This year didn’t begin anew as years before. I suppose that happens when one’s environment is already new; when the tastes & buildings & people are still a bit of a mystery. I was carried into 2016 by way of a still unraveling {& exciting} move. It’s still a miracle to me that I wake up everyday in the middle of Vinohrady; that I’m able to run down our apartment steps to the potraviny for a bottle of milk or a few eggs. Living here is never taken for granted.
The mornings start cold & clear these days, with little patches of blue sky & the sound of church bells down the street. I’ll head to Coffeeroom a few blocks up to do some writing, or perhaps to Kavarna Misto, where if I hurry to the metro fast enough, I can order from the tasty breakfast menu. Each day is a little different: running errands, meeting up in cafes, Bible study, freelance work {& more importantly, searching for freelance work}, & taking in the city creatively, unconventionally. Golden shadows start falling on the Vltava & trees around 17:30 {glorious military time} & soon the sun disappears. It becomes frigid & dark in Central Europe, but the energy of nightlife still pervades.
I was sitting by a window on the 17 tram the other day, watching the boats sail up & down the river. I looked on as the city scenery rushed by our rails: steeples, museums, & streets. & I realized I’m not the same person that walked up the metro steps into Prague eight months ago. I’ve been moved; I’ve been moving. Just as the buildings glide by my window, so does the film strip of my past & future begin to collide. I sat back in my seat & smiled silently to the passing colors. I let the sun hit my face, closed my eyes, & realized my ability to be content.