23.5.2009

We stopped in London just for few hours between our flights from Boston to Prague. And we are not going to do it again because we were so exhausted! The flight was just six hours overnight  but we maybe slept two if really.

We had 8 hours between flights which left us just with six hours for to get to London and to see something. We took subway from the airport. That took an hour each way so we were really left just with four hours for sightseeing. Which is not much. We saw Tower of London and we took two hours long bus tour.

In Tower of London was quite a long line to get the tickets. It took us at least 30 minutes to get them. They had tourists guides there but you would have to have at least three hours to go with them. The guides are pretty funny and they say a lot of interesting things about England, the royal family, etc. I did the tour five years ago. Well me and David we didn’t have as much time so we were running through it and really stopped just at the White Tower and the Jewel House where they keep Crown Jewels.

The bus tour took us all over the major London’s sightseeing. At least David saw London from the bus. But it is not as the same as walking through the city and have time to sit at cafeterias, pubs and parks, to look inside museums, stores and churches, to feel the city.

Also we were so in rush that we didn’t have time to eat at all. The last meal was breakfast on the plane and then supper on the airport. It was very exhausting and London is just hazy memory in our minds. We have to return for more days for sure.

More photos in album London 

I haven't been back home for the last three years. And I would never realized how much I would miss it. The last three years were very busy for me here in the U.S. and I got used to live here. So I was kind of surprised how much I was enjoying Czech and that I really didn't miss anything from the U.S. life. Really anything! The only thing I would miss was my husband but he was there with me. It was so strong that I even wouldn't want to see emails came from America. It felt that the Czech is the right place and nowhere else. Like I am in some between stage of my life, in some dream and I have to wake up and return to Czech.

The first week when I was back in the U.S. I didn't enjoy anything. Also it was raining and my husband has so bad schedule at work that I don't see him that often. the worst is he works every Sunday. It just seems to me that I am living meaningless life in here. Going just to work to make some money, not seeing my husband, not having that many friends in here, everybody is busy, no much of vacation. What kind of life is that? I was getting kind of depressed and I didn't want to get deeper into it so I went to dance West Coast Swing and it made me feel better. It is really good to have a hobby to get you out of bad thinking. I know it will take me time to accept the life in here and be happy again.

I don't know if every immigrant feels the way as I do. Probably not. I think it depends on the reasons why people immigrate. I am not saying the life in the U.S. is bad. It is just different and the values are somewhere else.

The roots started to grow in one place and it is hard to take them out of the soil and move them somewhere else. We can live anywhere on the planet but there is only one true home.

As David enjoyed Czech very much, I'll keep dreaming, that one day we might live there!

yes, I am going on vacation next Friday!!!!!! I can’t wait! That’s why I wasn’t writing or visiting any blog. I am going home after three years and my husband is going with me. For the first time he will see my country, where I come from, my house, my extended family and my friends. Also David has never been in Europe so we will stop on our way in London just for one day to get glimpse of England.

But all the preparations are time consuming and it takes a lot of thinking. I go just for two weeks and my husband just for one week so we have to squeeze a lot of things. I’ll write you some of the things I have to do so you have some idea. :)

etc. I am sure I forgot something. :) It is overwhelming.

Also my husband just got to know that he might loose his job so his mind is somewhere else and he is fighting to make a deal.

But somewhere between of all this I am getting excited! :) I really look forward to see all of my friends and family, specially my brother and his son whom I know just from photos. I hope once we are on the way David will get excited as well.

Prague castle with Charles bridge

6. - 8.1.2009

When my mom was visiting me in winter I wanted to do something special for her. So we sat on the plane and flew to Washington, D.C. 

I must say I loooved the capital city!  We had just three days which is not much for Washington D.C. So I asked mom what she would like to see and she picked National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum and United States Botanic Garden. I picked National Museum of the American Indian.

As probably everybody knows all the museums in D.C. are free. I really loved all the museums we went except of American Indian. I was expecting a lot but was quite disappointed. As huge the museum is I really liked just one floor where was an exhibitions of all tribes living in the U.S. The building was nice and interesting as you can see on the photo. In the museum was  Mitsitam Native Foods Café where you can eat cuisines of Native Americans. We didn’t try any because it was quite expensive as all the food in Museums. We mostly ate in MC Donald’s or bought sandwich before.

We enjoyed Botanic Garden a lot as we both love flowers. Also it was quite cold so it was nice to be in a big green house full of tropical and desert flowers.

Natural History Museum is amazing! Everybody who loves animals, nature and minerals has to go there. And Air Space Museum is cool also. My photos may say more.

I loved to walk around. The city doesn’t have any skyscrapers which is nice change. All the buildings are big and wide as also streets are. The weather wasn’t that great. First two days was raining so we were most of the time in the museums. Last day was sunny but really windy. Of course we saw White House. We were there just few days before Obama’s inauguration and there were big preparations for it.

I didn’t want my mom to stay in some cheap hotel so I got a good deal through AAA and we stayed in Morrison Clark Historic Inn which is under Historic Hotels in America. It is really nice Inn with nice interiors and very good restaurant!

I’ll be back for sure! There is much more to see and my husband was envy because he has never been in Washington D.C. and I was before him. So next trip will be with him. :)

More photos in my album Washington, D.C.