Three Things Thursday

One // After a year of wishing I was still there, I'm on my way to Italy and I couldn't be happier!

Two // I spent a week in Vienna with my friend Jana, who is one of my favorite people to travel with! So far we've been friends for 7 years and have visited 6 countries, 3 different states, countless cities, and had tons of fun together! I look forward to many more adventures together in the years to come!

Three // Although they get a bad reputation, I'm thankful for cell phones and the internet. They truly do connect people, whether they be close in distance or miles away.  It's always great to talk to family and friends no matter where we all may be!

What're you thankful for today?

Xo,

Roses of Volksgarten

Roses. Roses. Roses!

I am so impressed with all the beautiful flowers throughout Vienna, specifically the roses! They’re EVERYWHERE and in the absolute best way possible! I constantly find myself commenting on or taking photos of flowers (specifically when they’re pink, of course). However, hands-down the best place to see beautiful blooms in Vienna this time of year is Volksgarten. 

My absolute favorite place in Vienna thus far has been Volksgarten. It is the epitome of what a rose garden should be. We spent hours here on two different occasions, and I swear I could have spent entire days admiring all the perfect blooms, colorful petals, and sweet scents. 

The first time visiting, we walked into the park via the back entrance and I was immediately enthralled. Jana had to urge me to keep walking, adamant that I hadn’t seen anything in comparison to what the center of the garden had to offer. She was absolutely right - I could hardly believe my eyes! There were roses of all varieties and colors, shapes and sizes. I was infatuated! 

Not surprisingly, I seemed to mostly only photograph the pink roses, but if I was a rose, I would hope to look something similar to the pink roses here!

I feel so thankful to visit Vienna at this time of year to enjoy all the beauty in God’s creation!

Xo and lots of pink roses,

Pink Garden Bratislava

Hello from the EU & hopefully to the first of many fun little blog posts from my summer abroad! 

Currently I am in Vienna visiting my friend Jana! Today we set out for a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. Neither one of us had been there before, nor had we heard much about it or done much research to decide what we wanted to do. More on that later.

Upon arriving via FlixBus, our first task was to find somewhere to get coffee, as I was quite sleepy and needed some energy. I had no idea what sweet surprise was about to happen, but we saw a cute street with adorable buildings and then I caught a glimpse of beautifully potted pink flowers near an entrance that had tables outside. (I think I can spot pink a mile away!) So of course we walked towards it, and that’s when my dreams came true!

We walked through the doors of Pink Garden, a cafe that was ALL things pink. I Immediately became so happy and suddenly forgot all about by sleepiness! I am sure my face was priceless when I realized that I literally matched literally all the decorations! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but let me preface this by saying: I ordered a latte and the barista replied with, “Pink, green, or blue.” This is my kind of place!

The BATHROOM was even beautiful and pink!

The best thing about The Pink Garden is that I was not expecting it! It is honestly and absolutely a place that I would specifically seek out to find, and probably even travel to an obscure location to enjoy, but this was just another of life’s little sparkles that made me filled with the best kind of joy! Sometimes the best places are the most unexpected ones, and this definitely takes the cake as my favorite place in Bratislava.

P.S. If I open a coffee shop someday, it will look something like this + Peggy Porschen. Still unsure of what the name would be. Ideas welcome!

Xoxo and lots of pink,

Three Things Thursday

One // I'm so thankful for traveling. Isn't it so amazing how you can get on a plane, take a nap, and wake up in a different state, country, or continent? I love it! I am traveling today and am excited to visit one of my best friends and explore a new place before spending the summer in Italy!

Two // Family. I miss them already and am so thankful for their constant love and support. 

Three // Coffee! As I sit here typing this, I am drinking overpriced, mediocre, airport coffee. But with the time change, it's necessary. However I'm most thankful for slow mornings with home brewed Folger's vanilla coffee and all the espressos I'm about to indulge in all summer! 

Take some time to think about what you're thankful for today!

Xo,

Summer Summer Summer!

School is out for the summer! I feel the same excitement and relief as a teacher that I felt as a student. In fact, maybe even more.

I won’t lie, it’s been a very draining and tumultuous year. Being a first year teacher came with so many challenges and trials. Nothing I learned in school prepared me for it. I’m not even sure anything COULD have prepared me for it. And although it’s been very difficult, although there were many days I went home and cried, although I didn’t think I was going to make it through, I did. Simply by the grace of God and support of family and friends was this year possible.

There were some good days and there were some really bad days. But looking back, there was so much growth. From the students of course, but also personal growth. I think this year has been necessary. It has required determination and tons of prayer, but it’s finished. I never have to be a first year teacher again! 

I’m here to tell you that you can do hard things. You can make it through whatever God puts in your path. But you simply can’t do it alone. Only through Him are all things possible. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Stay positive, keep smiling, and don’t stop praying. You can do this!

Xo,