A Course Crashed in Prague
Happy New Year
I will likely put my final thoughts over several entries... As it would be impossible to sum up what I have just lived through.
With that said, it has been five days in the States, and things are... different.
Five days ago Prague Castle was my playground. The Czech Philharmonic was the score to my life. Every experience was unique. Five days ago.
But now I’m at home. Eight inches of snow fell today. My wood stove has kept the house warm all day. My cell phones ring with friends looking to catch up.
To say that I miss Prague is a true statement.
To say that I’m glad to be home is also a true statement.
Everything is measured differently between here and there... or there and here. Time move differently. I’m no longer working in Crowns. Or Centigrade. Or Centimeters.
I’m working in a different unit of life. And that’s okay. But it’s an adjustment that I didn’t know was going to be this difficult to make. I find myself responding to questions in Czech. I find the American wait staff in restaurants too attentive. I’m learning how to drive again.
They call it “reverse culture shock.”
More like “resume the life you had shock.”
Everything is both the same and different. Food is different. People are different. And thank god, the wine is different. But I’m the same... The same I was in Prague at least, which is different than I was before.
I’m sorry if this isn’t making much sense, but it is very difficult for me to characterize me feelings surrounding this entire experience. I have seen things that have changed some of my priorities. I place a higher value on some things, and lower on other. For example, I appreciate Art so much more than when I left.
And that wasn’t even something I expected to change.
I expected to see “the other side.” In reality what I saw was “the different side.” Things aren’t black and white like they were before I left. They aren’t gray either. Black and white have been fundamentally redefined.
I wish I had been there to see the New Year.
I wish that I had been home for Christmas.
I wish I could be there to see the trees turn green again.
I wish I could have had the conveniences of home in Praha.
But. Soon. Soon I will be going back.
And soon Home will feel like Home again.
Happy New Year, My Friends.