The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Cool Bloggers Walking Club: Schedule of Events

Here’s a quick schedule of events for our upcoming month of walking! (For anyone just joining, get the full scoop here.)

I’ve organized things as follows:

Week 1: Wednesday, 1 April – Tuesday, 7 April

Week 2:…

Vienna Travel Diary: Our Second Week of Family Adventures (+ Some More Hidden Gems)

By the time I get around to posting this recap, our time in Vienna will be down to a little over a week.

That is mind boggling!

A whole month here seemed like an endless amount…

On My Shelf: Books Read March 2026 + Day #1 of Cool Bloggers Walking Club

Before I launch into my monthly book review… a friendly (excited!) reminder that today is April 1st… which means it’s the first day of our online walking club.

All the details are in this…

Reading
Apr, 01, 2026
26 Comments

Visiting Schönbrunn Zoo + Palace in Vienna with Kids

Full disclosure: I’m writing about a place I haven’t actually visited. John and the kids went on an adventure last Sunday… while I stayed back at our Viennese apartment and enjoyed my first few…

Top Five/Bottom Five: Germany/Vienna Edition

I haven’t done a Top Five/Bottom Five post in a while and I thought I might as well break the drought with something relevant to my current state of mind.

We’ve officially spent three weeks…

Top Five/Bottom Five, Euro Adventure, Munich, Travel, Vienna
Mar, 30, 2026
32 Comments

Bratislava (Slovakia) Day Trip from Vienna: Best Things to Do in One Day

In an effort to not get too behind in recaps, I’m posting twice in one day!

One of our goals while living in Europe is to capitalize on just how easy it is to move…

Travel, Euro Adventure, Slovakia, Vienna
Mar, 29, 2026
16 Comments

Random Little Updates (AKA: Potpourri)

I rarely start a post, write conversationally, and immediately post it. I tend to draft, step away, come back to edit, and then schedule it for some specific future time. (That probably tells you…