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Israel: What You Need to Know

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Before coming to Israel, many people told me to “be careful”. “Take care” and “be safe” were the phrases that finished the conversation I’d have about traveling here. Everyone  who said this, and I mean every single one of those people have NEVER been to Israel. And if they had, they wouldn’t have said it. In fact, all of my friends and David’s parents who have been, have only ever said that I would love it. And they were right. Now, that’s not to say that my kind hearted family members weren’t saying this out of  anything but love for me. But truly, we are ignorant to the safety and security of this beautiful country. If anyone is prepared for danger, it is the Israelis. And while of course there is crime, and places that should be avoided, I never once felt the need to be any more cautious and aware than I am when I’m in  New York City or Chicago. You have every reason to feel safe in this country, because you are. Especially if you are using your common sense. Keep your no
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Why I Yoga

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What is Yoga? And why do I practice? As many of you know, I'm more than half way with my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, which has been a goal of mine for the last couple of years. I've finally made this time to invest in myself and do it, and so far it's been amazing. We were asked to write an essay about what yoga is. I've decided to share why I practice here, because it's an incredible part of my everyday life. Yoga can be defined as a practice of physical postures, mental, and spiritual practices. I have never been a church goer, religious, or anything of that nature. I don’t go to church, I go to yoga. Yoga is a space for you and only you.  It is a place to tune in to yourself, your breath, and what’s within the four corners of your mat. Yoga gives you a place to help you just, be. Opportunity; a set of circumstances that make it possible to do something, anything.  My journey with yoga began when I stopped practicing gymnastics. As a USAG athlete,
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Top Five Favorites in New York City

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New York Top Five My love affair with NYC started in the Spring of 2017 when I would make frequent visits to New Jersey, and in turn New York. And while I've tended to explore within Manhattan, this past weekend I spent most of my time in Brooklyn. The vastness of New York City tends to be daunting. But, I've narrowed down my top 5 favorites in New York City. #1: Touristy sites Empire State Building The observation deck at the Empire State Building is incredible, and one of many. The view captures the Chrysler Building, the landscape of Central Park, and further downtown to the Freedom Tower. This may have made the list because the tickets for it were given to me for free, but..... regardless it was a cool experience. The only downside is that you miss the view of the Empire State Building fro the view because, of course, you're up there. I haven't been up to every observation deck that New York has to offer, but this was cool and touristy, hence making
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Top Five Favorites in Helsinki

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Helsinki Top Five After living in Finland for three months, Helsinki has truly has become one of my favorite places in the world. It’s quaintness, for a big city, was  here are the top five things I recommend you do/eat/see while there. #1: Things to See/Do Marimekko The Design District was one of my favorites to explore due to the great variety of boutiques, coffee shops, and museums. I would recommend you check out Marimekko, one of Finland’s uniquely beautiful clothing lines. Their patterns are one of a kind and make unique souvenirs for both yourself and your loved ones. Museums It’s a great area to take some pictures and visit the Helsinki City Museum which is free and open to the public, daily. I also personally enjoyed a latte and overnight oats at El Fant cafe, which is connected to the Helsinki City Museum. If you really love design and fashion, check out the Design Museum in the Design District. Most recently in Kamppi, Amos Rex opened. I wrot
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Final Thoughts: Finland

My 3 month journey in Finland has finally come to a close. While I would have loved to stay longer, and continue to work at my school with 18 wonderful preschool children, I'm happy to be home. David still has a few weeks left in the season, so I write this from London. Many asked how it felt to be moving, and not just moving from home, but to a foreign country. I always went into this being excited, and knowing that this was only going to be a positive experience for us (Dave included). I can't even begin to explain how this was the greatest decision I have ever made. David and I would talk about this extensively, just reflect on the time in Finland - the easy, and the difficult; the good, and the bad. There is so much more good about this trip than there was difficult. I would say the most difficult part was living in a completely different time zone than my friends and family. The second most difficult was the language, Finnish is the most difficult  language in the worl
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Tallinn, Estonia

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Our last trip of the journey was to Tallinn, Estonia. Where everything is cheap, and the Old Town is like brand new. While we were in Gamla Stan, in Stockholm, I was amazed by the beautiful cobblestone streets and painted buildings. But Tallinn was something else. Besides being the most well-preserved Old Town in the world, it is a cultural hub for cafes, art, and medieval everything. It’s important to note that we almost didn’t go on this trip to Estonia because Diva Dave did not bring his passport, and thought his visa residence permit was sufficient. Needless to say we were let on the boat, with much hesitation, and I held a grudge about this the entire trip. We took a ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn which took about 2 hours. It was recommended to us that we spend our one full day in the Old Town. There was plenty to see, and take pictures of. David did most of the food planning, because I had been very busy during my last week of work. And no matter where we stepped foot in
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Helsinki: Amos Rex

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I've had a lot of questions about this museum and our experience, so I decided to write a blog to share! Recently, David and I visited a new museum in Helsinki,  Amos Rex . Their instagram and website was enticing enough, that David made me wait until he could come with too. Built underground, this museum has four large exhibit spaces. While outside, the general public may peek through the windows to see the museum-goers below. Above the museum, the public can watch through the windows at the museum underneath. While inside, I caught a kid peeking through the window over head Currently, they are home to Japanese-base digital collection by teamLab - you can read more about it here . Additionally, a collection of post-impressionist paintings by Sigurd Frosterus are housed and enjoyed in a more traditional art museum setting. Sigurd Frosterus drawing at the entrance of the exhibit The digital aspect of the exhibits was one of the most exciting parts of the experie
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