Climbing in Ostrava - Lezecké centrum Tendon Hlubina Prepping myself for an evening of climbing this week – packing my new chalk bag from Christmas and reminding myself of important knots, terms, and techniques – I found myself excited but nervous. Eager but anxious. Confident yet timid. As I move back and forth between different …
Continue reading "My Midyear Report – Restoring the Art of a Balanced Life"
Christmas with both of my families 🙂 Over the course of about two weeks I have taken five different planes and countless trains, buses and trams to travel to both the United States and various places in Eastern Europe. Adjustment has always been difficult for me. At times, change even feels impossible and I am …
Continue reading "My 2020 Challenge – Deflecting (Dis)orientation in the U.S. and Česky Têšín"
After my high school graduation, I opened my yearbook and found a small, folded piece of paper slipped inside the crevice. When I unfolded this hidden paper, I read the following quote written in sharpie over a scene of dandelion seeds being blown in the wind: “Storms make trees grow stronger roots.” To this day …
Continue reading "My American Christmas Gift: 2019’s Czech Memories and Newfound Roots"
Me in Vienna, Austria. The Christmas season is in full swing and Eastern Europe certainly wins the award for best decorations, food/drink and festivities. Most of Europe holds Christmas markets in and around the old town city squares, each unique and touched with a regional and cultural twist and flare. As a self-diagnosed shopaholic (Europe’s …
Another trip to the mountains with Pavlina 🙂 My family often refers to me as “the questionnaire” because I am constantly peppering people with questions during all of our conversations. What can I say, I spent four years as both an English literature student at Bates and a reporter for my college newspaper. I just …
Continue reading "To Ask or Not to Ask? That Should NEVER Be the Question"
View of Prague from St. Wencesla's Vineyard, Hradčany, Prague 1 Around a year ago I was in Wisconsin competing at NCAAs for my last collegiate cross country meet and then off to Dublin, Ireland to visit my sister with my best friend from Bates for a few days before Thanksgiving. Now I am sitting in …
Continue reading "Another One of My Many Czechia Firsts: My First Visit from the US"
The view from one of the highest balconies of the National Theatre in Prague. When I was younger my favorite time of day was dinner. Yes of course, I always enjoyed a warm home-cooked meal. But food aside, I loved dinner because it was the one time of day my entire family was able to …
I am going to start this week’s blog with a little comparative analysis. This is a common English major’s literary practice but it can be also be applied to some funny, educational reflection. For a couple of weeks, depending on the class, during my English seminars at the gymnasium, I have been giving an interactive …
Continue reading "From Gymnazium to Primary School: A Whole New Side of Teaching"
Me with members from my baking club, held on Monday afternoons at the gymnazium. I woke up Sunday morning, before heading out to the Beskydy mountains for an uphill 6k running competition (just a day in the life of my year in the Czech Republic 🙂 ), to the following post on my Facebook feed: …
Continue reading "My Gifts of New Czech Friends, Traditions, and…the Return of Homework?"
Me with gifted pumpkin after my solo vaca 🙂 “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” This is a quote …
Continue reading "Tales from My Solo Travels, Sparked by the Question: “WHERE AM I?”"
Redefining Escape