England was the first foreign country I ever visited, with my mum at 12 years old, and I’ve been back so many times since then that I’ve long since lost count of how many times I’ve visited, total. Since we speak the same language and I have friends all over the UK, I don’t travel here for the same reasons I travel to other places. It’s not really to be challenged or to learn. And yet this time, traveling to Manchester and Liverpool was so unexpected because instead of the gray industrial cities that I’d always pictured in the North — what I’ve found has been vibrant, buzzing, passionate, cool, culturally rich and glamorous with just the right amount of grit. Every street you turn down here can hold a surprise, every person you meet likely has great stories to tell. And because the city is only ever a part of what I seek, I was so surprised to find that The Lake District, my beloved Snowdonia in Wales, charming villages like Chester and idyllic towns like York are so close by!!! My col...