Natalie From America

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

Sweden ya'll! It was a doozy, and yet another place to check off the Scandinavian list. This part of Europe, to me, is one of the most unique. Scandinavian style is right up my alley. And if you're not sure what 'Scandinavian style' is, don't worry I've included so  many pictures for this post. Let me just start by saying, I fricken loved  Sweden. Stockholm is a big, diverse, beautiful city. When compared to Finland, I got a completely different vibe than say, Helsinki. There are so many more ethnicities, languages, and options for things to do and places to eat, etc. Coming from a very spoiled place, Chicago, I appreciated this.  While I do still appreciate Helsinki as a city, Stockholm might take the lead. Swedes seemed warmer, they actually embraced their friends, and by this I mean they actually hugged or kissed to greet or bid farewell to one another. In Finland, I almost never see people kissing, hugging, let alone holding hands to show any ty...

So I've shared this info with my close friends and family, but didn't want to share with the world until it was official - I am employed! I'm very excited to share that I secured a full-time preschool teaching position at an international school in Tampere, Finland. There was definitely an aspect of 'being in the right place, at the right time', as a teacher unexpectedly resigned during my first week of substitute teaching at the school. I'm not sure what the universe is trying to tell me, but I am so lucky and grateful to have some amazing people in my corner who helped me get here. An article published in The Atlantic gave me an intriguing perspective on what we are doing in America in comparison to the rest of the world. This system definitely informed my teaching style while in Chicago the last couple of years. (Read it  here .) But the biggest coincidence, about being here, is that in undergrad my professors preached the gospel of the Finnish education s...

Copenhagen Top Five I finally traveled to the number one spot on my travel list this weekend: Copenhagen, Denmark. It lived up to every expectation. There was so much we planned to see, and I wish we could have stayed longer, but we made do and had  such  an incredible trip. As we only had a solid 48 hours in Copenhagen, here are the top five things we did/saw/ate while there. #1: Tivoli Gardens As one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, Tivoli Gardens was one of my favorite attractions we went to. Walt Disney himself would visit Tivoli to find inspiration for the Disney Parks, and I could see why he was so drawn to this place. First of all, it was stunning. We went at night so it was lit up, which I felt was the only way to see it. It included everything from gardens and ponds, to rollercoasters, to fine dining. I could have walked around this park for hours had we given ourselves the time to do so. And of course, we couldn't have gone to the park with...