Fun Things Laurie Mucha Fun Things Laurie Mucha

A weekend in Devon

I’m getting to the age where I’m starting to think that someday I might be interested in learning to identify types of trees, flowers and birds.

Not yet though. Mostly I just tried not to step in poop as we walked through the countryside where rolling hills and small farms went on and on for as far as the eye can see… It was truly a gorgeous walk - but the American in me will never get used to wandering through fields and farms without worrying about getting shot.

The Right to Roam is an ancient custom that allows anyone to wander in open countryside, whether the land is privately or publicly owned.

Americans, can you even imagine???

We also took a long walk along the beach where we collected seashells and traded stories…

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Fun Things Laurie Mucha Fun Things Laurie Mucha

Postcard from Tenerife

Tenerife at sunset

I planned to kick off this post with an actual postcard from Tenerife, but I couldn’t find one that adequately summarised the relentless bla that I experienced. I stayed in an average hotel, on an average beach and ate average food. So instead of travel recommendations, let me tell you what I learned: 

1. If one of your themes for 2024 is connection, don’t take a solo trip to an island off the coast of Africa. Why did I do this? I was in desperate need of sunshine and my travel dates were limited and inflexible. For my American readers: Tenerife is to Brits what Florida is to New Yorkers. It’s a sun run. That’s all. A place to sit in the sun and have a margarita. It’s not meant to be - nor was it - a profound cultural experience.

2. What I accomplished: I walked along the beach for hours and hours and hours. Did I think I would eventually find a charming part of this island? Yes. Did I do so? No. But there was a lot of sun and sand and that’s not nothing.

3. The most interesting place I found: Library Reading Up, a used bookshop in Adeje, for which I was truly grateful because like a dum dum, I left my kindle at home.  I picked up Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld and Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. 

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Fun Things Laurie Mucha Fun Things Laurie Mucha

3 Great Things I Found Today

  1. This morning I fell into a rabbit hole, lost all track of time and nearly missed my hair appointment. The reason is because I found Sarah Miller. She’s a little bit like David Sedaris, if David Sedaris was a woman and not obsessed with garbage collecting and taxidermy. Here’s a sample of her writing: My So-Karen Life.

  2. Then I went shopping with S and bought a fancy work/travel bag, which is more exciting than it sounds because I found exactly what I was looking for and now I get to reorganize all my stuff.

  3. Finally, because the bag is pretty basic classic, I went to Blackout II and found a cool vintage scarf to give it a little personality. 

a navy blue work/travel bag and a navy blue silk scarf with a zodiac motif
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Fun Things Laurie Mucha Fun Things Laurie Mucha

One Life

Happy New Year! I have the perfect New Year’s Day activity for you — go see this film!

One Life is the true story of how Nicholas Winton helped save 669 children in Prague on the eve of World War II. Anthony Hopkins plays Winton to perfection, who by all accounts was a quiet, unassuming man who accomplished extraordinary things.

In a world of performative activism, One Life reminds us of what we can accomplish when actually do something instead of just talk about the problem. Winton was a regular guy who did what he could. He was a hero who wanted no part of heroics.

Go see it! You’re welcome!

Four people sitting on a stage discussing the film, One Life starting Anthony Hopkins

I saw One Life a few weeks ago at the Made in Prague Festival in London. The Q&A that followed was with the writers, Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, as well as Nicholas Winton’s son, Nicky.

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