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Half 'n Half

    Education Language

    Johnny with 2 Ns, a beginner’s mentality & curiosity in the classroom

    October 4, 2021

    I peered over my student’s shoulder. I saw the black inked letters J-O-N-Y printed on the white name tag I’d folded and placed on each student’s desk. My student, otherwise known to his Czech classmates as Jonáš,* looked at me for approval. I am Johnny, he told me. Is it right?  I grinned. Yes, that’s right. Just add an “H” and double the “N.” Johnny looked puzzled. H like horse, I said. N like nose. I pointed to the letters…

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  • A young Babi with Deda
    Multicultural Family

    Grief 101: How My Daughter and I Mourned Death Together in Quarantine

    When we heard the news of Babi’s death, we were on a family bike ride, wearing face masks and keeping our distance from other Czechs who had also escaped to the countryside that Saturday…

    May 15, 2020
  • students' clay faces hanging on a school's fence
    Education Language

    Why our tech world needs kids who craft

    Whether it’s playing a lively game of Guess in 10, using Rory Story Cubes to tell a make-believe narrative, or simply providing a crafting workspace and keeping my mouth shut when my boys swipe…

    March 13, 2020
  • a passport drawn by a child
    Multicultural Family Travel

    The Passport Game

    In the age of Trump, when fear, nationalism, and racism have spread from the United States outward toward Europe and beyond, even raising my children in a fairytale village outside of Prague still doesn’t…

    January 30, 2020
  • Our family sitting with Kathleen at a table
    Holidays Multicultural Family

    At the Black Horse Pub

    Years from now, I bet I will have forgotten how many times my children asked, "Can we go already?" during our three-day whirlwind in NYC. But I am pretty sure we will all remember…

    January 23, 2020
  • Autumn Outdoor Life Travel

    Wet Feet in the Jizera Mountains

    There is a part of me that will always want to register for a planned race – to know the variables I am up against and to gauge my chances against known odds. But,…

    October 25, 2019
  • Czech Culture & Adaptation Education

    When Back to School Nerves Strike Mom

    It’s a few nights before school starts in the Czech Republic. My children are sprawled across their beds, breathing soundly. It’s me that can’t sleep. I could blame my restlessness on the mini-heat wave.…

    August 29, 2019
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About Me

About Me

When I’m not teaching English or writing stories, you can find me biking or running on Czech trails, looking for mushrooms, or skiing in the mountains. In summer, my family likes camping, rafting, and paddle-boarding in the Czech Republic (and beyond). Although we love to explore new places, visits to my US hometown are also favorite travel experiences. Read More

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“In the Czech language, there is an old proverb, “In the Czech language, there is an old proverb, Kolik jazyků umíš, tolikrát jsi člověkem. Translated directly, it means, The more languages you speak, the more times you are human. While I don’t know how to measure how many times a person can be human, I like the idea that by learning to communicate in a different language, we can discover a part of ourselves we didn’t know existed. We can discover that being human means we are more alike than different.” - from this week’s Half ‘n Half. ### ### Find the full story about my recent return to teaching in a Czech elementary school on the Half ‘n Half homepage. #halfnhalfprague
Last weekend I had the chance to stretch my bounda Last weekend I had the chance to stretch my boundaries - both physical and mental - on a 3-day girls’ hike in the Austrian Alps. When I was invited to join the trip months ago, I said, “Yes!” without hesitation. Hiking from cottage to cottage with only a backpack sounded like an adventure. It reminded of my Appalachian Trail section hike with two girlfriends (over 20 years ago). * * * However, as my Czech friends exchanged excited messages in the weeks before our departure, I started to have second thoughts. Could I manage the daily distance (cc 14-16 km)? What if my “bad” knee didn’t hold up? Would I slow my friends down? Would it be awkward to have one English speaking American in a group of Czechs? In the end, I decided it was an experience I wanted to try, so I packed my backpack - bandaids, blister cream, rain poncho and chocolate chip cookies. Our unofficial trip leader made a back-up plan for me (locating distances to the nearest bus stops) in case my knee started acting up. Luckily, I didn’t need it. Although my knees were sore, and I descended slower than most of the group, it didn’t matter. My friends waited. When we got to trickier sections, I told myself that I could do it, if I just followed in the footsteps of the person in front of me. And I did. * * * The scenery was amazing (pictures compliments of our unofficial trip leader) and the camaraderie even better. Despite being nervous trying something new, I was so grateful for the chance to challenge my limits and see a bit more of our beautiful world. 🏔💚🏔 #halfnhalfprague
Butterflies & Berries in my garden today 💚💜 Butterflies & Berries in my garden today 💚💜 #babileto, #sunnyseptemberday #halfnhalfprague, #indiansummer
Happy 1st day of school to students and teachers i Happy 1st day of school to students and teachers in the Czech Republic tomorrow! I’m super excited (and more than a touch nervous) to be back in the classroom, too. As per CZ custom, tomorrow’s school lasts only one hour, after which stationery shops are overrun with kids buying school supplies and cafes are busy serving celebratory desserts and ice creams. Hoping for a good year on all fronts. #halfnhalfprague, #teachersdesk, #teflteacher
Cousin camp 2021 😎😎😎Whether riding the wa Cousin camp 2021 😎😎😎Whether riding the waves, running circles around my brother’s pups, catching minnows, playing poker or jumping on the trampoline, these kids (who are now all in double digits!!!) stuck together. We had fun just watching them in action. #cousincamp, #halfnhalfprague
When we first saw Rangeley Lake, it reminded us of When we first saw Rangeley Lake, it reminded us of an enormous Macha Lake in Czechia (about an hour from home). A few key differences - no kayaks or motorized boats apart from local ferries on Macha - only paddleboards and windsurfers. We paddled all the way to an island on the far side of the Rangeley Lake without seeing any other boaters, only to be greeted by No Trespassing Private Island signs. Wet, hungry and tired, we ate our sandwiches and tipped the water from our boats off the island dock. When an elderly couple came back on their boat from a mail run to the main island, they yelled, “Are you all okay?” We thanked them for the short use of their dock, and as we paddled back to our side, our kids said, “People in Maine are so friendly.” #lakekayaking, #rangeleylake, #halfnhalfprague
Hiking Tuckerman Ravine and Lion Den trails in the Hiking Tuckerman Ravine and Lion Den trails in the White Mountains (part of the Appalachians) on Mt. Washington, the highest peak in The Northeast. Despite a storm blowing in, the views were still breathtaking. We hiked through an alpine ravine that still had snow and scrambled over more wet rocks and boulders than I’ve ever encountered on a hike. Gusty winds on the ridge line kept us moving. #halfnhalfprague #abovethetreeline #hikingwithkids
We were delighted to spend this holiday weekend wi We were delighted to spend this holiday weekend with our favorite travel adventurers, Grana & Opa (scroll right for a good shot of them). Despite grey rainy skies for much of the trip, we’ve had fun exploring Maine, eating local and hanging out together. Although fog rolled in at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the skies cleared up for our coastal hike to Sand Beach. Acadia is breathtakingly beautiful, and we’re hoping for blue skies and smooth waters next time. #halfnhalfprague
This is how Oli & Opa (my dad) spent the morning o This is how Oli & Opa (my dad) spent the morning of the 4th. They gave their catches to a family who was going to grill. 🐠#halfnhalfprague
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Halfnhalf-life.com is a personal blog (and portfolio website) of stories written by me. The views and opinions expressed on these pages are my own, and all information provided on this site is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Although I have done my best to provide accurate, up-to-date information, from time to time, you may find mistakes. View full disclaimer here.

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Disclaimer

Halfnhalf-life.com is a personal blog (and portfolio website) of stories written by me. The views and opinions expressed on these pages are my own, and all information provided on this site is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Although I have done my best to provide accurate, up-to-date information, from time to time, you may find mistakes. Halfnhalf-life.com makes no claims to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of the information provided and will not be held liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from usage of the content contained. All information is provided on an as-is basis. Articles that appear on this website that were originally written for publication on other online publications are linked to their original sites of publication.