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Should you’re going to be in northern Europe in December, you want to be ready for the darkness. Each day will get darker than the closing, and through early December, you’ll in finding your self questioning simply how bleak it may get.
However that’s the place the Christmas lighting are available in. And the markets. And the whole thing turns into somewhat extra bearable.
Deliver at the tarte flambée!
Locations Visited
Prague and České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelberg, Germany
Strasbourg, Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, and Kayserberg, France
London and Coulsdon, England
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Do You Need to Transfer In a foreign country in 2025?
I do know a large number of you could have regarded as residing out of doors the USA. Possibly it’s one thing you’d do “in the future” — and in the future hasn’t arrived but. Possibly your activity, your youngsters, or your pets saved you from pondering it was once an opportunity for you.
This month, my pal Richelle is opening up the Move Abroad Escape Plan Boot Camp, a four-day match from January 25-28, the place Richelle is helping you determine a selected plan to transport in a foreign country.
In 4 days, she is helping you determine what sort of way of life you need, the way you’ll earn a living, which nation to concentrate on — and a DATE. And sure — although you could have youngsters. Although you could have pets, a spouse, a situation that calls for drugs, a profession you’re keen on. There’s a plan that can give you the results you want in my opinion.
Richelle is excellent at what she does, and she or he’s helped somewhat a couple of other folks transfer in a foreign country already, as you’ll see from her many testimonials.
This four-day boot camp best prices $37 — which I believe is exceptional price for cash. You can learn more about it here.
I will’t imagine I wore the similar get dressed for 30 days!
Highlights
I wore the similar get dressed 30 days in a row! Critically. I’ve came upon the emblem Wool& and their marvelous wool attire, the softest issues you’ll consider. And since wool is a cloth that doesn’t grasp onto frame smell, you’ll put on it heaps of occasions with out washing it.
(That doesn’t imply I didn’t wash it in any respect! I washed it two times — on day 11 and day 24.)
Wool& does 30-day get dressed demanding situations — if you happen to put on the get dressed 30 days in a row and take a photograph on a daily basis, you’ll get $30 or 30 EUR. (They even have a 100-day problem with a $100 praise.) However I used to be extra in it for the thrill than the cash.
I selected the black Chloe dress, a fitted get dressed with quick sleeves and an above-knee hem, which is most probably the perfect, most elementary get dressed you’ll consider — it’s gentle sufficient to tuck into denims, or you’ll throw a sweater or skirt on height of it.
So sure — I loved my 30 days immensely! I loved the “uniform” facet of dressed in the similar get dressed each day, and I beloved dressing it up with equipment. And if you happen to don’t like dressed in attire within the wintry weather, having thick tights and excellent leggings makes any such giant distinction.
You’re going to peer me dressed in a LOT of Wool& in long term posts. While you put on excellent wool, you received’t need to put on the rest. Keep tuned for extra.
Garments featured above:
Symbol 1: Dress, sweater (colour bought out), belt (identical), tights, shoes
Symbol 2: Dress, thrifted Anthropologie skirt, belt (relatively other colour), tights
Symbol 3: Dress, wrap dress worn as duster, belt (identical), jeans, belt (relatively other colour), slippers
Symbol 4: Dress, blazer, belt (identical), tights, shoes
There was once a carousel bar in Colmar!
A gorgeous Christmas markets travel. After spending closing December in South The usa, this 12 months I used to be longing for Europe’s Christmas markets season. Charlie and I determined to do a protracted weekend street travel to a number of we hadn’t visited but.
We drove by way of Rothenburg to Heidelberg, the place we spent the night time; drove first to Strasbourg, then Colmar; and spent an afternoon at the Navettes de Noël Christmas go back and forth in Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, and Kayserberg, prior to yet one more night time in Colmar and riding again to Prague.
Total, it was once a laugh! The 2 primary highlights had been Heidelberg, which has any such nice vibe, scrumptious meals, and busy however now not overly packed markets; and Ribeauvillé, a surprisingly detailed medieval marketplace in arguably essentially the most stunning the town in France.
I’ve been writing a little bit about this, however the Alsace area of France is so crowded right through Christmas that I wouldn’t advise visiting right through the weekend AT ALL (except for for Ribeauvillé, whose marketplace best takes position on two December weekends). Principally, all of France’s Christmas vacationers get dumped into one tiny area and it’s tremendous, tremendous busy.
However we had such a lot a laugh, ate a large number of excellent meals, and loved Christmas cheer in some stunning puts.
České Budějovice was once a large number of a laugh! I need to return.
We additionally did an afternoon travel to České Budějovice in South Bohemia, two hours from Prague through educate. I’m now not giant on Prague’s Christmas markets, which might be tremendous commercialized, however České Budějovice has a in point of fact superb marketplace with distributors who’re in reality native, an ice skating rink, a ferris wheel, and a lager hut.
And České Budějovice is my ultimate new Czech vacation spot of the 12 months! I in reality visited no less than one new vacation spot every month of 2024!
Christmas a laugh in Prague. We had a a laugh Christmasy day trip going to a curler derby — my first ever — that was once Santa vs. Grinch! Tremendous a laugh! We crowned it off with the Krampus parade in Prague.
Additionally, this 12 months, we were given a Christmas tree — which is a huge deal, as a result of I’ve by no means had a Christmas tree in my grownup lifestyles. It at all times looked like there wasn’t some extent when we need to go back and forth for each and every Christmas. And in truth, I more or less felt like I didn’t deserve one — till this 12 months. It was once time.
We purchased our first stockings and decor, our pal generously gave us some adorns and lighting, and it was once so great now not best having decorations, however giving the kitties a distinct Christmas. Lewis was once SO excited to get the toys out of his stocking!
Christmas in England. This 12 months, Charlie and I celebrated together with his circle of relatives in London. It was once nice spending time with they all, taking part in the over-the-top Christmas decor at my sisters-in-law’s space, and consuming the implausible meal Charlie cooked.
New 12 months’s at our position. We had pals over for New 12 months’s Eve, we drank the wines we had purchased on our journeys over the process the 12 months, Charlie made pork Wellington, and naturally our pal Klara introduced her tiramisu.
They by no means climbed into the Christmas tree — however they beloved having a look at it!
Demanding situations
We had a difficult time illness-wise with our Murray Undergo this month. Murray peed in a couple of puts the place he shouldn’t have — and after we discovered it was once a development, we took him to the vet.
That began a waterfall of occasions — Murray peeing at the mattress, more than one visits to the native laundromat as it’s the one washer that may are compatible our cover, Murray and his brother Lewis now not consuming (that could be because of a number of days of New 12 months’s fireworks scaring them), Lewis improving and Murray refusing to devour anything else however Churu, Murray getting constipated, Murray and his brother violently attacking every different all afternoon lengthy after a vet consult with.
After some meds and a couple of adjustments at house, Murray is doing SO significantly better. He hasn’t peed anyplace he shouldn’t for weeks now. (I simply knocked my picket flooring.) And he’s been further cuddly, snuggling as much as me once I cross to mattress maximum nights.
Heidelberg is any such nice town.
Weblog Posts of the Month
Maximum Fashionable Reel on Instagram
My reel concerning the Ribeauvillé Christmas marketplace in France went loopy! And deservedly so. This actually is a distinct marketplace not like some other I’ve ever visited.
You can watch the reel here and follow me on Instagram at @adventurouskate.
What I Listened To This Month
This month, my pals, I started a VERY giant problem. I’m taking note of all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Why do that? I need to develop my musical horizons, and in spite of everything pay attention to such a lot of musicians I’ve by no means listened to prior to.
This turns out like a well-structured option to pay attention to new track, and use it as a kick off point for deeper musical exploration. (It’s additionally value noting that the record has been redone a number of occasions because the first record in 2003, which was once heavy on white dude rock of the 70s. Nowadays’s record is a lot more various.)
I began this challenge on December 17, and I finished up taking note of albums 500-480 in December.
Favourite discovery: Unusual Journey II the Pharcyde through The Pharcyde. WHAT AN ALBUM. The Pharcyde is ingenious, bouncy, super-danceable early 90s hip-hop with such a lot humor. (All of them began as dancers prior to they become rappers.) That is one of the crucial maximum blissful hip-hop I’ve ever heard.
Different favourite new discoveries: Ask Rufus through Rufus, If You’re Feeling Sinister through Belle and Sebastian.
Favourite revisited album: II through Boyz II Males. This was once the second one album I ever purchased myself, when I used to be 10 years outdated. It’s nonetheless implausible. Even though I’ve to mention “Khalil” hit me so much tougher as a 40-year-old with a data of police brutality than it did 30 years in the past.
Favourite songs: “Soul Flower” through The Pharcyde, “Having a pipe dream” through Harry Kinds, “Like Dylan within the Films” through Belle and Sebastian, “TV Birthday celebration” through Black Flag, “Getaway Motive force” through Miranda Lambert.
Get the playlist: I’m making a playlist of my favourite songs from the five hundred albums — most one in step with album — on Spotify. You can listen to it here.
What I Watched This Month
Dangerous Sisters Season 2. I completely beloved Season One in every of Dangerous Sisters, a gloomy dramedy set in Eire the place 4 sisters conspire to homicide their sister’s abusive husband. I believe it’s one of the most very best methods Apple TV + has produced.
Season 2? Whilst I beloved the surroundings and the cinematography and the costumes and the nice and cozy, lived-in relationships the sisters have…this season wasn’t the similar. It was once darker, felt hopeless, and the humor didn’t in point of fact seem till the general episode.
That stated, I liked what Sharon Horgan did — she sought after to turn that lifestyles doesn’t flip to rainbows as soon as an abusive spouse is out of the image.
Except for that, Raise-On was once mainly the film Telephone Sales space up to date for the 2020s, and Gladiator II was once a film that in point of fact didn’t wish to be made. I did persuade Charlie to come back see Depraved with me, even though, which looks like an enormous triumph! He loved it.
I like when it snows in Prague!
Coming Up in January 2025
January goes to be a quiet month, one thing I’ve grown to price and cherish. Charlie and I are proceeding our custom of a January and not using a alcohol, no sugar, no go back and forth, and kicking up the workout a notch or two. It units a excellent instance for the 12 months to practice.
I’ve traveled right through some Januaries (maximum just lately, spending January 2022 in Puerto Vallarta), however I in finding that during January I’m so motivated to paintings laborious. I’m the use of that work-work-work power when I’ve it. Plus, January is a reasonably large month for the go back and forth business with other folks understanding they in point of fact wish to plan some journeys!
Charlie and I even have a custom of a resort keep someplace in Prague, making the most of the bottom resort charges of the 12 months — however that’s up to we’ve at the calendar.
What are you having a look ahead to in 2025?
