Happy Sunday, everyone! I just want to share a little thought that came across my mind the other day. Can you already feel the crisp Autumn air too? It's slowly but surely replacing the Summer heat and my heart is feeling ALL THE FEELS. It always comes this time of the year, the good old nostalgia. All the memories and Fall smells mixed with a bit of a melancholy and happiness, all together. It's the perfect season. This year, I think, it will be even deeper for my soul, watching the colorful leaves fall down. Percieving the nature on a whole new level. All awake, realizing it's inevitable for the Winter to come. There can't be Summer all the time, it'd be against the nature! Every year, all the seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, remind us of ever changing flow of our lives. 

Our daily lives can be uderstood as seasons too. As well as the year has its seasons, human beings do to. Every our day is a great example of how it should ideally work in the nature. Spring - morning, we wake up and rise, full of energy, Summer - we go to work and are productive, Fall - we are slowing down, heading home, where we should rest, Winter, we sleep and get back the energy. Same with the whole year, except people are never really resting in the Winter, huh? They are running on empty by the end of each year, when it's actually essential for them to slow down and turn their motors off. Most people have the busiest lives around Fall, right before Christmas. So many deadlines in their jobs, shopping rush and stress. Then inevitably, when we finally slow down, watching Elf, eating cookies, we get sick right after this marathon. The body needed to start chilling like 2 months ago, you know? I'm sure you do. And I hope this year, you'll do things differently and protect your health. We are really not meant to run, run, run and never rest. You're gonna burn if you do so, sooner or later. Enjoy this wonderful season! 🍁 Slow down even if your job is telling you otherwise. Set your own pace and take it easy! Make time for walks into the nature, bake pumkin pies, go pick mushrooms, watch the colorful leaves fall down and enjoy your existence. Aren't you grateful? You should be. Where are you constantly rushing? You're never gonna be as young as you are today!

Take a lot of photos! Pictures are the return tickets to a moment otherwise gone. Love this photo taken by my friend Renata last Fall. I was showing her my most favorite bookstore in Prague, Shakespeare and Sons. They have so many books in English and all different languages. If you like literature and reading, definitely visit this place! 

Well, given the fact that I lived in the States for nearly four years, I'm always thinking about (and obviously missing) the Halloween and Thanksgiving traditions. Last year, we dressed up for Halloween at work and I did pumpin carving and porch decorating with my mom. I'll probably do the same this year. I already purchased a few little decorative pumpkins in the gardening shop. 🙈

What else do I want to do this Fall? 
▷ I want to return back to my childhood and go fly kite! That will be some great nostalgia! 🪁
▷ Light up my favorite scented candles (fresh balsam, pumpkin pecan waffle), watch the Halloween movie from my bed and eat popcorn. 🍿
▷ Do pumpkin carving with my friends (probably some classic pattern like this one) 🎃
▷ Add some more Fall-ish decorations in my apartment such as mustard yellow blanket, pillows, tree cones etc. Just want to make it super cozy for my and my guests. 🧡
▷ Campfire! I'd love to roast some marshmallows and bake potatoes! 🔥
▷ A nice Fall trip to the wild would be really nice! I think that's doable. Probably to the Czech mountains. I want to have a picnic between the fallen leaves with a mountain view. 🍂
▷ How does a puzzle night sound? For the long Autumn evenings, I think minimum of 1000 pieces, good eggnog or mulled wine to go with it. 🧩
▷ Baking is my favorite thing, y'all know! This year, I'd like to try making a good pumpkin spice bread or homemade cinnamon rolls! 🍞
OH and I can't wait to wear all my comfy sweaters!

'Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.'

Do you like Fall? Do you get super nostalgic too? Let me know. XO Zuzana

With all the bad news coming our way in the recent past, I decided to sum up the GOOD that was brought to my life thanks to the pandemic. Its impact on our daily life is inevitable. For me though, when I do the aftermath (well, maybe more like a mid math as we're not done yet sadly), I'm able to see how positively this whole thing affected my life. At first, when they issued lockdown order and we were stuck at home for at least 2 months, it felt like an absolute nightmare. I never really got used to it (living the 'free as bird' life until then), and I was counting the days until they let us out again. In the first stage, I was quite unhappy, I felt stuck. I knew I couldn't do anything to make the outside world better. It was not in my control. Future was unsure, nobody knew what's going to happen tomorrow, in a week ... What an unsettling feeling we all had to deal with. I spent most days of these 2 months in my little apartment between the 4 walls, all by myself. The only time I left my 1-room flat, was to go buy groceries one block away from the apartment building I live in. I left in a mask, with sweatpants on, hair in a bun and zero make-up. You have no idea how done I was with this lifestyle. I was all moody in the beginning. You are used to living in a certain way and then it's taken away from you in a day! I was mad, I couldn't understand why they put our lives on pause. There was no choice, there was no option B, I simply had to follow the rules and wait. Wait, wait, and wait. Anybody else was going crazy? Most of us, I dare to say. I spent at least a few weeks in this mindset, before the things slowly started to change. My attitude turned around completely one day. I found out that the only way out of this cycle is to get it sorted in my own head. Deal with the things I've been consciously postponing, the things that were unsolved for so long that they started to rot. I needed this breakdown more than anything. It forced me to figure myself out and make major life changes.

'Nature is the greatest place to heal and recharge.' 🌲

Here's a little list of the shifts that happened to me this year. The good changes that I'm thankful for.

▷ I stopped senseless shopping 🛍️
During the lockdown, I was literally buying just food once a week. I didn't want to spend any extra money not knowing what the situation will be like moving forward with jobs and economy in general. I stopped buying clothes, cosmetics and things I simply didn't need. I stopped going to the gym and all kinds of events (well, it was forbidden anyways), ... I had to use only the stuff I already had at home. And I realized I already have everything I need to survive! Food, hygiene, internet and roof over my head. The only thing that I truly missed was having my favorite people around. I would play YouTube videos in the backgound to feel a bit more alive. I missed socializing so much. But when you're at home and all you do is working and simply surviving, you really don't need to spend much money. (I spent the extra money I saved up on my outdoor activities later on! 😍)

▷ I'm appreciating true friends even more 👭
To be honest, this pandemic showed us who our true friends are, isn't that so? You know, sometimes people filter themselves out of our lives, and that's okay. In fact, you should be grateful for it. If that happens, don't ever chase that person who chose to walk away from you when you're dealing with the worst. I can say that I only have a few really good friends, but it's about quality, not quantity when you get to this age. Knowing you can rely on someone no matter what's happening, knowing that they will pick up the phone in the middle of a night and stop everything they're doing to come help you, that's what true friendships are about! Don't settle for less. You don't have to chase people who are meant to be in your life, let them go. On the other hand, value and appreciate those who love you even more, tell them often how much they mean to you, care for them just the same.

▷ I re-connected with many people on-line 💻
So much time, so little options to interact with other human beings. Thank God for the internet, right? We were all mad at the internet at least once in our lifetime. But how great it is to have a Wi-Fi during the lockdown, hm? You can't go out and hang out at your favorite café. Yet you're a social person who needs some kind of buzz. Social media was all of a sudden the only way to catch up with friends and family, coworkers or old acquaintance. I've actually found my way back to many people from the past recently. Checking on them, remembering them and wanting to know how they're doing. I re-connected with some sweet people and I probably wouldn't do it otherwise if I'm being honest. Because when I'm on my regular schedule, I'm usually very busy with work and other activities (and I read Instagram and Facebook messages only like once a month).

▷ I'm done with fake nails & too much make-up 💅
I was getting the fake acrylic nails done for almost 2 years when the virus came around. I would go get my nails done twice a month for at least 700 CZK ($30). When they closed all the beauty salons for 2 months, I had to peel the gel remains off of my nails as I was honestly so over it. So much hassel to get it done every time, so little time, oh and so much money! And who exactly was I trying to impress? My nails were super damaged on top of it. Paper thin. So I decided to finally keep my natural nails. Since March 2020, I haven't even put any nail polish on them (except for this transparent oil for strenghtening the nails). It's such a relief not having to go to a salon every time. More time for a walk, for hanging in a hammock. Same with make-up. My skin healed completely while in quarantine. I didn't use any make-up and my acne disappeared. No cystic acne since, just a little blemish here and there. I think I honestly don't need that much make-up. I still wear a BB cream and mascara for work but I haven't bought any new beauty product except for the face cream in 6 months. I think I'm closer and closer to not wearing it at all eventually.

▷ I'm appreciating my job and amazing coworkers 🚀

I'm lucky enough to work in the IT field. As a PPC specialist I'm good with just my computer. I can set up campaigns and communicate with my clients via internet. Our company let us work from home for at least 2 months. I actually didn't have to stop working during the worst virus outburst and I realize some people weren't so lucky. For example retail workers lost their jobs overnight, often without any compensation. I feel super grateful for the job I have, for having such amazing people around me. Me and my coworkers kept in touch and spent hours talking work and life via Google hangouts. We kept each other sane and I will always be grateful for how supportive these people are. I just couldn't wait to be able to go to the office ASAP. So over the lockdown and super excited to be back at my desk now.

▷ I cleaned out my closet 👒
I wasn't just cleaning my head during the quarantine. I felt this desperate need to also get rid of things I don't like / wear / want anymore. So one day I opened my big closet in the hallway and threw everything out on the floor. I started sorting out all my clothes, one bag for charity, another one to be mercilessly thrown away. If you do this once in a while, you know that refreshing feeling you get afterwards. Our style changes of course, so does the need to own and wear certain things. When donating my old clothes to one of the textile container we have all over Prague, I also felt like I did a good thing by recycling some stuff. What's useless for me, can actually be useful for someone else!

▷ I became more adventurous 🌲
We were not able to travel during the first stage of lockdown, of course. It was very strict. But right when things started to go back to normal (around mid May here in Prague), I was hungry for some nature fix. After staying home for so long, I took every opportunity to get out of the city via train or bus, to the nature. It's honestly the best thing, to be able to spend some time outdoors, breathe in the fresh air, watch wild animals, eat some forest fruit. In the woods, I'm able to switch off my brain completely and just enjoy the present. To be completely clear, I've always loved nature trips and hikes but now it's on a much higher level. My soul and body seek it, more and more recently. And I became a hopeless nature lover. This year, I made a bunch of hiking equipment purchases and I haven't bought any new fashion piece that isn't for outdoor this year yet. Wow. We really do change.

▷ Plants, and more plants 🌱
My friend Tereza transformed her apartment while in quarantine as well. She made a botanic garden in her room and I wrote about it in case you missed it. She's my best friend so I spend a lot of time with her, of course. And when I saw it, it inspired me to get some plants myself. Why should I NOT create a little jungle in my flat? It brings me a piece of nature when I can't go out. It evokes freshness. I love the color GREEN! Plus, I can finally learn to care for plants - it's about time. I was only able to care for a cactus that is the most undemanding plant ever. Time to step up the game! 😎 You should see me every morning. I'm spraying the plants, watering them and, oh well, giving them cute names. Maybe I did get a bit crazy during the lockdown. 😋

'We all have two lives. -
The second one starts when we realize we only have one.'

Would you add anything else on this list? How has this year been for you so far? Were you able to find good in the bad? I hope you aren't affected by all that is happening in any bad way. Wishing you all the best! XO Zuzana

(Oh, and if you want some food for your soul in the meantime, check my Spiritual board on Pinterest)

We are on a journey that never ends ... My name is Zuzana and I celebrated my 30th birthday in February 2020. I wrote a very first post on this blog in 2014. And let me tell you - a lot can happen in 6 years! I currently live in Prague. I started this blog when living in Orlando, Florida though. Back then, I was into girly fashion and all the cute stuff in general. First post ever published here was on July 1st, 2014. Since then, I went through a major transformation. If you're following my blog since the very beginning, you've seen me grow and change the focus throughout the years. And that's an inevitable part of the process too. Our journeys are full of twists and turns. 

“For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse.So collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth.”

I was 24 when I came up with The Kawaii Planet concept. Before that, I'd always have a blog. I was born to write and share! When the internet came around to my parent's house in 2003 or so, I set up my personal website right away, and wrote about celebrities and stuff. And I was already writing a printed magazine for my classmates long before that (I still have copies somewhere, it's cringy as hell!) I always felt some kind of urgency to publish, to use my voice. Interesting, looking back. I really loved writing since elementary school, and I remember my Czech language teacher in high school giving me as an example to the class for always writing long meaningful stories. He always encouraged me to join writing contests and I did a few times. Anyways, back to my blog. Why this name? Well, I'm kind of obsessed with anything and everything Japanese since visiting Hokkaido in 2012. Kawaii means cute in japanese. I'm forever hooked on the Asian culture, fashion, food, nature ... Back in the day, this blog was mainly focused on cutesy outfits and things, so the name seemed like a suitable idea. It's funny that even though my fashion and lifestyle were ever changing, I never felt like I should change the name. Even now, more than ever, the name seems pretty accurate. After 2 years of not being active on this platform at all, last month - August 2020 - I finally transformed this website into an outdoor / motivation / spiritual blog. I've travelled around the world, looking for myself. But it's not about the places - yes, they can open your eyes and heart and make you realize things - but it's actually all in your head. Home is a state of mind. Once you're happy with yourself, you're at home! I can't think of a better name for my blog than it is. The Kawaii Planet. It's timeless. Planets in the universe are constantly moving, changing, meeting other planets on the way, sometimes coliding and collapsing. I believe in the whole Universe philosophy, as well as I believe that what is meant to be, it'll always find its way. And therefore I'm right here, doing what I'm doing, because I believe there's purpose in it. We never meet people by accident. And you're not reading this post by accident either. 🤗

Trust the wait, embrace the uncertainty. Every single event in your life comes for you - to guide you, to support you, to teach you and to have you come home to yourself.

So during these 6 years I went from kawaii lifestyle to sort of like an American girl fashion blogger (this was another huge transformation on the way - thanks to working in a high end boutique I learned how to dress and do make-up and my style totally changed). I'm extremely grateful for everything that happened to me because it led me exactly where I am now. All these little big things, and people I met on the way, helped me form into who I am today. Finally, in my late twenties, I was able to stop and listen to my soul - I was able to look at all the versions of me and simply analyze what I like about each of them. Nurture the good and fight the bad. And every day I'm learning more and more about the world. I feel like my life has just started. The most important season of my life is happening right now. I feel wiser and I'm at peace with myself. I got to a place that I can call home (not physically, but in my head). My own head is offering me all these wonderful things to think about and I'm taking it all. It's a blessing. I feel like I can be the best version of myself and show what's really inside of me, not based on looks or anything material. When you get to this point, you don't need aything else, it's enough. I'm ready to create different things and values, I reflect on myself, and it all comes so naturally if you let it. Just be! Just accept what's coming.

So, what is this blog going to be about moving forward? I would love to write about just anything that comes to my mind. Keep it 100% authentic. I want to write about all the nature & mountain trips I made this year. So get ready for a lot of travelling posts with stunning nature photos. (Even more trips planned so stay tuned!) I want to talk relationships here (as I struggled a lot with this and I would have loved having a place to go and ask when needed), psychology in general, various problems and how to deal with them based on my own experience. I want to share stories I've heard and give you my opinion. I want to write about interesting creative hobbies and feature some beautiful souls I come across, and just really focus on the personal growth and self development. How to become better and happier, how to enjoy life to its fullest. How to overcome obstacles on the way. Because I think that for human beings to be happy, people need to find love within themselves, expand their consciousness and eliminate the things that are stopping them. So, if you want to grow and raise your spiritual awareness with me, you're at the right place.

“Maybe the journey isn't so much about becoming anything. Maybe it's about un-becoming everything that isn't really you so you can become who you're meant to be in the first place.”

Happy Sunday, friends! I'm so glad you're here. 😊 Thanks for tuning back in. Today, I want to share some photos (a lot of photos) from my quite recent trip to the Czech mountains. This must have been one of the most beautiful hikes I made this year (or possibly in my lifetime here in Czechia). It is memorable for many reasons. One of them is - I still remember how I felt when I got off the train in Špičák. The air! I felt so free, so grateful, so happy. Isn't it funny how this virus thing reprogrammed our minds? To be completely honest, I'm not sure I would normally have such a need to visit the mountains in my own country, in the summertime, haven't all the Corona thing happened. Now when all the borders were locked and things weren't looking so good with any kind of travelling, I had no choice but look for options in my country. At 30, I felt a bit embarrassed not even knowing what gorgeous places I call home! I quickly realized there are worse places to be stuck at.

This is an interesting mindfuck (pardon my French). I've thought it over and over. The lockdown made us appreciate what we have and made us kind of 'okay-ish' with the fact we can't have more at the moment. We simply have to accept it. It made us realize that what we had before, was actually a bit beyond. So many options! We took it for granted, haven't we? We were so free! Unstoppable! We could buy a ticket today and wake up in our dream destination like tomorrow. I really felt like that before the coronavirus when it came to travelling. Now it seems like it was too good to be true. Will it ever return back to what it used to be? We all sure HOPE so. I don't want to talk politics here, but imagine how people felt like in the past regime here. They had no chance to travel. The borders were closed. And then, after so many years, when they finally opened again, people were so used to not being able to get out of here that they didn't even have the need afterwards. It felt like they could do ANYTHING all of a sudden yet they kept kind of reserved anyways (and some of them do till this day). My parents were always very supportive of me travelling across the Globe, but visiting me in Florida was like a sci-fi movie for them to be completely honest. They never been farther than in our neighborhood - Germany, Croatia tops. Hmmm... The whole lockdown order is sinking in slowly. And the mind process reminds us so much of our history.



But - to get to my original story, after the first lockdown - when they let us out finally - I was so hungry for the outdoors, for ANY kind of nature! Any trip, anything green! And when I got out of the train in Špičák and smelled the fresh air, I felt like finding out what life is about again. It was like learning to enjoy life again. Like if someone erased all the bad and I had a new chance to start over. Amazing feeling. I came out of quarantine fresh and clear of all bullshit. Like if I possibly could (MUST?) start over and better? It felt like jail March through May and now I did see the sun again. I noticed the goosebumps on my skin when the cool wind surprised me wearing just a tank top. I will never forget these emotions. Thank you Covid? On this trip, while walking the hills, I took my time and thought about my life, asked myself questions. 'What do I wanna do with the time that was given to me?' - I did that while inspecting every single plant, every flower, every little detail on the tree, - how beautiful are tree cones? Have you ever noticed? The soil, it smells so good! You can smell the mushrooms! Butterflies, bees - living their best lives. Gorgeous stones! Oh my god! All shapes, all colors. But colors didn't even matter. It was the smell, the smell of nature. The smell of what I came from. Ahhh. Last time I visited Šumava I can't even really remember. It was probably a school trip in the 90's when I was a little peanut. I have to say, after this trip, which was spent in a lovely hotel, the idea was born to buy a tent and experience nature on even a deeper level. So then my feet led to Decathlon for the first time in my life. I bought proper hiking shoes for the first time in my life (these - thanks to my friend's recommendation) ... And that's how it all started - maybe. Maybe it started long before that and now it only continues. The only thing I know is, I'm going in the right direction.

Well, enjoy the photos! Can you believe these were all taken on my iPhone XR? You don't need an expensive camera to capture natural beauty. If you want a full experience, play this while reading, I played it while writing it. XO Zuzana (Oh and ask me in the comments, or email me if you have anything to tell me - thekawaiiplanet@gmail.com).

Hello! It's the last day of February today and I'm getting so excited for the Spring already! Not too long until the nature is waking up and everything around is blooming! Spring is my 2nd favorite season right after Fall!
Me and my friend Aubrie met up to take some blog pictures and have a girls day last week. We grabbed a coffee to go at our favorite spot in Winter Park (Barnies Coffee & Tea Co.) and decided to walk around the park on such a perfect day. I went for a 'casual chic' this time. (What's new? LOL) This camo tee has been through a lot haha, and is still holding up pretty well! It's actually one of my most favorite comfy tees, that also looks fashionable & fits for any occasion. If you watch my YouTube, you'd know that I bought this light blue denim skirt for just $6.99 at Ross not that long ago. By pairing these two items, I created an effortless look that could easily be my new go-to for life. I will be in Prague in just one month from now. And I know I might need a puffer jacket there. It will definitely be a weather shock for me. A whole different world opposed to Florida! But for now, let's just enjoy these sun filled photos that tell you how warm Florida is! Sending some sunshine your way! XO ♥


Camo tee - Z Supply, distressed denim skirt - Ross, gold gladiator sandals - Catherine Malandrino, backpack - Botkier.

Hi guys! I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! It's starting to be hot out again here in Florida and so I thought I should finally post this wintery look that my sweet friend, blogger Aubrie, shot a few weeks ago for me. It was chilly enough to wear a comfy cardigan & beanie back then! And I do have to say, I really enjoyed that type of weather! Good thing I'm flying to Europe in a couple of weeks so I can extend this experience for a bit longer and enjoy wearing my winter clothes over there. Always a good thing LOL (just wait for me to start complaining that it's way to cold in Prague ahaha!) Grass is ALWAYS greener! If you follow me on my Twitter, you'd know that my vlogging camera broke on me recently and I couldn't make new videos. That changed as my old camera was replaced with a new, upgraded version (CANON G7X Mark II) and so I'm back in the game finally! I picked up my vlog this morning actually, so you can check out my YouTube channel in a few days!

For the look below, I was inspired by the 80's. So called mom jeans are everywhere now and I can never get enough of that style! High waisted, a bit loose fit... what more to wish for? So comfy! I decided to go for the all white look, except my new burgundy booties (that I found at a thrift store as well as those jeans by the way!). White beanie, basic top, spiced up with this off white knit cardigan. Brown buckle crossbody is like a cherry on the top! I'm in love! ♥ Let me know what you think about this look! Excited to hear your thoughts. Happy Monday! XO