Bělá pod Bezdězem, Czech Republic
Sometimes when I’m traveling, I get a funny feeling that I could be anywhere in the world at that moment. For instance, if I’m sitting on a bus, passing fields and forests, miscellaneous houses and businesses, I could be anywhere. I could be in the United States, or Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Ireland … you get my point. There’s certain aspects of humanity that you’ll see anywhere you go, regardless of age, climate, geography, or time of year. People will always try to find community. They start families, they adopt pets, they meet strangers through renting out their houses. Essentially, we just want to feel loved.
I know that’s a sappy start to this blog post, but I saw so much of the love people have for one another this weekend. A few friends and I decided to go to a cabin in the northern Czech Republic for a few days. It’s that time of year where long-distance kids start to feel how far away we are. While our families are gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas shop together, we just have a typical Thursday with classes or work. Since it’s my last year here in Prague and we all have finals looming ahead, I really wanted to have a Friendsgiving. We took a bus up north, bought groceries for a family of 10, and had a quiet weekend outside of the city. We played games, watched movies, listened to music, talked on the couch, took snowy walks, and played with the kittens our Airbnb host kindly let us distract ourselves with.
Saturday afternoon, our host invited us to the town Christmas tree lighting. From my perspective, this is usually a decently busy affair, with hot cocoa and families gathered round. Replace the cocoa with hot wine and downscale the families, and you’ll get something similar to our experience this weekend. As four American girls, we felt a bit intrusive, but nobody minded we were there, and our host conversed with us. There was a small table in the middle of the town square (alongside one slide and a gazebo), and the area was outlined with chain-link fence and surrounded by miscellaneous houses. The tree towards the left of the square wasn’t yet lit when we arrived, but we stood by the fire pit, drinking the hot wine graciously offered to us. More families trickled in, and kids started heading over to a series of bags near the tree.
After a woman, presumably one of the mothers, gave instructions, the kids started to put ornaments on the tree. Boxes shaped like presents were hung, and babies were lifted onto shoulders to reach the higher branches. As all parents do, pictures and videos were taken. A bunch of men at the corner of the table were laughing and drinking together, and a woman left baked goods on the table. Our host proudly offered up a plate of his goat’s cheese, and the fire allowed the opportunity for roasted sausages.
After a small speech, the woman led a countdown to the tree lighting. The quaint little tree, half covered in snow and pulled down by ornaments, was suddenly lit up as ‘oos’ and ‘ahhs’ sounded around the square. The people in this tiny town in the middle of the Czech Republic were eating, laughing, mingling, and watching their kids play in the snow.
I love the quote from Love Actually, “If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.” This simple phrase has become famous for a reason; you can’t deny its truth. I was standing in a village that was not my own, watching those who speak an entirely different language and come from much different background than myself, and still I could see the blatant love and community that these people expressed not much dissimilar than if it were my hometown. Watching someone lay next to a kitten until it falls asleep, helping someone find a ring they lost, buying almond milk because someone is lactose intolerant, putting a scarf on someone in the snow; these simple acts are all a form of love, and I could witness them almost anywhere in the world.
I think this is the reason I love traveling. Yes, it’s incredible to learn about history, to see what people hundreds or thousands of years ago built, and to try the most amazing food, but nothing can beat witnessing the commonalities of humanity. I’ve seen countless families and couples and friends reunite in airports. I’ve witnessed people melt over a puppy in Peru, France, England, and Bulgaria. I’ve seen strangers offer to lift a stroller onto a tram to help a mother in Prague, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh. I’ve collected used postcards of people sharing their travels and expressing their love from decades before I was born. I’ve touched statues where millions of people have, because people will always have hope for luck. When I travel, I am reminded that although we do come from much different places, and while there are many faults to our world and many people who deserve a better life than they were given, people are still kind and simply want to receive love. While I lament over the next three weeks of exams I have, someone halfway across the world is doing the same.
A weekend trip to Bělá pod Bezdězem — full of simple moments, such as the first snowfall of the season, which allowed me to re-appreciate where I’m living and my ability to travel. Whether you’re thousands of miles away from home or live next door, I hope you remember that you’re loved, especially as we enter the holiday season. <3
