A SoCal beach girl takes on communism
INTRO
In 1993, I landed in Prague. I was a 5'3" accounting pitbull with a perm from hell.
Communism had just fallen and capitalism was beginning to take root. I witnessed the strange, the absurd, and the outright crazy. I saw, firsthand, the lingering effects that communism had on its citizens and their lives and dreams.
I was also a child of 80's. The contrasts couldn't have been more extreme.
Hopefully, my book speaks for itself, but I have created a companion website to share even more insights, curiosities, and tidbits about my time in Prague.
I hope you enjoy the website. Even better, buy the book. There are so many stories to be told.
THE WORLD I CAME FROM
80's USA
The 80’s were known for the rise of consumerism. The explosion of consumerism. Malls. Chain stores. Tight clothes. Permed hair. “Just put it on the credit card” attitudes. Reagan and Volker had tamed inflation and the sky seemed to be the limit. Some called it “the age of decadence.” It might be nostalgic to some. Weird to others. But 80’s USA stood in stark contrast to what was going on behind the Iron Curtain. And it was from that capitalist world that I flew to Prague.
THE WORLD I WENT TO
Czech Republic in 1993
In 1993, the Czech Republic was only three years removed from Communism. For 40 years, the Soviet Union had imposed itself on the Czech people. Several generations lived through it. For most, the communist system was all they knew. Now, capitalism was returning after a long slumber. Western expats would come face-to-face with the legacy of communism and central planning. Czechs were beginning to reclaim their future. And it was into this world that I arrived in Prague.
MY PHOTO ALBUM
You could call me something of a packrat. (I admit I come from a long line of hoarders.) All my life I have held onto things.
During my time in Prague, I saved electronic files from work and photocopied the letters I wrote home. I saved newspaper articles, ticket stubs, and more. It is from these that I wrote my story. The book is written not just from memory but literally from everything that I saved, and still have.
This is my story about what I experienced and how I experienced it. My time there was real and I am thrilled to share some of those moments with you.
END WORD
1993
2026
I share these stories out of love and admiration for Czechs who, once again, had to adapt to government and economic systems that were forced upon them. I share these stories so the rest of the world will know what it was like to live in that environment. I worry that history is being forgotten and the world is heading down this path again. Those who lived it will never forget and this is my way of sharing it with those who have never known.