My love affair with Europe

So, after several failed attempts at travel in the past few months, I was finally able..to the hit the road again this past weekend! Throughout the trip, I recalled the fifth season episode of "Sex and the City" when Carrie announces that she's giving up relationships with men in order to "date the city."

I wondered, if..it's possible to date a single city, is it also then feasible to be dating an entire continent? After pondering the metaphor, I decided that European travel is a bit like having a series of relationships with a variety of different men, each special, stylish and unique in their own way.

Of course, Prague..must be mentioned first. You could say Prague is like that all-out decent guy you've decided to be in a long-term relationship with. He's charming, sweet and cute. You're aware of his flaws, and you've decided you can probably live with them if he's willing to work on them (building a decent English language bookshop might be a good start -- ha ha). You've introduced him to your friends, and your mother; he gets along well with both. Your love life is absolutely adequate, if getting a tad monotonous; maybe you're secretly hoping he'll find some ways to spice things up a bit. However, after almost 2 years, you're starting to ask questions. Where is this all going? Does he love me for me, or is he just in it for the nookie? Is he in this for the long run, or is it just a way to pass the time? OK, so you're living together...eventually you're going to want some sort of an extended commitment...the equivalent of a metaphorical engagement ring, perhaps.

Which brings me, of course, to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is like that..incredible guy you've spent..one glorious weekend by the beach with. You had a great personal connection from the onset; you really "get" one another...you stay up until 4 a.m. talking about your intimate secrets. He's amazingly smart, talented and gorgeous; he knows how to dress, treats you how you want to be treated and he even drives a great car (or canal boat, as it were). You hate to use the word "soul mate" at the risk of sounding like a needy housewife, but if forced to choose, you'd name him. However, there are obstacles. Maybe it's simply the distance factor. Maybe he's used to dating high-profile attorneys and guys with country club memberships, in comparison, you might seem a little junior. Regardless, you cling to the hope that you'll find some way to work it out so you can be together in the future.

Of course we can't forget Paris. Paris is a bit like the David Beckham of cities -- he's waaaaaaay out of your league; he's arrogant, a bit of a pretty, high-maintainence boy who spends hours shopping at Versace, primping his hair and plucking his eyebrows. However, he'll still let you go with him and the memory of that rendez-vous gives you *ahem* pleasant dreams at night. You're kind of amazed someone that drop-down-dead gorgeous would go for you.

You'll always cherish the memory of Munich, your very first boyhood love. There's Berlin, who's trendy, stylish and modern, but he's got a lot of baggage. There were also those dalliances with Vienna, who's a bit like a rich older man looking for that consummate boy toy, and Sighi-Soara in Romania, who's sort of a low-status, unconventional guy who turns out to actually be not that bad after all.

Which brings me, of course, to Budapest, my most recent destination. I'd admired him from afar for quite some time, like a high school crush on the star soccer player. I'd heard mixed reviews from previous partners -- some told me he was decent, others told me he was a bit of a bore and others warned me not to..put my relationship with Prague on the line, as Budapest wasn't that much different. Regardless, I was undeterred in my quest for a first date. Our..experience was brief and maybe just a tad superficial, a bit like mingling at a co-worker's cocktail party or something. Still, I've decided he's really sophisticated and cool. He's got me really intrigued, and I want to know more...