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This month I turned 41! Within the coronary heart of summer time, I made a number of fast visits round Europe, however saved issues fairly low-key for essentially the most half.
From rural Slovakia to city Poland to suburban England, listed here are one of the best moments of August 2025!
Locations Visited
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Poprad and Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia
- Warsaw and Piaseczno, Poland
- St. Albans and Watford, England
Highlights
An ideal birthday getaway to the Excessive Tatras. After the large Croatian blowout for my fortieth birthday final yr, this yr I wished one thing quiet, in nature, accessible by prepare, with a pleasant lodge. And so Charlie and I went to the Excessive Tatras, the gorgeous mountainous area of Slovakia!
We stayed on the Grand Kempinski Excessive Tatras, a lodge I’ve wished to remain at for years, which was SUCH a superb place for a splurge. The most important spotlight was the lodge spa, which we visited on daily basis. The indoor pool truly has three chandeliers hanging above it, and a glass window so you’ll be able to see outdoors to all of the individuals strolling the trail across the lake.
And it was a wonderfully low-key journey. We hiked, we strolled, we ate garlic soup topped with cheese, and it was very nice having a chill itinerary with out feeling pressured to do all of the issues.
I used to be totally ready for the world to be overrun, as we had been visiting on a weekend in early August. Nevertheless it actually wasn’t that unhealthy! When mountain climbing, we had been solo 1/3 of the time, with a number of others 1/3 of the time, and in an enormous crowd 1/3 of the time. I’d goal for a barely extra off-peak time sooner or later, although.
I completely beloved this journey. It was so good that we’re already speaking about extra journeys like this we are able to do sooner or later: straightforward nature getaways with mountain climbing and a superb lodge with a spa. And hopefully a return to Štrbské Pleso and the Excessive Tatras quickly!
From Slovakia, I hopped on a bus and a prepare to Warsaw to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA for the second time this summer time! The live performance was unbelievable, and it was totally different experiencing it from the ground. Total, I believe the Warsaw crowd was higher than the Frankfurt crowd.
This was my first go to to Warsaw in a few years, and I took a LOT of lengthy walks across the metropolis, seeing what it needed to provide. And I occurred to be there on inauguration day (along with being in Kraków on Election Day in June), and staying in lodging proper throughout the road from the place the swearing-in happened. Oops.
And on the finish of the month, we visited England for our good friend’s annual bonfire occasion. It was a really temporary go to, however we did spend a little bit of time in St. Albans, a pleasant suburb with a stunning downtown that I think about is pricey as hell to dwell in. It’s just like the London model of Lexington, Massachusetts, or New Canaan, Connecticut.
Enjoyable instances in Prague. Dinners with pals, a go to to Letná Beer Backyard, and plenty and many walks across the metropolis….
Challenges
I acquired stung by a wasp for the primary time since I used to be a child. Enjoyable instances. It landed on my higher arm, acquired crushed in opposition to my physique, and stung.
And there was the time I acquired caught in an epic rainstorm nowhere close to shops that offered umbrellas…
Not a problem, actually, however dwelling in a spot as trendy and good as Prague sort of will get you used to it. Like the truth that the overwhelming majority of public bogs in Prague take bank cards — simply maintain up your telephone and scan your manner in.
And it struck me upon arriving in Slovakia and Poland, even in malls, that you simply not solely wanted money for public bogs, you wanted cash. Sort of annoying whenever you’re in every nation for only some days and also you don’t need to carry round loads of change you’ll by no means find yourself spending…
What I Watched This Month
The Thursday Homicide Membership is a pleasant new film on Netflix. A comfy homicide thriller set in a fully attractive retirement dwelling, with 4 actors you like starring as senior residents making an attempt to unravel a thriller and save their group. I actually loved it.
Additionally. I lastly watched White Chicks. Yeah. It’s not unhealthy in case you don’t assume too arduous about it.
Beneath Deck replace: After a number of months off, Charlie and I acquired again into Beneath Deck! This month we watched Beneath Deck: Down Underneath Season 3, which truly takes place within the Seychelles. (And has satisfied me to not go to the Seychelles in February or March, after seeing how a lot they suffered by way of the warmth, humidity, and storms!)
So far as seasons go, it was…high-quality. Not among the finest. Captain Jason is such a superb chief that it’s instructional simply watching him — however he appeared a bit faraway from every little thing this time round. The solid had been good, there have been some villains. No horrific visitors. It was high-quality.
What I Listened To This Month
I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Biggest Albums of All Time, which I’m having fun with immensely. I’m loving discovering new artists and listening to albums I’ve one way or the other missed my complete life till now!
In August, I listened to albums 284-250. I’m formally greater than midway! And to assume — those I’ve listened to have been the WORSE half. How good is it going to get?!
Listed below are the highlights:
Favourite Discovery: The Hissing of Summer season Lawns by Joni Mitchell. I’m kicking myself for not stepping into Joni Mitchell’s music at a youthful age. She is TRANSCENDENT. And to assume that is simply the primary of her a number of albums on the record!
I like how each music on this album is so detailed and distinctive, it could be sufficient for a whole album in its fashion — but they’re all cohesive. Each music belongs on this album. And I can’t cease listening to them.
I additionally need to give a shoutout to Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves. I’ve by no means heard her music earlier than, however I instantly turned an enormous fan of her pop-blended nation with a liberal background. I like that this problem has proven me nation artists I actually love, quite than dismissing the style as an entire.
Different Favourite Discoveries: Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman, What’s the 411? by Mary J. Blige, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan, The Bends by Radiohead, Nillson Schmillson by Harry Nillson.
Favourite Revisited Album: The Diary of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys. I listened to this album a TON within the early 2000s, and I believe it’s among the finest R&B albums of its period. It’s the good mix of sturdy songwriting, uncooked expertise, and producers who understood the way to form this album to perfection. I nonetheless hum these songs to myself on a regular basis.
Aspect be aware: revisiting this album made me lookup Jermaine Paul, her backup singer on this album and her dwell Unplugged album, who actually sang circles round her at any time when attainable (particularly on the dwell model of “Diary” on Unplugged) and went on to win season two of The Voice. Seems he’s now a pastor in Bridgeport, Connecticut?!
Favourite Songs: “The Rain” by Led Zeppelin, “Love is a Wild Factor” by Kacey Musgraves, “Amy” by Elton John, “21 Questions” by 50 Cent, “Edith and the Kingpin” by Joni Mitchell, “Lady from the North Nation” by Bob Dylan.
Get the playlist: I’m making a playlist of my favourite songs from the five hundred albums — most one per album — on Spotify. You may take heed to it right here.
Lowlight of the Month: Q: Are We Not Males? A: We Are Devo! by Devo. By means of this problem I’ve realized that I don’t care for brand spanking new wave in any respect — if it’s pop- and punk-adjacent inside 5 years of 1980, I hate it. However this album simply aggravated the hell out of me, begin to end. I hated their voices, the music, the lyrics, every little thing.
Additionally, I used to be irked that Rolling Stone selected a four-album field set of Merle Haggard’s biggest hits for the record. Actually, you’ll be able to’t consider one in all his common albums that was higher than the others? Placing a four-hour and forty-five-minute album on the record is taking the piss, for actual.
And I had a seven-hour prepare journey that day, so I listened to the entire rattling factor in a single sitting. Sort of out of spite.
Random Music Ideas: Each the Buzzcocks and the Pharcyde have a music referred to as “Oh Shit.”
And all alongside I assumed the Jackass theme music was one thing unique created for the present. Seems it’s the music “Corona” by Minutemen, whose album Double Nickels on the Dime was on the record this month.
What I Learn This Month
I’ve felt a bit embarrassed that my studying fell off SO a lot in recent times. At first I mentioned it was as a result of I used to be working so arduous on my New Hampshire website; from there it snowballed into “I’m doing an excessive amount of.” However I’m making an attempt to get again into it, for actual for actual.
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Cash and Your Life by Invoice Perkins (2020) — This ebook could be very well-liked in private finance boards, and I at all times seeing individuals check with it, so I used to be glad to lastly learn it. The ebook encourages you to spend all of your cash when you’re nonetheless alive — and extra importantly, to have the fitting experiences on the proper time.
It’s the half concerning the experiences that rang so true for me, and I’ve been planning my very own journeys this fashion. I’m SO glad I did a lot backpacking in my twenties after I didn’t thoughts hostel dorms. However as you age, it is best to prioritize doing extra of your bodily journeys, as a result of it gained’t be as straightforward doing them later. Save cruises and safaris for whenever you’re older. Whenever you’re actually outdated, you almost certainly gained’t need to go very far in any respect.
The ebook additionally makes an awesome level about leaving cash to your children — that they’ll get a LOT extra out of a smaller present at age 30 to assist purchase a home than their full inheritance at age 55 or 60, when their life is slowing down.
I believe everybody can get loads out of this ebook — specifically, sketching out totally different eras in your individual life and what targets to prioritize throughout every of them.
Higher Than Earlier than: What I Discovered About Making and Breaking Habits — to Sleep Extra, Stop Sugar, Procrastinate Much less, and Usually Construct a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin (2015) — Gretchen Rubin is known for The Happiness Mission, researching what makes people really completely satisfied, and the way we are able to put it into motion. On this ebook, she dives into behavior formation.
Now, I’ve learn behavior formation books earlier than, together with James Clear’s highly regarded ebook Atomic Habits. However I believe that is one of the best behavior formation ebook I’ve ever learn. What makes it so good? I like Gretchen Rubin’s writing fashion. I like how she divides individuals into 4 kinds of totally different behaviors, quite than assuming a one-size-fits-all framework for everybody. I like how the ebook is an element memoir and half self-development tome. And I like how she shares tales from plenty of totally different individuals in her life.
Now, Gretchen Rubin and I are very totally different individuals. She states outright that she doesn’t look after music, meals, video games, or vogue. She generally is a bit inflexible. And I believe that’s behind a few of the destructive evaluations of this ebook. However she’s not asking you to be her good friend. She’s asking to you check out what she found. For me, that is the primary time I noticed why it’s a lot simpler for me to abstain from issues than to dwell carefully.
I Hope This Finds You Nicely by Natalie Sue (2024) — On this novel, Jolene is a depressed 20-something Persian Canadian working a boring workplace job and sending her coworkers insults in hidden in white textual content in her emails. When her messages are found, she’s pressured to have her emails monitored — however in a tech mishap, she abruptly will get entry to each inbox within the firm. Jolene decides to make use of this to her benefit, studying everybody’s emails to get forward in her profession and enhance her work relationships.
I preferred this ebook, however felt it might have gone in some higher instructions. In reality, I believe it could have been higher not getting in a romantic course in any respect. I did benefit from the characters within the workplace and the proper descriptions of workplace politics, and the work Jolene did to make her life higher. There are some comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant is Utterly Nice, which I believe is a significantly better ebook.
The 10X Rule: The Solely Distinction Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone (2011) — You know the way most enterprise books might primarily be a weblog put up? This can be a enterprise ebook that would have been a tweet.
“Work 10x more durable than anybody else. Set targets 10x larger than anybody else.” Growth. You bought as a lot out of the ebook as I did.
Moreover, I hated that it was written on this terrible, virtually singsongy voice, and that he doesn’t embody any examples of anybody within the ebook apart from himself. Full waste of time.
Coming Up in September 2025
Lastly, it’s time for my massive journey journey of the yr. I’ll be spending a lot of the month in Mauritius, Réunion, and Madagascar!
I’ll be touring in Mauritius and Réunion solo, for a number of days every. No, this isn’t a super period of time. Initially I used to be simply going to go to Réunion for a number of days, however then Air France moved my flight again and I noticed I now had JUUUUST sufficient time to go to each islands. And so they’re solely a 45-minute flight aside…
So it will likely be a little bit of a teaser go to for each locations.
I made a decision to not drive in Mauritius, in opposition to typical knowledge, as a result of I’ll be arriving after an in a single day flight in financial system the place I virtually definitely gained’t have slept one wink, and I don’t assume it’s protected for me to drive in that state, not to mention on the left facet of the highway for the primary time ever. I’ll be staying in Flic en Flac and Grand Baie, and I’ve a non-public tour of the southwest sooner or later.
In Réunion, I will likely be driving, partly as a result of a three-day automobile rental is identical value as a one-way taxi to my lodge in St. Gilles, however sooner or later I hope to affix a tour to Cilaos within the inside. Réunion has such a dramatic panorama and I can’t wait to take all of it in.
After which comes the BIG a part of the journey — greater than two weeks in Madagascar! I’m touring on this tour with Rock My Journey, run by blogger Helen in Wanderlust. Helen is an Africa specialist and I’ve heard her excursions are unbelievable.
I booked this tour greater than a yr in the past as a result of the itinerary appealed to me a lot, with time within the locations I wished to go to essentially the most — the Tsingy, the Avenue of the Baobabs, and many time within the islands off Nosy Be. Plus there’s a two-day river tenting journey and LOTS of overland driving on not-quite-roads. I’m just a little bit nervous — and tremendous excited.
