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talk is small
“hey, what’s up?” to be asked this question asked is the nightmare of most people who don’t know how to respond to it. (by the way, the only possible answer to this question: “not much, and you?”) even though i’ve lived here a little while now, i still like to ask people “how are you?” as one of the first questions. not strangers, but really, friends… people i know. i will usually get one of two responses. the first: “uhhhhhhh, fine! (that’s what you expect me to say, right?)” or the second: “terrible. the kids are behaving badly, the dog has got into the garden again, and the weather is…
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celebrating summer, art, + love in krumlov
ahhh, the good month of june that ushers in the long-awaited summer season. still the unpredictable spring weather, yet we can rely on its warmer temperatures and suddenly, everything is a-buzz. no longer am i hibernating indoors because how can you when there is so much to do? outdoor festivals and concerts under the stars, barbecues with good buds, and open-air theater. we are lucky here in south bohemia that one of the best and most well-known open-air theaters is right here in our region, located in český krumlov. not only is it an outdoor theater, only open in the warmer months, but it’s a revolving theater (otáčivé hlediště). that…
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the most unexpected place
it was may 2012, just over four years ago now, and we were getting ready to plunk down the money for a one way plane ticket to adventure. we were going to be flying out of toronto, simply because it was close enough to michigan to drive to and we both wanted to see more of eastern canada. destination? the place that was cheapest to fly to from there. i remember when alex told me, “so, it really looks like it’s going to be glasgow.” glasgow? scotland? i didn’t know much about scotland at the time, but those tickets were a bargain ($486 each from airtransat, if i recall), so…
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may: friday things
hey friends – hope you are having a beautiful may! i always enjoy this birthday month and finally shaking the winter cobwebs away, preparing for the fun that will come with spring… especially more travel opportunities, heh. we enjoyed a gorgeous weekend in prague (above, on kampa) to celebrate my birthday but honestly, i’ve been finding that most of the action is right here in south bohemia lately. hoping that in june we’ll have some time to steal away for some adventures. so! here are a few memorable moments and some things i’ve been into this past month. 1. boat trip! i’m not exactly a boating novice (i wrote about our kayak…
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So, You’re Going to Prague? (A Mini-Guide of my Favorites)
prague is now europe’s fifth most visited city as of 2016, surpassed by only london, paris, istanbul, and rome. so chances are, if you haven’t already been, you might be planning on going to prague soon, especially since summer’s coming up. i get a few emails and comments about what to do in prague, and man, that’s a hard question to answer in an email, let alone a comment! so! consider this post my e-mail to you about my favorite things and places to visit in the city. this is by no means an exhaustive guide (hah) but rather just my favorite places that i’ve been to loads of times and like…
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this is thirty
i look young for my age, or so i’ve been told. nobody has asked me for my age very recently, but whenever they do, they’re met with some sort of shock at how old i am. being told this has never really made a lot of sense to me. it’s like “thank you, i guess?” but i’ve lived all of these years; i’ve earned them. when i look in the mirror, i see each one of them (and those damn smile lines from my four years working at starbucks – thanks a lot, customer service). so, this is what thirty looks like. it doesn’t mean i have to be this or…
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how moving abroad changed my attitude on cooking
pre-moving to europe, there were some kitchen items that were just self-evident. lean cuisines. a microwave. pancake mix. a toaster. a coffee maker. (alright, actually i’ve always rebelled against these, but they certainly are a staple in most american kitchens) a microwave. because EVERY good household needs a microwave, right? how would i heat up my lean cuisines otherwise? here’s an old kitchen behavior for you: i used to keep this giaaaaant container of minced garlic in the fridge that i was so proud of ‘cause whenever a recipe called for some, you could just reach in for a pinch. no chopping or peeling necessary. bam. so smug about that.…
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april: friday things
hello! is it just me or do things in “blog world” seem to be a bit quieter than usual? i suppose me as well, i’ve been writing only about once weekly, which seems to be a fine pace for a person who is not new to making a transition abroad and being immersed in a completely new culture. i’m feeling pretty at peace with that. but, i think it’s time to catch up on some life lately! so here’s my “five for friday” of what’s been happening lately. (above, some delicious smoothies and koláče picked up from a bakery last saturday and eaten on the balcony) 1. teaching i am…
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me and the music
(i am aware this is a britney spears song title, which makes me love this post all the more) alternate title: living without stuff, pt. IV. music has long played a big part in my life… but then again, so has travel. unfortunately, playing music and travel are two things that don’t often seem to fit well together i’ve found (unless you’re in a touring band, of course). back in my late high school/early university days, my music buddies and bandmates seemed always sort of perplexed when i up and left for a few weeks for up to a month every summer, sometimes missing gigs. “why… how did you get…
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spring around here
officially, spring has sprung and since easter weekend, we’ve had a handful of gorgeous warm days here in south bohemia with highs above 22ºC! (although you wouldn’t know it by how bare most of the trees here still are!) i’m still not quite used to this continental european “spring”. it seems to come in mid-april, still with bare trees sometimes, and by early june, we are blasted with either heat-wave temperatures (or rain and floods, depending on the year). spring is a blink-and-you-miss-it affair, unlike western washington with our first cherry blossoms blooming in late february! i’m really trying to get into it this year, though… embrace those mild temperatures…
