Tuesday, August 27th, 2019
Prague, Czech Republic and Los Angeles, CA
It’s 8am and I am waking up. Today I will fly back to Los Angeles and I am already feeling sad. We spend almost a full hour getting ready and packing up my large backpack. I somehow manage to fit 2 liters of beer into my pack, but now I can barely pick it up.
Around 9am, Sarah and I sit down for breakfast. I spend most of the time organizing photos and documenting various activities.
By 10am we walking to the metro. This hotel is the farthest from the metro of any hotel that we’ve stayed in and my backpack is the heaviest it’s ever been. It’s a rough commute, but we finally arrive at the airport at 11am. It takes a few minutes to figure out where to check-in and, once I find it, I learn that it will not open for another 30 minutes. I sit quietly at a Starbucks while Sarah completes her check-in process.
Eventually, the line opens ups. Check-in goes quickly but I am sent to a special area to drop my bag since it’s so heavy. I knew it was extra heavy and a small part of me feels validated that the Prague airport agrees.
Next, we pass through a passport verification checkpoint. My immigration officer smiles when he sees my stamp from Cuba and mentions that it sounds like a fun trip. I think that he may be making fun of my interest in communism-themed travel, but I beam with pride nonetheless; that is my favorite stamp.
I quickly pass through security and walk Sarah to her gate, where there is another security checkpoint. After only 20 minutes, it’s time for Sarah to start boarding, we say our goodbyes and I meander to my own gate. My flight is slightly delayed, but I still make it to London in time to catch the next flight.
The final flight home is very nice. I am seated in business class and am served an amazing lunch of stewed beef and veggies, with several glasses of wine. I watch a few movies and take a long nap.
I arrive in LA in the late afternoon and have just enough time for dinner and some TV, before an early bedtime. As I lay in bed I think that Eastern Europe was the perfect mix of alcohol, sausage and art.
