july: friday things

hi friends, have you been enjoying july? i look forward to this month every year, and although we’re not livin’ it up in santorini as we were this time last year, it’s been a great one with days that are not as typically hot as the usual central european summer and plenty of thunderstorms and rain. (times i’ve been caught out in a storm this summer without proper gear and soaked: 2) but what’s better than being cozy and inside while the windows are open listening to the rain on a warm summer’s night? besides being in a forest hunting for wild blueberries, that is?

here are five things that i’ve been into or have been making me happy lately…

1. SUMMER CAMP

pretty much what i’ve been up to the majority of this month, besides the film festival. and if you can believe it, the last day of camps is today! needless to say, i. am. exhausted. so much so that this post almost did not get written today. although it’s an english camp, i selfishly love summer camp as an opportunity to be immersed in czech for three weeks a year (hey, we can’t ask our campers to only speak english to each other! although if they do, that’s cool). 

another reason to love it: it’s a great opportunity to visit fun spots around south bohemia that we haven’t been to yet. so far, that’s included both a puppet exhibition (so cool!) and seeing the oldest bridge in central europe (which is in písek, not prague! below) and hiking up the prettiest hill near a tiny south bohemian village where beautiful wildflowers and strawberries grow (above)… i wanted to stay up there for hours!

of course, just to spend time with these kids is why we come back to it every year. they are the sweetest, kindest, and most well-behaved children i’ve ever met. (or is it that i can’t understand them half the time so i don’t really know what they’re talking about? that could be it…)

2. MISSING POLAND

how funny that exactly one year after our grecian honeymoon, i wouldn’t be dreaming of greece so much (yeah, i definitely did for a day or two) but rather poland. probably because of watching those polish films at KVIFF this year, i am on a major poland “thing” right now… dreaming of where i might want to go next, the beautiful language, the fun nightlife and amazing people and culture….

3. TRIP PREPARATION

but, enough about poland, though! the majority of my off-time is spent getting ready for our big summer trip to that magical island in the icy north atlantic. i can’t wait to do it right this time around; to immerse myself in the beauty of iceland and the culture that i find ever so intriguing. feel free to leave any tips in the comments – i will most certainly check out your recommendations! (and feel free to check out all of my #icelandicfilmseries recommendations if you’re into that kind of thing!)

above, if you can believe it, i found skyr here in the czech republic recently! it’s an icelandic dairy product which is thick and delicious like yogurt and, lucky for me, is starting to catch on in popularity in other parts of europe at long last! so excited to eat all the skyr… and even those dried cod sticks.

4. PINK HAIR LIFE

ohhh, it’s been so fun being a pink-headed lady for awhile! and i am so thankful i don’t have a corporate job (looking specifically in the direction to my last job right now) that i can do these things and dress how i’d like. it’s the little things! i won’t be keeping it up in iceland (because that seems kinda silly) but i will most definitely be returning to fun-colored hair in the future! (fyi, i went with directions by lariche in pink carnation)

i really do love the “live and let live” attitude here in the czech republic. anything goes! even the audacious hair-cuts and the public urination.

5. GARDEN STATUS

this summer i’ve been taking my balcony garden more seriously, having both planter boxes, several types of herbs, and three kinds of vegetables! my green bean plant has so far produced one full-sized bean, which i savored and it was deliiiicous. the butter lettuce plants have been out of control with their production – definitely a great year for growing vegetables with the plentiful rain and sunshine this summer! i had never grown lettuce before but it is a perfectly balcony crop, not needing too much sunshine and i love that i can just go pick some when i need it for salads rather than have it sit and wither in the vegetable drawer of the fridge if i don’t use it.

the kale plant has been a little slower to produce but i’m confident it’ll make something of itself this year. do you have a garden, balcony or otherwise?

that’s the thing about gardens and pets… they’re not so great for travel-loving people like me! yet another thing to add to the list that doesn’t fit with my need to travel. sigh.

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have a wonderful weekend and see ya on the nordic side of things! i will most definitely be writing while there – surely i will have a lot to say!

meanwhile, i have a delicious summer-staple recipe coming for you next week & here’s a guest post i was recently published on with “7 great places in the czech republic to visit outside of prague”.

ps, this blog just turned four – i can’t believe four years ago i was gearing up for the greatest life adventure i have undertaken yet!