Čičmany in central Slovakia comes straight from the pages of a fairy-tale book. The picturesque village sits in a verdant meadow surrounded by pine forests, but this is not what makes it so delightful. What’s more striking is the way …
Kayaking on the Danube in Bratislava
Peeping through the trees ahead of me, the iconic shape of the castle reminds me that although I am kayaking in the countryside, I’m actually still in the city. That’s the beauty of Bratislava, one of the world’s smallest capitals; …
Clothes May Be Optional, but Masks Are Not!
Approaching a large metal gate crossing our path, my friend whispered ‘Do you think we can walk here?’
‘Well, it’s open, and there’s no sign saying we can’t’, I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. …
Lockdown! A Teacher’s Thoughts on the Corona Pandemic
It’s been 26 days since my world shut down. It’s been far longer for others.
It began slowly. Back, in January, news of an unknown virus in China reached us here in Europe. I barely took any notice – SARS, …
The Hidden Dangers of Quarantine
Stay indoors. Stay safe, they said. They’re right, of course: if you stay indoors you won’t catch Coronavirus, and – more importantly – you can’t spread it. But what I didn’t know is that being trapped indoors by myself …
Love in the Time of Coronavirus
With coronavirus currently decimating the travel industry, it’s a good time to write about my life as an international teacher instead. I don’t write frequently, because I can’t travel full-time like I’d hoped I would when I first started Runawaybrit. …
A Surprise Birthday Trip to Budapest
I left work on Friday with my bag packed for a surprise birthday trip. All I had been told was that the bus departed at 4pm and I would need my passport. Of course, I had a few guesses about …
Why I Love Working in Europe (And Never Want to Leave)
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on why I love living in Europe out of all the places I could go. And, yes: publishing this post as Britain perches precariously on the brink of Brexit is ironic. Having worked in Vietnam, India, …
Winter Break: Malta
Here in Central Europe, summer hangs on a thread. The long, light evenings are closing in, the sun’s warmth is fading fast, and I’m already thinking back to my first holiday of the year in lovely Malta.
While the trees …
A Year in the Life of an International Teacher
I often get people asking me about life as an international teacher, so to honour 10 years of living overseas I have put this post together to show you what a year in my life is like. As I’m a …
Boulanger & Patissiere: Bratislava’s Macaron Masterclass
I’ve always liked the look of a dainty, brightly coloured, meringue macaron. You know, the ones that you see piled delicately on silver platters in fancy cake shops? They look exquisite, but as I’m more of a cheesecake girl I’d …
Festivals, Food & Fun: Seven Weeks in Bratislava
Having lived in Bratislava for only seven weeks I am still new to Slovak culture, particularly as I knew very little about either Slovakia or the city before I came here. It is true to say, however, that I have …