what a week

they say the hardest part of doing nearly everything is taking the first step, which was last week. this week feels as though the first steps are starting to bud: my first german lesson since 2008 will be next tuesday (!!!) and we met with our chill and laid-back engagement shoot photographer to talk plans for the end of the month. last time i’ve had professional portraits taken was over ten years ago at age 17, so what better time than now to have a go at it again? even if we don’t use these photos for really anything, they will be such a special keepsake of our time living in south bohemia: where alex and i got our first (long-term) flat together and where we became engaged to be married. 

on monday i was invited back to moderate a childrens’ english competition. i recognized a few kids from last april and it was fun to talk with them and see how they’ve progressed in a year. the winner is progressing to the national competition in prague!

tuesday i battled with česká pošta to receive my wedding dress. international post here is a funny thing. most of the times, i receive a slip in the mail telling me to go pick up my parcel at the post office near the train station, which is always the one that has all the packages. a few times (especially when ordering through british royal mail) the package shows up at my door (so great!). but a handful of times, i’ve had the annoying experience of going to the post office, thinking i’m there to pick up a package, and instead receive a pile of forms from customs. JOY! at least i know what they are and generally what to do. yesterday i received that lovely slip in my postbox which means…. it’s here! i can go pick up my wedding dress TODAY!

on wednesday morning i, along with the rest of the world, read about the huge 8.2 quake in northern chile. it was a bit of strange timing as i just had a lengthy conversation with my dad about his experience living in valparaiso during the big earthquake there in 2010. i was telling him that i was considering chile for future jobs, and he warned me about the fact that there are earthquakes throughout the whole year in this area. and how he had to get on the floor and protect his head in the middle of the night and how devastating it was for the people…. and now all this… again. i think chile has just been moved from the live there list to visit there.

on thursday i really noticed these signs of spring on my weekly walk in the southern areas of the city. isn’t it funny how we become so amazed with these little signs of green growth around us because we’ve spent so many months staring at bare trees? life in bohemia is beautiful. the weather is now consistently in the upper teens or higher (at least in the afternoon) which is more than i could ask for.

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it’s not really my style to write a long weekly account, but this week in particular has fully earned it! this weekend i’ll be trip-planning like a crazy person while also trying to relax with books (below, my favorite reading nook), garden parties, and guitar playing. it’s also alex’s big 30th birthday, so we’re going to do it up alex style… which probably means eating hamburgers and watching a kurosawa film. happy weekend, all!