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Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nAha, here we are! <\/strong>Last month, I wrote that I probably wouldn\u2019t be able to get a November recap out due to my travel schedule, but I got to work and wrote the lion\u2019s share of the recap before setting off on my trip.<\/p>\nNot only that, but I got to writing my best and worst of the year posts ahead of time. All I have to add is anything that happens within the next few weeks. I\u2019m proud of myself for actually getting that done ahead of time!<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into November. The month was GOOD.<\/p>\nHello, Cura\u00e7ao! New destination!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDestinations Visited<\/h2>\n\nPrague, Czech Republic<\/strong><\/li>\nLondon and Abbots Langley, England<\/strong><\/li>\nWillemstad, Shete Boka National Park, Lagun, Westpunt, Klein Cura\u00e7ao, and Jan Thiel, Cura\u00e7ao<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nI hate that the sun sets so early at this time of year in Prague\u2026but I love when the sunsets look like this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHighlights<\/h2>\n Great times in Prague. <\/strong>Most of the month was spent at home, and it was so nice to get quality time at home with Charlie, the cats, and my friends.<\/p>\nOne highlight was going to a screening and discussion of the film Dogma<\/em>, which somehow I had never seen. Turns out it was intentionally impossible to stream because Harvey Weinstein was holding onto the rights\u2026but BITCH IS BROKE NOW, so he sold it and we can watch it again! Couldn\u2019t have happened to a nicer guy! Oh, and the movie was great!!<\/p>\nWe also had our five-year-old niece and three-year-old nephew over to bake a yogurt cake, a dish that every French child knows how to make. It was fun and I can\u2019t wait to bake more with them later this winter.<\/p>\n
And we got to enjoy a nice creative market in Prague, where we found a local vendor selling salted caramel cashew butter. OMG, THAT STUFF IS GOOOOOOD. And dangerous.<\/p>\n
And we not only had our first snowfall of the year in Prague, but we had snow THREE DAYS IN A ROW! I think this year is going to be an intense winter.<\/p>\nThe Museum of Natural History in London.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA quick and nice weekend trip to London. <\/strong>Charlie and I did a quick little trip to see his family as we won\u2019t be seeing them for the holidays this year. We visited London for two nights, had some good times with the family, visited the Museum of Natural History, and ate SO MUCH GOOD FOOD.<\/p>\nOne of the highlights was Cafe de Nata, a chain specializing in Portuguese pasteis de nata, but with lots of flavors. We loved the tarts with raspberries and pistachio best.<\/p>\n
Brixton Village was also a fun food stop, where we ate delicious Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican dishes. (Yes, London finally has GOOD and LEGIT Mexican food!)<\/p>\nFlying business class on KLM. <\/strong>At this point in time, Charlie and I earn a decent amount of credit card points and we hoard them until we have a good opportunity to take a business class flight with KLM (and get two new KLM Houses for our collection).<\/p>\nThis month, we flew from Prague to Amsterdam to Cura\u00e7ao in business class, and it still blows my mind how damn PLEASANT long flights are when you have a comfortable seat, delicious food, and incredible service.<\/p>\n
A beautiful trip to Cura\u00e7ao. <\/strong>We kicked off our four-week trip to the Caribbean in Cura\u00e7ao, an island country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I am working with the Cura\u00e7ao Tourism Board to highlight some of the best parts of this country.<\/p>\nI really like Cura\u00e7ao! This island is an absolute feast for the eyes, from the brightly colored Dutch architecture in Willemstad to the beaches of Westpunt, which feature some of the bluest water I\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n
Some of the highlights were spending the day at Mondi Beach Club (which has a GREAT cabana deal for two), taking a boat trip to Klein Cura\u00e7ao with Mermaid Tours (they have a great little compound for their guests), and just driving around and finding cool beaches and taking photos. Willemstad is a pretty awesome Caribbean city, too.<\/p>\nYep, that\u2019s a lump.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nChallenges<\/h2>\n I wiped out in the snow and fell on my face.<\/strong> Fun times! I was on my way to a doctor\u2019s appointment at the hospital, and I slipped in the snow, fell on my hands and knees, and my head seemed to just kiss the sidewalk.<\/p>\nBut that kiss was enough to grow into enormous egg on my head. (I went in to see my doctor, an ENT, and she said, \u201cYou\u2019re just here for your ear\u2026right?\u201d)<\/p>\n
Not only that, but I shattered my phone screen in the process, just two days before we were due to leave for Cura\u00e7ao. Replacing the glass was a big expense that required me to raid the \u201cnew tech\u201d sinking fund in my budget. That category is supposed to be for fun stuff!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been almost a week and the bump is gone, thankfully, but it\u2019s still tender on top.<\/p>\n
An ear issue that snowballed into something more. <\/strong>I keep most of my medical stuff private, but every now and then something happens that I think more people should know about \u2014 so take the time to read this.<\/p>\nEarlier this month, I woke up with what felt like a blocked ear. It seemed clogged and I couldn\u2019t hear as well on that side. I started experiencing tinnitus, and later, pulsatile tinnitus (hearing your heartbeat in your ear). After a few days with home remedies, I saw my GP, who thought it was irritated and gave me some drops.<\/p>\n
That was a mistake. I should have seen an ENT, not a GP, as ENTs have the equipment to diagnose more serious ear issues. I made it to the ENT five days after seeing the GP, took a hearing test and didn\u2019t hear as well on my left side, and found out that I was likely experiencing Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.<\/p>\n
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction is when the small tube that connects your middle ear to the back of your nose stops opening and closing properly. It can trap fluid or pressure in the ear and cause muffled hearing, pain, or sometimes dizziness. <\/p>\n
And if you don\u2019t get it treated in a timely manner, it can lead to permanent hearing loss. <\/p>\n
The treatment is a course of powerful steroids, and I am so relieved that THEY WORKED. The meds took effect slowly, and recovery was not linear, but over the course of two weeks, I was back to normal.<\/p>\n
Let this be a lesson to you \u2014 if you have unexplained ear issues like this, don\u2019t go to your GP. Go straight to an ENT.<\/strong> Those few days can make a difference in preserving your hearing.<\/p>\nCharlie and Murray goofing around.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLewis looking luxurious.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNew This Month<\/h2>\nMost Popular Reel on Instagram<\/h2>\n Autumn Vibes in Italy is an ode to our time in Piemonte in October this year.<\/strong> If you want to experience Italy when the fall colors are most beautiful, you will love Piemonte in October!<\/p>\nFor more live updates from my travels (currently posting a lot of Cura\u00e7ao stories!), follow me on Instagram at @adventurouskate.<\/p>\n\n
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