Travel
An Eastward Exchange
In the Fall of 2017, I departed for Europe on an exchange program with Rotary International. I spent a year in the Tatra Mountains of northern Slovakia, learning about Slovak culture, teaching myself photography and blogging. Traveling the Europe, searching for things to document on my blog; that experience taught me the skills I am now putting to use as a journalist.
Featured Posts
Hello, Slovakia.
A surreptitiously taken photo of the inside of my first European cafe in years. There's a table in the back corner of a cafe, lit ...
The Great Venetian Scavenger Hunt
Rotary ended our 2-week journey through Europe with a grand adventure. Our bus pulled up to a seaside hotel on the Italian coast outside of ...
Červený Kláštor
Just setting foot within the first courtyard of Červený Kláštor (the Red Monastery) it is evident why this place inspired legends. The orderly cobblestone underfoot ...
Slovenský Raj
Waterfalls are abundant in the Blue Ridge Mountains of my home, but our paths force hikers on long detours through the forests to circumnavigate them, ...
A Week of Skiing at Jasná
My breath wet the mask through which it passed, quickly freezing and collecting flakes from the densely falling snow, glued even harder by the rushing ...
The Tatras’ Symbolic Cemetery
Every so often a day will pass when circumstance conspires to bring you adventure. So it did for me one snowy winter morning not long ...
Viennese Christmas Markets
The size of the Viennese Christmas markets is not what makes them exceptional. If that was so, any shopping center with a half-a-theme could compete ...
All Posts
Sunrise over Štôla
There are three marks of a good photo; composition, light and moment. Composition takes practice and moment is in no small part luck, but light can be easy to find if only you are willing to rise early or stay out past dark. That is precisely what I did one ...
Spring Market in Starý Smokovec
(Above: Definitely not a Spring photo of Smokovec. The only one I have though, as I regrettably did not bring my camera with me.) Starý Smokovec is set halfway up the High Tatras’ steep slopes, overlooking the valley below and the gentle mountains beyond. It is a town of old ...
The Wooden Church of Svätý Kríž
The devoutly Catholic Austro-Hungarian Hapsburgs had long been intolerant towards other faiths and were especially resistant to Protestantism after the Reformation. However, a uprising in 1681 forced Emperor Leopold I to repeal the laws preventing the practice of these faiths in his domain and allow the construct of their churches ...
The Windows of Vlkolínec
Tucked into the folds of verdant, rolling mountains, the village of Vlkolínec (or “Wolf Village”) has been preserved by its remoteness. A pristine sylvan frame lines its grassy grazing fields, which for centuries supported the villager’s provincial lifestyle. The imperfect lines of the cottage walls suggest a rugged and simple ...
Havránok – Celtic Ruins
Partially restored since their discovery several decades ago, the ruins of Havránok overlook a vast swath of land. The Western, Low, and a bit of the High Tatras can all be seen from its hilltop perch. Ascending the steep grade, the first sight which greets you is a quaint wooden ...
Veľká Noc (Easter in Slovakia)
At first I mistook the Slovak name for Easter to be a reference to the time change in March. "Veľká Noc" literally translates to "big night" and—in what I still believe to be rather solid logic—I made a connection between that translation and our yearly extra hour of sleep. However, ...
The Vltava
I am a fan of classical music and one of my absolute favorite pieces is Vltava (Die Moldau) from Bedřich Smetana's Ma Vlast. The river that inspired this piece runs through the Czech Republic and into Prague, where it serves many tourist-laden ferries and flows beneath the city's historic bridges ...
The National Technical Museum, Prague
The colossal, rust-colored brick of a structure, lying just across the river from Prague's old center, is certainly one of the least attractive museums (externally) I have ever seen. Yet, this brutal shell contains an interior of educational displays which exhibit the most refined modernity and, at times, truly refreshing ...
Reflecting at the Prague Zoo
Doctors in the 18th and 19th century originally coined the term “nostalgia” to diagnose acute cases of homesickness which occurred in soldiers, students and other folks living far abroad (NPR, 2018). These patients felt a violent longing for the familiar, so strongly that their bodies revolted in fevers and heart ...
Near Tisovec
Taking a break from the narration of my days spent in Germany and Prague (mainly because my expectations for the next post are rather high and I am still editing), I return to a small trip I took a few months ago. In late January, I went on a business ...
Prague Day 2: The Modern Art Museum & My Host Family
It just so happened that one of my dearest exchange friends, who lives in the Czech Republic, was on a trip in Prague with her class while I was visiting the city! We have only seen each other a few times since we first met at the Rotary Youth Exchange ...
My Introduction to Prague
We arrived in Prague on the doorstep of my host uncle's apartment. Built into a hillside which overlooked city center, the flat boasted a large terrace and afforded a spectacular view of the city. It was situated at the heart of the community Kobylisy and the subway station and tram ...
Regensburg
If you have read my previous post on Nuremberg, then you pretty much know the story of my trip to Regensburg as well. That is not to say it was redundant or boring! In fact, I enjoyed touring this Bavarian city just as much as the last! The similarity was ...
Nuremberg
My endearingly stereotypical Slovak family seemed in little rush to see the plentiful sights of Nuremberg. Beneath spires and a castle, over the Pegnitz river and cobblestone streets, they elected to sit and experience the soul of the city... in their own way. In bars and cafes. I was granted ...
Freystadt, a Perfect European Town
The past week has been one of my best since coming to Europe. A full 10 days of traveling through Germany and Prague with no other cares than where I would venture next. To be honest, I abused my exhausted body, worn thin from trekking in crisscrossing webs around ancient ...
Wild Park
Europe has an issue with contact zoos. Hardly regulated, these businesses purchase young lions, tigers, and other exotic creatures, advertising adorable cuddle sessions to their customers. This is quite lucrative for a few months, but these animals grow quickly. Soon, they are large and powerful beyond their careless caretakers abilities ...
GPDT’s Volleyball Tournament
To preface, I have virtually no knowledge about photographing sports. But! I was more than happy to receive an opportunity to learn when my schoolmates asked if I could take some photos of a small Volleyball tournament being held in the school gym. I tried my best to capture the ...
The Fascinating American and a Slovak School House
Promptly after returning from Ski Week, I visited my host brother's school on an invitation to present about the USA. The wooden, three or four room cottage is by far the cutest school house I have ever seen! Inside, I found the place just as satisfactory, though my attention quickly ...
Olomouc – Part Two
After quite a busy while elsewhere, my thoughts have once again returned to the historic Moravian capital of Olomouc and I wish to share the rest of the knowledge I gained of this beautiful city. Amid the dreary February weather that smothers Poprad and the Tatras, I am grateful for ...
A Week of Skiing at Jasná
My breath wet the mask through which it passed, quickly freezing and collecting flakes from the densely falling snow, glued even harder by the rushing air of my descents. Even while my face numbed against these cold gusts, the inside of my coat heated up like a furnace due to ...
