I have less than 48 hours left in this stunning, astonishing, country, and I am a mix of emotions. All this week I’ve been working – homework, how weird is that? I’ve had some 25 pages worth of final papers due over the past few days, plus a few tests. When I was complaining about all this, especially that it was spoiling my last week here, a friend said, “Yeah, but you’re working in PRAGUE! How bad could that be?” This doesn’t work any more. Two months ago I would have grinned sheepishly and agreed, but that’s the problem of acclimation – once this new place becomes home, just being there will no longer negate the unpleasantness of typing frantically for several hours. That view out the apartment window becomes too familiar to inspire ecstasy every time, and becomes just somewhere to rest your eyes when not looking at the computer screen. Which is a good thing, of course, but maybe there’s something sad in the loss of wonder of a new place. Maybe it is time to move on…
And yet, I find myself focusing on little things that break my heart. Last night, in the Ovoce-Zelenina around the corner (literally “fruit-vegetable,” little groceries usually run by Vietnamese immigrants) there was a box of really delectable looking nectarines, which I stared at for several seconds, mourning the fact that I could not buy them, because there was no way I would eat them all before I left. Time is running out.
On the other hand, my roommate and I spent a good long while the other day describing our favorite salad places at home (salads are a serious rarity here). Slowly. And in detail. So maybe, just maybe, I’m ready to go.
