Christmas + A Big Surprise

veselé vánoce, friends! my second czech christmas is technically still underway (as people traditionally get the 24th-26th off work) and it’s magical. this year my mother has joined us from far away washington state and we’ve been doing a whole lot of wandering the cobblestoney budějovice city streets, last chance advent markets, and of course: eating a TON of food (i may have gone overboard with grocery shopping, perhaps to make up for what is now known as our poor czech christmas last year) and a lot of relaxing before our trip to salzburg tomorrow.

and, oh yeah……. i got engaged!

alex and i have had a few chats about marriage before, both deciding that it’s not something that needs to wait until we have salary career jobs back home in the states. i really don’t like the idea of putting my life on hold while living abroad, because this…. RIGHT NOW…. is my life. i’m living it. life doesn’t wait for you to have money or the perfect apartment or a dog. even so, i sure didn’t expect to be “intercepted” shortly after waking up on christmas eve morning with a ring! it is the strangest most surreal feeling: to feel that everything has changed and nothing has changed all at once. so….. we’re going to get married, guys! now the question is WHERE (michigan? washington? europe?) and WHEN (summer? 2015?)? add me to the whole demographic of women who care about things like wedding dresses and reception decorations.

so far we’re having fun calling each other “fiance”, although alex’s pronunciation and intonation intentionally makes it sound like “beyonce”. also, he says that he is “enraged to me”….. this is what i just signed up for, people.

and now,  scenes from a czech-american-brit holiday (the brit part is just for funsies):

my favorite things this christmas (besides the surprise i have just described above) have been all the british implements this year: mince-meat pies, christmas crackers and crown hats, the traditional finest reserve port, teacakes in the stockings and a jolly round of various table games. (basically, i went on a shopping spree at marks & spencer and no one was there to stop me) everyone has been far too generous with their gifts this year…. i hardly remember seeing this much stuff! all these treats from the U.S. are making us feel like we hit the ceiling of living the good life. i am full to the brim with gratitude.

i impressed everyone with making eggnog from scratch, which i cannot stress enough how FABULOUS it was. guys, SO EASY. better than store bought. and mixed with a bit of bourbon, just heaven. christmas heaven. another example of learning out of necessity– there’s something wonderful about being so resourceful! and not being able to run out to the store for a carton certainly encourages that.

merry christmas and happy holidays to all! salzburg tomorrow: hope they saved a bit of weihnachts magic for me!