A Note From The Golden City

Ok Kiddies, this is going to be a quick one, mainly because I don't want to say too much and have it take away from the real blog about this trip, but I find myself with free internet and some time to spare so I wanted to write a quick hello.

MFP and I are in Prague right now, we got in last night. We are staying in the nicest 5 star hotel with a panoramic view of the city and the most amazing bathroom I have ever had the pleasure of using (it even plays music). I am tired of the constant sight-seeing and mentally converting dollars into crowns, but Prague is so amazing it doesn't matter. Tomorrow is our last real day here and then Monday morning we are on the early train to Budapest.

I am now left with twelve more days in Europe until I head back to The States, a fact that I only realized today on the U-Bahn to a formerly communist radio-jammer. It's something that I have been avoiding and plan on continuing to avoid thinking about. It's too crazy and way to easy to dwell on and could far to easily ruin my current state of mind which is currently positive and grounded. These last few weeks of vacation have been great to me and for one of the first times in my life I feel myself living in the moment.

Ok, there is a woman waiting for my seat. Please excuse the lack of picture but there is no way to upload here.

I miss you dear readers, and will be back with the official trip blog as soon as I can.

My Little Pony

My last few days have been nothing short of mellow-awesomeness. I sleep in until seven-thirty in the morning (the time around which Grossvati starts to fumble in the kitchen laying out breakfast), drink a cup of death-coffee (Grossi agrees with me on this one, Grossvati doesn’t pay attention to how much grinds he puts in the filter, and so the coffee is more of an instant diarrhetic then a morning-boost), only to then shower and catch a tram into Basel so I can take my place on the Rhine and write Skipper letters about my plan for the day and how well I am doing. At some point I pickup Chung from her fascinating, and lifesaving work in retail, and I either pull her back to the Rhine, or she drags me to Obi, the Swiss equivalent to Home Depot with the promise of ice cream (if I behave).

My time with Chung these last few days have been great. She has lovingly and patiently put up with my constant ramblings, leg-slaps, walks, judgments, not to mention constant trips to the Rhine, day after day. The more time I have spent with Chung over the years, the more insanely lucky I feel to have met her. Between her new found love for the art of sarcasm, use of American slang, fervor for TV, our shared passion for retail therapy, and her all-around nuttiness, it is hard for me to sometimes look at Chung and not see her for what she is: my Swiss soul mate. Don’t get me wrong, Chung is a handful. She is a lot like a stubborn pony, always needing snacks, nuzzling my neck, and biting my shoulder. She is also always more then willing to stop and engage in a two minute hug, regardless if we are walking down the street or standing in the middle of a department store. My heart clenches at the thought of leaving here without her, and saying good bye to her is one of those thoughts that I try and keep out of my mind. Chung is to my life, what Aromat is to my cooking: a flavor enhancer.

Pyrotechnics

I am sitting in my room at my grandparents, listening to them sing-a-long to the Swiss nation anthem that is blaring from the TV in their living-room. Fireworks are going off outside my window, loud reminders that today is Switzerland’s independence day, August 1st.

Last night was Basel’s big fireworks extravaganza, which both Chung and I slept through. It was in the 90’s yesterday and between going to watch the new Narnia movie (yes, that’s how cool I am), and having two inches of frizz added to my fro, I was more then fine with by-passing the patriotic festivities, and going back to my grandparents to paint my nails (Nars’ “Jungle Red,” to be exact) and watch the first season of Project Runway on my laptop.

Even today, I spent the first part of the morning watching the second half of Project Runway and eating lunch, twice (Grossi cooked for Grossvati and I, and then after my cousins had called to say that they couldn’t make lunch at 12 o’clock, when we always sit down to eat, they would come at one, which lead Grossi to cooking a second time and then having only one of my cousins show up, she forced me to eat a second time).

After the final judging, and Jay winning the finale, I headed into Basel to catch Get Smart, and have the guy sitting behind me call me a “Bitch” because he overheard me complain to Chung about how his girlfriend loudly could not decide on a seat as the movie started. I just now walked home, to find the dark and stormy sky start to break with beautiful cuts of a soft, clear sunset. Swiss flags hanging out front of the houses, people on balconies and in backyards drinking beer and setting off miniature pyrotechnics, all while the scent of cheap white, wax candles drift through the Summer air: all reminders of the many Summers my sister and I spent here as kids, Dede loving it, me waiting to go home.