A Little Taste of Poland!

After receiving numerous signs from some of our little angel friends, it was clear that our next adventure should be to Poland......so we decided why not?  May as well check out our Polish roots and see why we're so darn....Polish.


Upon arriving, we discovered we weren't fluent in the Polish language (definitely a surprise to us.) Communicating with the locals and figuring out the public transportation system ended up being a little more work than we had anticipated. But after walking around in circles, getting yelled at in a language we didn't understand, and asking people for directions (who couldn't understand a word we were saying), we somehow figured it out. :)


Warsaw and Krakow are both beautiful cities packed with a ton of history. Warsaw had been completely rebuilt after WWII so it was pretty darn amazing to see the architecture....and I'm not even into architecture!

Old town, Warsaw

Krakow's city center has the largest medieval market square in all of Europe with a beautiful castle overlooking the city. Both Warsaw and Krakow seriously made us feel like we were walking into a fairytale land. And that's not a joke! It felt like we were constantly walking into the scene of a movie.

Core must be looking at something....

It didn't take us long to find some quaint little restaurants that smelled exactly like our grandma's homemade cooking. We definitely took advantage of the ridiculously cheap prices and splurged on hot mulled wine, traditional polish soups, potato pancakes, pierogis and a whole bunch more....even polish lard. It was gross.

I think she was getting excited to try the lard....

Although we knew it wouldn't be an easy visit, we spent a day visiting both Schindler's Factory and the sites of the Nazi extermination camps- Aushwitz and Birkenau.

Schindler's Office

I think it goes without saying that the extermination camps were quite a disturbing place.  As Core and I neared the ruins of the gas chambers, we noticed a very distinct smell. Instantly we knew what it was....it was the smell of burning bodies. I looked around expecting to see a lot of incense burning or something like that....but there was nothing. It was coming from the ruins....and there was of course nothing that remained there. Extra prayers are clearly still needed for these millions of souls.

Ruins of the gas chambers.

Our final destination was to a small mountain town, Zakopane, located in the Tatra Mountains bordering Slovakia. It was the perfect place to eat the local smoked cheese and enjoy many of the small mountain pubs - they were so cosy! Most of them had a fireplace and served up some pretty tasty polish cuisine.
We ventured out for a day hike to Morskie Oko, located up in the mountains. The views and journey along the way were spectacular...and the company wasn't too bad either!  ;)

Morski Oko!

Poland was an interesting country to visit and has darn good reason to be known as the Paris of Eastern Europe.  If you're looking for a budget trip to Europe with a ton of history, super tasty food, and awesome mountain hikes, check it out. :)

Compassion- It's actually healthy!

Quite some time ago, I wrote a blog about "The Book of Joy" and I promised to write another one...so here it is.  Better late than never, right? :)

Another topic that the Dalai Lama and Archbishop discussed in the book was compassion. I wanted to share this with all of you because these men are so ridiculously full of wisdom it's not even funny. 

It's important for me to note that these following paragraphs are their words, not mine....

"The Dalai Lama says that the source of suffering is too much self-centered thinking. We need to focus our attention on the well being of others in order to find happiness. "The more time you spend thinking about yourself, the more suffering you will experience.  The incredible thing is that when we think of alleviating other people's suffering, our own suffering is reduced." "

"However, many people might still wonder how can I be so compassionate and reach out to others when I have my family to care for, my own job to worry about, and quite honestly, my own problems? Why is it in my self-interest to help others?

Science has actually found that when we help others, we often experience what has been called the "helper's high"-endorphins are released in our brain leading to a euphoric state." The warm feeling we get from helping others comes from the release of oxytocin.  This hormone has health benefits- including the reduction of inflammation in the cardiovascular system.  So compassion literally makes our heart healthy and happy!" "

The Dalai Lama said that when we are able to live with an open heart, we're able to feel our pain and the pain of others, but we're also able to experience more joy.


I honestly can't say enough about this book....I absolutely LOVE it!  If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know...although Core is reading it at the moment so it could take awhile. ;)
Or check it out on amazon!

A pretty sweet number!

Here's a little recap of the past 3 years, 9 months and how we got to a pretty sweet number....

Because of all of YOU and your generous donations and support, as of July 13, 2017 we have raised and distributed $61,098.10 worth of cash and in-kind donations.....and the best part about it....we're just getting started!

(And yes, I do have a spreadsheet to keep track of all this fun stuff. Nerdy, I know!)  :)

Since the time I left for Honduras in October 2013, I have been doing the best I can to track every donation that has been made to the people of Honduras, Nepal, and the local refugees here in Milwaukee.

bet you can't guess which one is my sister....

Delivering donations to a small Honduran village

Everything you have donated, including that shirt that was hard for you to get rid of or your cabbage patch doll from when you were young, has been greatly appreciated.  Trust me! 

Your donations allow the refugees to shop for what they want

The proceeds from the sale of "Our Earthquake Experience" are continually being tracked and accounted for as well.  As of January 1, 2017 there are more than 193 books in the hands of humans (not aliens, just to clarify.)

Each kid got their own copy and proudly signed their autographs.  :)



I'm not sure who's cuter..... 



Autograph session!

The 1st Annual Milwaukee Run for Refugees was of course included and tracked as well....

What a bunch of good looking people!

The best thing about this dollar amount isn't the monetary amount itself. It's the number of people that we've been able to help and the smiles that have lit up the faces of many individuals from across the globe.

It's been absolutely amazing to see the generosity and kindness that comes from all of you.

On behalf of the people of Honduras, Nepal, and Milwaukee's newest Americans, THANK YOU!

1st Annual Mke Run for Refugees!

After the first inaugural Milwaukee Run4Refugees, here's what I've learned in preparation for next year.

I need a microphone. Apparently my voice isn't as loud as I think it is.

Can you hear me?!

We're not sure we can hear you, but we're ready to run!  :)

Next year we will be recruiting more beer drinkers and hot dog eaters....Core and I seem to now have a fridge of leftover hot dogs and Miller Lite #werenotcomplaining.  :)

Prayers for beautiful weather work...so thank you to everyone who prayed for great weather because we seriously could not have asked for a more perfect day. 

One of many good convos :)

Yes, Bill won his age group. Believe it people!  :)

Again, a big thank you to Katelyn and Matt Hutchison for the Thrivent Action Team they put together which enabled the event to take place. Honestly, I really don't know what we would have done without their help. #livegenerously  

notice the leftover beer...Core's gettin crazy!!!

The refugees who were in attendance loved the event and had nothing but great things to say about everyone who they spoke with and everyone who was there to support them.

Next year, I will hopefully have a way to transport more refugees! If you're interested in helping with this next year, please let me know ;) #ineedtobuyavan

Some of my favorite buddies. :)

To everyone, thank you so much for your support...whether that was a monetary donation because you weren't able to come, or if you registered and participated in the event....THANK YOU!

We had a total of 54 attendees including runners, walkers and even the kiddos! Some much faster than others!  ;) Missy Holschbach, I heard Patrick beat you?!

The total proceeds from the race totaled $1,110. Much more than I had originally anticipated so THANK YOU.

The proceeds will be used in various ways, including but not limited to:

• Refugees' airfare loans
• Necessary items as needed (there are many women who are currently pregnant so diapers and other baby items may be purchased).

1st Annual Group Pic....check out those flying babies!  :)

Oh and also a shout out to Josie Hau for providing the balloons for all the kids...seriously that was probably the best thing ever.

Hope to see you all next year...and please bring a friend....or 5!!!   :)

4.1 Miles Documentary

My question for the day is: What did you do two weekends ago? On the weekend of April 15-16, 2017, what were you doing? Think about it for a second and try to remember....

For me, I was celebrating Easter -which included eating a bunch of super good food cooked by my mother!  :) #spoiled

For others across the globe, Easter weekend was a little bit different...

Over 3,000 migrants were rescued over Easter weekend in the Mediterranean Sea along the Italian Coast.

In the first 3 months of 2017, more than 24,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Libya trying to get to Italy according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to the International Organization for Migration, they claimed that nearly 800 people have died trying to cross this particular sea in the first 3 months of this year already.
In 2016, more than 5,000 people died at sea.

Below is the link to a documentary called 4.1 Miles.  It's only a 21-minute film and was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award.

It's an excellent short film and I would definitely encourage you to watch it. Just a warning that it is a little emotional...

https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004674545/41-miles.html

 *Pictures taken from google

Welcome to Miami....Bienvenido a Miami!!!

After my last trip which was to Nepal last summer, I told myself my next vacation would need to be a super relaxing, legit vacation. Where else to go but Miami.....right? :)

Upon arriving at the airport I don't know what got into me (excitement) but I refused to stop saying "We're in Miami Bitc%!"  I'm pretty sure you all know the song.... Well anyways, I forgot we had actually landed at the Fort Lauderdale airport. After a quick Uber drive to Miami...I resumed being on repeat (for the entire week actually) to let everyone know "We're in Miami Bit$%!"

You can imagine how excited I was when I saw the title of this journal

Honestly I never really thought I would be going to Miami, but with a Southwest airline voucher that took us there for about 3000 pennies, why the hek not?

Little Havana (Cuba) is a diverse neighborhood with a great international vibe. Many Cubans now call Miami home and this neighborhood is one of the many places they have made their own. Stroll the streets and you'll actually start to think you're in Cuba. There are more than enough Cuban Cigar shops and you can actually watch them make handmade cigars.  Pretty darn neat.

Handmade Cuban cigars

I wonder if she can smell anything

We of course loved the Cuban food (it was a lot of rice and beans!) and the Cuban coffee as well. They were tiny but mighty....

I don't remember but I think that guy skipped me

Everyday, the elderly Cuban men go to Domino Park -which is a park specifically made for them where they can play dominoes, drink coffee, and talk politics. This is definitely the place to be.  And not gonna lie...if I lived in Miami this would be my hangout. I would learn to play dominoes and dominate them all!

I have absolutely no clue how to play dominoes

Our other favorite area was Wynwood-which is known for the Wynwood Walls. It's a neighborhood that is famous across the world for it's street art and reinvention of an old warehouse area. There are blocks and blocks of colorful street murals on every building throughout the entire neighborhood.  It's definitely a funky, hipster kind of a place with a really good brewery too! In 2014, it was ranked by Vogue magazine as one of the top 15 coolest neighborhoods in the world. It didn't disappoint.

I wonder who got the better pic

She didn't seem too thrilled to see me

Our other time consisted of morning runs, happy hours, and of course laying out at the pool. The best day was when it seemed as though the birds weren't feeling too well and had a little accident all over Core's sandals, chair, and even on her (gross!)  I guess I lucked out because the bird that decided to get sick and aim for me literally just missed me. Thank goodness I for some  reason moved.....because if I hadn't, one second later and I swear some disgusting stuff would have landed on my face.

sickkkkkkkk

Our lovely little view :)

Until next time....

What's Good vs. What's Bad....Who Can Say?

"The Book of Joy" written by both the Dalai Lama and South Africa's Archbishop, Desmond Tutu, will show you how to find peace and joy in the midst of life's adversities. Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop have so much wisdom and insight to share that it is without question one of the best books on the shelf today.

In regards to just one of their many discussions, I'll keep this short and simple.

In one chapter of the book, they get on the topic of who decides what is considered "good" and what is considered "bad." The Dalai Lama shares a famous Chinese story to help illustrate what is "good" vs. what is "bad."

The below story is taken directly from "The Book of Joy" on page 151.

This famous Chinese story is about the farmer whose horse runs away.  His neighbors are quick to comment on his bad luck.  The farmer responds that no one can know what is bad or what is good.  When the horse comes back with a wild stallion, the neighbors are quick to comment, this time talking about the farmer's good luck. Again the farmer replies that no one can know what is good and what is bad. When the farmer's son breaks his leg trying to tame the wild stallion, the neighbors now are certain of the farmer's bad luck. Again, the farmer says that no one knows. When war breaks out, all the able-bodied young men are conscripted into battle except the farmer's son, who was spared because of his broken leg.

There will definitely be more to come from this book.....it's just too good not to share! :)