Guys, if, like me, you're going to be at work this Friday, looking down the barrel of the final weekend of 2016 - while everyone else is lazing around in a post-Christmas haze - I know you'll need some distractions. And we all love some end of year lists and wrap ups, so let's hop to it!

Recent Reads

Fuck Work. What if we don't actually need jobs, what would we do?

Gorgeous foreign words that have no direct English translation

The world's most beautiful libraries - adding to the bucket list.

This video of Simon Sinek discussing Millenials in the workplace is a fair and balanced assesment of the unique challenges, not the normal character assassination of 'entitled' people my age

 

The 2016 Articles that stuck

My book-nerd heart skipped-  Inside New York Public Libraries forgotten apartments - imagine living there!

While this made some kind of terrifying sense: High Hitler on Nazi drug abuse

This just rang so true: Foreign Spouse, Happy Life

Andrew Sullivan pulled apart our addictions to our phones and endless information streams. I used to be a Human Being. 

Ugh, y'know, I don't even like Ben Affleck that much, but this was a great read. Turns out he may not like himself much either: The Unbearable Sadness of Ben Affleck

We literally never learn: History tells us What May Happen next with Brexit & Trump

This came about early in the year but has proven so very hilariously true: How Friends triggered the Downfall of Western Civilisation

Quitting your Job to Travel isn't Brave, it's Lucky

Best Books of 2016

Mother Tounge by Christine Gilbert blew me away

The Expatriates by Janice K Lee touched a nerve about loneliness and privilege as an expat

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also hit the theme of never quite belonging

Becoming by Laura Jane Williams I snort-laughed, cried, and related so hard to this honest-as-hell memoir

 

Most Popular Blog Posts

You guys were loving these posts sick in 2016....

50 things to do in Vienna in 52 weekends

What to see, Do and Eat in Vienna

The never-ending battle with German (and the happy ending to the battle!)

And the oldie, but goodie, 28 Ways to be Austrian

2017 InspirationAfter the fabulous responses from you guys to the annual Reader's Survey (results being published next week!) there's a LOT to look forward to in 2017. Most exciting? You all want to read more about travelling within Austria, which means plenty of excuses to frolic about on weekend adventures!Here's my current obsessions that are inspiring plans for the year ahead:I'm getting more and more fascinated by #vanlife and tiny homes. That mythical idea of packing everything into a van and road tripping around Europe is becoming more and more attractive, but man-oh-man those vans don't come cheap. Buying a van instead of a house is totally fiscally responsible right? We might have to do a trial run in the summer before committing to such a crazy idea...We have a wedding in the South of France next summer, so I'm plotting how we can best use an Interrail or Eurail pass to squeeze in a stay in Switzerland and Paris en route to the wedding. You know I cannot resist a good train trip!https://www.instagram.com/p/BL9ZULljNFJ/?taken-by=carlyhulls For the last two years I've been scheming how to arrange a short overland camping trip adventure in Kyrgsztan. Through work, 2017 may just be the year we pull it off with this 16 day overland trip in Kyrgyzstan. Can you IMAGINE? Silvia at Heart my Backpack has all the insider tips to surviving such a wild trip.Oh, and we'll be maniacally planning our destination wedding in Nusa Lembongan for 2018. God save me from wedding hype.And that's just the beginning....what have you got planned for 2017? I've still got half a list of 52 things to do in Vienna to complete by September too, so would love to hear what you're challenging yourself to do in the New Year!Have a fantastic weekend break my dears, we all deserve the refreshing clean slate of 2017!