For me, nothing says ‘Tis the Season more than sitting at my computer, sipping a coffee, and squeezing a year’s worth of family photos into 111 pages of a photo book. It’s a process for which I’ve sacrificed hours of sleep in the past decade. It’s time-consuming, solitary, and technologically challenging. My photo book is a self-inflicted, end-of-the-year tradition that I annually lament and take great pride in.…
On the twentieth anniversary of her arrival in Prague, Jessica Kendall Hankiewicz published a book titled Czech Lessons: Reflections on a Post-Communist Society (October 2022). In ten essays and three sets of conversations with…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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.…
Registering to run the Prague May 6th marathon (and its sister half-marathon to be held 4-weeks before), had been a split-second, instinctive decision made on a dark November night, when I was desperate for a…
Each year in early January, Radek and I sat down to map out our family’s adventures and sync our planners (his electronic, mine a hardbound “student’s planner”) until the following September. With three children…
Introducing the sport of cross-country skiing to our avid downhillers…
Seated alone at a table for two, I looked at the faces of the Czech parents crowded at a long table in front of me. I wondered (not for the first time since moving…
When my children were younger, hiking was simple. Sure, we had extra things to pack (milk, diapers, changes of clothes), naptimes to work around, and the occasional temper tantrum to defuse. But, my kids…
Dear Czechia, I hope you don’t mind me calling you Czechia. The Czech Republic seems too formal for a letter between friends. When the hoopla about finding a short name for you made the headlines,…
I should have picked something more Czech, I think as I pace outside the Starbucks café. School has been in session for a few days, and the open-air café space near the traffic circle…
A multi-family trip to wine country (Czech-style)…
Thirteen-year-old Anna laughed when she read aloud the cover of my September Outside Magazine, “Rewilding the American Child.” “What’s this about, Mom,” she said, “How do you ‘rewild’ a kid? Can I read it?"…
Ten years ago, our children claimed the empty lot before we did. You could say they took advantage of the “freedom to roam” act, an act which allows the public in some European countries,…
Ever since I survived my first Czech winter (more than 15 years ago), spring has become one of my favorite times to live in the Czech Republic. As the weather grows warmer and the…
Despite my strong attraction for being outside (in any season), I am at my least-best when asked to work in my garden. I feel particularly conflicted about my lack of gardening enthusiasm because many…
When Radek mentioned he’d like to take me to Paris to celebrate my 40th birthday (which happened to coincide with Easter weekend), it sounded too good to be true. I imagined walking hand in…
It’s Saturday night at our local microbrewery. Radek and I are chatting about the recent Czech presidential election with our neighbors. (Truth: They’re making jokes. I’m listening in hopes of improving my Czech humor.)…
Dear Half 'n Half readers, Sadly, my blog will no longer run on Fridays in The Prague Daily Monitor's Life section. However, a new Half 'n Half website is under construction, and I hope…
How do Czechs feel about expressing endearment (& not just on Valentine's Day)…
I meet Martina at Café IF in Prague’s Vinohrady neighborhood. Café IF is a trendy spot, serving exquisite pastries, fresh smoothies with names like Vitality and Elixir of Youth, and boulangerie breakfasts of quiche…
In our house, it’s common to hear 7-year-old Samuel say, “Mommy, can you zavazovat my tkaničky?” To which I respond, “You want me to help you tie your shoelaces?” “Yep.” He grins. “They got…
Getting away for the weekend is one of my family’s favorite things about life in the Czech Republic. Regardless of the season, once Friday afternoon arrives, we love to hit the road. …
Sometimes, the best part of a holiday comes after the fireworks have been set off, the Christmas tree has been taken down, and the house is quiet again. Right? At least, that’s what I…
For the past three Christmases (and many before that), my family has become temporary caretakers of a large, bottom-dwelling carp. Although having our Christmas dinner swimming in the bathtub a few days before we…
Praising the nice and punishing the naughty…
5 reasons to appreciate life in the Czech Republic (all year long) With Thanksgiving and the arrival of the advent season, my social media pages are packed with posts about gratitude and getting ready…
How signing up for a half marathon in Dresden paved the way for an unexpected travel adventure When I registered to run the Dresden half marathon back in the summer, I hadn’t imagined that…
Staying balanced by teaching English After 15 years of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Prague (with a few gaps for birthing babies), this year I decided to quit. In lieu of…
Embracing the changing season…
#what happens when you stay…
Yielding to the right on Prague's cobblestone streets…
Bringing a third language (and culture) into our family’s linguistic mix…
Transitioning back to life in the Czech Republic…
When school’s out & your children want an adventure…
Why Czechs are ditching their whips to head to the cottage, walk in nature or visit castles instead…
Expat taxes for Americans living & working in the Czech Republic…
Christmas is knocking on our doors…
Three mountain retreats to please Mom, Dad & the kids…
Enjoying simple holiday rituals plus 5 experience-gifts for adventurous kids in Prague (& their parents)…
Weathering the sniffles and keeping fit as temperatures drop…
How the All-American sport of baseball is finding a place of its own with CZ youth…
Dr. Klutz brings his one-man English theater show to schools…
Prague.TV has compiled a list of 10 elementary school must-haves and where to find them…
From camping on the shores of Mácháč to sleeping beneath “rock city” in Czech Paradise…
Sports, arts, science & outdoor camps to keep your child entertained while you’re at work…
11 family friendly play areas (i.e. monkey bars, zip lines & water attractions) for almost-summer days…
The art of slicing carrots and arranging greens I didn’t marry my husband for his salad-making ability, although it was one of the things my mother pointed out to his advantage during his first…
When your child’s best doesn’t make the cut In late April, after the snow thaws but before the lilacs bloom, thousands of Czech students aged 11 – 14, sit for half-day school entrance examinations…
Upmarket vegetarian dining with a world-cuisine approach…
Summertime brings a high volume of relocation to and from the CZ…
Why going to the cottage is still one of the most popular pastimes for Czechs…
And why dim sum with an Italian flair may soon be on his menus…
7 fun alternatives to tablets, mobile phones & television…
What's unique about Czechs born during the 1970s?…
How Maurer’s Top 10 Lists are making smarter eaters & why “Taste Waste” is his new passion…
A random list of personal adaptations to Czech culture from over a decade of life here…
Approaching five years of bringing oysters & innovation to Prague’s seafood scene…
Skiing & skating in Sumava, building Legos in Berlin, touring a snow-covered fortress in Saxon Switzerland & more…
How to maximize your experience when you’re sick, injured or need a doctor’s advice …
Prague.TV’s tips to make the upcoming school registration process smooth…
Settle down on the couch, it’s time for a dose of Czech fairytales…
Get out your rolling pins and cookie cutters, it’s not too late…
American chef & owner Steven Trumpfheller says thanks…
Show off your figure eights at these outdoor and indoor rinks…
How to survive when your child speaks better Czech than you do…
Selecting a school, open house days and entrance exams…
A few things you should know about a busload of preschoolers (and the parents left behind)…
A cable car ride and crossing the Czech/Polish border on foot…
Mecca to the Czechs?…
Changing old Czech stereotypes…
Keeping your child's language skills alive with English books…
Learn to cook like an Italian and meet international friends in a relaxed atmosphere…
The Czech approach to musical training for children…
Even childhood anxiety gets a bi-cultural spin…
Traditional Czech children's toys & hands-on workshops…
With seven years experience, I've learned a few things about what to expect ...…
How CZ cuisine has taught me to appreciate game meat…
Pumpkins at large in the Czech Republic’s autumn scene…
What is so special about the Czech rohlík?…
Overcoming fear and disappointment in the Swiss Alps…
Learning patience, one tea party at a time…
Where to go when your child can’t have a pet of his own…
Sending my daughter to her first sleepaway summer camp in the US…
Or at least, there’s more there than you thought…
Exploring the Český ráj region with children…
Reflecting on 10 years of motherhood in the CZ…
Touring the country's fishpond region on two wheels…
Sunday afternoon science center visit – treat or chore?…
A community event with a fiery twist…
Why I strangely miss Czech stroller culture …
How living so far from my roots actually makes me feel closer.…
For any non-Czech, living in the Czech Republic is a learning process, a series of linguistic and cultural adaptations to a new way of life.…
Adjusting pagan Easter traditions for a modern Czech Easter…
My neighbors joke that I am now Czech. That after living among them for more than ten years, I am one of them. “Už seš naše” (you are ours), they declare with what seems…