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we are permanent residents.
the reason we decided to apply for permanent residence is, simply, that it’s a longer visa. we have been on the two year freelance visa for ages and as many of you know, our last go-around was rough. it kicked our asses. after five years of residence in the czech republic and passing a basic language exam though, you may qualify for permanent residence. well, this was our first chance to apply (now having lived here for over six years) and the language test wasn’t so difficult, seeing as we have lived here long enough to soak up loads of language and had three full years of czech lessons by…
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the first spring days
i think many people feel the need after a long winter cooped up at home to seize those first beautiful warm early spring days and do something to make the most out of them! i sure do. last weekend, we had our annual garden day which involved me carrying some new plants and pots home in a big red basket and alex hauling a gigantic bag of soil over his shoulder, walking home from the garden center. (side note: we are still perfectly happy not having a car here in europe, even after trips like this! really.) i still haven’t planted my seedlings but with the lighter evenings and daylight…
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the best souvenirs to bring home
among the online travel community, souvenirs are sort of a divisive issue. there are those who would never even touch a souvenir and feel like they are a waste of money and not an accurate representation of a place, and then there are the people who can’t stay away from those touristy shops with knick-knacks and bags that say the city’s name all over it (made in china). while i don’t like knick-knacks (clutter!!!), i do love a little bit of shopping on a trip and almost always regret not picking up something. over the years, i have developed and refined my stance of souvenirs – often there’s not a…
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at winter’s end
maybe this is far too optimistic for me to state at the beginning of march – this time last year when the ponds and rivers were frozen over – but the forecast here in the czech republic now seems firmly rooted in comfortable temperatures… dare i say it, springy? march has never been an easy month for me, but i actually see spring is on its way. 17°C (or warmer!) days becoming more frequent, wearing the shoulder season jackets in favor of the big bulky winter coats, sunglasses, drinking a cappuccino outside … i can feel it! although winter has treated me very well this year. it was one of…
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small czech businesses & brands i love
my first installment in what i hope will be a series of wonderful czech brands that deserve recognition and customers. i’m not a big shopper but for my cosmetics, food products and other needs, i try to go local (if not DIY). here are some of the best i’ve come across… oli divisova– ceske budejovice’s own oli divisova is an artist and sculptor who makes absolutely beautiful minimalist and artist wares, especially pots, mugs and anything ceramic (above) ! you can check out her goods at her etsy store, oli’s cupboard. mcely bouquet – based in central czech republic north of prague, mcely makes gorgeous natural cosmetics (such as oils, balms…
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february city hangs | prague & linz
it’s been such a great month so far! i thought january was good, but february seems even better and the fact that we just had our semester break and i enjoyed most of a week off work was just the thing. i was thinking i’d head to prague on sunday, the second day of the month, until there was a “severe snow advisory” (??!) warning and decided not to mess with that. (besides, a friend of mine had to spend the night on a train last autumn when she insisted on traveling in heavy winds! trains + inclement weather = not going there) instead we went on monday when there was…
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7 Things to Do When You REALLY Miss a Place – Homesickness Cures
I am an expert place-misser and I know many of you can relate! You go around the world and leave your heart in so many places, with many people, and then go back to where you live and just sort of slump around for awhile in those periods of heavy homesickness. And hey, homesickness isn’t just for your hometown. Travelers, wanderers and expats all know that the concept of home is a tad bit more complicated than that. Without a doubt, I believe it can be in another place where you leave your heart and it hurts not to be there sometimes… especially when you’re fresh from a trip to…
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january lately
ah january, time to hunker down with a candle, cup of tea a stack of books and your favorite tv shows and films. or my favorite winter activity: i call it the ‘read-nap-read’ (or “the reading nap”) on a cold sunday afternoon with falling snowflakes outside the window. it’s typically hard to grant myself time to do those things, but winter does give me permission! what have you been enjoying? i’m making my way slowly through a little life (and all of its seven hundred something pages) as well as chunks of other books also on my nightstand. i’ve also been watching a bit of ally mcbeal season 4 (the…
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my zero waste progress (& DIY oat milk recipe!)
you’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard the term "zero waste" thrown around. next to “adaptogen”, i am predicting it’s one of those buzzwords of the last year. and why not? even though it sounds like a phase and trendy, i am whole-heartedly on-board with zero waste becoming a thing that we just all do without thinking! zero waste doesn’t have to mean that you absolutely create no waste at all, but an overall catchphrase for people trying to make steps to cut down on waste in order to live as zero waste as they possibly can in that time of their life. making substitutes and compromises…
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nyepi: a quiet new year
while i was at iceland airwaves, i managed to catch ólafur arnalds’ much-buzzed-about set on the first day at kex hostel in reykjavik, and he played a beautiful song called nyepi. while i enjoyed the song, the message behind it made much more of an impression on me: nyepi is the balinese new year’s “day of silence”. (have you heard of it?) arnalds explained that he lives there much of the year and had recently participated in this day of silence in which the city actually turns off the internet, no electricity is used, no travelling is permitted, no work, nor music or loud noises, and people generally just sit…
