lately, september

time for coffee chat & catching up!

+ last weekend (above) was so beautiful and warm that something particularly summery was in order… and what is more summery than a picnic! just to throw a big middle finger to fall and be all, hey, it’s not time for you yet… back off. (alright, i know autumn is creeping on us and i do actually embrace it!)

+ a strange a wonderful phenomenon has occurred with the changing of the weather into autumn and getting out the cold weather coats for the first time: MONEY! there have been two recent instances within a recent one week span of pulling out a good wad of cash (one time, enough to go buy a week of groceries), forgotten in pockets of jackets worn last in april or may. this is a brilliant development, because last may i had a lot more cash than i do now. i was literally just thinking, “oh dang, i have to go buy that monthly bus pass” and BAM, bus pass paid for! this has got me thinking that we all, when going through times of relative prosperity, should sneak some bills away for later: our past selves helping our future selves! can you dig it?

+ i guess alex and i are famous in budejovice, and i’ll tell you why through this funny story. i recently started a new lesson with a guy who told me that once, over two years ago, had seen us walking through the city center, looking decidedly un-czech (so, maybe smiling?) and speaking english. the very next day, he was spending the day in nearby cesky krumlov, when who does he see  but both of us ROLLING BY ON SEGWAYS. (yes, we did this a few years ago to celebrate my 27th birthday. and it was AWESOME, below)  so then, a few weeks later, i run into him at the farmer’s market and give him my card. isn’t that such a strange introduction? budejovice is definitely more like a village.

+ autumn is approaching! what are your autumn plans? i’m pulling out all those cozy sweaters and PANTS (trousers, for my UK friends) again. i have not worn jeans OR socks in almost three months. those things do not belong in my summer wardrobe at all, but now… now, my friends, it is time.

+ typical september thing: i am overflowing with words to write! and taking a quick peak in the archives, i’m realizing this is a bit of a trend. anyone else notice when you have an ideal time/month/week that you can help but write? it feels good. really good.

+ immigration appointment time has occurred and they will decide if we are worthy enough to stay in the czech republic for another TWO YEARS. normally we reapply annually, but this year, foreigner’s insurance was almost HALF OFF the normal price. incredible. because having czech health insurance is tied to our visas, this was a huge coup and… maybe a sign that we should linger longer?

+ on the topic of immigration, we forgot, errrr, had no idea we had to announce to the czech government that we were married within two weeks of the marriage. not like that could have even happened… so we have a lovely fine of an undisclosed amount ($150 or less, dependent on amount that we grovel) awaiting us for that one. note to the czechpats: inform immigration of seriously every change in your life.

+ subscribing to a weekly CSA veggie box has officially increased my daily vegetable intake by a gazillion percent. i hate to waste food (especially after watching this hard-hitting john oliver segment) and having all of those zucchinis and carrots just sitting there, staring at me really makes me wanna whip ‘em up into something good. such a huge win– i am still so proud of us for being brave enough to walk into a non-english speaking shop to do this! here’s what our mid-september (#4) box looks like. (kale!!!)

+ really liked this article about how to incorporate more opportunities to listen to music in your life. in seattle i would listen to music all the time. kplu jazz in the morning with my new york times and cup of black coffee, and my favorite albums (usually misfits, mt. eerie, or some local northwest bands) spinning on my record player in the afternoon and especially evening. one of my goals for this year was to make more opportunities for music listening besides bus trips and sometimes when i’m cooking. hoping to hold myself accountable to that goal as we move into the latter part of the year. sometimes, it just takes more work than it used to. especially when you haven’t got a ninety minute bus commute going on every day.

+ we were a bit foiled at our tentative plans to adopt a dog when our landlords told us it “was not possible” because the doctors in the practice downstairs won’t allow them. i had a tearful night trying to accept this fact that we either wouldn’t be bringing a dog into our family, or we’d have to move… two terrible options. we’ve got one last idea of how we might see this thing through. not sure if it’ll happen in 2015, but the gears are turning. alana had a great post about owning a dog as an expat that really inspired me. i would love to read more about this topic if you or someone you know has written about it!

+ this bake along to the great british bake off has done nothing for losing a few extra pounds we may have put on in america. oops. on the plus side, it has delicious side effects… especially this week’s apple frangipane tart. i am a bit worried about the upcoming victorian week though!

+ we’ve narrowed down our christmas trip! i’ll give you a hint… it’ll either be somewhere where we’ll be saying happy christmas or frohe weihnachten.

+ i won over a big vip client at my language school yesterday… apparently he had lessons with two other lecturers and was unsatisfied with them. so! i’m feeling pretty great these days about teaching, my lessons, and essentially, my little business.

+ lastly, i have to admit that i’ve been in a little bit of a funk as of late. i try to be as positive and upbeat about life here as i can and always focus on the good, but sometimes i also need to be real and say that life in a small czech city is not all rainbows and kittens. life here satisfies all of those important basics, which is more than i can say for some places and it’s honestly amazing, but sometimes i long for more culture and excitement… something soul-stirring. usually a weekend trip or a good dance party can be a cure for those funky-funks, so i’m hoping it does the trick!  

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ever have moments like these? what do you do?

hope you have a wonderful weekend!