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I really feel like yearly I’m trying ahead to the winter till it really begins to occur. Just as quickly as the primary actual chill units in and it’s time to transition away from mid-weight peacoats to full-on winter coats, it hits me — can I do a complete season of this?
We’re not going to Mexico this winter. We missed the cats an excessive amount of final 12 months, and likewise realized that it doesn’t make sense to go away in January, one in all our busiest work months of the 12 months.
Instead, a Prague winter. Walks by parks crammed with barren bushes. Evening snuggles with kittens and cups of tea. Doing all errands by 3:30 PM because the solar is down shortly after. A wanted season of quiet.
But there isn’t any such factor as dangerous climate — solely dangerous garments. And with that, I dug out my Uniqlo thermals for the season. I’ll have purchased them for my journey to Antarctica in 2018, however they’re equally helpful when searching European Christmas markets.
And we’re already making tentative plans to go to Sicily for every week or so in February. Having a little bit of sunshine to stay up for makes all of the distinction.
Destinations Visited
Prague, Czech Republic
Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal
Reading, Beverly, Woburn, Braintree, and Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Tamworth, North Conway, Jackson, Wolfeboro, Loudon, Manchester, and Salem, New Hampshire
Highlights
A stunning weekend getaway to Lisbon. Charlie and I made a decision to satisfy up for a number of days after his firm’s group assembly in Sevilla and earlier than I flew to Boston. An important thought! I hadn’t been to Lisbon in about 10 years, throughout which I used to be an especially low-budget backpacker.
It was so good spending time with my Lisbon buds, attempting out scrumptious eating places and hitting up wine bars. The climate wasn’t the best, however the metropolis was invigorating.
We additionally spent a day in Sintra — an uncharacteristically foggy afternoon in Sintra! We didn’t go all out on exploration, however wandered round and bought to see a number of of the palaces.
And I had some ideas. Lisbon and Prague have an identical value of residing. But I believe issues are typically extra organized and work significantly better in Prague. Then once more, Lisbon has rather more sunshine. How would you worth that trade-off?
Fun instances in Prague. My first-ever go to to the Narodni Museum (National Museum), and the spotlight for me was its cool assortment of rocks and minerals. And in the future the climate was superbly sunny and foggy on the identical time, which made for uncommon photographs!
A pleasant journey residence for Thanksgiving. It was nice to see my household and have all of the meals, spend time with associates, and I bought QUITE quite a few errands performed over that weeklong journey!
My twentieth highschool reunion. 20 years!! I can’t imagine it’s been that lengthy. But it was a fantastic occasion. We had about 80 folks there, and it was nice catching up with everybody. It’s at all times a pleasing shock to learn how lots of my classmates learn my weblog!
This was additionally my first time masking at a big indoor occasion the place just about everybody was unmasked. I didn’t need a repeat of the convention a number of months in the past the place dozens of individuals bought COVID.
My good friend Beth and I had been the one ones in masks (we did take them off for photographs), and truthfully, it was no massive deal. Well-worth hedging in opposition to long-term COVID injury.
A enjoyable New Hampshire day with my dad. I wished to cowl some vacation occasions this 12 months on the New Hampshire website, so we attended the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour in Jackson and the Gift of Lights in Loudon, plus gallivanting to the Moat Mountain Brewery, North Conway, Chocorua Lake, Tamworth Distilling, and Lone Wolfe Brewery (which I had lengthy wished to cowl on my New Hampshire Breweries information).
Finding wedding ceremony footwear. I used to be dreading the marriage shoe search, since a bout with tendinitis 15 years in the past has left me needing good arch help always. And formal footwear with good arch help are robust to seek out.
Well, what have you learnt…I discovered a pair of gold wedges lined with rhinestones for simply $49.99 at DSW! They aren’t orthotic, however they’ll do exactly nice!
I additionally bought my wedding ceremony earrings (tremendous glamorous and dangly to go together with the Old Hollywood vibes), a hair comb, a beaded white purse (why not?), and Charlie and I settled on the bridesmaid colours: 5 dusty, dreamy lilacs and blues.
I did my hair and make-up trial for the Boston wedding ceremony, which I believed was early at eight months out, till my artist advised me she has some folks do it a 12 months or extra out (which appears insane). I employed the identical artist who did my sister’s hair and make-up for her wedding ceremony in September. It’s so nice to have somebody who will get your imaginative and prescient and runs with it.
Challenges
Getting a chilly close to the tip of my time in Massachusetts. Thankfully not COVID this time. Just grossness.
The Gift of Lights was…odd. One of the vacation occasions in New Hampshire I wished to cowl was the Gift of Lights, a present on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. You drive onto the speedway and drive by a lot of gentle shows, together with tunnels.
First off, we did it within the rain, which technically may nonetheless be okay, although not optimum. While this allowed us to drive by the course at a a lot sooner fee than traditional, this course was extremely complicated with none drivers there! We couldn’t work out the place to show numerous the time. And the lights? They had been…nice. Displays within the form of Santa and stuff.
I do know numerous NH folks love taking their youngsters to Gift of Lights yearly. If that’s your factor, go for it! For me? I’d slightly drive to a elaborate neighborhood that goes all out on decorations.
Blog Posts of the Month
Are the Vök Baths Iceland’s Best Geothermal Spa? — The Vök Baths had been my favourite thermal spa in Iceland! This place remains to be fairly new, so I extremely advocate checking it out for those who’re driving the Ring Road.
24 Fabulous Things to Do in Sayulita, Mexico — I like the occasion seashore city of Sayulita, and I believe it’s an particularly good vacation spot for elder millennials! Here’s why it makes a fantastic place to go to over the winter.
A Guide to the Gorgeous Tröllaskagi Peninsula, North Iceland — Want a extremely spectacular detour from the Ring Road? Check out Tröllaskagi, a peninsula lined with jagged mountains, cute small cities, a superb swimming pool overlooking a fjord, and maybe the perfect museum in Iceland, the Herring Era Museum.
This Month on Patreon
On the Adventurous Kate Patreon, I publish unique content material and never-told tales which you can entry for $6 per thirty days. We even have a personal Facebook group and members get free entry to the Book Club every month.
So…this month, would you prefer to see some wedding ceremony attire? You’ll see some wedding ceremony attire!
I didn’t put up my precise wedding ceremony costume, however I wrote a publish sharing a number of of the marriage attire I attempted on that DID NOT make the minimize for varied causes. Quite a lot of the wacky ones from BHLDN.
Book Club This Month
I’m holding off on the subsequent e-book membership till late January, as a result of everybody having busy vacation schedules. I’ll let you recognize after we’re able to go.
New Hampshire Way Update
I anticipated that this is able to be a gradual month on New Hampshire Way, my New Hampshire journey website, and for essentially the most half this was correct. Foliage season led to mid-October, and November is form of the center floor earlier than the vacations kick into gear.
Covering vacation actions is an enormous precedence of mine, for each advert causes (highest advert charges of the 12 months are in December) and since so lots of New Hampshire’s largest vacation occasions have scant on-line protection at greatest.
So I revealed my information to Christmas actions in New Hampshire in 2022, and proper now it’s the highest publish on New Hampshire Way and ranks #1 on Google for “Christmas in New Hampshire”!
Two new posts this month that you could be get pleasure from: 27 Incredible New Hampshire Cabins with Hot Tubs (sure, we went by the checklist rigorously to ensure every of those cabins really has an excellent sizzling tub) and Best Bakeries in Portsmouth, NH (together with one in all my favorites, Popovers on the Square).
But you recognize what’s going wild? My information to New Hampshire water parks. Because actually everyone seems to be googling “indoor water parks in New Hampshire” proper now!
And I’m excited that my subsequent fee from Mediavine, the January fee, will embody New Hampshire Way income for the primary time!
What I Listened To This Month
I like Leslie Jones — and she or he now has a podcast! It’s referred to as The Fckry (The Fuckery) and it’s fabulous; the podcast format was made for her.
And the episode that she did with the Pod Save America guys proper earlier than the midterms might be the toughest I’ve ever laughed at a podcast. I used to be the weirdo strolling across the neighborhood and randomly bursting into laughter ever few steps.
I gained’t give something away, nevertheless it’s properly value a hear, even post-midterms!
What I Watched This Month
The Crown. Not fairly completed with the season but, nevertheless it’s at all times unbelievable. The new solid is nice, however Dominic West is WAY too sizzling to credibly play Prince Charles (and truthfully, Charles will get fairly a constructive edit this season).
The episode about Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend made me sob. They cherished one another a lot, may by no means be collectively, and by no means stopped loving one another, even of their ultimate years.
And this month I used to be launched to Below Deck. My fiancé Charlie can’t stand actuality TV…however he instantly bought massively into this actuality present concerning the crew who work on luxurious constitution yachts, and bought me to look at it with him. Apparently there are one million completely different spin-offs world wide.
I completely love all the main points of the background work the crew do for visitors, each the fantastic visitors and the tough ones. Not a lot into the interpersonal drama. But I’m certain we’ll proceed following rather more of this actuality present!
What I Read This Month
We are coming to the conclusion of my slowest studying 12 months prior to now decade, I’m sorry to say. At first I wasn’t certain the way to take care of this, however now I’m rather more at peace with it contemplating that I’ve used the spare time to construct a whole new web site (New Hampshire Way). Here’s what I learn this month:
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney (2022) — Comedian Rob Delaney’s two-year-old son Henry died of a mind tumor a number of years in the past. This is the story of Henry’s life, his sickness, and the that means of all of it. And that is in contrast to any grief memoir you’ve ever learn. It tells Henry’s story in a round narrative and is commonly laugh-out-loud humorous, filled with rage, and quietly devastating, typically all on the identical time.
What an unbelievable e-book — my favourite of the 12 months. Rob is among the creators and writers of Catastrophe, and for those who’ve seen it, you recognize that he’s a grasp of blending comedy with darkish, far-too-real relationship moments. This e-book is trustworthy and visceral in a means that I discovered actually comforting.
I’m grateful to Rob, and grateful to Henry. They’ve left a mark upon me ceaselessly.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) — This post-apocalyptic novel opens 20 years after a pandemic killed off 99.9% of the inhabitants. Kirsten is a performer with the Traveling Symphony, a bunch that performs Shakespeare and classical music to settlements scattered across the Great Lakes area. Soon they encounter a harmful prophet. The story flips backwards and forwards in time, connecting a string of characters.
Quite a lot of post-apocalyptic books scare and upset me (none extra so than Cormac McCarthy’s The Road), however this e-book was so completely different. It was uplifting. It was mild. It left me hopeful, even within the face of a lot horror. You know an writer is presented when she’s in a position to do this!
I’m so excited to dive into extra of Emily St. John Mandel’s books and even completed Sea of Tranquility in early December. And Station Eleven has change into a miniseries on HBO. I’m excited to dive into that, too.
An Ocean Apart by Sarah Lee (2022) — The 12 months is 1954 and sisters Connie and Ruby have set out on a steamship from Barbados to England, the place they’ll practice to be nurses for the newly fashioned NHS. Together with their good friend Billie, newly arrived from Jamaica, the younger girls leap headfirst into their new lives.
My good friend Sarah wrote this e-book, and I’m so glad for her! She based mostly a lot of the e-book on her mom’s migration from Barbados to England. This time interval is named the Windrush Generation, the mid-century time interval when many Caribbeans immigrated to Britain to rebuild following World War II.
I cherished these three women and their tales as they wrestle with work, love, and acclimating to a totally new nation — and I knew nothing about this technology and second in time. It was so good to spend time with them.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (2022) — The world knew that Matthew Perry struggled with dependancy for a lot of his time on Friends — however the reality was a lot darker. In this memoir, he tells a narrative of his lifelong loneliness that led to alcohol and prescription drug abuse, resulting in detox after detox and rehab after rehab.
Okay. This e-book bought numerous press, not all of it constructive. Here’s what I believe: you’ll end this e-book realizing that dependancy is a illness and a few folks, like him, are predisposed to a horrible, terrible model of it. I really feel for him.
And the dangerous. Yes, he wished the beloved Keanu Reeves was useless as an alternative of River Phoenix, which was crude and extremely ill-advised, contemplating how shut Keanu and River had been and the way destroyed Keanu was by his demise. I significantly surprise how an editor allowed that to occur.
But past that, I hated how Perry talked about girls. He noticed each lady as a possible conquest. They had been at all times heart-stoppingly stunning, they usually wouldn’t give him the time of day, and he could be upset. I believe the one time he stated one thing a few lady that wasn’t about her appears was when he briefly talked about that Lisa Kudrow was “smart.” That was it.
This was most likely the only most bitter e-book I’ve learn. He claims to be sober now. More than something, I need him to be. But I’m not satisfied he’s.
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (2022) — Alice is about to show 40 and is feeling mediocre about her life — her relationship is a dud, her job is a dead-end, and her father is ailing within the hospital. But on the evening of her birthday, she finds herself transported again to her sixteenth birthday, alongside her vibrant 40-something father, and she or he realizes she has the prospect to do issues over.
I loved this e-book. As a lot because it’s a time journey fantasy, it’s actually extra about Alice’s relationship together with her father and the issues she learns by touring in time (repeatedly). And it is a GREAT e-book about New York City. Alice’s childhood house is on Pomander Walk, this pretty little pedestrian-only avenue on the Upper West Side lined with attention-grabbing houses.
Coming Up in December 2022
It’s Christmas market time! You guys know I’m nuts for Christmas in Europe, whilst somebody who’s not too into Christmas in America. It’s simply one million instances higher right here. Gluhwein, sausage, gingerbread, and good cheer with out the stress to spend a lot of cash
And many cities haven’t had Christmas markets since 2019. Markets within the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany all closed on the final minute in 2021 as a result of Omicron (although I did squeeze in a go to to the Budapest Christmas Markets, which stayed open). And after all, every little thing was closed in 2020.
So I’m excited to get all Christmassy once more. Charlie and I are planning a weekend practice journey to Vienna, a metropolis we’ve each visited many instances, however by no means for Christmas. Vienna has among the greatest Christmas markets in Europe.
Beyond that, I’d squeeze in a day journey to Dresden or an in a single day journey to Nuremburg, two of the perfect German Christmas markets. That’s an enormous possibly, however who is aware of? And, after all, the Prague Christmas markets are again!
We plan to rejoice Friendsmas in type at our favourite restaurant and residential away from residence, Kantyna, at one in all their decadent Dinner Off the Bone occasions. This 12 months Charlie and I shall be spending the precise Christmas vacation in London together with his household, then coming residence for New Year’s.
What are you as much as this month? Share away!
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