ‘observant’). Cue the realisation, a very obvious yes, and a full-on round of applause from everyone watching along the canal (because apparently this was now a public event). Effort level – 10/10. Subtlety – romantic chaos, suspiciously well executed ❤️ (and yes – it was an immediate yes).

No words – just love ❤️