“I couldn’t believe some of the narrow roads were two-way.”
American Audrey Ann Masur has lived in the Cotswolds, England, for almost five years and she’s still surprised at how cars manage the slender roads.
“I was terrified of driving at first,” she tells me.
So the motorcade drivers for JD Vance will have their work cut out in August during his summer family vacation to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which spans parts of six counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Somerset).
But Audrey has a message of reassurance for the Vice President: “It’s hard to go wrong with the Cotswolds.”
Read more: The best hotels in the Cotswolds
In fact, the 37-year-old admits: “I still pinch myself some days.”
Audrey says it “now feels totally normal to drive along narrow roads and pull over for passing”, and has built a following of over 11,000 on Instagram with upbeat posts that lift the veil on what life is like in picture-postcard England for someone from a rural farm community in Indiana.
Audrey moved to the Cotswolds because her husband landed a job on one of the US bases in the area, though they live with their children in a Gloucestershire village off-base.
Aside from the driving, did any other surprises pop up?
Audrey says: “Some household differences would be having no screens on the windows and no [electricity] outlets in the bathrooms.
“A few cultural differences would be how much people chat about the weather, the fact that you need to offer your friend cake two or three times instead of believing their initial refusal and the way everyone ends texts with ‘xx’.”.
As for the Cotswolds itself, Audrey remarks that while it’s an expensive life, “the quality of living is very good”.
She continues: “I knew it would be lovely, but it has exceeded my expectations. Doing everyday life in such a gorgeous setting lifts your spirits. I’m an old soul, so I really enjoy the local village traditions and events, particularly in the summer and at Christmas.”
Audrey also loves to explore — and Mr Vance might like to make a note of some of her favorite sights and villages.
The digital creator reveals:…
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