Welcome to Newsletter Devatenáct

Dobrý den! Coming to you live from Zlín, Czech Republic, greetings from the other side of the Atlantic! You might be wondering…what the helly is Amil doing there? And so, perhaps I owe you an update.

As of August 24 (it was supposed to be August 23 but my flight got delayed delayed delayed delayed cancelled), I moved to Zlín, Czech Republic, to embark on a 10-month journey during which I will be working as a Teaching Assistant at Obchodní akademie T. Bati a Vyšší odborná škola ekonomická (Tomas Bati Business Academy and Higher Vocational School of Economics) as part of the Fulbright Program. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time and I am so thankful for this opportunity. I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotions: from wonder to nostalgia to nervousness to excitement. I am in a new place, surrounded by new people, who speak a new language. There are lots of unfamiliars right now, a lot of things I do not know: “What does that sign say?” “How do I pay for my bus ticket?” “Who speaks English and who doesn’t?” “Is this person’s blank expression towards me a sign of vexation?” “Where is the damn ice in my water????”

But, I am learning. And so far, I am loving it here. The town is beautiful, my colleagues and peers have been so welcoming and understanding, and the food has been delicious. Slowly but surely, I am learning about a new culture, a new mindset, a new lifestyle – and I am appreciating it.

And so, as I grow and change and evolve (however slowly that may be), so shall this newsletter: in addition to my incessant soliloquies of my monthly thoughts and experiences, I will also share my observations from living here in Zlín, Czech Republic.

Ciao (For Now)

It can be hard to say goodbye. To people, to pets, to things – it all is difficult. Parting ways and accepting that you will have to go quite some time – perhaps indefinitely – without something or someone can be one of the most painful aspects of existence.

Why do I have to give this up? I like having it. Why do I have to let go of this? I want it.

I don’t know, but you just have to. Them’s the rules 🤷

I am a very nostalgic person. I’ll keep some things, not because I’m stuck in the past, but because I tend to assign sentimental value to them. My first rec basketball jersey, a pair of football gloves a NY Jets player gave me at a game I went to 14 years ago, a poster my friends made for me to cheer me on during a race – all things I keep not for their original utility, but for the stories they carry.

Do I grip onto each of these items and lock them up to make sure they’ll never get stolen and look at them every day? No. But would I want to throw them away? Not at all. Discarding things that remind me of people and places and experiences that are memorable to me feels like discarding parts of me. No, I promise I’m not a hoarder (maybe a little), but I am a sucker for a story.

So then why do we have to give things up? Why must we say goodbye to people we love and places we live and things we adore? Perhaps we should reframe the question.

I think “goodbye” is too harsh of a term. It signifies a parting – an end of a conversation. But is it really so black and white? I don’t think it’s ever truly goodbye, because even though I may not know where my favorite toy motorcycle that I used to play with as a kid is, I’ll always recognize a Honda Repsol motorcycle and smile when I see one. Even though my grandfather isn’t around anymore, I’ll always think of him – and my grandmother, who is 86 and sharp as a tack – when I’m playing bhabhi with my friends or family (we call it bhabho). My point is, that even if someone/something is not currently present with you, it does not mean they are not currently with you. They could be in the books you read, the people you meet, the restaurant you wander into, the sounds you hear in the park.

If we look hard enough, we can see pieces of ourselves and of our lives in anything and everything around us. Meaning isn’t inherent – we assign it based on what we see and feel, which means we have the power to change something from a bad feeling to a good one. This also means we have the capability to form complex relationships with depth and nuanced intricacies – that which an extremely logical and rational person may find silly (but is anyone truly logical and rational these days?).

Popeyes reminds me of my time at Northeastern (goated fast food). The song Escapism reminds me of February 2023 (iykyk). Golf reminds me of my Dad (I’m trying to find a course here so we can play when you visit). Squid Game reminds me of when I lived in my first big boy apartment in Boston (my roommates and I used to wait for each other to watch each episode together). Trampolines remind me of when I broke my leg nine years ago (metal plate sesh). Kumon reminds me of Pizza Hut (we would go there afterwards as a reward). Pillsbury strawberry cake reminds me of chess (I took math and chess classes when I was a kid and one day, the teacher wanted me to stay later and join the next-level class and I got so upset and started crying because I wanted to go home, so my Mom brought me Pillsbury strawberry cake in aluminum foil to cheer me up). Vanilla soap reminds me of my uncle (during 6th grade summer, I stayed at his house in Maryland while attending summer camp, and the soap in the bathroom was Warm Vanilla Sugar and it is by far the best scent ever).

If you look hard enough, you’ll find that everything can remind you of something.

Ice clinking around in my coffee. The sound of dumping french fries from my McDonald’s bag onto a plate. The book Alchemy. The “tap-to-pay” jingle. Cardamom buns. Biting my nails. Pool (billiards, if you will). Heated toilets. Beli. Severance. Marble cake. Bows. DANCE. Maison Margiela cologne. Ralph's Coffee. Everything reminds me.

And so, I challenge you to reframe your thinking. Goodbye feels too permanent. Leaving or seeing people leave is undoubtedly painful, but you’ll surely see them around. Whether it’s your best friend moving away or your friend group splitting apart or your relationship ending or your loved one passing, perhaps we don’t have to think of it as goodbye, for life is not that cruel and unforgiving.

Perhaps we could say, “I’ll see you soon.” Perhaps we could say, “Until we meet again.”

Thank you for listening to me!

I originally planned to include some of my findings and observations so far during my time here in Czechia, but I realize now that this newsletter is already quite long, so I’ll spare you the lecture. But if you’d like to follow along in my journey here in Zlín, I’d love for you to czech out my new Instagram account: @amilinzlin!

You know the drill: everything I write here is something I am actively working on improving and implementing within myself. Writing them out also helps me to visualize what to work on and how to do it. And having you as my audience holds me accountable.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or feedback, please dish it to me! I’d love to know how I can improve. I am glad to have you here on my VasaVita journey.

If you want to talk more about anything I discussed in my newsletters, or want to learn more about VasaVita, check out my website below!

See you next (this) month!

And last but not least, the following growth check!

You all know the drill: in the sprit of transparency and holding myself accountable, I include my audience count here to keep you apprised of my growth. We got some new subscribers joiners in July !! LFG

Looking forward to ~hopefully~ some growth this month (in both categories)! If you have any ideas or tips, please do share!