by Brett Jamieson

Created on: February 26, 2009

Prague is the "City of a Thousand Spires", the "Golden City"nicknames that make you think it is the Mother of All Cities (yet another nickname it has been known to carry). It is this mysticism that has brought so many through its streets in search of the secret to this gorgeous city. Many of them pass through after they have taken the obligatory snapshots of the castle, Charles Bridge and Old Town Square. But some stay around for a whilethen a while longerand then, if they aren't careful, they get sucked in and never leave. Every expat comes here with a dream. For some, the dream was making it big; they were here to take advantage of the huge commercial influx after the Velvet Revolution of 1989. For others, it was like being in another world. It was a gathering place, much like San Francisco in the 70's, where everyone that didn't seem to fit where they came from found a place to fit here in Prague. And then there were the third group of peoplethose who came to find adventure, fun, and possibly themselves, over the course of an extended working holiday, a break from normal life back home.

These were the people that made up the majority of the expat community in Prague, and I joined them in 2001 as part of the third group, when I took a job as a TEFL teacher on a six month contract. I came here to get a break from school, meet new people, see new things, and generally satisfy my travel bug, sense of adventure, and a growing curiosity of a "former bloc" country in the midst of a revolution in lifestyle, habits and economic and political attitude. Along the way, I have met many from each of these three groups. Some are still here, some are gone. But of all those that were able to leave, all miss it terribly and would love the chance to allow themselves a return to Prague, if only for a while.

I may have ended up like those back in North America I know that have a successful career, house, car the works. But, alas, I met my wife in the third month of my stay in Prague and, although we have been back and forth between countries ever since, we recently ended up in Prague again in 2008. I am getting used to the idea of being here for the long term, which also means getting used to the expat life againsomething I had almost fully adjusted to in 2004, when we left for Canada.

So I am back here and struggling through the adjustment, yet again. It seems over the seven years of my relationship with Prague, it has developed into a more expat friendly city, but like any normal

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