A Decision

I've spent the last couple of months

trying to decide what to do with this blog.

I couldn't determine whether or not I did it for myself

or for others.

I wasn't sure if I liked the idea of people reading my thoughts

and seeing my experiences.

And,

I didn't know if I genuinely liked spending so much time on the computer

typing away in a cyber world.

Plus,

I've just been so busy, I haven't even had time to think about post ideas. 

I've been back in Prague for two and a half months

after spending Christmastime with my family in Florida.

And in that time, I've 

taught and tutored and cooked a lot of meals

and belly-danced and done zumba and attempted salsa

and attended church lectures and retreats

and gone to benefit dinners and events

and traveled to Southern Spain

and read The Hunger Games trilogy and gone to the movies

and went to dinner parties and coffee dates

and gone away for a snowy ski weekend

and....lived.

All this to say, I'm back.

I've made my decision.

I will continue blogging

because, all in all,

I enjoy looking back 

and seeing my life in Prague.

It will be something I cherish

when nothing remains, but memories.

I've decided, 

I blog for myself,

but you're invited along my journey.

Perhaps we can learn and share from one another.

Love&Laughs,

H

*Photo taken in Harrachov, Czech Republic while snow shoeing through a forest. :)

Little Visual Pleasures

Here are two wonderful videos of Prague, my home-away-from-home.
(I wish I could say I was the videographer of these, but, I'm not)

Enjoy!


Night in Prague from Metron on Vimeo.



Prague. from Marco Santi on Vimeo.

Christmas in Prague is in full swing

Sorry I've been MIA for a while.

Life has been busy

and will only get busier with this glorious new season!

I've been spending my days dilly-dallying

at the various German Christmas Markets

around town;

listening to every Christmas song I can find; 

searching for the perfect poinsettia,

near-impossible baking ingredients, and

little do-dads for the flat

and my evenings decorating my humble flat

with simple, but festive delights;

Sipping hot wine and hot cocoa and various teas;

taking more baths than I have all year;

writing numerous wintry Prague postcards to send

as Christmas cards; and

watching tons of old Christmas movies

(Home Alone and Jingle All the Way are my favs)

and my weekends attending Christmas parties

in holiday dresses with gourmet meals to feast on; 

more markets;

cooking and baking for parties,

students, and friends; and

making lists and checking them twice!

And, this weekend we'll be taking a little day trip

to Dresden to see more "genuine" German Christmas Markets!

Then home, to Florida, it is for me on the 20th!

I am thrilled to spend 15 days with my family,

but am also dreading it because I'm not ready for it to come and go

quite yet.

Lake Bled, a dream come true

Have you ever dreamt about somewhere and wanted to go there so badly

that nothing else compared?

Lake Bled was a dream come true for me.

My wanderlust has been quenched

(for the time being, at least).

Our October week there was breathtaking.

We paddled a boat out to the island, wandered around,

soaked in the amazing Julian Alps at every angle,

and took the boat back to the mainland.

(The boat resembled an over-sized gondola)

We hiked and drove down narrow, winding roads

during the days and ate out at nearly deserted restaurants

in the evenings. 

We stayed on a farm and had fresh eggs and milk every morning.

The smell of french press coffee 

and the sound of roosters and the pattering of rain

woke us every morning.

The thick fog clouded even the mountains

while we journaled and dressed for the day.

The area around Lake Bled truly is a peaceful place.

A place where fantasy and reality mix.

The locals farm and work hard,

but their homeland resembles that of fairy tales.

As Tim put it, "The Czech Republic is like Narnia,

but Slovenia is like The Lord of the Rings."

Well said. 

We were in our happy place.

A French man in the Czech Republic

                      

Last night I went to see Yann Tiersen in concert

at the Lucerna Music Bar in Prague

with some friends.

The performance was breathtaking.

The music vibrations, the lighting,

the sounds, the vocals, the melodies...

I can't describe it.

I sat there in awe, on the verge of tears.

Listen to him playing violin. You won't regret it.

Or listen to this, the whole band in unison.

We also indulged ourselves to a Korean meal for dinner

and decadent Czech cakes for dessert.

It was a night to remember!

I must say, even with the gray days and frowning people,

I do feel blessed to be in Prague

at this stage in my life.

Next week: The Phantom of the Opera at the State Opera House,

it's a ballet/opera in one!

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"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, 

such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 

Instead, it should be that of your inner self, 

the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 

For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God 

used to make themselves beautiful."

~I Peter 3:3-5

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Winter is on it's way and I'm heading south

This past week has been one of my busiest.

Teaching. Monthly Pub Talk with my seniors. 

Lunch with friends.

Lots of coffeeshop lounging (our internet's been out).

a new Bible Study. Bellydancing.

Young Life movie night (ten of my students came!).

Drinks with the girls. Baking tons of pumpkin goodies.

Saturday mornin' market down by the river.

Sushi making. TV watching on a laptop with friends.

Pottery painting and pick-ups.

I need a vacation from my schedule!

On Tuesday I'm leaving the country

and driving south

through the Czech Republic and Austria

to Slovenia!

I am so thrilled. A dream come true.

An epic road-trip with two others

to a small lake village in the Julian Alps

for a week of relaxation and hiking and sightseeing

during my favorite season of the year!

Goodbye Prague!

a stroll at Stromovka Park::the largest park in Prague

October
by Robert Frost 

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

This past weekend I went for a walk at Stromovka Park with some friends

after attending an Expat Expo, basically an event for wealthy foreigners with families

to find all the English-speaking services in Prague...we did enjoy the free give-aways though! 

I got a henna tattoo on my forearm for free. :)

It was a wonderfully windy weekend with low clouds

and a light drizzle. Besides the walk in the park, I did get my lazy self out of the flat

to see two movies at the oldest cinema in Prague

and enjoyed some good conversation over a thick, hot chocolate at my favorite coffee shop in town

with my roommate who is about to leave me for the States in November. 

The week is now in full swing and I've got new students to tutor (in my flat).

Hooray for not having to travel to more homes!

And I've got a British guest speaker coming and talking to my classes about the British lifestyle.

I am so very excited!

at home, a detailed look at how I've made this foreign place "home"

 

Here are some photos of my flat in Prague,

The meals I've been making, and the flowers I've enjoyed,

especially now that the weather has suddenly turned to a foggy, rainy fall.

The little things have kept me sane here.

Tea. Candles. Baking. Flowers. Color. Baths. Coffee. My warm bed. Books and more books.

I think I'll be able to survive a winter here again with these little joys.

And perhaps the occasional trip to the movies...

I went to see two this weekend! Midnight in Paris and One Day.

Both were glorious! I laughed and cried and remembered how much I love Europe

and wanted to fall in love after seeing these two films.

Have a happy week, even if it's a bit rainy wherever you are!

Love&Laughs,

H

Welcome October, but, please, can you begin fall weather since September insisted on finishing summer?

This weekend I cooked and baked.

It was somewhat relaxing...

The mornings here are cold, but the days are hot,

so I spent Saturday in my kitchen.

image credits

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I am excited for October!

I'm hoping to attend a bellydancing retreat

one weekend in the countryside with some of my dancing classmates.

Plans are also in the works for a road trip

to Slovenia {particularly Lake Bled}

I've only dreamed about this country since 2008.

And now it's becoming a reality!

Then, I've got some fun autumn/Halloween lessons

in store for my students.

Think Hocus Pocus and bobbing for apples

and chubby monkey and candy and dressing up.

Plus! I've got some interesting, new ways to get involved

with my church in Prague.

There's a lot to get excited about!

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Now if only fall would begin already!

Enjoy your week!

Love&Laughs,

H