Glasgow, Scotland, UK • December 2023 • Length of Read: 2 Minutes
It’s that season again. The tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and the snow has begun to fall. It can only mean one thing. It’s time for the eighth annual Crobs Abroad year in review. And what a banner year it’s been. 6 trips overseas, 5 weddings, 4 fitness events, 3 bachelor parties, 2 items ticked off the bucket list and 1 new addition to the family – Billie, our wonderful Serbian rescue dog.
Through the amazing work of the UK charity Balkan Underdogs, we were lucky enough to rescue our mixed-breed poodle from a government pound and have her transported across Europe to a wonderful new beginning in Scotland. After months of planning, paperwork, and background checks, she arrived safe but shell-shocked on a cold and wet November evening. She’s sat next to me on the sofa as I type this, still wary of men and adjusting to her new surroundings, but showing small signs of settling day-by-day. It’s going to be a long journey, one which will truly test my patience, but a rewarding experience like no other.
And with Billie’s arrival imminent, I crammed as much as possible into the milder months, bagging Munros in Aberfeldy, firing machine guns in Prague, exploring Scotland with Eva, marvelling at the Edinburgh Tattoo, commencing Greek language lessons, and upholding an annual autumn trip to see Jay in London.
My fitness has been hamstrung by a long-term hand injury, which kept me from participating in the CrossFit Open, but in March I completed my first ever Hyrox event, a gruelling physical test which left me hungry for more. The season was then book-ended with a team trip to The Castle Games in Middleburgh, a great competition with new friends.
This year I listened to the same artists and songs on repeat, with Spotify branding my listening habits as ‘Time Traveller’. After discovering Zach Bryan in the summer, I dove deep into his back catalogue, and American Heartbreak was the soundtrack continuum to my commutes and concentration. The supporting cast of music included The Mockingbird & the Crow by Hardy, Gettin’ Old by Luke Combs, Damn Love by Kip Moore, and One Thing at a Time by Morgan Wallen.
Five books that captured my attention were Alchemy by Rory Sutherland, The Billion Dollar Spy by David Hoffman, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall, and Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough.
As tradition states, however, there can only be five top moments from 2023. Drum roll, please:
Giving the Best Man’s Speech at my oldest friend’s wedding after two fantastic stag weekends in Palermo, Sicily and York, England.
Kayaking and wild camping in the Norwegian fjords with Gadams, revelling in a new country and meeting a load of cool, like-mind, people.
Marvelling at the Disneyland Paris 30th anniversary drone show spectacle and securing an engraved padlock on the Seine Bridge against a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.
Exploring the picturesque towns of the Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera, eating gelato, swimming in the sea, relaxing on the beach, and watching the sun set with a charcuterie and cocktails. La dolce vita!
Celebrating the marriage of Eva’s sister in Greece, a truly wholesome family occasion as we were welcomed into the culture with love and open arms.