I’ve only been back in Prague a little over a day, and I’ve been slowly re-integrating into a culture and lifestyle that is still largely foreign to me. But it didn’t take very long for me to settle into the comforts of my favorite Prague things. These are some of the things that I love and missed about Prague while I was away.
1. Taking public transportation
Sure, I miss singing in my car, but driving around in Miami is awful. I’m so excited to be back in a place where I can go downstairs and be on a tram in 30 seconds. Where I can get obliterated drunk and not have to worry about my car. It’s an added bonus that the Prague metro is on the honor system, so now that I have a transportation pass, I don’t have to worry about buying tickets or going through turnstiles. I can just hop on any bus, train, or tram that comes along. It’s a beautiful thing having that kind of freedom.
2. The dogs
I don’t know what the Czechs do to these dogs but they are the best-behaved precious animals. Czechs don’t use leashes on their dogs, because the dogs are ultra-obedient. When a Czech person goes in a store, the dog waits at the door for their owner like a statue. They’re really friendly and because it’s below freezing, they’re all in really stylish coats. Being excited to see dogs on the street is in stark contrast to my experience in Miami, where I would go for runs in fear that I would be attacked by either street dogs or someone’s pet, which happened to me once before. Czech dogs don’t get riled up by joggers. They just wanna hang out in their cute winter coats.
3. My bathroom
I’m a simple girl that’s relatively easy to please. I live in an affordable modest apartment just outside city center. But my shower… my shower is downright sexy. I feel like I’m at a luxurious fuck hotel (don’t play, you know what I’m talking about) every time I go in there. Beyond the frosted glass doors, there’s a rain shower head with a mirrored chrome finish so you can watch from the most flattering angle possible. I know what you’re thinking: that can’t possibly be better than a handheld shower head. Luckily, it has both.
4. The Czechs
A lot of travelers hate on Czech people for being cold, unfriendly, and standoffish. It’s true. They’re all those things, and I love it. You don’t realize how exhausting it is to be overly polite to people you have no actual desire to interact with until you live in a place where there is no social obligation to do that. I know some wonderful Czechs who are exceedingly sweet, which is even better coming from them because you know they really mean it.
5. The prices
Finally, I can stop feeling poor. I can live a comfortable life with my meager salary here, even if I go grocery shopping like 3 times a week, and even if I have one too many beers at the bar. Who cares? They’re a dollar!
6. The relaxing lifestyle
Can someone explain to me what happens to Americans when they step foot at IKEA or Trader Joe’s? Because the way people behave anywhere they shop is barbaric. Being back here is a nice breath of (freezing cold) air, because unless you’re in Old Town, which is crawling with tourists, nothing is overly packed. No matter how crowded the metro gets, you always feel like you have personal space. You can shop freely at the farmer’s markets and the malls, and you always feel like you have room to breathe and browse.
No one is in a rush and no one is pissed off for no reason. People just are. Everyone is going about their day at a reasonable pace that doesn’t interfere with anyone else going about their day. And they all have adorable dogs in coats.
7. The food
I know, I spend my entire life complaining about the food here. But I like to think it’s one of my strongest qualities as a person that I can not only acknowledge and accept flaws and shortcomings, but come to see them as endearing qualities. And I have to admit, I couldn’t stop smiling when I went to the grocery store and saw chicken necks for sale alongside their traditional crusty pastries with a slice of cheese melted on it.
But I mean it when I say I missed the food because OMG I can eat real eggs again. I’m ridiculously excited to make breakfast every day with fresh baked bread and prosciutto and cheese and real fucking eggs that came out of an un-modified chicken. I also missed the coffee. I don’t know what it is, but the coffee here is out of this world.
And when I get bored of breakfast, I can start starving so I’ll lose the 10 pounds I gained in Miami.
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