Czech Account and Bank ID

In 2010 the US enacted FATCA (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) to combat tax evasion by US taxpayers holding financial assets outside the United States. This act requires, among other things, that foreign financial institutions report information about financial accounts held by US taxpayers. Banks outside the US must identify and report US account […]

Czech phone number and mobile apps

When spending so much time in Czechia, it is helpful to have a Czech phone number and to be able to access apps available only in Czechia (or at least for non-US Google accounts). I didn’t want a landline, of course, but I needed a solution for my mobile phone. For many of the running […]

Czech visa

Now that I’ve been back in the US for almost two months, I have confirmed that I do indeed enjoy dividing my time between Asheville and Prague, with each offering various highlights and advantages. Why choose just one?? It’s the best of both worlds. I admittedly at times feel a bit discombobulated from living two […]

Ways Iceland Can Kill You

In preparing for this trip, I read Rick Steves’ Iceland guidebook, and in it he has a two-page section covering various ways that Iceland is deadly. Here’s how he starts out: Several times a year, Iceland is captivated by a full-scale land and helicopter search for travelers sucked out to sea by a wave, separated […]

Fire-breathing dragon

I had a mentally and physically draining day across the board. Time in a medical facility (I’ll be fine) and slamming my finger in the door (unrelated to the medical center visit) were some of the easier things. Anyway, that’s life! Here are some photos for your enjoyment. Today’s dad joke: When a lady from […]

Wrocław, Poland

I said goodbye to Sofia on Tuesday, and to Colleen on Wednesday. By the time you read this, Colleen will be back in Asheville. I took a bus from Prague to Wrocław (pronounced like “vroht-swav”, with the ł character sounding like w), enjoying several hours of the Czech and Polish countryside. Back in November 2017, […]