Humanity Through the Lens of a Traveler: 12 Lessons from 12 Months on the Road
It has now been a year since we sailed off to our new adventures - leaving behind the comforts of "home" to explore Europe and its wonderful people, cultures, and landscapes. The past year has reshaped my view of myself, humanity, and life in general - in more ways than could ever be listed. In this post I try to touch on some of the core realizations and insights I've assimilated into my consciousness. I am still trying to integrate these into my daily life as often as possi
Leipzig, Germany: A City of Students & Music
Germany is filled with beautiful cities that abound with unique architecture and history. One of those cities that I got to visit for a few days in early March was Leipzig. Located in the Northeast part of Germany, about an hour's train ride from Berlin, Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. With the University of Leipzig at its heart, the city has a large population of students and boasts a variety of diverse restaurants, caffes, and bars. There is
A Weekend in Vienna
In between my stay in Slovakia and heading off to Greece, I stopped over in Vienna for a quick weekend trip and was blessed enough to stay with my friend Sophia, who I met at a Tibetan Buddhist Center in December. Our friend Angelika was also able to join us and we got to spend a nice afternoon hanging out in a local Viennese coffee shop before strolling around Vienna to marvel at its historical and architectural sites. The city center is beautiful - there are plenty of churc
GALLERY: Cesky Krumlov - one of Czech's cutest towns
There is a picture-perfect small town in the Southern part of Czech whose streets are lined with beautiful historical houses. The historic center, centered around the castle, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992. The city hosts a number of festivals throughout the year and the main square turns into a beautiful Christmas market area during Christmas time. We visited Cesky Krumlov for a couple hours just a few days after Christmas as we were heading to Austria. We
A Czech Christmas in Prague
Prague is a beautiful city that comes even more alive in the Christmas season. There are over a dozen town squares throughout the city that turn into Christmas markets. Tents that offer mulled wine, hot honey liquor, and sweet treats such as "Trdelnik," attract visitors and locals alike. We spent most of December in Prague, so we got to wander around town and visit many of the Christmas markets. One afternoon, as I was walking out of the library, it even snowed! It was a shor
Winter Wonderland Walk in Austria
Our two week Workaway in southern Austria in the middle of November was truly a blessing. We stayed in the small town of Millstatt with a wonderful couple from England, helping to look after their two sweet cats while they were visiting England. As Christmas season approached, we were excited to check out the local traditions and festivities. Our hosts told us about an Advent Walk nearby. Only about a 30 minute drive from the house, in a ski resort town called Katschberg, we
Bratislava: A Stopover in Slovakia's beautiful capital
After departing the Greek island of Chios, we had our next Workaway lined up in southern Austria. We had to first rent a car in my hometown Brno in Czech Republic and the cheapest flight we found to get there from Athens was a flight to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, a short train ride from Brno. I was excited to finally have a chance to at least spend a few hours exploring Bratislava. It definitely didn't disappoint! We landed at the small airport in Bratislava in the
Humanity Through the Lens of a Traveler: Five Lessons from Five Months on the Road
This world is as beautiful as a planet in our galaxy can get - but the magnificence and depth of the human soul is marvelous beyond words. Travel expands our concept of life on this earth. It broadens our perspective, our awareness of what it means to be a member of team humanity, and allows us to remain in humble awe at the beautiful puzzle we all create together.
It turns our conceptual knowledge into wisdom through experience and many times results in a shift in how we vi
Six Months of Adventures in Review
As we get ready to continue our adventures, here is a look back at the wonderful six months we have just been blessed to experience: So after visiting all these destinations, how has that changed my definition of home? Whether soaking up the sun on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, wandering through the Alps of Austria, or exploring the fjords of Norway, I am home. The universe is my home.
My body is my home.
Nature is my home.
Kind people are my home. My heart fills with
Hody: A Traditional Czech Village Celebration
Many villages in Moravia (the southeast part of Czech), celebrate a tradition called "hody" in the late summer or early fall. In my home village of Jehnice, this usually happens in September. "Hody" is a time to celebrate the abundance of family, friends, and food that we have been given. Back in the old days, this would represent a time when all the farmers would unwind after a busy season of harvesting. Nowadays the tradition is still honored as a group of village residents
