Hello? Is this thing on? *taps mike*

Yeah, well, I'm back. I moved to this here spot because I wanted a broader audience while I wrote about my travels on The Blog, which had caught on the year after I started it on MySpace. Funny thing is, I don't even use MySpace much anymore after swearing I would never switch. I use Facebook.  It really goes to show how things change given a long enough time line.

When I left you Barack Obama was anything but a sure thing. The economy was on its last leg but not yet gasping for its last breath. Lehman Brothers was still considered a powerhouse on The Street. A few months before we parted, I said we were in the big 'R' already but no one wanted to admit it.

Since then, we've had TARP, Sarah Palin AND Tina Fey, AIG, the end of The Street as we know it and Obamanation. Today, soon-to-be POTUS Obama is indeed the man of the hour and one who needs no introduction. The paparazzi, as well as, mainstream media report on such infinitesimal details like Obama dropping his sunglasses and bending down to pick them up. The economy is in it's final death throes and, in December, the MSM proved me right when they admitted we've been in a recession since December 2007. Remember folks, you read it here first.

November 4th seems like eons ago but it's still fresh in my memory. Although, I voted for him and supported his win on international television here in Czech and in neighboring Germany, I still felt like I missed something grand. I shed tears as I watched my country jump a significant hurdle in the race toward equality, without me in it. Those next few days and weeks were quite critical in what came to be my final decision.

My international writing career had been on the upswing as I landed a recurring gig with The Prague Post and a one-time-could-be-more gig with EbonyJet.com. There were some ups-and-downs with my Czech flatmate, as a request for heat during the winter months resulted in the following:

"This is a cold country, you should expect to be cold."

She was dead serious. After that she will forever be known as the Crazy Czech Chick. On the whole however, things were super, as they like to say here.

Then the weeks began to drag on but so did the publications with my pay. Seems like that's been my history here in Czech: waiting around to get money due me. Then the company where I taught private lessons went bankrupt because they couldn't get credit. No need wondering why.

So it was time I weighed things. I've traveled a lot, seen much and done more. I've learned some Czech, ate some Czech food and even cooked a little bit of it. I've even earned a Czech name: Ailenka Torresova. I've hosted friends from the States and showed them around the Golden City. I've written for two international publications and one large American Web site. I've reconnected with friends and people I've known since I was five.

Today, the world doesn't seem so big. I've got friends who live in three of the four corners of the world. I feel older and wiser but wonder when these changes will manifest themselves in some tangible way. 

For the umpteenth time in my life, I've packed up my things into a suitcase, a gym bag and a backpack. The rest I'm bequeathing to my gal pals, Wendy and Meggie. I'm going home. In a week, on Inauguration Day, I'm returning to the city of my birth for yet another re-birth. Truth is, I'm tired. I've been gone nearly two years and every six months I moved. Of course, that's not counting the first six months where I city or country hopped every other week or so. My next act has got to be one that lasts and lasts...

It only makes sense to return to NYC to put down some roots. It's home and it's cosmopolitan. A lot like what living here in Europe has been like...but not. It still feels strange returning while unsure what I'm returning to. *scratches head* 

But, at least I have a plan. And hey, I'm the multi-act kid. I've still got a book to publish.

Thanks, you've been a great audience!

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Here's a list of Czech things I will miss:

Mattoni Perliva Bilych Hrozny a Hrusky — sparkling water from the famed Karlovy Vary with hint of white grape and pear, respectively.
Zlate Syr — some Czech cheese that was the complete bomb!
Fresh bread baked three times daily — do I have to say more?
Petrin Hill — the highest peak in Prague where I used to run almost daily.
Stromokov Park — a hilly park where I'd run when the tourists at Petrin got too much.
Haje Park — where I started my daily runs. I stopped running there once I moved to center.
The Trams — Prague has the cutest and quite punctual tram system.
Chodov — The mall with the Hypernova (a supermarket) that is my favorite Czech supermarket. Too bad it's not close to center.
The Squares — Prague streets revolve around squares. Much like the system in Mexico, expect there each city revolves around one square. In Prague, each neighborhood has its own square. My neighborhood has two: Vaclavske Namesti and Staromestka Namesti.
Hearing Czech — it will be good to hear English on the regular again, after all, it's been nearly two years. Czech is a really great language albeit difficult to learn. The native speakers remind me of Italians or Spaniards because they speak their language with lots of passion.

I don't think it needs to be said but I will miss all of the great friends I made here. For every difficult person or situation, there was a friendly face or two ready to offer a pivo to drink.

Things I most definitely will not miss:

Being a foreigner — There truly is no place like home.
People staring — This is commonplace, Czechs even stare at each other. It's not a social taboo, it's actually accepted. It didn't bother me but I am happy to get back to a place where eye contact from a stranger who is not trying to get to know you is frowned upon. *chuckles*
Cobblestoned streets — Dear Lord Have Mercy. The person who invented those things was not a forward thinker. As romantic as it may seem (I wouldn't know), those things make it impossible to walk in heels. I have nearly broken an ankle trying to be cute...so I often opted for comfort rather than style because of those things. No more. Heels here I come!
Crazy Czech Chick — I've got stories. If you are curious, look up my post, "Heard It All" (2007). It's not about her but it will give you an idea.