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.