AK Month-to-month Recap: August 2025

This month I turned 41! Within the coronary heart of summer season, I made a number of fast visits round Europe, however saved issues fairly low-key for probably the most half.

From rural Slovakia to city Poland to suburban England, listed here are the most effective moments of August 2025!

Locations Visited

• Prague, Czech Republic
• Poprad and Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia
• Warsaw and Piaseczno, Poland
• St. Albans and Watford, England

Highlights

An ideal birthday getaway to the Excessive Tatras. After the massive Croatian blowout for my fortieth birthday final yr, this yr I needed one thing quiet, in nature, accessible by practice, with a pleasant resort. And so Charlie and I went to the Excessive Tatras, the beautiful mountainous area of Slovakia!

We stayed on the Grand Kempinski Excessive Tatras, a resort I’ve needed to remain at for years, which was SUCH place for a splurge. The largest spotlight was the resort spa, which we visited day-after-day. The indoor pool truly has three chandeliers hanging above it, and a glass window so you may see outdoors to all of the individuals strolling the trail across the lake.

And it was a wonderfully low-key journey. We hiked, we strolled, we ate garlic soup topped with cheese, and it was very nice having a chill itinerary with out feeling pressured to do all of the issues.

I used to be totally ready for the realm to be overrun, as we have been visiting on a weekend in early August. Nevertheless it actually wasn’t that dangerous! When mountain climbing, we have been solo 1/3 of the time, with a number of others 1/3 of the time, and in a giant crowd 1/3 of the time. I’d intention for a barely extra off-peak time sooner or later, although.

I completely cherished this journey. It was so good that we’re already speaking about extra journeys like this we are able to do sooner or later: simple nature getaways with mountain climbing and resort with a spa. And hopefully a return to Štrbské Pleso and the Excessive Tatras quickly!

From Slovakia, I hopped on a bus and a practice to Warsaw to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA for the second time this summer season! The live performance was incredible, and it was totally different experiencing it from the ground. General, I believe the Warsaw crowd was higher than the Frankfurt crowd.

This was my first go to to Warsaw in a few years, and I took a LOT of lengthy walks across the metropolis, seeing what it needed to supply. And I occurred to be there on inauguration day (along with being in Kraków on Election Day in June), and staying in lodging proper throughout the road from the place the swearing-in befell. Oops.

And on the finish of the month, we visited England for our good friend’s annual bonfire celebration. It was a really transient go to, however we did spend a little bit of time in St. Albans, a pleasant suburb with a stunning downtown that I think about is pricey as hell to dwell in. It’s just like the London model of Lexington, Massachusetts, or New Canaan, Connecticut.

Enjoyable occasions in Prague. Dinners with mates, a go to to Letná Beer Backyard, and plenty and many walks across the metropolis….

Challenges

I acquired stung by a wasp for the primary time since I used to be a child. Enjoyable occasions. It landed on my higher arm, acquired crushed in opposition to my physique, and stung.

And there was the time I acquired caught in an epic rainstorm nowhere close to shops that offered umbrellas…

Not a problem, actually, however residing in a spot as trendy and good as Prague sort of will get you used to it. Like the truth that the overwhelming majority of public bogs in Prague take bank cards — simply maintain up your telephone and scan your manner in.

And it struck me upon arriving in Slovakia and Poland, even in malls, that you just not solely wanted money for public bogs, you wanted cash. Form of annoying once you’re in every nation for just a few days and also you don’t wish to carry round plenty of change you’ll by no means find yourself spending…

What I Watched This Month

The Thursday Homicide Membership is a pleasant new film on Netflix. A comfy homicide thriller set in a completely attractive retirement house, with 4 actors you like starring as senior residents attempting to resolve a thriller and save their group. I actually loved it.

Additionally. I lastly watched White Chicks. Yeah. It’s not dangerous when you don’t assume too arduous about it.

Under Deck replace: After a number of months off, Charlie and I acquired again into Under Deck! This month we watched Under Deck: Down Below Season 3, which truly takes place within the Seychelles. (And has satisfied me to not go to the Seychelles in February or March, after seeing how a lot they suffered via the warmth, humidity, and storms!)

So far as seasons go, it was…effective. Not among the best. Captain Jason is such chief that it’s academic simply watching him — however he appeared a bit faraway from every part this time round. The solid have been good, there have been some villains. No horrific company. It was effective.

What I Listened To This Month

I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Best Albums of All Time, which I’m having fun with immensely. I’m loving discovering new artists and listening to albums I’ve someway missed my whole life till now!

In August, I listened to albums 284-250. I’m formally greater than midway! And to assume — those I’ve listened to have been the WORSE half. How good is it going to get?!

Listed here are the highlights:

Favourite Discovery: The Hissing of Summer season Lawns by Joni Mitchell. I’m kicking myself for not entering into Joni Mitchell’s music at a youthful age. She is TRANSCENDENT. And to assume that is simply the primary of her a number of albums on the checklist!

I like how each track on this album is so detailed and distinctive, it might be sufficient for a whole album in its type — but they’re all cohesive. Each track belongs on this album. And I can’t cease listening to them.

I additionally wish to give a shoutout to Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves. I’ve by no means heard her music earlier than, however I instantly turned an enormous fan of her pop-blended nation with a liberal background. I like that this problem has proven me nation artists I actually love, moderately than dismissing the style as a complete.

Different Favourite Discoveries: Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman, What’s the 411? by Mary J. Blige, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan, The Bends by Radiohead, Nillson Schmillson by Harry Nillson.

Favourite Revisited Album: The Diary of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys. I listened to this album a TON within the early 2000s, and I believe it’s among the best R&B albums of its period. It’s the excellent mix of robust songwriting, uncooked expertise, and producers who understood the right way to form this album to perfection. I nonetheless hum these songs to myself on a regular basis.

Aspect word: revisiting this album made me lookup Jermaine Paul, her backup singer on this album and her dwell Unplugged album, who truthfully sang circles round her at any time when attainable (particularly on the dwell model of “Diary” on Unplugged) and went on to win season two of The Voice. Seems he’s now a pastor in Bridgeport, Connecticut?!

Favourite Songs: “The Rain” by Led Zeppelin, “Love is a Wild Factor” by Kacey Musgraves, “Amy” by Elton John, “21 Questions” by 50 Cent, “Edith and the Kingpin” by Joni Mitchell, “Woman from the North Nation” by Bob Dylan.

Get the playlist: I’m making a playlist of my favourite songs from the five hundred albums — most one per album — on Spotify. You’ll be able to hearken to it right here.

Lowlight of the Month: Q: Are We Not Males? A: We Are Devo! by Devo. By this problem I’ve discovered that I don’t care for brand new wave in any respect — if it’s pop- and punk-adjacent inside 5 years of 1980, I hate it. However this album simply aggravated the hell out of me, begin to end. I hated their voices, the music, the lyrics, every part.

Additionally, I used to be irked that Rolling Stone selected a four-album field set of Merle Haggard’s biggest hits for the checklist. Actually, you may’t consider certainly one of his common albums that was higher than the others? Placing a four-hour and forty-five-minute album on the checklist is taking the piss, for actual.

And I had a seven-hour practice experience that day, so I listened to the entire rattling factor in a single sitting. Form of out of spite.

Random Music Ideas: Each the Buzzcocks and the Pharcyde have a track known as “Oh Shit.”

And all alongside I assumed the Jackass theme track was one thing authentic created for the present. Seems it’s the track “Corona” by Minutemen, whose album Double Nickels on the Dime was on the checklist this month.

What I Learn This Month

I’ve felt a bit embarrassed that my studying fell off SO a lot lately. At first I mentioned it was as a result of I used to be working so arduous on my New Hampshire website; from there it snowballed into “I’m doing an excessive amount of.” However I’m attempting to get again into it, for actual for actual.

Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Cash and Your Life by Invoice Perkins (2020) — This guide may be very common in private finance boards, and I at all times seeing individuals check with it, so I used to be glad to lastly learn it. The guide encourages you to spend all of your cash whilst you’re nonetheless alive — and extra importantly, to have the fitting experiences on the proper time.

It’s the half concerning the experiences that rang so true for me, and I’ve been planning my very own journeys this fashion. I’m SO glad I did a lot backpacking in my twenties once I didn’t thoughts hostel dorms. However as you age, you need to prioritize doing extra of your bodily journeys, as a result of it received’t be as simple doing them later. Save cruises and safaris for once you’re older. Whenever you’re actually outdated, you almost certainly received’t wish to go very far in any respect.

The guide additionally makes a terrific level about leaving cash to your youngsters — that they will get a LOT extra out of a smaller reward at age 30 to assist purchase a home than their full inheritance at age 55 or 60, when their life is slowing down.

I believe everybody can get quite a bit out of this guide — particularly, sketching out totally different eras in your individual life and what objectives to prioritize throughout every of them.

Higher Than Earlier than: What I Discovered About Making and Breaking Habits — to Sleep Extra, Stop Sugar, Procrastinate Much less, and Typically Construct a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin (2015) — Gretchen Rubin is known for The Happiness Undertaking, researching what makes people really blissful, and the way we are able to put it into motion. On this guide, she dives into behavior formation.

Now, I’ve learn behavior formation books earlier than, together with James Clear’s very talked-about guide Atomic Habits. However I believe that is the most effective behavior formation guide I’ve ever learn. What makes it so good? I like Gretchen Rubin’s writing type. I like how she divides individuals into 4 sorts of totally different behaviors, moderately than assuming a one-size-fits-all framework for everybody. I like how the guide is an element memoir and half self-development tome. And I like how she shares tales from a lot of totally different individuals in her life.

Now, Gretchen Rubin and I are very totally different individuals. She states outright that she doesn’t take care of music, meals, video games, or trend. She generally is a bit inflexible. And I believe that’s behind a few of the destructive evaluations of this guide. However she’s not asking you to be her good friend. She’s asking to you check out what she found. For me, that is the primary time I spotted why it’s a lot simpler for me to abstain from issues than to dwell carefully.

I Hope This Finds You Properly by Natalie Sue (2024) — On this novel, Jolene is a depressed 20-something Persian Canadian working a boring workplace job and sending her coworkers insults in hidden in white textual content in her emails. When her messages are found, she’s pressured to have her emails monitored — however in a tech mishap, she all of the sudden will get entry to each inbox within the firm. Jolene decides to make use of this to her benefit, studying everybody’s emails to get forward in her profession and enhance her work relationships.

I favored this guide, however felt it might have gone in some higher instructions. In reality, I believe it might have been higher not moving into a romantic course in any respect. I did benefit from the characters within the workplace and the right descriptions of workplace politics, and the work Jolene did to make her life higher. There are some comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant is Fully Fantastic, which I believe is a significantly better guide.

The 10X Rule: The Solely Distinction Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone (2011) — You understand how most enterprise books might primarily be a weblog publish? It is a enterprise guide that might have been a tweet.

“Work 10x tougher than anybody else. Set objectives 10x larger than anybody else.” Growth. You bought as a lot out of the guide as I did.

Moreover, I hated that it was written on this terrible, virtually singsongy voice, and that he doesn’t embody any examples of anybody within the guide moreover himself. Full waste of time.

Coming Up in September 2025

Lastly, it’s time for my huge journey journey of the yr. I’ll be spending many of the month in Mauritius, Réunion, and Madagascar!

I’ll be touring in Mauritius and Réunion solo, for a number of days every. No, this isn’t a great period of time. Initially I used to be simply going to go to Réunion for a number of days, however then Air France moved my flight again and I spotted I now had JUUUUST sufficient time to go to each islands. They usually’re solely a 45-minute flight aside…

So will probably be a little bit of a teaser go to for each locations.

I made a decision to not drive in Mauritius, in opposition to typical knowledge, as a result of I’ll be arriving after an in a single day flight in economic system the place I virtually definitely received’t have slept one wink, and I don’t assume it’s secure for me to drive in that state, not to mention on the left facet of the street for the primary time ever. I’ll be staying in Flic en Flac and Grand Baie, and I’ve a personal tour of the southwest sooner or later.

In Réunion, I will likely be driving, partially as a result of a three-day automobile rental is similar value as a one-way taxi to my resort in St. Gilles, however sooner or later I hope to hitch a tour to Cilaos within the inside. Réunion has such a dramatic panorama and I can’t wait to take all of it in.

After which comes the BIG a part of the journey — greater than two weeks in Madagascar! I’m touring on this tour with Rock My Journey, run by blogger Helen in Wanderlust. Helen is an Africa specialist and I’ve heard her excursions are incredible.

I booked this tour greater than a yr in the past as a result of the itinerary appealed to me a lot, with time within the locations I needed to go to probably the most — the Tsingy, the Avenue of the Baobabs, and many time within the islands off Nosy Be. Plus there’s a two-day river tenting journey and LOTS of overland driving on not-quite-roads. I’m slightly bit nervous — and tremendous excited.

What are your plans for September? Share away!