It's a Schmahl World

How We Threw an Epic Harry Potter Party

This past Labor Day weekend we held our very first Schmollivander’s Septwizard Tournament! As the name is probably not self-explanatory, our Harry Potter themed event consisted of guests being sorted into the four Hogwarts houses and competing in seven different tasks relating to the books to win the coveted House Cup. We even got lucky…

7 Things to Do in Brno, Czech Republic

When we visited the Czech Republic we wanted to see more of the country than just Prague so we decided to start our visit in the second largest city of Brno. Here are seven things to do that are walkable from the city center! 1 – Visit the 10 Z bunker One of my favorite…

Safari at Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

During our trip to South Africa a few months ago, our safari was hands down the best part of the trip! We spent two nights at Black Rhino Game Lodge in Pilanesberg National Park. When booking the trip, I had thought 4 game drives – one the afternoon we arrived, two during our full day…

9 Things to Do in Cape Town, South Africa

This past September, my friends and I spent a week in Cape Town, South Africa and we loved it! There is so much to do in the city, as well as in the surrounding Cape region, so this list is not exhaustive but these were 9 of the highlights from our trip! 1 – Go…

Swimming with Sharks & Sting Rays in Belize

This past summer we went on a Carnival cruise on the ship Miracle for 7 days in the Caribbean. When the boat docked in Belize, we decided to go on a ship excursion to Shark and Ray Alley recommended by my aunt. We booked it ahead of time but if there are still open spots…

Why the District Six Museum should be on your Cape Town Itinerary

I’ll admit it, before I started research for our week in Cape Town, I didn’t know very much about the history of apartheid in South Africa. I knew we had to visit Robben Island where political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were held before apartheid was brought to an end. But I didn’t know about District…

7 Reasons to Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa

If you’re planning a trip to Cape Town, Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden should definitely be on your itinerary! We spent a few hours exploring these beautiful gardens, but had we known how much there was to see, we would have brought a picnic and filled an entire afternoon. Here are 7 reasons to visit Kirstenbosch… 1….

Cape Peninsula Road Trip: A Day Trip from Cape Town, South Africa

During our week in Cape Town, my friends and I spent one day exploring the beautiful Cape Peninsula. We rented a car and drove down the coast, here are all the places we stopped at on our way and some tips for planning your own Cape Peninsula day trip… Muizenberg Beach – 30 km from…

Spreading Awareness about Malaria

Malaria is one of the biggest health challenges here in Liberia. It’s the leading cause of death in Liberia and young children and pregnant women are at an even higher risk than the rest of the population. (Some statistics are in this post that I shared last year.) But malaria is preventable! So we’re working…

Life in Liberia: Yard Names & Porch Kids

Here in my community in Liberia, the houses can be close together in a way that to my American eye seemed disorderly at first — not all the houses are on an actual road and they can be built just feet away from another house. Unlike in neighborhoods in the US, you can’t distinguish which…