We enjoyed a Spring Break trip to the UK, and it was one of those trips that stays with you much longer than expected.
We started in London, wandering neighborhoods without much of a plan, wandering through neighborhoods and parks, and trying to experience the city more like locals than tourists. Those are always my favorite days. The ones where nothing is overly scheduled and you just let a place unfold.
Next, and the part I can't stop thinking about most is our time on the narrowboat. 69 feet long and 9 feet wide. 8 of us!
For a few days, we traded busy schedules and constant movement for something much slower. Life on the canal moves at about 4 miles per hour, and it turns out that pace changes more than just your schedule. Mornings started with coffee on the deck, watching the water wake up. We learned how to work locks, which is a workout in itself, took turns steering, and tied up in small towns we would have never found otherwise.
It was simple in a way that felt really good.
It also gave us a window into a lifestyle I didn’t know much about before. There are thousands of people in England who live on these boats full-time, and as we moved along the canals, we passed what felt like entire floating neighborhoods. Families, pets, bikes lined up along the path, small gardens planted along the water’s edge, even little patio setups next to the boats. It reminded me, in some ways, of the familiarity of a mobile home community back home, but stretched out along the water, quieter, and moving at a completely different pace.
It wasn’t romantic in the way you might expect at first glance. The space is tight, everything takes more effort, and there’s a level of day-to-day management that you don’t think about until you’re in it. But there’s also something really grounding about it. Life becomes routine, intentional, and a little less distracted.
I found myself understanding why people choose it.
From there we made our way to Edinburgh. There was one neighborhood in particular that I can’t stop thinking about. Rows of perfectly uniform townhomes, each one just slightly different depending on how it was lived in. The way the people used their outdoor spaces so differently was just lovely. Each one unique. It felt historic and lived-in at the same time, like you could imagine a full life there just by walking down the street
And then we headed into the Scottish Highlands, which felt like stepping into a completely different pace of life.
We stayed at an incredible little log cabin community called Eagle Brea, tucked into the hills, and it’s one of those places I wish we had given ourselves more time in. Not to do more, but to do less. Mornings were quiet, the landscape felt endless, and there was this sense that you didn’t need to fill the day for it to feel full. I could have easily stayed another week just being there.
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The biggest takeaway for me wasn’t about travel, it was about pace. Slowing down enough to notice things, to be together without rushing to the next thing, to let a day feel full without being packed.
We’re back home now, jumping into spring schedules, work, and everything that comes with it. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what parts of that slower rhythm we can hold onto, even here.
And also… I’d absolutely do it all again.
My good friend and fellow travel enthusiast Jennifer Johnson from the Orderly Space put together an incredible blog with all of the details of our adventure if you are curious about specific spots or details- check it out HERE.