On the Czech Republic

I try to fool myself into thinking that it’s for the opportunity to check out places I’ve never been before – Café Slavia, for example, near the National Theatre. It’s supposed to be legendary. I might as well check it off my list before I leave – and whether I want to admit it, that’s only a few months away. July, to be precise. It’s April now, with spring pushing blossoms through branches. The trees, bare when I first started taking the train in January, are now topped with green. They’re filling out. In a way, so am I; I realize I’m growing all the time here, that these months are keener and richer than most I’ve previously experienced. Richer, however, does not mean happier.