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The month began with per week in Sicily and ended with a model new, utterly unexpected product launch. Fabulous!
Let’s check out what made February nice.
Destinations Visited
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Palermo, Monreale, Castellammare del Golfo, Mazara del Vallo, Marsala, Erice, San Vito Lo Capo, Scopello, Calatafimi, and Balestrate, Italy
Highlights
Launching Passport to Confident Solo Female Travel was an unbelievable experience! I’m going to jot down about this within the “Side Projects Update” part additional down.
A enjoyable journey to Western Sicily. This was going to be our winter 2023 escape — 10 days in Sicily, primarily based in Palermo for more often than not, then some driving round and exploring!
First off — the climate sadly was not on our facet, which I’ll go into within the “Challenges” part, and sadly that put a damper on a lot of the journey. But there was lots of nice stuff, too.
Palermo is one among my new favourite locations in Italy. It’s such a cool metropolis — energetic and pleasant but surprisingly chilled (and way more low-key than I anticipated — I believed it will be like Naples). It’s additionally FANTASTIC worth for cash, the place you may eat extraordinarily properly for below 10 euros and get an enormous, filling arancini for a euro.
We dove into Sicilian meals, hardcore. Palermo has lots of uncommon dishes that you simply received’t discover elsewhere in Sicily, and we labored our manner by way of an extended checklist I had put collectively. Expect the massive Sicilian meals put up quickly!
Beyond Palermo, we bought to go to a number of cool cities. Erice was a spotlight — a lovely hill city perched up within the clouds, with spectacular views from above. And San Vito Lo Capo is a spot I need to return to in summer time — a North African-flavored city with beautiful cliffs alongside the seashore and sq. whitewashed buildings on the town.
The Segesta ruins had been fairly cool, too, and I’m not a giant ruins particular person ordinarily. The view from the amphitheater on prime of the hill is spectacular!
Finally making it to Lumina Park. You would possibly recall that final month Charlie and I had been supposed to fulfill our pals at an Alice in Wonderland-themed outside gentle present — then we bought trapped within the snow behind a fence!
We made it right here this monthand it was enjoyable strolling round at midnight round gentle sculptures of enjoying playing cards, mushrooms, and the Cheshire Cat.
Finding a pair of marriage ceremony sneakers I truly love. I can’t put on most heels on account of arch points in my proper foot, so formal sneakers are at all times a ache. This month I discovered a pair of low gold peep-toe heels from French model Jonak. On sale, too!
They have a stunning retro look and can work for the authorized Prague marriage ceremony and the massive Prague marriage ceremony. (I’ll nonetheless preserve the gold wedges I purchased in Massachusetts for the Boston marriage ceremony, because the ceremony can be on grass.)
Challenges
Sicily was SO MUCH COLDER THAN I EXPECTED. As we deliberate our journey, it appeared like temperatures had been going to be round 55 F (13 C). And it WAS like that the primary day and a half. And the final day.
But in between the climate turned chilly and wet. It was across the low 40s F (5 C). And buildings in Sicily are BARELY insulated in any respect — every day, Charlie and I went to work in our eating room, carrying layers of sweaters and piles of blankets!
You’d suppose it will be higher if we went out to a restaurant or cafe. Nope! Freezing chilly air got here in between the home windows and partitions! Bars and cafes left their doorways open all day and simply stayed as chilly as attainable!
The solely time I used to be heat on that journey was once we had been in our automotive. At least we might flip the warmth up in there!
But this serves as a precious lesson — to me, and to you. The Mediterranean could also be “nice” in winter — however it will likely be a lot colder than you suppose it will likely be. Bring all of your layers and put on all of them. And keep in a metropolis, not a village, as a result of there may be one bar open and that’s it.
Murray has stopped pooping within the litter field. This has been laborious to take care of so I’d like to solicit my cat house owners for suggestions, you probably have any. Murray has at all times peed within the litter field advantageous, however he’s not at all times been nice about pooping — he would usually stand within the litter and poop off the facet, or often poop on the bathtub mat.
But now he’s began pooping in entrance of the entrance door on a regular basis (man, that’s enjoyable to come back house to). We bought him an extra litter field subsequent to the entrance door, and he managed to make use of it as soon as…whereas pooping off the facet. Ah, Murray. Any tricks to repair this??
The US Embassy tousled my marriage paperwork. They listed Charlie as a Czech citizen slightly than a British citizen.
That initially led me into an unlimited freak-out, as you may solely get Embassy notary appointments a month upfront and Czechs want worldwide marriage paperwork lengthy earlier than the marriage date — however I contacted the Embassy and so they simply let me pop in and bought me new paperwork free of charge. How about that.
Blog Posts of the Month
23 Fabulous Things to Do in Palermo, Italy, Sicily’s Sizzling Capital — I actually liked my time in Palermo! It’s one among my new favourite Italian cities, and it wasn’t very like I anticipated to be.
40 Italy Landmarks To Experience Once in Your Lifetime — My blogger colleagues helped me with this collab put up, highlighting a few of the coolest spots in Italy.
This Month on Patreon
On the Adventurous Kate Patreon, I publish unique content material and never-told tales that you would be able to entry for $6 monthly. We even have a personal Facebook group and members get free entry to the Book Club every month.
This month on Patreon my lengthy kind put up was about Sicily within the chilly — and the realities you face when visiting the Mediterranean in winter, as a result of the climate isn’t at all times pretty much as good as you anticipate!
I additionally printed a preview of a BIG BIG BIG journey I booked for August — a solo journey to what can be one of the adventurous locations I’ve ever visited. This journey goes to be NUTS, in a great way!
I additionally gave my patrons a free copy of my new $5 Mexico information that I’ll be promoting shortly.
And they bought an extra 50% off Passport to Confident Solo Female Travel.
Book Club This Month
Our subsequent guide membership will happen on Sunday, April 16, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. (FYI, this present day occurs to be Orthodox Easter.) We can be studying The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories by Afghan-American creator Jamil Jan Kochai.
“Pen/Hemingway finalist Jamil Jan Kochai breathes life into his contemporary Afghan characters, moving between modern-day Afghanistan and the Afghan diaspora in America. In these arresting stories verging on both comedy and tragedy, often starring young characters whose bravado is matched by their tenderness, Kochai once again captures “a singular, resonant voice, an American teenager raised by Old World Afghan storytellers.”
In “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” a younger man’s online game expertise turns right into a surreal exploration on his personal father’s recollections of struggle and occupation. Set in Kabul, “Return to Sender” follows two married docs pushed by guilt to go away the US and care for his or her fellow Afghans, even when their very own son disappears. A university scholar within the US in “Hungry Ricky Daddy” starves himself in protest of Israeli violence in opposition to Palestine. And within the title story, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak,” we study the story of a person codenamed Hajji, from the attitude of a authorities surveillance employee, who turns into entrenched within the immigrant household’s life.
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories is a transferring exploration of characters grappling with the ghosts of struggle and displacement—and one which speaks to the fast political panorama we reckon with immediately.”
You can join the guide membership right here. Patreon members have their very own sign-up within the Patreon.
Side Projects Update
This month I got here up with the thought for a brand new product from scratch — Passport to Confident Solo Female Travel — and did a full launch. Imagine ranging from zero and going to a totally created, bought, and launched product — and promoting greater than 70 copies!
How I used to be truly ready to try this is one thing I’m going to debrief within the Patreon.
But now I’m wanting towards the long run. People who purchase this product get lifetime entry and all updates, and I’m already planning how it will likely be up to date for the following launch.
That took up many of the month, although I did publish Things to Do in Hanover, NH and Things to Do in Concord, NH on New Hampshire Way, my New Hampshire web site.
Things have been a bit extra quiet on my new area of interest web site that I haven’t revealed but — simply persevering with to publish content material. We have 18 posts dwell and some are already rating on the primary web page of Google!
What I Watched This Month
At this level, I’m eternally hooked on Below Deck. How is that this present SO ENTERTAINING?! I can’t imagine I didn’t comprehend it existed till after a dozen seasons had come and gone!
We are at the moment on Season 8 of authentic Below Deck, the place the blackout drunk visitor Delores jumped overboard at evening in opposition to the Captain’s orders, needed to be baby-sat by the crew all evening, and was kicked off the following day. FUN TIMES!
This month we’re additionally working our manner by way of most of the Oscar motion pictures. I particularly liked Everything Everywhere All at Once and can be rooting for it on Oscar evening! I loved Tár too; I really like motion pictures that dive right into a morally compromised fictional character so deeply. The Banshees of Inisherin began out so lovely however turned SO darkish — I didn’t prefer it after its ugly flip.
What I Read This Month
The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley (2023) — Aretha is a success-chasing Black lawyer at a prime agency in New York. When she falls for espresso entrepreneur Aaron, she’s enthusiastic about his brownstone in Brooklyn. Soon she strikes in — and realizes that his roommates are hardcore survivalists, stocking weapons and constructing bunkers and consuming nothing however nutrition-optimized soy.
This was a enjoyable learn. While it was just a little long-winded in occasions, I liked that this was a journey right into a group that places stereotypes on its head — as a substitute of older white dudes in a rural space, these are Black New Yorkers planning for the apocalypse.
One factor that I liked most about Cauley’s writing is how playful it’s. One cater-waiter strikes to Arizona and Cauley imagines her serving tiny items of cactus with the spikes nonetheless in it. Two folks ill-advisedly hook up and Cauley compares them to trekkers efficiently summiting Mount Everest and instantly breaking their very own legs to ensure it by no means, ever occurs once more. Just actually enjoyable stuff.
Scatterlings by Resoketswe Manenzhe (2022) — This novel tells the story of an interracial household in South Africa in 1927 whose lives crumble after the Immorality Act is handed, criminalizing interracial marriage. The mom, Jamaica-born Alisa, poisons herself and makes an attempt to kill each youngsters to spare them from this life; one survives and takes off along with her father as they seek for security.
This was this month’s guide membership choose, and to be utterly trustworthy, none of us had been feeling this guide. It felt prefer it had such audacious ambitions, however ended up shedding itself in such long-winded passages that didn’t transfer the plot ahead. I made certain to decide on one thing a bit extra constructive for this coming month.
Coming Up in March 2023
This month, Charlie and I are heading to Paris for 4 days! It’s Charlie’s birthday and that is what he urged we do. It’s truly his first journey there, ever, so I’m feeling a number of strain to make him fall in love with town!
We have already got just a few actions booked (a day cheese tasting in a cellar, a market tour and charcuterie hunt), however for probably the most half, we’ll be exploring, chilling, and consuming good meals.
If you might have any particular suggestions for Paris — particularly in the event that they’re comparatively new locations — I’d love to listen to them.
What are your plans for March? Share away!