Fireworks.  Silly hats.  Champagne.  Cheese.  Even God and his destruction of the Tower of Babel couldn’t ruin a world united around the pleasures of this holiday.  Maybe New Years Eve is evidence that, underneath a world of wars fought over religion and race, humans really are all alike?

We toasted the New Year in Prague tonight, over steak, salmon tartare, and a round of champagne that was also poured for the kids (!).  We watched fireworks from the roof of the Embassy Gloriette, and marveled at roses frozen into giant cubes of ice.

In the afternoon, Jake read Anne of Green Gables in front of the fireplace, while Eli watched videos about a guy spending 24 hours in a bathtub filled with slime.  Mike is reading a book by Mark Twain, and I have a novel about the Balkan War.  This morning, Mike threw down the challenge to “make the most balanced breakfast plate.”  Both boys had yogurt and cucumbers for dairy and vegetables, and for protein, Jake chose scrambled eggs.  Eli went Full English with bacon and a bowl of beans because, “the eggs glisten too much.”

In the afternoon, while waiting for the sun to set, we also waited in line with throngs of other travelers for a gingerbread latte from Starbucks.

Sometimes travel helps you figure out who you are and what you love.  Sometimes, you find that what unites you with others, and what you love most, is just something that reminds you of Home.

Wine, Starbucks, salmon, cheese… there is something familiar about that combo.

If Home is where the heart is, then we’re welcoming 2019 in the right place.