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Immediately I need to discuss how Europe is correct now. Over the previous month, I’ve heard numerous individuals saying that they’re afraid of me for being in Prague. Individuals have been casually mentioning “civil unrest” in cities like Prague, Krakow, and Budapest. Charlie is getting comparable messages by means of his work.
I need to be clear: these cities are NORMAL. There isn’t a unrest. There has by no means been unrest.
Sure, there’s a battle in Ukraine, and it’s not protected to go to Ukraine, Russia, or Belarus proper now. However locations in Europe that aren’t Ukraine, Russia, or Belarus are effective. There may be not a menace of assault. The one distinction you’d discover is a preponderance of yellow and blue flags hanging all around the metropolis.
Are we getting refugees? Sure, we’re, and fairly just a few in Prague, as we have already got a well-established Ukrainian neighborhood right here. And right here’s the kicker — you wouldn’t even discover. A number of occasions this month, I’ve come throughout teams of refugees and didn’t notice till later.
What do you count on refugees to seem like? Soiled, shivering, bedraggled, holding one another wide-eyed in silence? Properly, in actuality, it’s two teenage boys laughing on the prepare and thanking you for letting them borrow your cellphone charger. It’s a mother and her daughters grabbing Burger King within the prepare station, the ladies bickering over their order. Refugees put on denims and puffy coats and Nikes.
This isn’t meant to decrease the trauma they’ve skilled or the obstacles they face now. It’s a reminder that refugees are regular individuals, identical to us, who’ve been put in an terrible state of affairs. And there may be nothing to be afraid of.
Why am I saying this? As a result of Central Europe is about to have a 3rd horrible yr in a row for the journey business — however the first below false pretenses. I’m deeply involved about what this implies for journey professionals who’re barely hanging on. So a lot of them depend on Individuals, who spend greater than European vacationers.
So please don’t suppose that it’s essential keep away from Europe this yr. As I mentioned, life is regular right here in Central Europe. You may expertise locations like Prague they approach they have been earlier than hordes of vacationers arrived.
Locations Visited
Prague, Tábor, and Malšice, Czech Republic
Highlights
The spotlight of this month, far and away, was watching my buddies’ 20-month-old daughter meet her new little brother for the primary time. After an enormous, lengthy hug along with her mother, she laid eyes on him — and was enchanted. She didn’t cease smiling and observing him for the subsequent quarter-hour. She’d lookup at us, smile once more, and level at him.
It was cute. And I’m so glad that this little boy is right here, and grateful that he and his mother are doing splendidly.
An excellent day of mountain climbing close to Tábor. I’ve wished to go to Tábor for a while, and whereas we didn’t see a lot of the city, we did a stunning 10-mile hike alongside the river. One of many many hikes close to Prague that you are able to do by public transportation.
Sadly the Uyghur restaurant in Tábor we wished to go to was closed, however the fabulous ice cream place was open! They’ve uncommon flavors like egg nog and chocolate, sea buckthorn, and Aperol!
Celebrating Charlie’s birthday. Charlie’s final two birthdays have been below numerous lockdowns, so I’m so glad he may have an actual birthday this yr. We went to Taro, a incredible and creative Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Prague. It’s positively the most costly restaurant I’ve ever been to in Prague, however after two lockdown birthdays, it was warranted! Positively a special day place.
Rolling Stones tickets! The Rolling Stones simply introduced a brand new European tour, and Charlie and I snapped up tickets for his or her live performance in…Milan. (I imply, are you stunned?) We have been imagined to drive to Italy on June 23 and the live performance is on June 21, so our two-week Sardinia street journey has turn out to be a three-week northern Italy and Sardinia street journey!
A list get together to recollect. The Italians Wine & Meals Market, a elaborate Italian grocery retailer and restaurant in Prague just like Eataly, does an annual catalogue get together the place a number of of their suppliers present up serving their specialties. Principally, an all-you-can-eat get together with beautiful prosciuttos, cheeses, and wines.
It was SO good, and we made a number of contacts to go to on our subsequent journeys to Italy!
An evening of expat comedy in Karlín. Comedians of Prague placed on a profit for Ukraine in our neighborhood — as they mentioned, “We’re doing this for our comic,” Zelensky. An excellent evening out, perhaps just a few too many jokes about how laborious a language Czech is, however lots of enjoyable.
Soup Fest. One factor I like about Prague is what number of meals festivals there are, particularly in my neighborhood, and this month we had Soup Fest! It’s precisely what it feels like. A fest of soup.
Celebrating one yr since Lewis the cat completed his FIP therapy. Immediately he’s a wild and loopy little boy who loves operating round and leaping on issues. I’m so grateful he’s wholesome and properly.
Challenges
A extremely unhappy state of affairs in my neighborhood. A lately arrived household from Ukraine misplaced their cat shortly after they arrived, and the cat was by no means discovered. We went out searching for the cat, combing by means of the streets for hiding spots and looking out below vehicles, however discovered no indicators of it. It was a hairless cat, and the primary few nights have been under freezing.
Simply think about getting to this point along with your cat, and shedding them on this terrible approach with no closure. My coronary heart nonetheless aches for the household.
The Child-Sitters Membership was cancelled. Properly, this was an enormous disappointment. The Child-Sitters Membership was a near an ideal TV sequence as we’ve seen in years. It was so vibrant and completely happy, completely modernized, completely forged, a healthful present about 13-year-old ladies that permit them be youngsters.
I’m unhappy that we don’t get to see extra of the ladies’ adventures, however am making an attempt to see the sequence as a present.
A dismal cherry blossom season. We had SUCH good climate this month, and as quickly because the cherry blossoms burst into bloom, nothing however grey skies. I hope I at the very least get one good day to {photograph} them within the sunshine.
Weblog Posts of the Month
1 Week Nova Scotia Itinerary: the South Shore — All about my journey to Nova Scotia this previous October, which couldn’t have been extra beautiful, and how one can plan the same journey.
33 Gorgeous, Famous Streets of Paris — A rundown of the perfect streets in Paris to go to, with because of my fellow colleagues for his or her submissions.
17 Tip for Your First Trip to Disney World As an Adult — A rundown of my very own current day journey to Disney World, and roughly ten thousand recommendations on the right way to have an excellent day there your self (particularly contemplating the adjustments post-COVID).
This Month on Patreon
On the Adventurous Kate Patreon, I publish unique content material and never-told tales which you could entry for $6 monthly. We even have a personal Fb group and members get free entry to the E-book Membership every month.
This month, I revealed just a few various things: a publish concerning the Italian area of Calabria, the place I’m touring in Could, and several other of the fascinating issues I’ve found whereas researching it.
I additionally revealed just a few issues about my main aspect hustle/new web site/new enterprise, which I’ve been engaged on for a number of months however have solely revealed throughout the Patreon. This month I obtained just a few skilled maps and illustrations finished and they’re SO cool!
E-book Membership This Month
Our subsequent e book membership is going down VERY quickly — on Sunday, April 3! You can sign up here to join.
This month, I wished us to learn a e book by a Ukrainian writer. We will probably be studying A Biography of a Likelihood Miracle by Tanja Maljartschuk.
“A Biography of a Likelihood Miracle explores the lifetime of Lena, a younger lady rising up within the considerably vapid, bureaucracy-ridden and nationalistic Western Ukrainian metropolis of San Francisco. Lena is a misfit from early childhood resulting from her unwillingness to scorn the whole lot Russian, her propensity for befriending forlorn creatures, her aversion to the established order, and her concern of residing a silly and meaningless life.
As her buddies enter faculty, Lena units forth on a mission to defend the abused and downtrodden of San Francisco—be they canine or human—armed with nothing greater than an arsenal of humor, stubbornness, chutzpah and no scarcity of creativeness. Her successes are minimal at greatest, however within the technique of making an attempt to save lots of San Francisco’s collective humanity, she could find yourself saving her personal. At first look a loopy and combative lady, Lena simply often is the salvation that the Ukrainians of San Francisco sorely want.”
You can buy the book at Bookshop.org here.
Hope to see you there!
What I Listened To This Month
I’m in a little bit of a rut podcast-wise, so I’m making an attempt out a handful of recent ones. I listened to a bonkers episod2q11qs e of a brand new podcast known as Regular Gossip that I feel a lot of you may take pleasure in.
Regular Gossip is principally juicy gossip tales about strangers. And the Spot the Scammer episode is a couple of ladies’ journey to Southeast Asia that goes horribly fallacious. Not in a security approach, however in a DRAMA approach. LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST earlier than occurring an enormous journey with somebody you’ve by no means traveled with earlier than!
What I Watched This Month
Final month, I discussed that I had began a current critically acclaimed HBO sequence that I had been wanting to observe for awhile. Most individuals guessed Euphoria, and also you have been heading in the right direction (I do need to watch it will definitely!).
It was I Could Destroy You. And WOW. That is past tv — this can be a piece of artwork SO nice that you just sit again and marvel at it as you’re watching it!
I Could Destroy You is a 12-episode miniseries created by Michaela Coel. Her character, Arabella, an up-and-coming London author, is sexually assaulted whereas out with buddies one evening. The sequence follows the whole lot that occurs over the subsequent yr.
And while you see that description, it doesn’t sound good, however I promise you, it’s so wild and authentic and thought-provoking. Arabella is just not an ideal sufferer. She’s a self-sabotaging get together lady who makes questionable resolution after questionable resolution. However she has great buddies and a depraved humorousness, and she or he takes you on a incredible journey along with her.
Additionally, this month Pachinko began on Apple TV! Pachinko is one among my favourite novels of the previous couple of years, however I doubted it will ever be made right into a film. My coronary heart swelled once I heard it will be made into a complete sequence! In Korean, Japanese, and English!
It’s gorgeously shot, completely forged, and it’s a bit totally different than the novel (it goes forwards and backwards between the previous and the long run as a substitute of continuous chronologically). And the opening sequence — so sudden however so FUN! I’m solely two episodes in, however look ahead to watching way more of Pachinko this month!
What I Learn This Month
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli (2020) — This novel tells the story of a pair unraveling as they drive throughout the US with their kids. Each documentarians (or documentarists, because the e book goes into), the husband is touring to Arizona to doc the historical past of the Apache, whereas the spouse seeks to inform the tales of the misplaced kids, migrants who arrive within the US on their very own.
This was our e book membership e book, and it was an excellent selection. Devastating and complex, the voice shifting between the spouse and her stepson, kids who run away on a magical realism journey, the unusual Americana alongside the way in which, and the pure dread on the middle of all of it. This e book was not what I anticipated, and I imply that in a great way. I’m nonetheless occupied with the characters and the way they’d be.
Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli (2017) — Within the nonfiction e book that impressed Misplaced Youngsters Archive, this e book tells the tales of the kid migrants for whom Luiselli translated in immigration court docket. It’s primarily based on the 40 questions the youngsters are requested.
What a devastating e book. It’s unconscionable what our nation does and continues to do to those kids, and all migrants. Each American must learn this e book to know what it’s actually like.
What actually damage to learn is that for some kids, then find yourself dealing with the identical evil in America that they left behind. One youngster profiled confronted the MS-13 gang in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, solely to land in Hempstead, Lengthy Island, which can be residence to MS-13 gangs.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (2021) — Ashley C. Ford grew up a poor Black lady in Indiana, who wished nothing extra however to attach along with her father. He was in jail for many of her life, and she or he didn’t know what he did to get there. Then finally she discovered the reality of her father, and it turned her life the other way up.
I hate to say it, however I didn’t love this e book. Ford is a good author, and I beloved how she informed tales, however a lot of the subject material was miserable, notably her sexual assault, her sophisticated relationship along with her mom, and her lonely childhood. I agree that reconnecting along with her incarcerated father was a wonderful story to inform, and beloved listening to about how she clawed her approach out of poverty, however it was too little pleasure for me at a time once I wanted one thing extra.
Eat That Frog! 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy (2017) — Like many self-help and productiveness books, this comes right down to an idea that may very well be a weblog publish. What’s the hardest, ugliest job of the day? Do this first. As a result of if you need to eat a complete frog, you may as properly do this first so you will get it over with and never have to consider it.
Am I placing it into motion? Truly, sure! I’ve improved my productiveness rather a lot in the previous couple of years, and as of late I hold a every day to-do record in my every day planner. I’ve began writing FROG! subsequent to the duties that I’m dreading probably the most, and it helps.
Coming Up in April 2022
This month I’ve two journeys! Subsequent week, Charlie and I head to Naples and the Amalfi Coast for an extended weekend. Imagine it or not, that is my first time to both (I’ve solely been to Capri, again once I studied overseas in 2004, plus a terrifying prepare station to ferry port cab journey in Naples!).
So sure. This journey is lengthy overdue. We’re spending two nights in Naples and two nights in Sorrento, hoping to slot in a LOT of pizza (OMG, I’m so excited for pizza!!), all the opposite meals, the Path to the Gods hike, a go to to Procida, and visiting the basic cities of the Amalfi Coast like Positano.
Close to the tip of the month, I’m heading to Hamburg, Germany, for Reboot, a brand new convention placed on by the Traverse individuals. It’s much less business-oriented and extra about wellness, mindfulness, and creativity. I’m trying ahead to attending, and particularly trying ahead to seeing my buddies.
I visited Hamburg in 2014 and actually preferred it (although I by no means wrote about it). Such a enjoyable, trendy metropolis with cool structure and canals! I’m additionally trying ahead to the beautiful nonstop six-hour prepare journey every approach. Extra prepare journeys is an enormous purpose for this yr.
What are your plans for April? Share away!
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