Adventurous Kate accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. Should you make a purchase order by way of these hyperlinks, I’ll earn a fee at no additional value to you. Thanks!
This month I turned 41! Within the coronary heart of summer time, I made a number of fast visits round Europe, however stored issues fairly low-key for probably the most half.
From rural Slovakia to city Poland to suburban England, listed below are the perfect 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 massive Croatian blowout for my fortieth birthday final yr, this yr I needed one thing quiet, in nature, accessible by prepare, with a pleasant lodge. And so Charlie and I went to the Excessive Tatras, the beautiful mountainous area of Slovakia!
We stayed on the Grand Kempinski High Tatras, a lodge I’ve needed to remain at for years, which was SUCH a great place for a splurge. The most important spotlight was the lodge spa, which we visited day-after-day. 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 absolutely ready for the realm to be overrun, as we have been visiting on a weekend in early August. But it surely actually wasn’t that dangerous! When mountain climbing, we have 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 intention 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 will do sooner or later: simple nature getaways with mountain climbing and a great 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 improbable, and it was totally different experiencing it from the ground. Total, I feel 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 supply. 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 befell. Oops.
And on the finish of the month, we visited England for our pal’s annual bonfire occasion. It was a really transient 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 reside in. It’s just like the London model of Lexington, Massachusetts, or New Canaan, Connecticut.
Enjoyable occasions in Prague. Dinners with associates, a go to to Letná Beer Backyard, and plenty and plenty of walks across the metropolis….
Challenges
I obtained stung by a wasp for the primary time since I used to be a child. Enjoyable occasions. It landed on my higher arm, obtained crushed towards my physique, and stung.
And there was the time I obtained caught in an epic rainstorm nowhere close to shops that offered umbrellas…
Not a problem, actually, however residing in a spot as trendy and good as Prague type 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 just not solely wanted money for public bogs, you wanted cash. Type of annoying while you’re in every nation for just a few 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 comfortable homicide thriller set in a fully beautiful retirement residence, with 4 actors you like starring as senior residents attempting to unravel a thriller and save their neighborhood. I actually loved it.
Additionally. I lastly watched White Chicks. Yeah. It’s not dangerous when you don’t suppose too laborious about it.
Beneath Deck replace: After a number of months off, Charlie and I obtained 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…advantageous. Not probably the greatest. Captain Jason is such a great chief that it’s academic simply watching him — however he appeared a bit faraway from every thing this time round. The forged have been good, there have been some villains. No horrific company. It was advantageous.
What I Listened To This Month
I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which I’m having fun with immensely. I’m loving discovering new artists and listening to albums I’ve someway missed my complete life till now!
In August, I listened to albums 284-250. I’m formally greater than midway! And to suppose — 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 time Lawns by Joni Mitchell. I’m kicking myself for not entering into Joni Mitchell’s music at a youthful age. She is TRANSCENDENT. And to suppose that is simply the primary of her a number of albums on the record!
I really like how each track on this album is so detailed and distinctive, it might be sufficient for a whole album in its type — but they’re all cohesive. Each track 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 grew to become an enormous fan of her pop-blended nation with a liberal background. I really like that this problem has proven me nation artists I actually love, slightly 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 feel it’s probably the greatest R&B albums of its period. It’s the good mix of sturdy songwriting, uncooked expertise, and producers who understood the best way to form this album to perfection. I nonetheless hum these songs to myself on a regular basis.
Aspect observe: revisiting this album made me search for Jermaine Paul, her backup singer on this album and her reside Unplugged album, who truthfully sang circles round her each time potential (particularly on the reside 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, “Woman 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 can listen to it here.
Lowlight of the Month: Q: Are We Not Males? A: We Are Devo! by Devo. By way of this problem I’ve discovered that I don’t care for brand new wave in any respect — if it’s pop- and punk-adjacent inside 5 years of 1980, I hate it. However this album simply irritated the hell out of me, begin to end. I hated their voices, the music, the lyrics, every 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 certainly one of 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. Type of out of spite.
Random Music Ideas: Each the Buzzcocks and the Pharcyde have a track known as “Oh Shit.”
And all alongside I assumed the Jackass theme track was one thing unique created for the present. Seems it’s the track “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 stated it was as a result of I used to be working so laborious on my New Hampshire website; from there it snowballed into “I’m doing an excessive amount of.” However I’m attempting to get again into it, for actual for actual.
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life by Invoice Perkins (2020) — This e book may 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 e book encourages you to spend all of your cash whilst you’re nonetheless alive — and extra importantly, to have the precise 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 manner. I’m SO glad I did a lot backpacking in my twenties once I didn’t thoughts hostel dorms. However as you age, you need to prioritize doing extra of your bodily journeys, as a result of it gained’t be as simple doing them later. Save cruises and safaris for while you’re older. Once you’re actually previous, you almost certainly gained’t need to go very far in any respect.
The e book additionally makes an excellent 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 feel everybody can get so much out of this e book — particularly, sketching out totally different eras in your personal life and what objectives to prioritize throughout every of them.
Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits — to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin (2015) — Gretchen Rubin is known for The Happiness Mission, researching what makes people really completely happy, and the way we will put it into motion. On this e book, she dives into behavior formation.
Now, I’ve learn behavior formation books earlier than, together with James Clear’s very talked-about e book Atomic Habits. However I feel that is the perfect behavior formation e book I’ve ever learn. What makes it so good? I really like Gretchen Rubin’s writing type. I really like how she divides individuals into 4 varieties of totally different behaviors, slightly than assuming a one-size-fits-all framework for everybody. I really like how the e book is a component memoir and half self-development tome. And I really 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 take care of music, meals, video games, or trend. She could be a bit inflexible. And I feel that’s behind a number of the detrimental opinions of this e book. However she’s not asking you to be her pal. She’s asking to you check out what she found. For me, that is the primary time I spotted why it’s a lot simpler for me to abstain from issues than to reside moderately.
I Hope This Finds You Well 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 compelled 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 appreciated this e book, however felt it might have gone in some higher instructions. The truth is, I feel it might have been higher not moving into a romantic path 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 Completely Fine, which I feel is a significantly better e book.
The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone (2011) — You understand how most enterprise books might basically be a weblog publish? This can be a enterprise e book that might have been a tweet.
“Work 10x more durable than anybody else. Set objectives 10x greater than anybody else.” Increase. You bought as a lot out of the e book as I did.
Moreover, I hated that it was written on this terrible, nearly singsongy voice, and that he doesn’t embrace any examples of anybody within the e book moreover himself. Full waste of time.
Coming Up in September 2025
Lastly, it’s time for my huge journey journey of the yr. I’ll be spending many 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 perfect 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 spotted I now had JUUUUST sufficient time to go to each islands. And so they’re solely a 45-minute flight aside…
So it is going to be a little bit of a teaser go to for each locations.
I made a decision to not drive in Mauritius, towards standard knowledge, as a result of I’ll be arriving after an in a single day flight in economic system the place I nearly definitely gained’t have slept one wink, and I don’t suppose it’s protected for me to drive in that state, not to mention on the left aspect 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 someday.
In Réunion, I will likely be driving, partly as a result of a three-day automobile rental is similar value as a one-way taxi to my lodge in St. Gilles, however someday I hope to hitch 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 Adventure, run by blogger Helen in Wanderlust. Helen is an Africa specialist and I’ve heard her excursions are improbable.
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 needed to go to probably the most — the Tsingy, the Avenue of the Baobabs, and plenty of 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 a bit bit nervous — and tremendous excited.
What are your plans for September? Share away!
Source link