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The Moments That Remind Me Why I’m Here
I’m on my way back from a lesson with a student (who is also my friend, gynecologist, etcetera, etcetera) where I’ve just successfully got her to use the present perfect unasked for the first time, and it’s a moody but refreshingly cool spring day. The clouds are sort of shifty characters and look like rain could spring forth from them at any minute. Without thinking much about it, other things on my mind, I cross the blue bridge across the river where one of my favorite spots in Budejovice is. I like it because it reminds me of the banks of the Seine in Paris. But you know, in southwestern…
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Babymoon in Moravia
Over Easter weekend we returned again to South Moravia… the Napa Valley of the Czech Republic, if I may say so myself. We wanted to go somewhere within the Czech Republic for ease of travel and my first thought was somewhere beautiful that knocks off one of my “to see places” on my Czech travel list. Easy to do with Southern Moravia, a region so unlike any other in the country – the terrain seems to have more in common with parts of Austria or Slovenia than the rest of the republic. You’ll see plant and animal species you don’t see elsewhere, castle ruins on hilltops, dramatic sweeping landscapes, wineries…
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Can Český Krumlov Survive the Pandemic?
Not sure if I was just in a Really Good Mood or if the pandemic is (kinda, sorta, maybe) winding down enough to actually ponder these thoughts, but two years out, I was just thinking about those early days of the pandemic and, dare I say it, even feeling a little nostalgic? I know it’s kind of terrible and it all happened because of a contagious virus, but there are some things about that spring 2020 that for some reason, I look fondly upon. The initial figuring out how you’re still going to do your job remotely thing and that, like, four days of not working I had. The eerie…
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A Little Ray of Sunshine: The Next Phase Begins
Our life adventuring abroad has occurred in big phases. Stepping onto a plane bound for Glasgow, Scotland with no return tickets. Moving to Ceske Budejovice and becoming gainfully employed in Europe. Getting married and coming back to the Czech Republic with renewed commitment. The post-wedding years really coming into our own here. It’s time for what will be the beginning of the next phase: We’re expecting our rainbow baby in July and we’re so excited! You might be wondering some details, so here are the questions I could think of… How are you feeling? Really great, now, at twenty-one weeks. Truly, every single day feels different. I don’t think anyone’s…
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Cozy Christmas in the Cotswolds
I really did think I’d get to writing about our trip a little sooner than this, but there has been lots going on, which I hope to fill you in on soon! For now, as a fitting adieu to the winter season, we pick off where we left off, shortly before Christmas, picking up our rental car at Paddington Station and setting off westwards towards the Cotswolds – a beautiful natural area west of Oxford where you can find a network of picturesque villages and all the beautiful countryside you might imagine. When you leave London and head northwest, there are a number of nice places of touristic value that…
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The Holiday Season in London (Pandemic Edition)
Like I’m sure many travelers before me, the idea to spend Christmas in England came to me years ago upon a re-watch of The Holiday. How perfect could it be to spend the holidays in a cottage somewhere in the foggy countryside? I shared this vision with my family and in summer 2019, my mother announced that we were doing it! We were going to spend Christmas 2020 in England! Of course that wasn’t exactly good timing, but having already booked a cottage in the Cotswolds (an “area of outstanding natural beauty” just northwest of Oxford full of picturesque villages to explore) in early 2020 before the pandemic and unable…
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The Books of 2021
I made some major mistakes in my reading life last year. It pretty much all came down to being far too ambitious and picking up way too many reading projects! You might remember last year when I announced my participation in #OurYearInTranslation, in addition to trying to keep up with my book club. What a colossal mistake. I think OYIT is a great prompt if you’re stuck, in a rut and want to try something new, but that’s the thing – I was really happy with my big stack of books as it was and I didn’t really need a challenge. Honestly, I just needed everyone to leave me alone…
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Looking Back On Last Year, 2021
Alright, look, I’m embarrassed how late this post is coming out, but when you’ve just come home from a fifteen day trip abroad, dropped your bag and started a full work week (ew), there are a lot of other things to manage. So already, we’re not doing it the traditional way as the typical happy “Year of Life and Travels” year-end re-caps. 2021 was one of the hardest years I’ve experienced, but I can’t tell if it’s only the beginning of more to come or just a fluke of a year. I admit, I can only think of a couple years or times of my life that reached the same…
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When You Miss the Country Right Outside Your Window (+ Holiday Plans)
Hello friends, hope you’ve been well. It’s another strange holiday season, thankfully a bit less strange than last year. They thought they could cancel all Christmas markets in the Czech Republic: the ordinance came out on Thanksgiving Day and we all scrambled to enjoy it properly one last time even though I forgot to even look at the stalls or buy anything! However, what ended up happening at least in Budejovice is that everything else remained open: the skating rink, the rides (yes, we have rides!) and even some beverage stands! It’s the Christmas market minus the market part, which is still being heartily enjoyed by everyone here in South…
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Autumn Celebrations + A Delicious Drink {Recipe}
I am already beside myself with excitement that the holiday season starts in two weeks! After last year’s Christmas market cancellation, I think I got my sense of joy and whimsy back and I’m ready to enjoy the coming season to the fullest! I couldn’t believe that in the single-digits of November the market was already under construction in the square! I have already smelled the ceremonial first waft of spiced punch, a phenomenon which happens every year and is always ceaselessly thrilling, as the punch stands are already out and blazing with business. Alex was joking that every year we have the same conversation, “Are you excited? It doesn’t…
