Things you will find in Prague

“You take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” -- Italo Calvino

Prague is by far my favorite city in the world. Sure, every time I heard about Prague I heard nothing but great things. It is a small city, it has great public transportation, it is cheap and the best places to eat vegetarian/vegan food as well as for meat eaters. You can rent a nice apartment for $250 USD/month and get this, go to the movies, buy popcorn and soda all for about $8. But that is not all, I mean the people here are friendly, they don't mind accommodating Americans with their lack of spoken languages so most people here speak english and don't seem bothered by having to do so. It is a fairy tale city with its castle sitting on top of a hill overlooking Charles Bridge and its cobblestone streets. Not to mention that one feels safe walking through dim-lit parks at night and leaving your Mac on the table while you go to the restroom-- though this is something that always gives me anxiety while I am in the toilet. And definitely no pickpockets on public transportation. It is, needless to say, perfect.

Or is it?

Well just as with everything in life, it has its pros just as much as its cons. One thing you will be sure to find on the streets is none other than dog poop. Yes. Dog Poop everywhere. Freshly made and the way you'll know that is because someone hasn't been unfortunate enough to step on it. Other than that, you'll always see how the unfortunate ones dragged it along for a few meters on the cobblestone trying to get rid of the curse, and the stink.
If you're a runner you'll have to travel a bit to get to a nice park where you will be sure you won't be stepping on dog poop while you're on that runner's high.
My first day here, while I did not step on any, I was rolling my suitcase on the street when it happened to roll over some old dog poop. What a great beginning to my adventure here, I thought.
But, guys and girls, so far that is it. That is all I have found unfavorable in this magical city. Of course, it is just a small nuisance that in the end it is far worth the outcome if you get to spend a few days here. Just keep your eyes on the road as I have.

My favorite place to eat thus far, Café Sladkvoskÿ
I have been eating everything on the menu that is listed as Vegan/vegetarian and not once have I been disappointed. The decoration, the service and the prices are all too good to just come once. And the best part is that I am living just across the street.

Lose the Map, Find Yourself

What do two people do who waited in the freezing cold for hours only to realize the bus that they were waiting on doesn’t have room for them? They lose the map and find themselves. 

Danilo turning to the left, to the left (props to you if you get it). Looking nostalgic, perhaps thinking of Patrick.

Watching Prague go by as we don our matching hats. Disclaimer** No bunnies were destroyed in the making of the hats.

Aside from all the silliness, yesterday was sort of an object lesson for me. I have always been the type of person that likes to plan ahead. I always have a schedule for my daily routine and "appointments". I always had my life planned up to a year, and I always knew what I wanted in life. Well, I am 29 years old now and for the first time in my life I cannot make up my mind on what it is I truly want for myself. I have absolutely no idea what I will be doing or even where I will be for that matter in the next month. And while it is a great recipe for adventure and living life on the edge, at some point I gotta stop and ask myself, what is it that I really want to do with my life?

As we rode on the tram yesterday, I kept thinking, "where are we going?" "we are leaving the city, we may not find anything interesting out here" "I should just look at google maps and find something where we can eat". However, in the end I opted for not giving it a second thought and yes, to just enjoy the ride. I lost myself looking out the window, watching the people go by on their daily life. A grandma cleaning her windows. A couple holding hands, walking on the street while she looked up at him with that smile that you just know, she is in love. I saw people walking to the west and to the east. I saw a father playing with his children at a park, bouncing up and down on a trampoline  And I saw for the first time, what life really is. It is people getting older,  people having children, people falling in love, and people rushing to and from work. Life is a cycle and and we all go through it. The difference lies in how we choose to go through it. 

While I still do not have the answers I am seeking at this moment, I just know that for now, how I choose to go through life is by never stopping to feel like every day is an adventure.