The Most Depressing Post to Date

Today is a bit depressing and the dreary weather is absolutely matching it. I guess it's all been building up to this, but sometimes the expat life can be especially sad.


Saying Goodbye

Last night we went to dinner for the last time with Lauren. 

 I met Lauren one year ago - tomorrow. She was the first girl I met in Prague. We were the only two people in our TEFL course with any prior teaching experience. We were fast friends. 



We all knew it was coming, but since she stayed in denial all this time, it was easy for the rest of us to do the same. Raging won't be nearly as fun without her. That said, I now have a perfect excuse to go visit the Bay Area in California. 


This is just the beginning though. Being an expat means people are constantly coming and going.


Fiery State of Mine


The next super depressing thing on my mind, the Texas Wildfires which are making their way across my beloved state and destroying thousands of homes. Bastrop, just outside of Austin, has seen the largest of the fires, but there are fires all over the state - big and small. 


It's scary to think about. And sad. So many people have lost their homes and everything they've ever owned. Memories are gone in the blink of an eye. 


Dear people of Texas (and even those folks just passing through), 


        Please stop burning stuff. 
        Don't throw your cigarette butts out the window. (Pretty sure that's illegal anyway and it's just a crappy thing to do even without the result of fire.) 
        Even though it's in our blood to do it ourselves, go to a restaurant for some BBQ instead of lighting your grill. Be mindful that even the tiniest of things are igniting that frighteningly dry grass. 
        Also, once evacuated, as painful as it may be, please stay away. Let the emergency officials do their jobs. You keep yourself and your families safe. 
        Everything fellow Texans have worked so hard for is on the line.


KHL Hockey Team


The last thing on my mind is the plane crash yesterday in which nearly an entire Russian league hockey team died. Those who survived have suffered horrendous burns. 


Members of the team included several who had played in the NHL in North America. Also, three well-known and loved Czech players.

There's a memorial in Old Town Square.

And yes, before you criticize, it would be just as terrible to think about even if it were regular people who weren't famous in any way. Plane crashes are always awful. No one person's life or death is more important than another's. 


It's just incredible and sad to think that an entire team can be gone just like that.



<3
— J