home vibes

the dark days have me wanting to be surrounded by blankets, flannels and slippers. i actually totally forgot i had slippers (you might remember my post about them earlier this year when i gave a pair away!) and a big smile came across my face– “I HAVE SLIPPERS!” sure enough, at the back of my closet shoved away, there they were. when you forget you own things, it’s like second christmas. (further proof that i am settling into life here more and more)

loads of tea lights and advent candles a glowin’ nightly… so much darkness has caused me to retreat to bed wayyy too early a couple nights this week (well, i am a morning person, after all). we’re currently re-watching season two of the office (the best season!) because i can’t get the ire up to start watching any show made after 2012… however all of the “best of 2015” lists that have been spewing out of the internet this week have certainly peaked my interest. i think i’ve been a bit out of the loop because most of these films and books i have never heard of! 

every december, we make the slog up to strakonicka street to a furniture store tree lot to get our christmas tree. this year, we got up the courage to take it on the bus home. ever seen a christmas tree on the bus? just try and stop us. at least we will have slightly more of a czech capability to try to interact with you this year. (blurry bus alex, below)

cooking? some feel-good healthy comfort food. like this miso vegetable noodle soup. spanish rice, beans & avacado. and on those “i can’t be bothered” days, there’s always delicious snacks from the christmas market!

we were graced by a tiny bit of frosty snow early friday morning which led to some beautiful scenery as i made my way to my lessons in the north of the city. pretty idyllic stuff to walk around with the tiniest, fluffiest little flakes swirling around you!

finally, on the expat front, i have never met any other americans in the almost three years we’ve lived in this city. and last night, at my company’s christmas party, i met three, one of whom we really hit it off with. i am not one of those expats who either clings to finding other people from their home country NOR tries to only make friends with locals. i don’t think it should be really about one or the other but rather, who you get on the best with! but sometimes it is easier to make friends with your own countrymen because you can immediately “get each other” in the cultural sense. what do you think?

but if there’s one thing i know for sure, it’s that things are good. i may have had an insane week with unruly students (is it the upcoming holidays, or what?) and no downtime but i’m sensing good things for us here. a handful of people have commented to me in the past week alone that i seem to be adjusting excellently to life here and that it’s something i should be proud of. so much to be happy about these days.

enjoy this cozy festive weekend, friends. xo