BW and I chose to live abroad, so we take responsibility for any granules of homesickness that creep into our hearts. He has been much more stoic than I lately, but his wonderful parents were here in October, and his hip younger brother is visiting now, so "home" has been around enough to keep him from pining for it too much.
I, on the other hand, have been pining quite a lot. Coincidentally, I ran into a woman at church in mid-December who was visiting Prague from North Dakota as part of a Lutheran Women's Missionary group. I almost bear-hugged her when I found out she was from Fordville, only a 35 minutes from my hometown of Larimore.
I also watched the entire first season of "Fargo" these past few days, mainly because the accents reminded me of my roots and the barren, snowy landscapes were so familiar - without all the murders.
Prague is a long way from the American Midwest, especially during the holidays. Consequently, in true Eeyore fashion, I spent far too much time this month feeling frustrated and morose about menial things. Oh, bother.
So, rather than a "highlights of 2014" or "goals for the new year" post, I made a list of some Czech silver linings that made December far from home brighter in the midst of homesickness.
- I made it a point to walk through the Franciscan Gardens whenever I was near Wenceslas Square; they're so peaceful and a great place to practice mindfulness. Go through Pasáž Světozor from Vodičkova Street to reach them.
- I bought a much-needed, very warm, cozy and comforting pair of Winter boots from Bat'a. If you haven't owned a pair of Czech Bat'a shoes, you're missing out. They last forever, especially on cobblestones.
- We finally visited DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, which I'd been wanting to do for months but never made the time for. BW and I are big modern art fans; we were frequent visitors to the world-renowned Walker Art Center back in Minnesota.
- I smiled back at the big, friendly visage hanging on the National Museum of Václav Havel, beloved former President and famed writer, on the day of his passing, Dec. 18.
- We ate lots of Czech comfort food, like utopence (pickled sausage) and koláče (pastries).
- But most importantly, as stated above, we welcomed Ben's brother to Prague. It was incredibly generous of him to come all the way here to spend his holidays with us, and we've enjoyed showing him our cherished Czech Republic.
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| Welcome, bro! A bearded bit of Minnesota. |
I also watched the entire first season of "Fargo" these past few days, mainly because the accents reminded me of my roots and the barren, snowy landscapes were so familiar - without all the murders.
Prague is a long way from the American Midwest, especially during the holidays. Consequently, in true Eeyore fashion, I spent far too much time this month feeling frustrated and morose about menial things. Oh, bother.
So, rather than a "highlights of 2014" or "goals for the new year" post, I made a list of some Czech silver linings that made December far from home brighter in the midst of homesickness.
Czech cures for Homesick Blues
- We discovered a Czech Monopoly game at a pub in our neighborhood, complete with Prague street names and paper koruna bills. My family is big on board games, so this was a welcome find :)
- I made it a point to walk through the Franciscan Gardens whenever I was near Wenceslas Square; they're so peaceful and a great place to practice mindfulness. Go through Pasáž Světozor from Vodičkova Street to reach them.
- I bought a much-needed, very warm, cozy and comforting pair of Winter boots from Bat'a. If you haven't owned a pair of Czech Bat'a shoes, you're missing out. They last forever, especially on cobblestones.
- We finally visited DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, which I'd been wanting to do for months but never made the time for. BW and I are big modern art fans; we were frequent visitors to the world-renowned Walker Art Center back in Minnesota.
- I smiled back at the big, friendly visage hanging on the National Museum of Václav Havel, beloved former President and famed writer, on the day of his passing, Dec. 18.
- We ate lots of Czech comfort food, like utopence (pickled sausage) and koláče (pastries).
- But most importantly, as stated above, we welcomed Ben's brother to Prague. It was incredibly generous of him to come all the way here to spend his holidays with us, and we've enjoyed showing him our cherished Czech Republic.
I'm so glad I found your blog - it's beautiful! Homesickness is the worst! I'm going through it right now. Even though I live in the same country as my family, it's tough being 2,000 miles away!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a busy, fulfilling month. I know that homesickness all too well... sometimes it's good to stay curled up at home and wallow, but other times, getting out and experiencing your city can help remind you of why you're where you are.
ReplyDeleteHomesickness sucks doesn't it? I remember when l first moved to the U.S. I was 13 and missed my mum (even though l thought she was the meanest disciplinarian ever :-) ) dad, and the rest of my siblings so much the first Christmas. It got better over time, but still sneaks up every now and again. I laughed at your bear hug story, happened to me and my friend in Paris a few years ago. This girl on a study program cried and hugged me when she heard us speaking English on the train. We hung out with her and visited Monet's house in Giverny together the next day. She was so sad when we finally said goodbye later that night as we were leaving the next morning. I'm glad at least his brother came to visit. Happy new Year!!!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't stop LOL'ing at the map and how straight and Midwestern all the roads were XD
ReplyDeleteGahhh, that's so wonderful that BW's brother came for Christmas! I love Christmas visitors.... or any visitors :) And boy oh boy, those Bata boots look WONDERFUL. I mean, I already have a trusty pair of boots but that photo is enough to make me run out to the nearest Bata with any remaining Christmas cash. Happy New Year to you! And PF 2015 as they say.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you've enjoyed having BW's brother staying with you over Christmas. I never tire of walking visitors around the sights of Prague, even though I've been there many times previously!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Czech Monopoly game, are you able to read all the instructions in Czech on the 'Chance' or 'Community Chest' cards? Or do you know the English ones so well you can work out what the Czech ones are saying?
I entirely concur with you about the Franciscan gardens - a wonderfully peaceful spot in the centre of the busy city.
That variety of female boots are both fashionable & practical for the really bad winter weather. However, I'm amazed at the number of Czech women who, even when there is snow & ice to contend with, still wear their fashion boots with serious narrow heels and yet manage not to come to grief!
It's so nice that you all had a visitor for the Holidays. I think bringing a little bit of your home traditions to your life abroad can really help combat the blues. ;)
ReplyDeleteBeing away from home around the holidays can be really, really tough, but it sounds like you've got the right mindset! It's all about finding the little things that bring you comfort :) (And lots and lots of Skyping. Haha.)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on Skyping! And FaceTime and Google Hangouts and whatever else each friend/family member uses :)
ReplyDeleteVery true! I should do more of that, like bake some of the stuff mom used to... good idea :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricky :) It's nice when visitors come because it forces one to revisit sites, which I love; we just did the Jewish Quarter yesterday and I hadn't been there in a very long time.
ReplyDeleteWhen we played Czech Monopoly, we used BW's translation app on his phone so we could understand the writing on the cards. It was sometimes still a bit confusing but that made it fun.
I'm with you on the women in heels all over the city! I'm dumbfounded by all the tottering around cobblestones on pins, especially in the city center. Either the wearers aren't planning to walk very far, or they can tolerate the pain of walking on ice in narrow heels for hours on end. Either way, they're quite talented! :) Happy New Year!
You still may be able to get the boots for half off, Cynthia! :) They've been walking around the city for hours now and are quite comfortable, which isn't always easy to come by for snowboots. Also, I don't understand why the Czechs don't say "Š.N.R." instead of "PF"; must ask someone! Have an excellent 2015! :D
ReplyDeleteHaha! It's true! It's pretty hard to get lost there :) Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteWow! You moved away at 13?! What was your story? I'm in my mid-30s and can't imagine doing that as a child! How sweet of you to take that student around in Paris with you; I'm sure that really made her week (or month!). I'm sure that's a special memory that will stick with for a long time. Happy New Year to you as well, Kemkem!
ReplyDeleteGreat point, Natalye. We went to Prague's beautiful and moving Jewish Quarter yesterday and I was like, "This is amazing! I get to be near this!" It put things in perspective a bit. Cheers to you in the New Year :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie; I look forward to reading yours, too! Yes, it's crazy how one can live in America but still have the same travel time as if one were abroad. 2,000 miles is far! Hope you're finding some bright spots among the homesick parts. Have a happy new year :)
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't nearly as traumatic, as l had 3 older siblings in Boston then...I started high school young back home. I was 10, and l got into a boarding school based on my grades. Unfortunately, it was 2 states away. That was hard, l didn't want to go at all, and being separated from my family for 3 months at a time was super hard.
ReplyDeleteAw being away is so hard! And I love this post that focuses on the great thing that allowed you to keep smiling through it! It's so important to find those little or big ways to fight this homesickness :)
ReplyDeleteOh, lovely! And lefse. How I miss lefse. Did you see lots of Wrangler jeans and Dairy Queens? :) Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving; I'm jealous of your NoDak trip!
ReplyDeleteVery true! It was either that or stay in bed and eat pastries and moan for the whole holiday ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll bet it was! Where I'm from, nobody goes to boarding school; my British colleagues find it very normal. Interesting cultural differences! I'll bet you learned to be very independent.
ReplyDeleteHow cool! A Czech Monopoly game!! I love the Franciscan Gardens. I walked through there all the time as a short cut to Tesco and to see the pretty greenery! And oh Bat'a! I don't know that I ever bought boots from there, but I did buy a few pairs of shoes.
ReplyDeleteI never had utopence, I'm not a huge sausage lover though. I love gulash and potato pancakes and oh, Sopsky Salad. I can't find Balkan cheese anywhere else I've lived!
I definitely had my fair share of homesickness in Prague, but at least there is lots to do to keep you busy! =) Ok, I miss Prague now. ;) I could do with a visit.