Or, Catch Up Chats in Cheltenham. In which Beth returns to this beautiful town to visit a friend.

For all of you dedicated fans, and I know you’re out there…somewhere, you may remember that I went to the Cheltenham Literature Festival a couple of years ago where I duly fangirled over my favourite author, Patrick Ness. Proof: here.

Cheltenham is a beautiful spa town in the west of England and I took the opportunity last weekend to visit one of my best friends from university who is currently living there. There were many amazing things composing our amazing weekend, one of them being her beautiful apartment which is in a converted church. The light from those windows is just incredible and I spent a happy Saturday morning in my pyjamas, eating toast, listening to Ben Howard, reading my book and thinking how lucky I was to be so happy.

Another amazing thing has to have been the beautiful warm weather which made our afternoon stroll around the Cotswold village of Broadway idyllic. I drove home that evening with the sun set in my wing mirror, singing (screaming) along at the top of my lungs to my Dashboard Confessional CD, and just drinking in the moment.

I’ve long known that it is important to surround yourself with people that bring you happiness and warmth, but nobody embodies that more than my friend, Pippa. The girl is a ray of sunshine and just radiates pure positivity. I feel like a better version of myself when I’m around her, and if that’s not a strong friendship, then I don’t know what is. We need more people like that in our lives.

As the mirror in a cute shop in Broadway said:

Think good things and you will always look lovely.

Perfect words to conclude a perfect getaway.