Vitame Vas!

I'm so homesick today... Maybe because it's College World Series in Omaha.

I keep thinking about Omaha, and childhood, and all the things that shaped who I am since I grew up in the heart of middle america.

The one thing I can compare this homesickness to is my favorite restaurant in Omaha. The Bohemian Cafe embodies all that is Nebraska in a strange way. Their slogan is Vitame Vas... "We Welcome You" and they serve the best Czech food you've ever had. And really, only in Nebraska could someone truly still celebrate their Czech roots without answering questions. My dad took me there for the first time after a day at the Henry Doorly Zoo. Even as a child I distinctly remember the big dark mug of beer he drank while I ate liver dumpling soup. (I couldn't yet read, and he didn't tell me it was liver until I had eaten the entire bowl and declared, 'YUMMY!')

Being homesick for Nebraska is much like the kolaches sold at this cafe. "Kolaches" were served in my cafeteria in school... and the bartender in our local bar would bake huge batches using her secret Czech grandmother's recipe every Christmas. Sugarless white dough baked with filling... apricot, poppyseed, cherry, and walnut. Lightly frosted these pastries were just barely sweet... and can still be enjoyed while sitting in the bar with your winter coat on while drinking a cold beer in the middle of the winter. Being homesick for a place so small and underpopulated is unique. It's barely sweet, and a rarity. I miss the genuine appreciation for life that seems to be lacking in other parts of the country. The emphasis on tradition, hard work, laughter, and regarding the past as something sacred.

Just as there is something so completely unpretentious and authentic about The Bohemian Cafe, so is my feelings of homesickness for Nebraska. I don't really expect you to understand... but if you're ever in the neighborhood (south O) check it out for yourself... http://www.bohemiancafe.net/index.html