Tatínky

(Translation: Dads)

The post you for which you have all been waiting! (Notice how awkward that sentence sounds because I didn't want to end it with a preposition.) Anyway, this post will most likely disappoint because I don't have anything extraordinary to report.

If I had to choose one word to describe our week, it would be beer. I am not a big beer drinker, so I think that last week I drank more beer in one week than I have since I've been here. (Not that I haven't been frequenting the establishments, I just usually stick to bile vino.) Anyway, I not only had more beer last week than the entire two and a half months I've been here, but I also had more Czech food. They loved their beer and Czech food. My liver and stomach are still recovering!

I think my mom put it best in the email that she sent me:

"they talked the entire way home about everything - you and Jenny, beer, the museums, beer, the hotel, beer, restaurants, and beer. Do you see a theme??"

She was definitely right. I had a great time showing them around the city though. I love Prague so much, and it's not like I can share that with other people here, so it was great to show everything I love to an outside person. We walked the city on Monday, and on Tuesday we went to the castle, Vysehrad, and to our free sangria night on Tuesday. The dads got to meet my best friends that I've made in Prague, and that was important to me. Wednesday the dads were on their own, so they visited various museums. We also went to dinner on the roof of a hotel that night, which was beautiful. We ate outside, overlooking Old Town Square, and it was honestly one of the best dinners that I have had so far in Prague. Thursday Dad and I went to Petrin Hill, and then we all saw a photo exhibit, had lunch at one of my vegetarian places, and did some souvenir shopping. Friday we took a trip to the city of Pilzen where we saw the American Military Museum and took a tour of the Pilsner Brewery. At night we went to a Czech hockey game. In between each of the things we did every day included a stop at some sort of pub. I don't think we ever went more than a few hours without a beer. It was the most Czech that I have been since I've been here!

What I thought was pretty interesting was that after being here for about 24 hours, Dad and Mr. Burns commented on two things that I no longer even notice. They pointed out that doors in the Czech Republic open in, not out. When you enter a store, restaurant, or building, you don't pull the door, but push it. I had subconciously started doing this, without noticing that it was even different from home. It was interesting to have someone point it out. The other thing that they loved to comment on was the "Czech red" hair that is very popular here. People of all ages, from teens to the elderly, dye their hair a shade of obviously fake, bright red. It is all over, and Dad especially loved making fun of it.

In the ten weeks that I have been here before they came, I can honestly say that I was not homesick once. I love it here, and I adjusted very well. However, when I got back to Prague from Berlin Monday night, it was weird no longer having Dad here, and I was slightly homesick Monday and Tuesday. I am definitely over that now, as it is the weekend so I have been out and about, but I find it interesting that it took a part of home coming here for me to miss home a bit. And that was all that it was was a bit. I honestly don't think that I want to be home. I just want the people from home to be here too.

Dad and Mr. Burns, thanks for everything over the course of the week. It was great having you guys, and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!

I got back from Berlin Monday night, and I leave for Vienna in the morning. I am just going for the night because my friend Tarah, who went to Mount with me and now goes to the University of Florida, is coming in on Saturday. I definitely don't even have time to be homesick because I am so busy. The best part is that home is coming to me next week, so I won't even have reason to be!

There is exactly one month from today that I will be back on U.S. soil. I am not exactly thrilled. I guess if I NEVER COME HOME, then there isn't one month left!