My Last Day in Prague.

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. ~Richard Bach

Every possession and every happiness is but lent by chance for an uncertain time, and may therefore be demanded back the next hour. ~Arthur Schopenhauer

A goodbye isn't painful unless you're never going to say hello again. ~~~

And today, I end my dream… I return to the states, a victim primarily of the US initiated and now global Financial crisis.

My time in this absolutely glorious and wonderful city and Country, which I have grown to Love so much, has been wonderful...

My journey has been, perhaps, a type of love story. My Love affair with Prague, the lifestyle here, it's daily ebb and flow and it's surrounding Countryside and the Czech Republic itself. Plus, allowing my heart to enjoy it's own journey, in having the wonderful good fortune to meet and then to grow, over time, in strong “like” for a wonderful woman, mother and just a magnificently good person during my stay here in Prague; getting to share so many really nice times with her and her 2, now 3 yr old, son; for those times there are really no words to express how wonderful that was and she is. The heart knows no cultural nor language barriers. It only knows reality.

I had so many highlights during my time here and she was one of them. I guess you may have sensed this, if you have been following this blog for long, especially my words recently as I knew my days here were waning...

I have had the pleasure to teach just a wonderful group of people while here. 19 in total. I had the pleasure to come away with several really close friends with a few of my students (Renata, Petr, Greg; Radka & Zuzana; Míkuláš, Eva; Hana; Lucie; Iveta,Blanka; Ilona,Zuska) and with several of my Czech teaching colleagues(Marketa, Katerina, Viki). Was invited to dinner to meet one student’s husband and her two small children and then make cookies for an entire afternoon with her and her children(the husband watched TV):-) (but liked the cookies); taught the 8 yr old daughter of Hana, a Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, in her Home in Podolí. Spent time talking with Eva about life and trying new approaches to things. And Míluláš and I talked about CZ & EU and Corporate Financials, aspects of leasing and Golf. These individuals all hold a special place in my life and heart. Just really really good people.

I now know Prague better than my own City of Rochester or home town of Fairport, after walking or taking the tram/metro from one end of Prague to the other for 10 months. I have walked about in 100 degree heat and in zero degree frigid cold, in cold wind, rain, snow, sleet, across parks, through dog poop and in front of a tram(glad he stopped it in time), up and down Metro escalators...even got to drive a little red car around Prague from Palmovka to Černy Most & to Krč as well and of course, spent time “tripping down alleyways, ...as I walked on”.

And I have a special place in my soul for certain cafes, coffee-shops and pubs, that I frequented almost every day over these past 10 months.

Although a bit short of my goal of being here for one full year, as I leave today, I have been living in this City for 300 days. I have experienced all four seasons; plus The December children's holiday of Mikuláš, the Christmas season and New Years here as well. I came last May, Studied, Passed and became certified to teach English here in the Czech Republic, secured a full time 40 hr/wk job and have been teaching 26 hours of classes a week for over 8 months… living, breathing, sweating, freezing, walking and enjoying Praha.

Went to Berlin last August, applied for and then received my Initial C & D Schengen Czech visa, and just this mid-January(09), renewed my visa and received a Long Term Czech Residence visa, different from my first visa. Unbelievable! It is a pity that I could not stay, since THAT visa, in itself, is truly amazing.

I have met and exceeded every single personal goal and objective I set when I departed from the US last May… and fulfilled all except one of my personal hopes/wishes/desires(but certainly tried). I pushed my personal envelop and succeeded. I feel good about that. I left a secure high paying position in the US, lived austerely, but still enjoyed all Prague had to offer, took 2993 pictures, many of which are here on this blog to prove it all. ;-)

So now I go home… to rebuild my life there, forever changed by this experience and by the people I have met. I can only hope to see these, my new friends here in Prague, and this city once again in the year(s)to come, knowing however, I most likely will not find a position that affords me spending much more than a week here all at once ever again. Well, they say miracles happen… and I do believe in them. It deeply saddens me to leave here today and as well, to leave a special friend. What an incredible adventure. What an incredible journey. What an incredible time.

I have changed. All the people mentioned above have changed me forever and for the better. I will miss all of them more than they all will ever know and one more than all the rest.

Thank you all for following my blog for all these months. Thank you for putting up with my words, often too much from my heart. This is my last post. I return now to my family and my good friends back in the states. Cheers.
Ahoj, čau a na shledanou! but NOT s'bohem!

MB: If I had a single flower for every time I WILL think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. FOREVER! Vše, co musite udělat je řika...Přijít zpět Scotte. a Ja budu udělat přístí letadlo. :-) ...until our words meet again.

Dětátko mého srdce...a jeho matka taky

No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. ~Robert Southey

I didn't need persuading of your worth,
even from the moment of our first meeting...

I trust Our friendship will stand the test of time
and of distance. I believe it will. -asc

I have always enjoyed doing so many things with you...and for you. Truly a joy. ..and of course, with that special little being that I have grown to love, as you,....taky.

And when I found this sculpture..."Child of my Heart", now sitting on your shelf...no visual could say more; your love for him. I saw "you" so plainly is this carving. I hope you will understand and know what I saw in this as well.

Perfect Endings...

In good times and bad times, I'll be by your side for ever more...that's what friends are for.

Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life. ~Jean Paul Richter

I(so)wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. ~Gilda Radner

...I guess a perfect ending is an ending of one's own choosing, so in those terms, perhaps this is not a perfect ending, since I would have chosen differently; but very close; Just to walk hand in hand and into the future. Yes, I am a dreamer;
but I enjoyed the many many moments we shared...

But Life is not about endings, but rather beginnings. ..and about the future. It is also about how we enjoyed the ride. I was. I am. I did.

Just promise me....that We will part with a hug, a smile, perhaps a kiss and many many good good words. ...and tea... in Palmovka. ;-)

A pathway to the Vltava....

Doorway to Summer....

Spring is coming....

Spring is coming as can be noted by the high level of the Vltava on this Sunday... many rivers in the southern parts of the Czech Republic have flooded this past week.. The Vltava flows north through Prague and catches much of the water from the south, as the record snows melt throughout the Czech Republic with the milder temps. They even activated the flood gates along the river through Prague as a precaution. ...and then, it is certainly wonderful to see the Greening of Vaclavské náměstí...as one looks toward the National Muzeum.

Rozmitál pod Třemšíem

Absence diminishes little passions...and increases great ones; as the wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire. ~Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld, translated from French

I will hope our friendship was not little,
that it is not as a candle flame,
easily blown out,
by a small breeze.

I will pray for a firm wind ....
to fan our friendship's flame,
to make it stronger, in my absence,
and in going forward. -asc
jo?

...and look! ...this was French. ;-)))

Top Photo: from a perfect day last June - my most favorite photo of all.

Březnice zamek(manor)

From this past June... Březnice, a special place and a really nice place to visit.

Happy Birthday little one....

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar (1298 czech krown) set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan

Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it. ..or chocolate on his face.

Today is the Big "3"... Happy Birthday Kuba...

Thank you for such a lovely day yesterday to celebrate and enjoy his birthday one day early. Dekuju moc M. and Kuba, ano..."Porsche coming" .... just the three of us will remember those words...

Hradčany from Vinohrady's riegrovy sady

It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive. ~Earl Warren

Prague Castle, or Hradčany, in it's hill top position in Mala Strana, can be seen from most places in Prague. This shot is from the park, riegrovy sady, not far from my flat. The dominant feature of Prague Castle, is St Vitus Cathedral. The Castle was founded in the 9th century with construction of the Gothic Cathedral dating back to 1344. It occupies a third the main courtyard. It is still the official residence of the president. The Old Royal Palace was home to the Kings of Bohemia from the 11th to the 17th centuries. The Royal Apartments within its walls and Vladislav Hall inparticular, are places where Bohemian knights once jousted, kings were throned and presidents are sworn into office.

Bila Hora....

I made it...

It takes Two.....

Hope itself is a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords; but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain. ~Samuel Johnson

Antikvariát - 2nd hand bookshop

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. ~Douglas MacArthur

Colored pencils in a row....

In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

A playground fence in riegrovy sady, Vinohrady... with a smile at the end. ;-)

Thoughts of Summer....

I thought we all could do with some warm thoughts...
Summer and it's soltice, is only 113 days from today.
Summer in Prague is to die for...

Changing Seasons of Riegrovy sady

Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change. ~Edwin Way Teale

From a Fall day to a Winter one in February.... Reigrovy sady, one of the largest parks in Prague..and two blocks from my flat... always a nice walk on weekends or when it snows... and it's beer garten.... makes a summer evening nice and mellow. ;-)