Praha

Last winter, I took a memoir writing class, and our teacher sent us an email about the Prague Summer Program. It made me think about how I've always regretted not doing a study abroad while I was in college, which led Sgt. K to say, "You should go. Why not?"

So five months later, I was packing my suitcase to spend two weeks taking a nonfiction writing class in Prague. I will admit part of me thought "Ha! Let's see how he likes being left!" What I didn't consider is that I would get a taste of what things were like for him too:

• Boarding the plane, I was more than a little terrified. I was headed off to a country where I did not speak the language and I knew no one. Then I felt a little silly for feeling terrified because I was headed off to frolic in Europe, while Sgt. K had to board flights knowing he was going to places where people were going to try to kill him.
• I've never felt culture shock more so than I did my first night in Prague. I ended up eating pistachios and and apple for dinner because I didn't know enough Czech to figure out where the grocery store is. (Although I did pass by a casino that offered "Roulette! Nonstop! Nonstop!") But my disorientation really only lasted a day. Prague is a western city, and unlike the countries Sgt. K was deployed too, the alphabet is the same as in the U.S.
• Both times Sgt. K was deployed, I complained that when he left, he got to be around a bunch of guys who were all going through the same thing he was, while I had to go home to an empty apartment. This time I was headed to a place where I would be surrounded by other students who were experiencing the same jet lag and culture shock that I was. But when it comes to having someone to talk to about the ups and downs of my day, nobody is better than my DH.
• There's also nothing better than sleeping in my own bed, but I already knew I had the advantage in that area.
• I kept hearing about how cold and dreary Prague is, and packed lots of jackets and sweaters for layering. It was in the 90s nearly the whole time I was there, and there was no air conditioning. I ended up sink washing the one pair of shorts I packed over and over. I think this trip established that I could not handle wearing body armor in 100 degree Iraqi heat.
• When I came home, Sgt. K had gone to the grocery story and stocked the fridge with my favorite foods, including both a 12-pack of beer and a bottle of wine, so I could have my choice of what to drink when I walked in the door. He also left two weeks of mail sitting on the table for me to go through. I wondered if I was the one to deploy, would there be a year's worth of mail on the table? Apparently, I would be the type of soldier who came home and bitched about how my spouse didn't do things the "right way" while I was gone.
• While Adam came home on leave, I could always tell a part of him wanted to be back overseas with his guys. All of me wanted him home, why didn't he feel the same? The Prague Summer Program had a 2-week and 4-week option. I signed up for the 2-week option because I figured it would be more doable in terms of getting time off work. And let's be honest, maybe I was a little scared of a a whole month. Then in Prague, I made some great friends. As nice as it is to be home, I can't help thinking about how they're still having fun in Prague, and wishing I could spend more time with them. Being in a foreign country really helped us build a sense of community that's missing from my life at home.