From Frommers

I am moving here in a week!

My Library

I took photos of all my books so I'll have them with me in Prague. I am totally against Kindles and reading from screens, yet my books are too heavy to pack. So I'm taking a few essentials (my journal, my Bible, Streams in the Desert, The Bronze Horseman, a couple of unread novels, and Teaching in a Distant Classroom) and the rest I'll have in my digital library to browse and have my parents send if I need some more. :)

Appreciating My Last Few Days in FL

Celebrating 4th Friday down Artisan Alley

Keys & Locks, an obsession of mine.

at The Nest, a decor shop & wine bar

Banana Bread Beer!

A lovely gift from mom, The Mona Lisa on a bottle cap!

Artist: Magda Hiller

Out garage saling and coffee running on a Saturday morn.

With mom & dad

Hope you all are loving your weekends whether you're leaving somewhere soon too

or not.

love&laughs,

H

I sold my car!

I traded one form of transportation (driving) for another (flying).

Yesterday evening I got on Craigslist and listed my car. Within minutes my phone was ringing. "Yes, I've got a Honda Civic for sale." And ringing, "Yep, I still have the car." And ringing, "I just put the ad up an hour ago, I'm not really ready to lower the price yet."

I spent the remainder of my evening talking on the phone, meeting with four different people who stopped by to look at it, listening to an endless number of messages and when I say endless I mean that I had 20 voice mails, numerous texts, and even pleas for holding it so they could look at it first.

I always knew Honda Civics were good cars, but a 1993 model in the year 2010? Who knew I had such a hot commodity in my possession?

This was my first car.

11th grade.

It took me to work at the mall, to school and dual-enrollment.

It took me to college and back home for food and laundry.

It has held all those dear in my life.

It caused my first accident and saved my life in the process.

It has been jumped by many guys (some of whom I had crushes on).

It has been broken into, yet kept my stuff safe.

My little red Honda Civic.

The car I didn't want when my parents bought it and the car I was more than hesitant to part with.

Good-bye my friend.

Reading a Good Book

This video is a riot!




Today I'm researching MFA programs for the distant future, so I thought this little video would be appropriate. My college advisor told me I should keep updated on the happenings within the writing world, especially with authors who teach at the schools I'm interested in. I'm starting a list and a journal just for writings I find and inspiration. Also to do, create a list of upcoming contests and submission guidelines for sending off my work.

Go on, reader, jot down your thoughts today too.

love&laughs,

H

High Tea

With hearts...

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

the best thing you can do is invite someone in,

make them some tea,

and secretly hope

they don't break anything.

Green Wedding Shoes

Cider Comparisons

I have not had Bulmers since I was in Ireland and Italy in 2008. I have searched all over Florida,

in every pub, store, and restaurant I could find looking for it.

For two years...I couldn't find a lead.

Then, two weeks ago I was at Davinci's, a cute little music venue with great indie ciders and ales.

And I found it!

I found Magners, the "American" name for Bulmers.

Apparently, America doesn't have the rights to Bulmers, so Ireland gives us the name of Magners to use.

Weird. But I'm not complaining.

However, Magners didn't quite have the same taste that I remember in Bulmers,

but, it has been two years since I've had my lips on a Bulmers.

Perhaps my taste buds have changed.

Next time you're out, whether in America or in Europe...check these ciders out!

The Right Time to Write

This typewriter is my Great-Aunt Irene's. She is now 88. She has had this since her 11th grade year. She told me stories of typing papers for boys who asked her and of being the fastest typist in her class.

She let me try it out. I wasn't very fast. The keys are very different than my laptop.

Isn't it beautiful!

I would love to write some poetry on this thing.

Our Generation's lack of AWE

This is hilarious, but very convicting. How much we complain when we have every convenience available!

Something to Meditate On

I am currently in Charlotte, North Carolina visiting family and friends before I leave the country. Today I went to Elevation for church. Check out their sermons and resources!

Romans 8:22-27

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Amen.

love&laughs,

H

A History of Moves

Freshman dorm room

The Grove House

Bangkok, Thailand

outside my flat in Florence, Italy

Oviedo House, Junior year

Oviedo House, Senior year

Back home, always where I return to

Ever since I graduated from high school and began college I have been on the move every few months.

It can be an exhausting life, but one with many memories. At the moment, I'm not sure where in Prague I'll be living, but I can bet it will become dear to my heart, just as all of these places are. These have been my sanctuaries when I don't want to deal with the world outside. A safe place to rest and reflect. :)

love&laughs,

H

Why Prague? Why Teaching? Why Now?

My short history of why I chose to move to Prague.

I'd like to tell my whole story of why I chose to do this, why Prague, why teaching when I've never done it before.

My story begins in the spring of 2008 when I was with YWAM Orlando and fully realized that I have a huge heart for Europe, the people, the church or lack thereof, the languages, the youth, the history and art, the public transportation, and hostel life.

My first week in YWAM (Youth With A Mission's Discipleship Training School) they asked us if money wasn't an issue, what would we be doing for the Kingdom of God. Immediately my answer was, "I'd be in Europe helping to reform the church to make it alive and relevant to a continent that felt believing in God was for the uneducated." My answer surprised me, but it felt so right and so much a part of me and who I felt God was shaping me to be throughout me life.

Now I will jump to the fall of 2008. I was studying abroad in Italy for the semester and my roommates and I traveled to Prague for a long weekend in November with Bus2Alps. We experienced the first snow of the season while we were there. My first snowfall ever! One day while we were crossing the Charles Bridge Tara told me she could see me over here teaching after we had a conversation about how beautiful the city was and how much we loved Europe and weren't ready to leave it in a month. I, of course, laughed it off not thinking that would ever really happen. If I came back I would want to be in Italy again, or perhaps France, a country I have always held close to my heart.

So I went back home to Florida. Graduated from college. And realized I had no idea what I wanted to do. For the first time in my life I was not a student. I had grown up with many dreams and goals and yet I was finding out that a lot of them had to do with college and traveling--not actually finding a job upon receiving my diploma. All of the potential careers I had looked into were too "grown-up" for me (for the time being, at least). After my two internships at museums I realized that I did enjoy that line of work and yet I felt like I had to have a mortgage and a husband and be roughly 30 and have a line of degrees behind me.

No thanks.

At least not yet.

So I asked myself, "What can I do while traveling and yet make a living and survive like the adult I should be?" The answer was obvious: TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language). Don't get me wrong, I'm terrified by the idea of teaching in a classroom. Yet, the best experiences I've had in life thus far have been from things I was scared of and hesitant about, or at the least, anxious about. After some thinking and researching I decided to apply for a TEFL training school. Now, the choice lay for a long time between Florence and Prague. Which program? Which city? I leaned between the two. Then one day it was is if Prague chose me. It felt right. Plus, I had all of these "coincidences" happening...

I was watching the TEFL Worldwide Prague program video online and the piano piece from Amelie played in the background. This song I hold dear to my heart; it has so many memories attached and feelings about Europe and longings. No one knows how special this short little melody is to me, except God. While watching the video I didn't know if I should cry or laugh! Or celebrate!

Another "coincidence" occured when I found out that the poet, Chistopher Buckley, who liked my work in The Flagler Review and has been a kind of mentor to me was a teacher at the Prague Summer Program this past summer. Throughout our emails it never came up, then one day I found out that he was going to be in Prague teaching Creative Writing! Perhaps next summer I can apply and improve my writing skills while living over there.

Besides these couple "coincidences" I have also found that there is a thriving English community in Prague, complete with churches, a newspaper, bookstores, libraries, women's groups, poetry readings, a YWAM base, and university-age small groups.

At times I have wondered if I am making the right choice. It can be scary. I am spending my life's savings on this step of faith. I don't have a signed contract with a school yet. And after one month I will be in search of a place to live. Yet, in my heart I know that God has my back. He's already in Prague and he's with me throughout the preparations and he will follow me over there. Or maybe it's me who is following him over there.

All I've got is my faith, my trust, and my hope in things unseen as of now. But, you know, that's enough to live on.

love&laughs,

H

Mi Amore

Follow this link to Warm Pears to see a fabulous slide show of Italy. This photographer captures the essence of Italia~~the food, the people, the cities, the gorgeous countryside and sea.

Something to dream about...

Marci, Tara, Katie, Kristen, me, and Maddie

There are plans in the works for an Italy reunion next summer with my girls! I think it's long overdue. I am ready to be back in il bel paese with these five girls again. :)

We mastered the jump by the end of the semester. ;)

My Own Homemade Stop-Action Film

It's a little amateur, but I made it in my Art History IV class

after some inspiration and much pondering on what

"non-traditional" artwork I could do and get a passing grade.

And you know what! My Professor liked it and gave me an A-

and said I should consider taking more art classes. :)

So, I'm off again, on a jet-plane and keeping my friends and family tucked inside my heart

and beating the sunrises and sunsets as I soar above to a new destination.

Any guesses to the countries represented in the video?

love&laughs to all!

H

Being the People of God in Prague

If you have some free time you should check out this link and scroll to the bottom to listen to the lecture http://www.faithcommunity.cz/sermons.html

This is an intriuging one-hour lecture of the Christian history of Prague, focusing on what the contemporary church could learn from these radical historical figures (including Jan Hus and St. Francis of Assisi).

Should we (the church) put ourselves out there and adapt and incorporate the trends of the time or should we take a step back and perfect our small communities with purity and discipline? The Lecturer, Dr. Phillip Haberkern has some very insightful things to say!

Memories in Collages

Prague : November 2008 : Ebel Coffeehouse : The Charles Bridge : SNOW : Katie, Tara, and I

Antiquing=Traveling

Isn't this the most precious picture! Three of my favorite things--globes, antique shops, and gowns!

Lately, I have had to be careful not to go into shops,

otherwise I end up buying Moroccan 18-point star lanterns

that will definitely not fit in my luggage!

http://www.greenweddingshoes.com/

Travel Accessories

These are my favorite traveling companions.

A good journal and a matching passport holder.

Plus a good book completely the opposite of where

you're traveling to always trigers wanderlust

even more.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

How do you like to travel?

Please, feel free to leave comments!