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mein leipzig
i spent the first half of my birthday busing to leipzig via prague and dresden. i’m not sure at what point i thought that booking 5:40am bus tickets outta ČB was a good idea, but on the morning of my twenty-eighth birthday, it did not feel like one. (fortunately a pitstop at starbucks helped!) i’d never been to leipzig before but because alex and my mutual favorite band was playing there on my birthday night, so the plans were made for us! i quickly settled into our gorgeous flat in südvorstadt near connewitz, a neighborhood that i immediately took a great liking to. it felt strange to be somewhere so like…
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bohemian forest
hello friends! just spent a lovely few easter days staying at a pension by lake lipno and hiking through the bohemian national forest, known here as šumava. this was my big chance to actually get out and explore the country that i find myself living in instead of being swayed by more famous or sexier destinations. in the year and a half i’ve lived in czech republic, i’ve only planned one holiday here… something which needed to be remedied! the šumava forest area is in the south-west corner of the czech republic, hugging the borders of both germany and austria. it’s not only full of beautiful forests but many hills…
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keeping in touch + giveaway
although i made the choice to leave my home state in favor of some adventures in europe, i still feel very strongly about keeping in good touch with my buddies. (…actually, that’s why i started this blog) i’ve always been a good communicator and staying in touch with my friends and family is really important to me, whether it’s via e-mail or skype, or the good ‘ol fashioned postcard. while i LOVE skype for it’s ability to make me feel like i’m sitting around, having coffee with a friend, there is something to be said for real, tangible mail that you get in the post. “snail mail” is not dead…
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brno
if someone told me earlier “in a week, you’ll travel to brno for the day”, i would’ve wondered whaaaaat would ever compel me to undertake that. but my father (whom i haven’t seen in 3+ years) was on business from singapore, so it would be almost criminal not to meet up after being so close! brno, the second largest city in the czech republic, is almost four hours away by bus which isn’t exactly day trip material. but you know what? brno it is! because sometimes plans change! as my mind surely did as i stepped off the bus and was greeted by the warmest sun on my face i’ve felt…
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berlin valentine
berlin for berlinale and valentines’ week was a hell of a time. i was a little unsure about returning so soon after my all-too-short weekend getaway last summer somehow rubbed me a little bit in the wrong direction, but the city’s back on my good list now and it seems that valentines’ week was the perfect time to realize that it was just a rough patch we were going through. as i was being smothered by winter monotony here in south bohemia, five days in the hauptstadt was just the thing to refresh my spirits. although i was looking forward to seeing the city in it’s snowy winter glory, the…
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Makin’ Plans
although it may seem too early, january is an excellent time to begin travel planning! the weather’s pretty crap (ours is hovering just above freezing with never-ending slush rain) making it both tough and undesirable to venture out on day or weekend trips around the region. best thing to do: trip research with a nice steaming mug of tea. and try not to hide out in the house… too much. the first item that is looming over our heads, or at least mine is THE WEDDING: when the heck is it going to happen? planning a wedding when you live abroad is daunting and really almost impossible when we don’t…
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Passport Number Two
2004-2014, R.I.P. we had some of the best times of our lives, you and i. from my very first trip to europe as the reason to get you, to the last year of your life, when you were really filling up too fast and just had no space for me anymore. people (immigration ladies) told me to forget about you…. to find someone new, someone who had more to offer (fifty-two pages) to better accommodate my needs (a visa stamp every three months). all of the greats are there… heathrow, gatwick, charles de gaulle, both functioning berlin airports. it’s been a journey, you and me. in this age when no…
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When You Miss the Country Right Outside Your Window (+ Holiday Plans)
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Prague: The Eternal Winter City
why am i always in you in the winter, prague? i barely know what a prague summer is like. maybe it’s because i’m busy going other places in the summer. so, prague is a winter city as i know it. the trees are always bare, people bundled up, and what seems like never-ending christmas markets. spent a fantastic first few days of the new year in this city that i love with my mom, who headed to the airport to go back to the U.S. afterwards. the sight and experience of walking along the charles bridge (especially at night) will always be one of my favorite things, even if i…
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Salzburg
when my mom bought plane tickets to come visit and i was brainstorming of a great place to go with the three of us, it didn’t take long to think: SALZBURG! a city whose beauty rivals that of paris? palaces, fortresses, and gardens against the backdrop of the alps? yes, yes yes! this is the kind of place that i thought would be perfect right after the holidays. and it only takes three and a half hours to get to from budejovice. 3.5 HRS. people, this is blowing my mind that i can get to somewhere this cool in such a short amount of time. oh, europe! it’s incredible how…
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Krasný Nový Rok (2013 Recap)
happy 2014! the new year’s sun is shining through my window…. a wonderful first sight of this first morning of the year. it seems like just last week that it was january first and i was wandering around my neighborhood of mala strana in the fog. it scares me a little how fast the year passed, which is a great reminder to “live in the now” and savor every moment of life. it tends to pass at a normal and much more acceptable time when i’m doing that. 2013 has been a very exciting year for me. to blindly move away from lovely prague in january just because of the promise…
