This week, Mike takes the pod on the road as he serves with Group Mission Trips in Elizabeth City, NC. During this episode, Mike describes his connection with GMT along with interviewing volunteers Stephanie, Jeremy, and Helen about their experiences with Group. Mike also has a chat with Thom Watson, youth pastor at Metro North Church in Goose Creek, SC about the impact these mission trips have on students and adults. 

https://groupmissiontrips.com/

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In this special travel edition of the, “Hey, Are You Still There?” podcast, Mike & Beth are back from their recent trip to the Czech Republic. In this episode they’ll discuss their time visiting three towns on their way to Poland. Below is a hopefully helpful timeline of the travel that is discussed in the podcast.

Czech Republic (new country, new currency)

• Sidetrip tours  - Pavlina; Skoda car 
• We were in south Moravian region of the Czech Republic 
• First stop - Mikulov
  • Walked around the cute town; historic square
  • Mikulov Castle and views from the hill
  • wine tasting at Vino Silova - cool machines for the wine
  • Coffee shop where I ran into a woman from upstate NY getting coffee - she said she never heard anyone speak English in the town
• Second stop - Lednice
  • Walked outside gardens at Lednice Chateu; they had better stables for horses than most people have - English garden (more natrual) and French garden (has symmetry and is formal geometric)
  • Saw a stork nest - migrating 
  • Got more coffee
• Third stop - Olomouc - she went to college there; largest of the towns; really pretty town
  • Lunch at a place that helps people that are recovering from substance use. Nate Cafe
  • Walked around the university
  • Astronomical clock - with soviet style pictures and we learned about having a “name day”
  • St Michaels church with large domes - went down into a basement area too
  • Saw holy trinity column built in 1700 to celebrate faith and gratitude for ending the plague. 
  • Sand art of the church
  • St Wenceslas Cathedral - last stop
  • Bought some Czech comic books
• All of these towns had the center square, cobblestone streets, very historic and beautiful 

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In this special travel edition of the, “Hey, Are You Still There?” podcast, Mike & Beth are back from their recent trip to Austria. In this episode they’ll discuss their time in Vienna and the surrounding area. Lots of travel insights for vacationers from the US such as places to visit, where to eat, and how to get around. Below is a hopefully helpful timeline of the travel that is discussed in the podcast.

Vienna, Austria Day 1

• Motto am fluss for brunch after landing 
• St. Stephen’s Catherdral - large church in Vienna with tile on side of roof.  They were having mass. So we went back later; tallest church in Austria and is the cities most important Gothic Building.
• St. Peter’s Church - large baroque art and architecture - also having mass
• Albertina Museum - Had Monet, Picasso, etc.  
• Free tour in Vienna - Guru Walk - Free Tour Vienna - Part 1 Top highlights - free walking tour of the city - pay as you want
  • Motzart statue and facts
  • Hofburg Imperial Palace 
  • Learned about all the other museums in palaces
  • St Stephens and St peters
• Gastwirtchaft Purst - Dinner - had large barrels and cool art; very nice servers and authentic food
• Andaz Vienna Belvedere  was our hotel

Vienna, Austria Day 2

• Authentic breakfast at Cafe GoldEgg
• Belvedere - has Klimt and other cool art in a palace with grounds
• St Elisabeth - small church
• Belvedere Museum is in a baroque palace and in the manicured gardens get a great view of city center in the distance- 
  • Was a palace and had amazing art work on the ceilings; 
  • had large open rooms with wood and gold; 
  • lots of old religious art; 
  • we learned about how in the 15th century churches had alter pieces that would fold out - had wings in 3 pieces with art that showed Bible stories; 
  • Klimt the kiss and an unfinished piece  
• Butterfly museum
• Museum of natural history - largest meteorite collection; also is in a building that looks like a palace - so two for one to see the building and then all the rocks, Dino bones, animals and taxidermy awards
• Hao restaurant for Joshua whole crab and dumplings
• Took the tram (has 29 tram lines); Vienna has great public transportation with U-Bahn (subway), trams, and buses.

Vienna, Austria Day 3

Excursion from Vienna to Wachau Valley 

Wachau Valley is a region along the Danube River in Austria.  It has vineyards, apricot orchards, old towns and castles.

• Took over an hour to get to Melk where we started
• Melk - known for 11th century Melk abbey, a monastery on a high hill above the town.  Talk about the self guided walk
  • Ate pizza at Pasta e pizza - great service and food
  • Walked in a few stores - expensive area not crowded
  • Walked to the Boat in the park area
• Took the Boat to Spitz.  The town was empty.  We took at hike up to a castle - Ruine Hinterhaus - It is a tough hike but breathtaking views of the valley.  Castle in ruins but we went up the stairs and all around - only people there
• Back to boat to Krems - went into Aldi then walked around the town. Mostly closed; train back. 

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Please forgive the poor sound quality and the very abbreviated episode. Mike, Beth, and Joshua have been away all week for a family vacation. To make it up, we will be dropping 2-3 episodes next week on their travels and adventures.

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This week Mike and Beth discuss her technological difficulties, Mike’s credit card frustrations, Beth’s love of credit card points, buying a new couch, sharing the same back account, trusting spouses with phone/email passwords, Mike’s visit with a high school friend, what makes the good ol’ days good, and a new milestone for the podcast.

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This week Mike and Beth celebrate their 40th episode with a hot discussion of getting a spouses permission and approval, the origins of hobbies, what hobbies have Mike & Beth taken up, and they take a deep dive into the idea of the “5 Hobby Rule”. 

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This week, Mike and Beth are joined in studio for the first time with their youngest son, Joshua. It’s clearly a two-one-one as they discuss Josh’s taste in music, how Beth killed a cat, a recent trip to visit Jacob in South Carolina, Mike’s visit with “Mr. Number One” George South, top zoos and aquariums we’ve visited, and the ReCon board game convention. 

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This week Mike & Beth discuss her new found fame, poll results, old sayings that don’t make sense now, Mike’s newest conspiracy about Jimi Hendrix, should Milli Vinilli get their Grammys back, what they would do for careers if they knew then what they know now, how jobs have changed, what kills a ministry, and does purpose matter in a job. 

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Beth returns this week as her and Mike discuss his recent trip to Charlotte and the PGA Championship, an almost confrontation with a lady, escape rooms, Beth’s trip Disney and Universal, her fascination with the Beluga spy whale from Norway, and how we needed more wisdom when our kids were younger. 

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Mike goes solo this week as Beth is moving their daughter into the Disney College Program. This week he discusses recents trips to see Pearl Jam in concert, reclaiming his bonus room, his daughter’s car crash and move into the Disney College Program, their son’s internship with the South Carolina Audubon Society, and the trials and tribulations of trying to support your kids and not lose your sanity 

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