So Happy I’m Thirty

November 2023 (throwback!)

We decided to ring in our 30th era by checking a few items off our bucket list!

Bucket List Item #1: Banff Film Festival

While attending the University of Wyoming, we became obsessed with the Banff Film Festival; a festival that showcases a collection of outdoor adventure documentaries. For years we attended showings whenever we could (Laramie, Boise, Missoula… man, we move a lot). Corbin wanted to do something special for Tatum’s 30th… so he surprised her with a trip to Banff to attend the festival in person! 

After traveling north from Salem, Oregon to Seattle via an Amtrak train, we hopped on a quick flight to Calgary, Canada. We picked up our rental car and sped to Banff, making it just in time for the first night of films. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and settled in for a night of films featuring documentaries about base jumping, mountain biking, and rafting the grand canyon. Occasionally, a film director or athlete featured in the films would introduce the videos or answer questions afterwards. Attending the film festival in person surpassed our expectations.

The next few days, we explored Banff. We hiked in the mountains and took in the snowy views, hot tubbed and ate smores at our cozy hotel. We even “ran” into our travel buddies Emma and Eli. Together the four amigos celebrated Tatum’s official birthday with dinner and a tequila shot or two (just one for Tatum…she’s old now). The four of us had a full day to explore together and we made the most of it by going to the supposedly haunted Fairmont Hotel and wandering the spooky halls. To cap off the night, we went for a soak at Fairmont Hot Springs where Corbin… once again… spilled the beans about Tatum’s "surprise birthday gift”... even more friends arriving tomorrow!

Over the next couple days we spent time with eight of our best friends, who all traveled to Banff to celebrate the matriarch (aka Tatum). We went to film festival showings, hiked a slippery trail to a view point overlooking the iconic turquoise water of Lake Louise (yes, we sledded down on our haunches), took shot-skis in downtown Banff, and played games at our airbnb. What a way to celebrate a new decade of life.

Bucket List Item #2: Scotland

Next, we said goodbye to our friends and flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Scotland and spent three days exploring the stunning capital city of Edinburgh.  

We booked a small riverside airbnb in a quaint neighborhood called Dean Village. We spent our first full day exploring the neighborhood… we strolled along the Water of Leith walkway and enjoyed the fall colors. Corbin had some work to do, so Tatum adventured solo and visited the nearby botanical gardens, hit the supermarket, and scoped out a good dinner spot. We spent that evening sipping our first Scottish beers and eating Scotland's national dish... haggis with neeps and tatties! Haggis is sheep innards mixed with fresh onions, oatmeal, seasonings, and dried herbs. What the heck is “neeps and tatties”... mashed turnips and potatoes. 

Although still a little jet lagged, we set out for another day of exploring. We hopped on the tram and zipped into Edinburgh’s Old Town. One of our favorite activities in a new city is taking a free walking tour with a local guide. We spent the morning wandering the picturesque streets while learning about Edinburgh’s history, Scottish cuisine, and sites that inspired the Harry Potter series. Old Town’s streets are lined with worn gray/black stone buildings… while walking you occasionally pass an old cathedral or get a glimpse of the castle at the top of the hill… you pass cozy whiskey bars, vibrant shops selling tartan (plaid) clothing, and pastry shops selling meat pies… you even occasionally hear a bagpipe… let’s just say we fell in love with the feel of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is a little chilly in November, so that afternoon we slipped into The White Hart Pub for a beer. It was established in 1516 and claims to be Edinburgh’s oldest pub… not a bad place to try your first Guinness (I know, I know… Guinness is from Ireland… let’s call it close enough). We finished off the night with fish and chips and live Scottish music… what an epic day in Scotland.

Our final day in Edinburgh was spent hiking to the top of Arthur's seat, walking up the Royal Mile towards the castle, and enjoying a scotch tasting. Even though we crossed Scotland off our bucket list, we will definitely be back!

Bucket List Item #3: Chelsea Game in London

Alright… it's time to check something off Corbin’s bucket list (and let’s be honest, it's number one on the list). We boarded the train in Edinburgh and headed south to London.

After a quick night getting settled in our airbnb in Soho, we excitedly hopped on ‘the tube’ and headed to Stamford Bridge… the stadium for our (yes… ‘our’... Corbin has rubbed off on Tatum and she is officially hooked) favorite football team… Chelsea! First stop… Butcher’s Hook. Butcher’s Hook is a pub across the street from the main entrance of the stadium and happens to be where Chelsea FC was founded in 1905. We stood in the pub, surrounded by rowdy fans in blue, and sipped on pre-game beers while singing along to cheeky English football chants. 

Soon, it was game time. We entered the stadium, found our seats, and cheered for the next 90+ minutes. What a game it was! Chelsea played Man City (who happened to be at the top of the league) and pulled out an impressive 4-4 tie in extra time… Stamford Bridge was rocking!! We even got to see some of our favorite players (Papa Silva). We could go on and on about the game, but what it really comes down to is… we are extremely happy we went and crossed off this epic bucket list item. Corbin would like to go on the record and say that “Chelsea is the freaking best!”

We barely had a chance to recover from the excitement of the game before we headed back to the stadium again the next morning. This time for a stadium tour… we were able to visit the locker rooms, walk through the tunnel, and learn even more about the football club. I gotta admit, it feels very fitting that on our first trip to England our initial days were dedicated to football. Corbin can die a happy man.

With a few more days in London, it was time to visit some sites. We told time at Big Ben, toured Westminster Abbey, heel-clicked on Tower Bridge, and got lost in Chinatown. One of our favorite stops was Borough Market… an open air market full of vendors selling cured meats, fruits, cheeses… we sipped coffees and strolled through the aisles while sampling this and that. 

London is a foodie city! For three days we enjoyed trying the British classics… bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes), steak pies, and fish and chips… so yummy! But, we quickly learned that London also has an incredible international food scene… we enjoyed Chinese food in Chinatown… and Vietnamese and Thai in Soho. And guys, don’t worry… we didn’t die of thirst in London either. We made pub stops here and there and ‘drank like the locals’ by sipping on cask beers… an unfiltered, less carbonated draft beer served out of a long spout. Give it a try next time you’re across the pond. 

And just like that… we were a decade older and had a few less items on our bucket list. Life seems to be zipping by too quickly, but we feel so fortunate and blessed to be able to see beautiful places around the world and have new experiences together. From Canada to Scotland to London… what an adventure. Time to fly back to the US, squeeze back into our slightly tighter jeans (damn cask beers), and get back to work. Until the next adventure… 

With Love,

   Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

   Highs: Banff Film Festival, Edinburgh, Chelsea game, Stamford Bridge Tour, Pubs

   Lows: Working (which was good but I wanted to explore with Tatum), robbed…again! 

Tatum’s

   Highs: Banff Film Festival, mountain hike with friends, strolling through Old Town Edinburgh, pub with live Scottish music, London market

   Lows: airbnb getting broken into (I swear we get robbed every time we are in Europe, uhhh), getting dive bombed by crows at the top of Arthurs seat… made it hard to enjoy the view haha

Bloopers…

We took this trip back in November of 2023… life happened… and now it's March 2026 (we may never get this blog caught up haha). Fun fact… we just recently found out that Corbin is almost 25% Scottish! This explains a lot about his red beard. Also, it’s no wonder we enjoyed Scotland so much. I guess we were meant to publish this blog post late so that we could include this fun fact and reminisce on our time in Edinburgh.