Instead, I’m going to pick 18 highlights–small ones–of 2018 to share with you all. I decided to do this in favor of time, and also because, with a new baby, it’s too hard to pick just a few pictures to highlight. I would end up with a million pictures, most of them of my daughter. Since my main goal for 2019 is to be in the moment and appreciate the little things, it also seems fitting to focus on my favorite little memories from 2018. Of course, this could easily be 18 (or 100…) highlights just from parenthood, but I did my best to include some other parts of my life.

(Okay, most of these little moments are of my baby…but in my defense, she really is just that amazing, says her completely un-biased mother :)).

Also, it just doesn’t feel like a new year without documenting it on my blog. Even if it’s the end of January already!

Here we go, in no particular order:

ONE: Singing happy birthday to my one-year-old

TWO: Listening to the church bells during a night walk in Tallinn

THREE: My baby “mmming” while eating a pastry in at the amazing Regatta Café in Helsinki, to the amusement of the entire place

FOUR: Watching a dear friend dance with her new husband during their New Year’s Eve fiesta

FIVE: Flying over Mount Rainier (also my daughter’s first flight at five months old!)

SIX: Randomly spotting whales while visiting Depoe Bay, Oregon (on my birthday, no less!)

SEVEN: Coffee on this porch

EIGHT: Exploring Copenhagen with my new little travel buddy in tow!

NINE: Christmas tree hunting

TEN: Napping baby during a lunch in Tallinn

ELEVEN: My brother and my baby on the beach

TWELVE: Visiting my siblings in Idaho

THIRTEEN: Walking in my new neighborhood in the fall!

FOURTEEN: A picnic in the park for my mother-in-law’s birthday

FIFTEEN: Seeing family all over California

SIXTEEN: Family coffee dates

SEVENTEEN: Family time in the snowy Montana countryside at Christmastime

EIGHTEEN: My postpartum hair (at least for the first few months, until it all started to fall out)

The post 18 for 2018 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Where were you born, where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I was born in Colorado, in the USA, and grew up in Montana. I currently live in Budapest, Hungary.

What made you leave your home country?

Ahhh the eternal question. There were a lot of reasons I left–some easier to explain than others. I have always wanted the experience of living abroad, and I wanted to travel but also wanted (and needed) to work. Sometimes I think it’s as simple as the fact that I left because I could. I know not many people are lucky enough to be able to choose to have this experience like me.

What type of reactions do you get when you meet new people and tell them where you are from?

That depends a lot on where I am when said person asks this. Most people in Hungary just want to know why I chose Hungary, but if I go somewhere more off-the-beaten path, I get a much more incredulous reply. Sometimes people immediately want to practice their English. On the flip side, some people are unsure of their English, and so afraid to talk to me (although their English is always a million times better than my Hungarian/Czech/insert local language here). Nowadays, I get a lot of Trump jokes.

What was the easiest/hardest part in adjusting to your new country?

I moved to Budapest from Prague, and it was difficult to adjust to a much bigger city. I also struggled a lot with the work culture. BUT it was easy to jump into exploring the city! It’s a fun one!

Images, words or sounds that sum up the expat experience you’ve had so far.

Night lights. Fog & gray. Ruin pubs. Students.

Your favorite food or drink item in your new country?

I love their liberal use of paprika in its various forms. I’m also obsessed with these cheese biscuit/scone things call pogasca. Sometimes my students bring me little homemade ones and they always are my favorite kid that day ;).

What’s the one thing you said “yes” to in your new city that you wouldn’t say “yes” to, back home?

I say yes to extra lessons at people’s homes, and yes to lessons that are out of the city–usually too far to justify me making it up in the price of the lesson. I say yes because I want to meet Hungarians and see how they live. My schedule gets much busier but also more interesting, I think.

Are there any cultural norms/phrases in your new country which you cannot stand?

The Hungarians are very strict about seasons. You will get a lot of comments about those sandals or short sleeves if you’re wearing them before late May/June–no matter the weather. And if you ever go out without socks in March, you could be institutionalized.

What do you enjoy most doing in your new country?

I love exploring the streets and the back alleys! There are so many gems. Hungary also has an awesome cafe culture. And so much good wine. Also I really love my students. And so much more!

Do you think you will ever move home for good?

Another million dollar question! I’m sure any family members back in the States are anxious to hear the answer to this one…I love the lifestyle of my life in Europe–no car, insurance covered, easy travel, so many new cultures to explore, more minimalist, more adventurous. However, since both my husband and I are American, visa issues may become a problem. I do love the adventure of living in a different country, and I can’t see that ever changing–but I can see us moving closer to home in the future–maybe Canada, if not somewhere in the States.  I miss my family and friends, and every time I go home, it’s harder to leave.

sometimes I visit this statue of Reagan for a “taste of home.” 

EXPAT TAG QUESTIONS:

1. Where were you born, where did you grow up and where do you currently live?
2. What made you leave your home country?
3. What type of reactions do you get when you meet new people and tell them where you are from?
4. What was the easiest/hardest part in adjusting to your new country?
5. Images, words or sounds that sum up the expat experience you’ve had so far.
6. Your favorite food or drink item in your new country?
7. What’s the one thing you said “yes” to in your new city that you wouldn’t say “yes” to, back home?
8. Are there any cultural norms/phrases in your new country which you cannot stand?
9. What do you enjoy most doing in your new country?
10. Do you think you will ever move home for good?

The post Some Expat Questions appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

–I finally got my residence card! Hooray! Of course I spent weeks waiting for it to arrive in the mail only to finally call to learn that it was waiting for ME to come pick it up. Oh, language barrier.

–The last time I was at immigration, with E, we were taking in forms they didn’t have (or, LOST because we most certainly gave them said forms) and our clerk was really nice. My previous dealings with immigration offices anywhere usually have you dealing with stony-faced grumps. Not her! She was so excited to see that E was from Seattle and wanted to talk to us all about American football and the Seahawks. Her opinion of the Broncos? “The Broncos is sucks.”

–International Women’s Day is a thing here, although some people don’t like it because, I was told, it was originally introduced by the Communists (I have no idea if this is true for the rest of the world). Still, I got a pretty flower and a “Happy, uhh…Girl’s Day?” from several little boys, so it was sweet. Of course, the little boy who handed me the flower didn’t say anything, so I assumed he was just showing it to me (this was before I realized that only the girls were getting flowers) and I put it back on his desk. A few minutes later, I saw my co-teacher coaching him to give it back to me! Oops.

–I had my first doctor’s appointment here last week. Of course, it was nothing like I thought–I thought I was seeing a doctor for my sinus issues, but they were under the impression it was the general physical all the other teachers were getting. Just like my first doctor’s appointment in Prague, this one also had me walk through several public lobbies (and up several spiral staircases) with a flimsy, see-through cup of…urine. (TMI?) It also involved my ankles, wrists, and chest-area being hooked up to what I’m pretty sure was an ancient EKG.

–As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been struggling quite a bit at my new school. It just isn’t the right fit, so I’ve been looking around at other schools here for next year, and deciding IF we even want to stay! I figured once we got here I would want to stay for quite some time, but now that we will be homeless this summer and I won’t have a job for two months, the options are more open. Stay tuned!

–One of the little boys picked me flowers today on the playground. How sweet is that? Also, surprising, since we don’t even have grass (spring is stubbornly staying away) so I don’t know where he found them. Still, pretty!

–I was talking to my family this past weekend and I realized that in just about six weeks, I’ll be back in the States for my sister’s wedding! I admit, spending a large chunk of cash on an overseas flight, when you’re living in Europe, is difficult and not necessarily ideal. However, I wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world, and even though it will be a ridiculously exhausting several weeks, I can’t wait!

–We leave for vacation on today! Woohoo! Check out my Instagram to find out where we decided to go for Easter/Spring break :). Although I’ve spilled the beans to so many people, by now everyone might already know…oh well ;).

–My thoughts are heavy today thanks to the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium. I don’t generally use my blog or social media to comment on these types of things, but I love brave little Belgium so much. My heart is with the victims and their families, and victims of violence and terrorism all over the world.

How is your daily life?

The post Daily Life in Budapest, volume 2 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

–I always loved writing my Daily Life in Prague posts so I’ve decided to use the same idea for life here in Budapest. I hope you don’t hate them ;).

–As you can see by the picture above (and below), the fog here can get quite thick and intense. I love it! Everything feels more mysterious. There’s just something about fog near a river.

–It’s been nearly three weeks since we moved to Budapest! Which means…my residence permit has already been APPROVED! Is that the fastest process ever or what?! Of course that doesn’t include everything we had to do before we arrived…but still. Unfortunately, E hasn’t been approved yet…they made us go back down to the office because a.) someone lost our marriage license and b.) they couldn’t approve him until I was approved…which we were wondering about when we applied. Hopefully he gets approved soon too! And hopefully I actually GET mine soon.

–I’m picking up Hungarian much faster than I ever picked up Czech (although this doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near proficient). I really have no idea why, except maybe being around first graders and often hearing the direct translations between basic words is helping? I also find it easier than Czech, even though I was prepared for it to be incredibly difficult. And that isn’t because Czech is related to Hungarian so I have a leg up–nope, Hungarian is not Slavic at all, but likely more related to Finnish. It’s complicated.

–I’ve been sick for weeeeeks (this is a familiar story in the winter) so I may need to brave the Hungarian doctor soon. Stay tuned! This also requires that I first get my residence permit and then get my medical card so, I still have some waiting to do.

–My job is going…okay. It’s been quite an adjustment, which I was (stupidly) surprised about. I don’t really want to expand too much on the subject, but I’m having issues with one of my co-workers. I think it’s primarily because I’m foreign..which is fun. Or she hates me for a reason I have yet to decipher? Anyway, I’m trying to focus on teaching and the kids and smiling my way through her criticism. It’s only been two weeks though so she’ll love me eventually…right?

–Despite the fact that my job is not going as smoothly as I hoped, I’m already crazy about my students! They’re so fun and engaged. A huge part of my job, though, seems to be just keeping the kids alive. The school next to mine is getting remodeled, which means there is a part of the playground that is the “dangerous” area. I have to chase down kids holding the two-by-fours or hunks of metal and keep them from attacking each other. Of course, they also almost kill each other/themselves without tools like this–by climbing on tables in the classroom, throwing scissors, etc. I’ve certainly got to be on my game all the time at this job!

–Once a week I take a select group of kids to “scoliosis gym.” This is what several people have told me so it must be a semi-correct translation…but I still don’t really get it. I don’t think they have scoliosis but are in danger of it? Is that a thing?

–Budapest has so many amazing coffee shops! There’s a card you can fill with stamps from a bunch of different ones…and then you get free coffees. I consider it my sacred duty as a new blogger in Budapest to visit all of these and keep you posted. A duty I will take very seriously.

–Our flat is quite teeny–I’m thinking we got lucky with our palace in Prague–but the location is amaaaazing. I love walking by Parlament every day!

–Speaking of our flat, besides it being tiny (like studio-tiny) we also don’t have an oven. So if you have any one-pot meals with easy ingredients, hit me up!! Stir fry and pasta over and over just won’t do it.

–We also have a strange hot water situation–I’m pretty sure we only get hot water in the morning? As in, the hot water heater stops heating the water at exactly 8AM? (We’ve timed it). I get up quite early for my long commute, so at least one of us is showering before then. But as far as I can tell, we don’t get hot water at night.

–One of the most awesome things about living in Europe (and being a teacher) is the travel opportunities combined with the breaks. I get a break later this month (a “ski break” for the kids), plus a public holiday in March, followed by Spring Break/Easter. I’m not sure we can afford trips for every single one of these, sadly (thanks to a certain wedding trip in May! Which is really not sad!) but we are thinking Italy for Spring Break–Rome! neither of us have ever been!–and maybe Denmark (such cheap flights!) or another city in Hungary, called Eger. Share your tips for these places in the comments!! Of course, I’m also trying to squeeze in trips to Romania and Slovenia…I can dream.

–Food! These Hungarians, you guys. We’ve had delicious pastries and amazing Hungarian goulash and more. We also have some really great grocery stores near us, including a dangerous one aimed for expats. E was over the moon because they have Kraft mac’n’cheese…at a whooping $8 a box. Ouch!

–The shopping! The secondhand stores/vintage stores are ON POINT here. Luckily for my finances I haven’t gotten paid yet so I really can’t shop…but it’s so hard when the nicest, most expensive thing in the store is still only the equivalent of eleven USD! Whaaa. The one thing our flat DOES have is a lot of closet/storage space, which could also be bad for my shopping issues.

What’s been happening in your daily life? Share in the comments!

The post Daily Life in Budapest, volume 1 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

–Thank you so much for your comments on this post! I’m so grateful for all of your support. I haven’t talked much about wedding planning yet but since it has its unique challenges from abroad, I’ll share some soon…including our wedding date! Which (**spoiler alert**) is kind of alarmingly soon.

–I only have five weeks left of school! My private lessons will continue, and I’ll be taking part in several English summer camps, but my schedule will lessen considerably. I see-saw between exhaustion from barely surviving my crammed days to feeling nostalgic about saying farewell to all of my students.

–Prague has changed in these recent weeks. We’re really seen the influx of tourists, and it impacts so many things, from trams (they are stuck in traffic more!) to communication (suddenly everyone is speaking to us in English!). While I am loving the weather, although it is inconsistent, I am missing the quiet winter days of Prague.

–We are missing our visitors! One of our favorite couples came to visit for just over a week at the beginning of May. I planned like crazy and wanted it to be perfect, as they were our first visitors and I wanted them to have a fantastic trip. Of course, it wasn’t perfect, but I think it went really well and I’m so, so happy they came! Cue the homesickness, though!

–I am always a sucker for a view, but after the Budapest flat, I am obsessed with finding rooms with views for every trip if possible. Especially as we had stayed up all night on our poorly chosen night bus, and our friends were terribly jet-lagged, and we wanted some relaxing time. The view and the balcony made us feel like we were still wandering around Budapest, while actually chilling in our pajamas.

–After a long weekend in Budapest and a few days in Prague, our little group headed to Ireland. It was my second time there–the first time was in 2007, though!–and I’m still obsessed. While it was my first trip to Dublin–and I didn’t love Dublin as much as I hoped, although it’s a nice city–I am completely enamored with the Irish countryside. What is it about it that makes it just…pure magic?! I am already plotting on when to go back…

–My parents will be here in ONE MONTH! I can barely contain myself. They will be spending a few days in Prague while I wrap up my school year, then we are heading to Salzburg/Hallstatt (because they can’t not go after I raved about it so much), Bavaria, Munich, and Karlovy Vary! We will also be driving and I can’t wait for a road trip. Any recommendations on any of those places are always welcome!

–My cousin is coming in early June, and E’s family is coming in July, just to Prague. I am planning a variety of day trips, but mostly I am so excited to continue to explore more of Prague. I made it up into the castle grounds for the first time with our visitors in early May, and I was ashamed I had waited so long–it’s incredible! And that’s only the part that was free, ha!

–We are having some visa issues that are making our work schedule this summer complicated, so to help things out, we are leaving the Schengen zone for three weeks in July/August. I would make you guess where we are going but I’m too excited…drumroll please…Croatia! Well, hopefully Croatia and Montenegro, to be exact. I am really holding out that we can make it to Slovenia, as well, but it may not work out with visa stuff. sigh. Either way, it will be an epic trip and I cannot wait! Now I gotta go earn me some money for it…and please!! Send tips. 

–I/we have finally made some hard choices about our future (or the next year at least). I’m not quite ready to make announcements on everything–from whether or not we are staying in Prague to our wedding date to our honeymoon–but stayed tuned! Announcement coming later this week!

Tell me…what’s going on recently with you? I want to know! 

The post Daily Life in Prague, v. 7 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

+ I’m so excited to be guest posting on Sara’s blog, Big World Small Me! If you haven’t, make sure to cheek out her blog detailing her adventures in London and the world. Her blog is lovely, and I was lucky enough to spontaneously meet up with her at a Christmas market in Cologne (the infamous gnome one!) so I can attest that she is lovely in person, as well. I had so much fun writing about my time in Southeast Asia that I may need to do some more throwback posts myself. Also, now I’m itching to go back!

Thailand, 2010

+ Spring break is next week! Woo! Follow me on Instagram to see if you can find out where we decided to go! Hint: it’s an easy one. For another hint, it’s neither of the places I was originally deciding between in this post (Slovenia or Portugal, to refresh your memory). A really cheap ticket popped up unexpectedly and I couldn’t resist this new location! We won’t be gone the entire week, which is unusual for me, as I usually try to make the most of every second of vacation by traveling. The tickets just happened to be cheapest for Tuesday-Saturday, and I really am loving the idea of having a few extra days in Prague without lessons.

+ I am so ready for a break, and I think all of my students are, as well. Many of them are already on vacation, or at home with the chicken pox. There is another illness going around the school, mostly among the younger kids, and when I asked one parent she said: “oh, it’s scarlet fever.” I’m sure that’s not right, as her English isn’t very strong and my Czech is pretty much nonexistent. I wonder if it’s a Czech word that just sounds like scarlet fever? It’s a mystery! Anyway, most of my younger kids are out with the pox or this other illness, but the ones that are left are going crazy. Spring break we’re ready for you!!!

+ I’ve officially been taking Czech lessons for a month now! (And that reminds me–I need to ask my teacher about the scarlet fever thing). I can’t say much more than “I am Amy” and “two dark beers” but I’m really enjoying learning. The pronunciation of the Czech letters are quite difficult, but one thing I enjoy is the easy spelling–once you know the pronunciation of the word, you know how to spell it! I’m a huge geek and I love spelling things correctly.

+ I’ve shared the fact that I’m learning Czech with many of my private, older students. Most of them are delighted and immediately want to add to my vocabulary. My favorite? When two teenage girls, sisters, shared some of the Czech Harry Potter words. Apparently the words weren’t just “Dumbledore” or “Gryffindor” as I would have expected, but rather changed to made-up Czech words, as well. I didn’t know any translations did this type of thing, and I’m especially loving the Harry Potter ones…like “Zmijozel” for Slytherin. Would you stop reading if I did an entire post dedicated to the translation of Harry Potter into Czech?

source

+ One nice thing about having a blog is how it helps you keep track of things. When I realized that I first started whining complaining subtly about being sick two months ago, I was shocked. That was enough of a wake-up call to make me hunt up a doctor for real (although I did try several times prior). I finally got me some antibiotics, and oh my gosh I feel like a new woman. Now that I feel so much better (still not 100% but I think I’m close!) I feel less guilty about all of the things that went downhill while I was sick. Instead of coming home and collapsing after a work day, I actually have the energy to do things. Things like talking a walk to the river and going grocery shopping and putting my laundry away and walking up the hill to work suddenly don’t seem like giant obstacles getting in my way. Antibiotics! They work!

a blurry walk through the neighborhood

+ Is it just me or has February essentially evaporated? January felt like an endless blur of illness, exhaustion, teaching and darkness. February, while not much warmer, has been slightly lighter and sunnier, and not as busy–but it’s gone much faster! I can’t believe March is only a few days away. I normally love winter and fall the most, but I am seriously looking forward to experiencing Prague in the spring.

source

+ Along with spring comes the promise of late spring/summer visitors. Two sets of visitors have officially booked their tickets, and I couldn’t be more excited! Our best couple friends, who sent us this epic package in the fall, are coming for the first week in May. We’re meeting them for a quick weekend in Budapest, spending a few days in Prague, then going to Dublin for a long weekend. I haven’t been back to Ireland since 2007 and it remains one of my favorites, so I’m over the moon to be visiting again soon. I also can’t wait to show off Prague, and really just hang out with some great friends!

Ross Castle, 2007

+ E’s family has also booked a trip here for 10 days in July, and my cousin in planning on visiting in early June. I think right in between those, my parents will also visit! Which means we’ll have about three months straight of visitors…it might be a little stressful, but mostly we are so grateful that so many loved ones get the chance to visit this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call home for a little while!

+ March is also the month we have to officially decide if we will stay in Prague another year or not. I’ve been avoiding this subject on the blog (and kind of in real life) because I don’t really want to make a decision in this matter at all. I love Prague and want to stay–but there might also be another place for us to go, too. No announcements on this anytime soon until we actually make a decision, but I’ll keep you posted! Now, I’m going to get back to my life in Prague and live in denial that it might ever end.

******************

Question:

What has daily life been like for you lately?

Linking up with the #SundayTraveler! 

The post Daily Life in Prague, v. 6 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

+ Prague seems even prettier after a break. Especially since we have gotten a tiny bit of snow…and as I write this, it’s kind of snowing again! I am also noticing the graffiti much less–it was really bothering me before I left. It still annoys me a little, especially the random scrawls on beautiful buildings, but I rarely notice it anymore. What is this feeling? Adjustment?

^^walking to work under my umbrella…can you spot the castle??

+ In addition, the Czechs and their stoicism aren’t making me irritated anymore. I generally appreciate this attitude on the public transportation–I like minding my own business and just reading on my commute, and the atmosphere is conducive to that–but before Christmas it was driving me crazy.  I do feel strange not smiling at strangers on the tram, and I still can’t make myself cut the whole line to get on the bus first, but I I feel like I must be getting the hang of riding public transportation the Czech way.

+ I also love my students again. Prior to our break, I wanted them to just be quiet and to listen and follow directions. Now, I’m finding the random things my students tell me while they’re supposed to be working funny once more. Of course, I still wish they would follow directions, ha! It’s been helping to remind myself before every lesson, especially the ones with kids, that this is supposed to be fun. (It’s a good reminder for life, too).

+ I feel pretty well-adjusted to my life here. However, I’m just starting to get to know the Czech culture. I also have barely made any friends–I have great co-workers, who have regular parties (so thankful for that!), and amazing support in my man. I talk often to friends and family from home, but I miss having girlfriends and couple friends. Girl Gone International is starting up in Prague, and E and I are starting to look into Meet Ups to see if we can make any friends that way.

+ I have been sick for so long, I finally went to the doctor today. This cough has been persisting for about a month now. Unfortunately, there is no general practitioner at the hospital we have to go to. Um, what? So, no luck. We need to talk to our insurance again and see what we can figure out. E is practically putting me on bed rest all weekend so maybe I can kick it on my own. I was hesitant to go to the doctor because I have a feeling this is just some kind of flu-like illness that has to run its course anyway, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go…

+ On this theme, the past few weekends have been me just resting and trying to get better. I’m thinking my 6th month by the numbers (see 5 months here) will be my shortest and most boring one yet!! I guess I better get well real quick and we’d better cram some fun stuff into the remaining days of January.

+ Even though January has been quite chill so far (not a pun, the weather has been very mild here, compared to what I’m used to), next weekend we are heading to Jihlava for a graduation prom!  We were invited by the students we taught at the mountain English camp in September.  I’m not entirely sure what this entails but I’ll be sure to fill you in. Since we are heading up to Jihlava on Thursday and I don’t have classes on Friday, I’m hoping to add a visit to Telč to knock two things off my Czech Republic list!

+ Speaking of lists, I’ve been working on a Prague must-see list and a wish list for travel in 2015. While my Prague list seems somewhat manageable, my 2015 travel list got out of hand quickly. I just have too many places I want to see, and with our time in Prague/Europe currently a mystery, I feel (internal) pressure to see as much as possible. This bit me in the backside over Christmas, though, as we came back from our holiday more exhausted than before (yet somehow refreshed?). I’m working on culling it down.

+ January, while kind of a bummer month, is a great one for planning travel (see above). I am deeply immersed in planning our spring break week, an Easter trip, a potential ski weekend (E loves snowboarding more than he loves me, probably), and the visits of 3 sets of family and friends, in May, June and July. Luckily I love planning travel, but unfortunately I do not love decisions.

+ For Spring Break, we are debating between Slovenia and Portugal. It’s so early in March we can’t have the relaxing week by the sunny warm sea of my dreams unless we leave Europe, but I’m really interested in both of those places. It might come down to the cheapest ticket! I’m leaning towards Portugal right now because one set of visitors have expressed interest in Slovenia this summer. We might just take a long ski weekend that week, too.

source

+ One decision I think we have made is to head to Amsterdam for Easter Break. I have always wanted to see the city, as well as the tulips and April seems like a prime time (especially since we have a few days off for the holiday!). So, tell me, friends…who’s been to Amsterdam? I’d love your ideas and must-sees! We will be spending most of the time in Amsterdam I think, with a day trip to see the tulip fields and maybe a night in Giethoorn.

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+ I’m still processing our epic trip this Christmas. I don’t really know where to start! Like with Paris, for example. So much happened and it’s all kind of a blur (luckily I took a million pictures to help us remember). I can’t decide if I should do a day-to-day recap of our week, or choose my top experiences, or do random thoughts, or none of the above. Considering it took me so long to write about Austria, it might be April until you hear anything else from me about Paris.

+ Before Christmas, I was feeling pretty down about blogging. I’d been investing so much time and feeling like nothing was happening. However, an unplanned break due to my sickness and an intentional break during the holidays has me feeling much better. I’ve made a goal to write 2-3 posts a week, which feels most realistic to me. I also feel like I’ve let go of many expectations, and I’m again enjoying my blog for what it is: a creative outlet, a way to share our life with loved ones back home, a place to hold my memories, and a gateway to the awesome blogging community. Here’s to a new year…can I still say that as we near the end of January?

Linking up with Treat YoSelf Thursday, Fresh-Face Friday and the Sunday Traveler. 

The post Daily Life in Prague, v. 5 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

+ I especially hate being sick this time of the year. I haven’t been to a Christmas market in a week! The horror. I am going tonight whether my body likes it or not.

+ This week also happened to be the Tuesday we had booked tickets to see The Nutcracker at the National Theatre. Since we snagged some of the last tickets available to any of the showings (also, they aren’t transferable) I sucked it up and went. I even wore my contacts in attempt to make it kind of a date night. I’m glad I did. The National Theatre is gorgeous…I’m not sure I’ve ever been in as fancy of a building. At least one that felt as decadent, with red velvet and gold and chandeliers everywhere. The show was great, although it was a strange combination of The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol. E and I exchanged glances early on, thinking “is that Scrooge? But that’s definitely the music from the Nutcracker, right?” I definitely prefer the original Nutcracker because I hate change when it comes to my Christmas traditions, but it was still entertaining, beautiful and relaxing to hear that familiar classical music.

+ I keep meaning to publish my post detailing stories from the ESL classroom. The problem is it keeps growing, so it has to at least be two posts now! I have to admit, even though I felt like death this week (as I’m sure you have gathered by now), the kids distracted me from moping about being sick too much. One little boy lost a tooth on Thursday…and he couldn’t remember the word for “tooth” so all I saw was a small white/bloody thing being waved around. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a recently lost tooth, so while I was trying to figure out what it was, the classroom went to chaos. There was a lot of shouting and one little girl cried because she hates blood and it cost me about twenty minutes of the lesson.

+ I’m really annoying about taking a mini-pharmacy with me wherever I go–I’ve traveled enough and I’ve learned the hard way that when you need certain medication, you need it now, and having it handy is so much better than a) spending hours trying to find it; b) trying to ask the pharmacist and having to describe your symptoms to a stranger; or c) finally realizing that in this country that medication is only available by prescription. Long-winded way of saying I’m always over-prepared in this area. Except, we just hit the four-month mark and I think the stress of moving had us sicker than normal, so my medical supplies are depleted. E is my angel and has been having discussions with the pharmacist all week, trying to find the medication I need–so far, I’ve tried about six different medications to no avail.

+ I finally decided to go to the doctor…so I went to my first Czech hospital on Friday. Our low-cost foreigner’s health insurance turns out to be good at only one hospital in the whole city (which of course takes an hour to reach). It wasn’t the worst experience I’ve ever had in a hospital (side-eye Peru) but it was far from the best. One major plus, though? Everything was free except for the prescriptions–and even those were under $20. What kind of place is this?

+ Costa Coffee has the cutest holiday coffee cups around. Plus, with their gingerbread latte you get a tiny gingerbread man cookie. #WINNING

+ Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind words on this post about our Christmas plans! I always forget how great it is to share good news with this little community, and to ask for advice. I will respond to each and every one of you once I am healthy again. You are the best! No major decisions made due to my health issues, except that the perfect little B&B we found in Bruges canceled our reservation so we had to scramble to find a new place to stay. That was fun.

+ Even in the fog of my sickness, I’ve noticed more Christmas decorations popping up around town, and I couldn’t be happier about that! I was overjoyed when my school put up their tree, too!

+ Speaking of fog…this was the frostiest/foggiest day we’ve had, so far. Usually I can see the castle from that vantage point!

+ While on the subject of weather…Prague finally had some sunny days this week! While I knew Prague would be much cloudier than Denver, I didn’t realize that it would literally be days or weeks without sun. Talk about an adjustment!

+ The big highlight of this week came Monday morning when we found a package slip and headed to the post office to pick it up (in a process that is still not smooth). The package came from our lovely friends in Colorado and contained so many goodies I got a little teary-eyed. I felt so homesick for America and it’s holiday mania in that moment!  I’ve both missed mania and been glad to be away from it, but…Who else makes Nutcracker Snickers bars and peppermint Oreos and twinkle lights that flash and blink at different speeds? ONLY AMERICA, GUYS. 

Thanks, Callie and Greg! You guys make our life.

+ I am really, really glad this guy is here.

+ I can’t believe we are almost halfway through December. My sickness totally threw me off and I am so far behind in everything. Excuse me while I go make some to-do lists.

Linking up with Travel Tuesday, Yalanda + Elle and the #SundayTraveler. 

The post Daily Life in Prague, v. 4 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

+ It’s a three-day weekend! Tomorrow is the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day here in the Czech Republic. This day commemorates a student demonstration against the Nazis in 1939, as well as the student demonstration against Communism in 1989. The demonstration against Communism started the Velvet Revolution 25 years ago. It’s our first long weekend where we aren’t on a trip, and I’m enjoying being in Prague for an important day like this. I’ll check in tomorrow once we head out into the town to fill you in on how the day is commemorated in the city.

+ Also, the last few weeks have been so busy with work, so I’m grateful for an extra day off on the weekends (I kind of think we should always have a three day weekend, who’s with me?). I hardly ever say no to new lessons that fall into my lap, and suddenly my schedule is insane. It’s not necessarily a bad thing (need that moneys), but if the blog is quiet, you’ll know why!

+ This week was kind of rough, as we’ve been dealing with landlord issues (not fun no matter what country you’re in!) but I was so happy to meet TWO lovely ladies from Blogland this weekend: Andrea and Jessi! Thanks for making my weekend so wonderful, ladies!

        ^Jessi & I on our blate (blog date if you didn’t know). My hair is going through a rough adjustment period…

+ We finally tried Cafe Savoy (first found out about this place thanks to Cynthia) with Andrea and I love it. A must if you’re in Prague! I’ve really missed French toast and might need to be making some soon. The place is completely gorgeous, too. When I saw the ceilings I had a small moment of worry about the prices, but they’re actually reasonable.

+ We also fed the swans/ducks/random other birds on an island in the river with Andrea. Such a fun, relaxing activity! it helped that the island has a gorgeous view of the city and the castle and was full of yellow, crunchy leaves. If you are feeling bummed about your city (and you live near a body of water with birds), grab a piece of old bread and head to the birds! It’s rejuvenating (except when they get a little pushy, then you should probably move on).

+ With Jessi and her crew, we tried to go here but it was closed, so we ended up at Cafe Louvre instead (which I haven’t been to since my birthday). It was just a delicious as I remembered!

+ Last weekend was so beautiful in Praha we headed up Petřin Hill to take in the views. I didn’t realize how much stuff was up there, besides the Eiffel Tower-like structure. There’s an observatory, old ruins, a mirror maze, rose gardens, and much more. It was a lot more of a popular place than I expected (the Czechs love their fresh air), but it was a great fall walk. I hear it’s also gorgeous with cherry blossoms in the spring.

             ^^I had to stalk this adorable beagle puppy. 

+ Our visas were approved!!!! YES! Now we just have to pick them up (…), get insurance, and register with the foreign police. Woo!

+ E’s parents were kind enough to send us a few jackets we had left there, and along with them, they sent a few boxes of Kraft mac’n’cheese! E was in heaven. I have to admit, while I prefer Annie’s (boxed mac’n’cheese snob right here) that stuff tasted pretty goooood.

+ We’ve been saving up money to travel for Christmas, so this month has seen us staying put. It’s been wonderful to explore more of Prague we haven’t had a chance to see yet. It’s also nice to have time to just wander–we went to Old Town Square and played tourists with trdelník and svařák (hot wine). That definitely has me excited for the Christmas markets here, which open on November 29!

+ Speaking of Christmas, we were able to snag two tickets to the Nutcracker at the National Theatre. I can’t believe how sold out most of the shows were–ballet and opera are huge here. I love that–and I love our decent yet very inexpensive seats!

+ I’m not sure if I’ve shared this yet, but across the courtyard from our flat, an orchestra practices a few times a week. A full blown orchestra, not just a few musicians. While they are really loud–as I guess they should be–it’s also relaxing to hang out in our bedroom and listen.

+ While I have been enjoying our weekends here in the lovely Praha, I’m starting to get itchy feet to explore more of Europe. Luckily, December happens soon! However, we STILL cannot decide where to go for Christmas. I’ll say it again–choice is a prison! My goal is to decide today and get booking…so hopefully I’ll be able to fill you in soon. I’m also telling you this to give myself some accountability…that’s why blogging is for, right?

+ In case you’ve missed things around here lately…check out my new early travel inspiration series, my ABCs of Travel, and my posts from Germany: Berlin and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

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