The Triumphal Reentry

Hey There Spacecadets:

So, if you read my lovely wife's blog, you know I'm home. If not, well, you know now! That's right, on Monday evening around 8:30 I touched the ground of my beautiful homeland, sacred as it is. A great surprise, I came down the escalators in the Austin airport, looking for my friend Elissa Sloan, who was nice enough to come pick me up. Old goat that I am, I saw a lovely pair of legs sitting in a chair a little ways off, and enjoyed the view for a while. I said to myself "Goodness, those look like Alex's." Then I looked up a little and said "Wow, that really looks good (okay, that thought is a little white-washed, but you know...)" and then I looked at the smiling, wonderful, perfect face of my wife, who had come to surprise me. Needless to say, it was a very, very good night.

My time in the Czech lands was spent beautifully, and it will take me a while to write out it all for you, though I fully intend to detail many of my thoughts and musings during that trip. I kept a diary there, which right now is in the hands of my wife, as it was written to her specifically, so she too could enjoy the trip with me. I'll take passages from it and put them here, as well as photos.

To tell you, it was fascinating to be in the land of my forebears, to walk among the streets ancient, to touch the trees from time immemorial. To get to flex my linguistic abilities was nice, too. After a few days, I kicked off the rust and dust there, and impressed myself with just how much I could understand and speak. Still, being a Texas Moravian, my accent and dialect was a little strange for most, except for the elderly, who always remark I sound like their grandparents. I enjoy that.

I lived in Prague most of the time, in communist-type housing filled mostly with Ukrainians and some Gypsies, and that was an experience all itself. Like nothing I've ever seen before, but I am here to tell you, those Czechs treat peoples of color and other ethnicity like trash and chattel. It really bothered me, as a Texan, who embraces the idea that here in our home any can be whatever they want. I would never look at a man or woman of African, Hispanic, or any other origins and say they weren't a Texan, for in truth, they may have been in this land hundreds of years before my family. This is a land we all hold a stake in.

As most of you know, Alex and I are pulling up the stakes in Austin on Friday, moving on to the Waco area, in what is intended to be the next-to-last move we make before moving onto land for good. I can't tell you the excitement I feel right now. For while the move going off well always makes me nervous, I can feel how good this is going to be for us. I hope you will all come visit us in our new home, for there we will be whole and complete again after the last month or so of being apart, both in the country and without. The house in various stages of break-down, and our hearts strained in various ways. No more, whole and totally complete in a rush of fire of wind we will be.

I will have to come back to Austin next week to finish my last week at the job I've held for the past 6 years, but it is good, since I need to clean the house and turn the keys back over anyhow. There may be a few odds and ends left to take to Waco, too, but after this long, I am ready.

I also should mention I was so lucky to have already found a job in Waco, no mean feat in this economy and in a smaller town. Fresh out of college, I certainly can't complain, and am very proud of what I have. Ironically, I am to be the registrar at my old High School. Those of you who went there will know how funny that is, as the registrar who worked there at the time was my sworn enemy, who, in fact, I organized a resistance against. So, now, I go to actually be somebody where I work, and I am excited about that. I am the kind of guy to wear a suit and a hat to work everyday, and they will learn to love me. They only think they're impressed with me now!

Additionally, my department here at UT is inclined to make me an appointment to be their liaison to the Texas Czech community, which trust me, they need. I am excited about that, too, as I will be acting in an official capacity and being paid to do the things I love to do already, as well as have the ability to organize guest lecturers for the program, held involve the community more with the program they endowed, and get the students some exposure to native Czech speakers living all around them. I do hope this works out.

For now, I'm back to work, but I hope to see you all soon. I look at the skies of my homeland, and I weep, to be home and safe in the land I love the best.