carpe diem!

inside a column of books in the city library!

And today, it hit me: I really love it here. Just last week, I felt a little uncomfortable with living abroad for so long, like I'm on extended vacation in Central Europe while life passes by in New York without so much as a glance in my direction. I was afraid of losing my place. But now I realize you can plant roots in lots of places and feel right at home without losing your past. I still have a lot of New York and Philly in me, and that'll never change!

But I am loving my Prague home: the thrilling balance between independence and new friendships, incredible Czech histories I'm not just learning, but touching and seeing, every weekend booked for an exciting adventure, eating pastries and gelato whenever I want, taking classes on Kafka, art, and architecture...

Thinking back on the past 3 weeks makes me smile and melt with happiness and feel so grateful for my luck! I'm reminded again, carpe diem! Seize the day! Making little or big decisions, trying new things, spontaneously getting lost in new neighborhoods, eating goulash and dumplings until I want to barf, grocery shopping random items -- I'm so grateful for the thousands of opportunities and choices I can make, for how precious and generous life is. Certainly, I've had my share of unfortunate situations, but that only makes me feel even more fearless! So... carpe diem! Seize the day! :)