Post by BigRay on Sept 29, 2003 16:34:46 GMT -5
This summer, I have been fortunate enough to have the time to do a bunch of travelling. In my efforts to bring this journal up to date, I will start with my first trip.
When I first came out here, I had planned all along to return to the States in June for a number of reasons. First, I wanted to go home and pick up more of my stuff. Second, my good friend from college got married and there was no way I was going to miss that.
So in the middle of June, I lightly packed and headed back to California for a quick trip to see friends and family and pick up a few more things for Prague. I was only in California for about 5 days, but what can I say? There is no place like home. Though I am having a wonderful and life changing time in Prague, it's great to get real face time with the people you love.
I also took advantage of my time there to indulge in my favorite pasttime: sushi. Since there is no sea anywhere near Prague, fish is a rare commodity and extremely expensive. San Francisco is another story. (Well, it's expensive there, too, but oh so good!) I also had a wonderful walk aroung Golden Gate Park on a sunny afternoon with a good friend.
From San Francisco, I went to New York for my buddy's wedding. I love New York. I lived in Washington, DC for seven years (4 years of school + 3 years after) and many of my friends live on the East Coast. Now that we are getting older and everyone lives all over the place, it is rare to get everyone together in one place. So I was really fired up for this trip, as both the bride and groom were classmates at school and the guests (all a bunch of jokers) were all best friends at school. Needless to say, the wedding was fantastic and the reception and after party were done in true New York style. (And by the way, the pizza in New York is to die for! Why can't anyone else do it like everyone in New York?)
Aside from the wedding, I planned a couple extra days in New York to do a little sightseeing and see some other friends. I spent a great day in Central Park just roaming and taking pictures, and met up with some other friends. One friend who lives in New York was recently blessed with a baby girl, and it was good to be able to see them. It was tough leaving the Big Apple, but it would have been tougher to have missed such a great weekend.
From New York, I started making my way back to Prague, but I had one more stop in mind: London. I didn't have a lot of time to stay in London, but I tried to make the most of it. I stayed in Bloomsbury, next to the British Museum and had a lazy day walking around and spent a good deal of time just reading in the sun in Bloomsbury Park.
That night, I met up with a friend whom I had met in Prague at my teacher certification course. She is an Aussie from Melbourne who was in Prague, but is now living and working in London. She met me at my hotel and proceeded to give me a mini pub tour. The tour was cut off early because pubs close so early there, but we made up for it with a fantastic late night dinner at some French restaurant that was still open and also had incredible deserts! ;D
Next day, it was off to Stansted to catch an EasyJet back to Prague. It was a great trip hitting some great (but expensive) cities in San Francisco, New York, and London, but it also felt really good to be back in my new home and back with new friends. It feels even more like home now that I have more of my stuff scattered everywhere! Ahhh, no place like home...
More trip reports coming soon,
Ray
When I first came out here, I had planned all along to return to the States in June for a number of reasons. First, I wanted to go home and pick up more of my stuff. Second, my good friend from college got married and there was no way I was going to miss that.
So in the middle of June, I lightly packed and headed back to California for a quick trip to see friends and family and pick up a few more things for Prague. I was only in California for about 5 days, but what can I say? There is no place like home. Though I am having a wonderful and life changing time in Prague, it's great to get real face time with the people you love.
I also took advantage of my time there to indulge in my favorite pasttime: sushi. Since there is no sea anywhere near Prague, fish is a rare commodity and extremely expensive. San Francisco is another story. (Well, it's expensive there, too, but oh so good!) I also had a wonderful walk aroung Golden Gate Park on a sunny afternoon with a good friend.
From San Francisco, I went to New York for my buddy's wedding. I love New York. I lived in Washington, DC for seven years (4 years of school + 3 years after) and many of my friends live on the East Coast. Now that we are getting older and everyone lives all over the place, it is rare to get everyone together in one place. So I was really fired up for this trip, as both the bride and groom were classmates at school and the guests (all a bunch of jokers) were all best friends at school. Needless to say, the wedding was fantastic and the reception and after party were done in true New York style. (And by the way, the pizza in New York is to die for! Why can't anyone else do it like everyone in New York?)
Aside from the wedding, I planned a couple extra days in New York to do a little sightseeing and see some other friends. I spent a great day in Central Park just roaming and taking pictures, and met up with some other friends. One friend who lives in New York was recently blessed with a baby girl, and it was good to be able to see them. It was tough leaving the Big Apple, but it would have been tougher to have missed such a great weekend.
From New York, I started making my way back to Prague, but I had one more stop in mind: London. I didn't have a lot of time to stay in London, but I tried to make the most of it. I stayed in Bloomsbury, next to the British Museum and had a lazy day walking around and spent a good deal of time just reading in the sun in Bloomsbury Park.
That night, I met up with a friend whom I had met in Prague at my teacher certification course. She is an Aussie from Melbourne who was in Prague, but is now living and working in London. She met me at my hotel and proceeded to give me a mini pub tour. The tour was cut off early because pubs close so early there, but we made up for it with a fantastic late night dinner at some French restaurant that was still open and also had incredible deserts! ;D
Next day, it was off to Stansted to catch an EasyJet back to Prague. It was a great trip hitting some great (but expensive) cities in San Francisco, New York, and London, but it also felt really good to be back in my new home and back with new friends. It feels even more like home now that I have more of my stuff scattered everywhere! Ahhh, no place like home...
More trip reports coming soon,
Ray