three important places

hello friends. this week i’m sharing three important places with you all. funny thing about these choices is that i’ve lived in all three!

the place i’ve been that i love the most? i have to say my “second home” of berlin, germany. i’ve written extensively about it and why i love it before, but in a nutshell, berlin is fascinating. i can be easily bored in one place, but there is always something new to discover in this city, not only because it is just so darn HUGE but because it’s ever-changing. it’s a place where you can feel free to do whatever you want without judgement. artists, entrepreneurs, immigrants, street punks, young families… everyone can feel at home here. berlin has had one of the most interesting histories of anywhere else i can think of (um, it was split into two parts for thirty years!) and for a history fanatic like myself, there are always new relics to uncover and areas to explore. i know it well, and when i go i feel as though i’m home and have missed nothing. and that’s special.

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lenin & fernsehturm// my favorite späti// prenzlauer berg on a nice day

it’s not so hard to tell you about a place i cannot wait to visit, because that place is my home state of washington: specifically seattle, where i have not set foot in over a year and a half. funny, because i spent the first four years i lived in seattle resenting it (always preferring my small island hometown to the north), but over time i moved to a different district that suited me better and city life grew on me… now i miss it a lot and can’t wait until next year when i’ll be headed that way again. spring in seattle (on those non-grey and cloudy days) is so beautiful, and i always start getting really homesick this time of year, as the seattle international film festival is getting ready to launch another amazing season. it’s got beaches, mountains, a great music scene, great flight connections, and an always happening downtown. this is a special place and the one where i feel that i most belong. pacific northwest peeps are my peeps.

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at carkeek beach// a ballard relic// kayaking on lake union

but for now, i live in the charming and historic city of české budějovice, the capital of south bohemia in south-west czech republic. although it’s the biggest city of the region, it feels like almost a ghost town on the weekends when everyone leaves for their chatas. which is perfect, because the cobblestone streets of the city center are all mine for the wandering! it’s so relaxed here and near some beautiful nature, as well as the borders of austria & germany making it a great jumping-off point for more europe travel. english is not very widely spoken, so it’s a great place to work in the field that i do.

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blue bridge near u soudu// most famous restaurant in town// piaristická street