Veronika Pikola Brázdilová: Six Months Across America - My Family’s Fulbright Journey of Discovery and Adventure
Veronika Pikola Brázdilová works as
a manager of international projects in the Václav Havel Library. She studied communications at Sciences Po Paris (Institut d'études politiques)graduating with an internship at the European Commission in Brussels. She was a project manager for the Belgian communication agency managing European Union websites. After returning from abroad, she worked for a year at the Representation of the European Commission in Prague. Since 2013, she has been working in the Václav Havel Library. In the Spring of 2024, she, her husband, and their two sons left for the USA as a scholarship recipient of the Fulbright-Masaryk program for the non-profit sector. For four months, she worked at the Bill Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Veronika and her family wanted to take advantage of everything the big move had to offer for their family of four by traveling across the country: “During six months we traveled through 21 states, explored about 40 museums, and drove roughly 4,200 miles. I am extremely grateful that we were able to have such an exploratory adventure together as a family. I think that my husband and sons found the experience as enriching as I did.”
I have been working in the Václav Havel Library since 2013. When Václav Havel founded the Library, he wrote a short text in which he stated that he was inspired by the American Presidential Libraries. So when I went to the USA for the first time in 2015 as a tourist for a month-long trip from New York to San Francisco, my husband and I visited 7 Libraries. I was impressed by them and wanted to know more about how they work. So the next step in my quest to research the American Presidential Libraries was to draft a Fulbright project proposal and successfully receive a Fulbright-Masaryk scholarship for the non-profit sector. I arranged an internship at the Bill Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas from March to June 2024. My husband and I committed to taking full advantage of this opportunity. We extended our stay by the so-called grace period, i.e. 30 days before and after the internship, so that our family could travel and visit the other Presidential Libraries. We embarked on the trip with our sons (3 and 7 years old), who are homeschoolers. In 6 months we traveled through 21 states, explored about 40 museums, and drove about 4,200 miles (i.e. approx. 6,700 km). I am extremely grateful that we were able to have such an exploratory adventure together as a family. I think that my husband and sons found the experience as enriching as I did.
Photo: Sunset behind the Statue of Liberty, February 2024, New York.
February 2024: The Trip from New York to Little Rock
We kicked off our U.S. adventure in New York City where we spent the next few days taking in the sites of the city. Our first night was unforgettable. We visited the famous Times Square, where a group of dancers led our older son into a dance mob where they did flips over him. The whole crowd was cheering “Hi Miky!” Now that was a welcome to America in style! This was followed by a phenomenal sunset during a boat trip around the Statue of Liberty. Other highlights of our New York Trip included a visit to the Central Park Zoo and the Apple store, where we tried their brand-new Apple Vision Pro glasses.
From NYC, we crossed through Philadelphia to Washington DC. Our week in the capital city was a dream come true for museum lovers- free access to countless monuments and museums. We visited several museums, the Zoo, the Capitol Building, and the Washington Monument. Touring the Capitol Building was a highlight, especially seeing the bust of Václav Havel, one of only four statues of Europeans in the building. At the National Archives and Records Museum Administration (NARA), the director of the Clinton Library arranged a private tour for me before opening, so we were alone in the huge Rotunda with the originals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The guide told us about the citizenship ceremonies that took place in the very same Rotunda that we were then standing in. Hearing the stories of those pursuing citizenship was a very emotional experience that did not leave any dry eyes in the room. So much falls under the heading of NARA including thirteen Presidential Libraries. With such a large Library system, a "passport" has been introduced so that Library visitors can collect stamps from each Library they visit. Once it is filled they receive a gift from the last Library.
The National Museum of Natural History was another amazing D.C. memory for my family. We spent the whole day captivated by its interactive exhibits, including one where we got to examine and even hold some large beetles up thanks to a passionate museum guide. In Washington, I had a meeting at the Czech embassy where their employees, Lukáš Havránek and Markéta Vohralíková. They kindly supported me during my travel by giving me some interesting tips on the Czech trace in Texas.
From Washington, we went to North Carolina, where Fulbright student Eliška Mašková hosted us. In Raleigh, we discovered the concept of children's museums, which were at the same time huge playrooms and a place where children are being taught unobtrusively. In Durham, we visited the Museum of Life and Science where we were once again impressed and entertained by the many interactive exhibits, workshops, and educational entertainment. We absolutely loved it and soon purchased a year's membership to the Little Rock Science Museum remotely, which gave us free admission to all the science museums.
From North Carolina, we drove the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway to Atlanta, where we visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library where I got the opportunity to meet with their director. From there we continued through Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi to Arkansas. Along the way, we saw beautiful waterfalls and came across the breathtaking NASA Alabama Museum in Huntsville, which I highly recommend if you are nearby.
March 2024: Little Rock
I was warmly welcomed at the Bill Clinton Library. The director of the Library invited me to participate in their May public panel discussion about Václav Havel's visit to the White House in 1998 and asked if I could create a digital exhibition about the relationship between Václav Havel and Bill Clinton. My colleagues helped me pour through the archives in search of all relevant material to Havel. Because some of the materials had not yet been digitized, I spent several days going through archival papers - I felt like a detective!
In the library, I also participated in all social and team-building activities like shared meals, yoga, and even Rotary club lunches with the director. One part of the Library was a beautiful museum staffed by volunteers, mostly seniors, who worked as curators. I also participated in events for the public. I was lucky to witness the director of NARA, the so-called Archivist of the United States, come to one of the events and debate Hillary Clinton. After the debate I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with Hillary Clinton, she immediately remembered Havel with joy and she said that Bill was recently in Prague. I gave her a heart pendant as a gift from the presidential collection and she then sent me a very nice thank you letter. She was very charismatic and energetic, our meeting was an amazing experience. I was hoping that I would be able to meet President Clinton as well, but he came to Little Rock only once during my entire stay for a detour to the former governor's funeral. It was planned that he would come in June, but in the end, it was unfortunately canceled.
Photo: A meeting with Hillary Clinton in William J. Clinton Library and Museum, Little Rock, March 2024.
The same evening when I met Hillary Clinton, the Little Rock tornado sirens sounded, shocking our whole family. As newcomers to Little Rock, we did not know what to do when we heard the sirens especially since our Airbnb did not have a storm shelter! Thankfully, my colleagues reassured me via text that a tornado was not happening and that we were safe.
Without permanent housing until April 10th, I arranged with the Director of the Library for my family and me to go to Dallas for 3 weeks, where we had friends, who could accommodate us. Texas being the second largest state in America, meant that while there was so much to explore (like 3 Presidential Libraries), it was impossible to get around without a car. Buying a car in Little Rock was a big relief since renting one was very expensive.
March-April 2024: Texas
Texas is a truly remarkable American state. They are so proud to be Texans and so excited about their boots and hats. We totally fell for it and could not resist getting boots and hats of our own! We had a great experience at the rodeo with my husband's colleague, whom he had only known online until then.
Texas was in full bloom while we were visiting. Wild flowers covered the hillsides along the roads including the beautiful Bluebonnets which are said to only bloom in Texas. So we have many "Texas photos" with flowers, hats, and boots. In Texas we also experienced Easter, I found several public egg hunts for my boys to join in on. The boys had a lot of fun and I liked the tradition several times more than the Czech Easter tradition.
Photo: A photoshoot in Texas legendary Bluebonnets, April 2024.
In Dallas, we were enchanted by the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, especially the corner where the children were dressed in lab coats and performed interesting experiments. My son, who wants to become a scientist, was at the peak of happiness. Even the Zoo in Dallas was extremely interactive. In the zoo restaurant, we sat right next to a live lion, only glass separated us! We also were able to feed the giraffes and some of the birds even sat on us. My younger son was ecstatic!
In Texas, we visited the Libraries of President Johnson and both Bush. In each library we had a guided tour, I got to meet their representatives and had the opportunity to research their archives for documents they had about Havel or Czechoslovakia. They were all beautiful buildings with extensive exhibitions describing not only the given president but also what occurred throughout his time. For example, I learned that Lyndon B. Johnson drafted his oath of office speech on a plane just hours after Kennedy’s assassination, with Jacqueline Kennedy still wearing her blood-stained outfit and with Kennedy's coffin in the plane
In Texas, we discovered a surprising Czech trace! The Czech Stop bakery is well-known for one thing… their Czech cakes - kolache, for which they attracted a long line of customers. Even if they didn't look like Czech kolache, they tasted delicious. Then there was a restaurant in Waco named "Pivovar' where they had giant Czech and Texan flags and photos of Václav Havel displayed within. We couldn't miss a visit to the Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange and the village of Prague. At the entrance of the village of Prague, there was a sign reading "Welcome in the motherland of Prague"'; however, it seemed like a ghost town. Adding to that feeling there was a large cemetery full of Czech names. By chance, we ran into an elderly lady who spoke Czech, although she had never been to Czechoslovakia or the Czech Republic. She lamented that she had always wanted to visit but it just couldn’t be done due to communism, then the cost of travel, and later her health. She learned Czech from her parents but never taught Czech to her children. She made sure we knew that we were very lucky to be able to do this traveling.
While searching for interesting events in the area, I came across a traditional Indigenous American Pow-wow not far from us, which we enjoyed immensely. The American Indians drummed, sang, danced, and sometimes even invited the audience to join in. There were stalls all around with unique and handmade items for sale. I bought a painted drum from one of the stalls and stayed in contact with the American Indian woman who sold it to me. I later learned that she was a Medicine woman and chief of the Southeast band of the Cherokee tribe. It brings me much joy that we still keep in touch.
The day after the Pow-wow, we experienced one of the most anticipated events of the season in North America… the total solar eclipse. We watched it by the lake and it was remarkable how the animals reacted - bats were flying above us, fish were jumping out of the lake, and my husband was stung by a confused wasp. My younger son did not understand what was happening at all, he looked scared and said it was night, and let's get back to the car right away. The moment when the sun came back, he was relieved. And I was very happy that my husband was able to capture this moment in a photo.
Photo: Eclipse (on the left) and an image one second after the Sun's reappearance, Texas, April 2024.
April-June 2024: Return to Arkansas
In Arkansas, we moved into a lovely, empty apartment just a 10-minute walk from Clinton Library. We furnished it with furniture from colleagues, from IKEA, and from thrift stores where we found many treasures, especially very cheap toys for children. I spent April preparing for the panel debate, feeling both excited and nervous about speaking English in front of the public. There were only two of us panelists at the debate and a moderator. All my colleagues were supportive and encouraging. Fortunately, the debate went smoothly and it strengthened my public speaking skills and confidence a lot. When I had another public presentation about Havel as part of the temporary exhibition on State visits, I had almost no stage fright.
Photo: Presentation on Václav Havel's state visit to the White House, William J. Clinton Library and Museum, May 2024, Little Rock.
Outside of working on the digital exhibition, I went to team meetings and enjoyed myself while talking to colleagues about their work. Everyone was very welcoming and helpful. With the help of one colleague, I filled out a request for the declassification of new documents about Václav Havel. At work, I also participated in many joint events, such as breakfast with bagels and donuts, active shooter training, deaf etiquette training (in the Library there were two deaf colleagues), a training week for teachers on desegregation, a picnic, baseball, a lunch for volunteers, and a baking contest that I even won with a traditional Czech apple strudel ☺ But it was my last day at work, so I don't know if they might have let me win on purpose so that I would have a nice memory. I also got a giant book with photos of Clinton, in which all the colleagues wrote nice messages, this was such a moving present. The digital exhibition on the relationship between Clinton and Havel that I put together will be published on the Clinton Library website sometime in the early fall.
In Little Rock, we got to know the local Chapter of the Fulbright Association, whose representatives received me warmly. I was taken to the offices of two Arkansas Congressmen, to lobby for increased funding of the Fulbright program. One very nice lady named DeDe Long invited me to their house in Fayetteville in Northwest Arkansas. It was here that Senator Fulbright lived for a long time, working at the university, where today he has a statue and a building named after him. DeDe knew him personally, she had worked all her life at the university in the field of international exchanges and her supervisor was Fulbright's spokesman. We spent long hours talking about Fulbright, Fulbright programs, and American and international exchanges. I felt at home with her. She took me to Fulbright's grave, where I could symbolically thank him for all of our American adventures.
Photo: The statue of J. William Fulbright, Fayetteville, May 2024.
Northwest Arkansas is made even more interesting by the fact that the founder of Walmart lived there. Walton and now his children are investing money there to uplift the entire region. The area boasts the architecturally interesting Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Walton's daughter who is very involved in the arts. Walton, not wanting to profit off access to arts, made the museums free for all. Near Crystal Bridges, we visited another scientific museum, the Amazeum Museum. Our children liked it so much that we went there twice.
Arkansas' rich forested landscape has earned it the nickname the Natural State. The nature there seemed quite similar to ours back home. However, in the vast Arkansas territory, the forests stretch from horizon to horizon. During our stay in Arkansas, we visited two state parks and also the spa town called Hot Springs. We enjoyed our time at Hot Springs and it too had a science museum that was so cool that we drove to Hot Springs twice for it.
The science museum in Little Rock also delighted us, we went there at least once weekly, sometimes more often. They held some kind of workshop in it almost every day. The most interesting workshop was the dissections of a squid and a small shark. In Little Rock, we also adored the Museum of Art and the History Museum, which both had an extensive program for children. Additionally, there is a dense network of public libraries that offer programs every day. We were lucky to find a nanny for the boys to spend the mornings with, while my husband was working. In the afternoon they went to various programs and I joined them after work. They went bowling, rollerblading, to the zoo, the movies, a wonderful visit to a submarine that is anchored on the local Arkansas River, a Disney on Ice show with ice skating performances that took your breath away... Simply put, there was so much to enjoy in Little Rock, I think the boys were never bored. My parents even came to visit us and were able to devote themselves fully to our boys, so that they could discover the beauty of Little Rock together.
Photo: Dissection of calamari in the Museum of Discovery, Little Rock, April 2024.
I was very pleased that my younger son started to speak English fluently during those 3 months. The older son already spoke English before coming to the U.S. but has improved greatly. He had no problem or stage fright when he had to present about the Czech Republic at a local elementary school. Thanks to a tutoring program at the public library, he had reading lessons and started reading English. He also made great progress in swimming because we had a pool near the apartment. This came in handy as it was already unbearably hot in June in Little Rock. We were in the pool almost every day.
Our stay in Arkansas symbolically ended with a big fireworks display to celebrate American Independence Day. Sad to say goodbye, we cleared out the apartment and drove north.
Photo: Indiana Dunes National Park, July 2024.
The last chapter of our trip was 10 days in Chicago. Through Cecília and Czech networks, we found accommodation with Joe Vosický, a lawyer with Czech ancestry. We had a great time with him and talked every night. He was on a Fulbright stay 20 years ago in my hometown Brno. In Chicago, we enjoyed meeting some friends, going to Alanis Morissette's concert, and visiting several museums. It was clear to us that the Museum of Science and Industry was the most amazing museum we visited during our entire stay. It is huge and has the latest technology that makes exhibitions not only interactive but directly "immersive". For example, in an exhibition about music and the brain, you find yourself in a room where a film is projected all around you, and as you step small swirls spread across the screen from your feet.
Photo: Immersive experience at the brain and music exhibition, with video footage all around visitors. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, July 2024.
We also enjoyed finding the Czech trace in Chicago: a statue of Karel Havlíček outside of the Adler Planetarium, and a statue of the Blanický knight called Masaryk near the Obama Library construction site. We went to see Chinatown which starts at the Cermak-Chinatown metro station and Cermak Road, named after Czech native Tony Cermak, who became the mayor of Chicago. In 1931 he died after being hit by a bullet during the assassination of President Roosevelt. While Cermak was mayor, he fought the Chicago mafia, which was represented, among others, by the famous Al Capone. It is said to this day that it is not clear whether it was intended to be the assassination of President Roosevelt or actually of Mayor Cermak. In Chicago, I also visited the Czech school T. G. Masaryk and the Czech consulate, where I had a great chat with Consul Jakub Utěšený.
Conclusion
The whole six months in America flew by incredibly quickly, everything went smoothly and was so beautiful. Everywhere we visited, we were warmly received and made friends along the way. All of us in the family were healthy, and happy, and enjoyed our stay tremendously. In retrospect, it all seems like a wonderful dream. Fortunately, we have about 5,000 photos with which I can remember our wonderful trip. I am very grateful to have received a Fulbright scholarship and I highly recommend everyone to apply for the selection process, because it is truly a chance of a lifetime to create unforgettable memories not only for yourself but possibly also for your family.
Photo: Sunset behind the Statue of Liberty, February 2024, New York.February 2024: The Trip from New York to Little Rock
We kicked off our U.S. adventure in New York City where we spent the next few days taking in the sites of the city. Our first night was unforgettable. We visited the famous Times Square, where a group of dancers led our older son into a dance mob where they did flips over him. The whole crowd was cheering “Hi Miky!” Now that was a welcome to America in style! This was followed by a phenomenal sunset during a boat trip around the Statue of Liberty. Other highlights of our New York Trip included a visit to the Central Park Zoo and the Apple store, where we tried their brand-new Apple Vision Pro glasses.
From NYC, we crossed through Philadelphia to Washington DC. Our week in the capital city was a dream come true for museum lovers- free access to countless monuments and museums. We visited several museums, the Zoo, the Capitol Building, and the Washington Monument. Touring the Capitol Building was a highlight, especially seeing the bust of Václav Havel, one of only four statues of Europeans in the building. At the National Archives and Records Museum Administration (NARA), the director of the Clinton Library arranged a private tour for me before opening, so we were alone in the huge Rotunda with the originals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The guide told us about the citizenship ceremonies that took place in the very same Rotunda that we were then standing in. Hearing the stories of those pursuing citizenship was a very emotional experience that did not leave any dry eyes in the room. So much falls under the heading of NARA including thirteen Presidential Libraries. With such a large Library system, a "passport" has been introduced so that Library visitors can collect stamps from each Library they visit. Once it is filled they receive a gift from the last Library.
Photo: In a hotel where we stayed during our trip from New York City to Little Rock, we met a photographer, who was getting ready to take pictures of high school seniors. We could not resist, and we used the photographer's background.
The National Museum of Natural History was another amazing D.C. memory for my family. We spent the whole day captivated by its interactive exhibits, including one where we got to examine and even hold some large beetles up thanks to a passionate museum guide. In Washington, I had a meeting at the Czech embassy where their employees, Lukáš Havránek and Markéta Vohralíková. They kindly supported me during my travel by giving me some interesting tips on the Czech trace in Texas.
From Washington, we went to North Carolina, where Fulbright student Eliška Mašková hosted us. In Raleigh, we discovered the concept of children's museums, which were at the same time huge playrooms and a place where children are being taught unobtrusively. In Durham, we visited the Museum of Life and Science where we were once again impressed and entertained by the many interactive exhibits, workshops, and educational entertainment. We absolutely loved it and soon purchased a year's membership to the Little Rock Science Museum remotely, which gave us free admission to all the science museums.
From North Carolina, we drove the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway to Atlanta, where we visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library where I got the opportunity to meet with their director. From there we continued through Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi to Arkansas. Along the way, we saw beautiful waterfalls and came across the breathtaking NASA Alabama Museum in Huntsville, which I highly recommend if you are nearby.
March 2024: Little Rock
I was warmly welcomed at the Bill Clinton Library. The director of the Library invited me to participate in their May public panel discussion about Václav Havel's visit to the White House in 1998 and asked if I could create a digital exhibition about the relationship between Václav Havel and Bill Clinton. My colleagues helped me pour through the archives in search of all relevant material to Havel. Because some of the materials had not yet been digitized, I spent several days going through archival papers - I felt like a detective!
In the library, I also participated in all social and team-building activities like shared meals, yoga, and even Rotary club lunches with the director. One part of the Library was a beautiful museum staffed by volunteers, mostly seniors, who worked as curators. I also participated in events for the public. I was lucky to witness the director of NARA, the so-called Archivist of the United States, come to one of the events and debate Hillary Clinton. After the debate I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with Hillary Clinton, she immediately remembered Havel with joy and she said that Bill was recently in Prague. I gave her a heart pendant as a gift from the presidential collection and she then sent me a very nice thank you letter. She was very charismatic and energetic, our meeting was an amazing experience. I was hoping that I would be able to meet President Clinton as well, but he came to Little Rock only once during my entire stay for a detour to the former governor's funeral. It was planned that he would come in June, but in the end, it was unfortunately canceled.
Without permanent housing until April 10th, I arranged with the Director of the Library for my family and me to go to Dallas for 3 weeks, where we had friends, who could accommodate us. Texas being the second largest state in America, meant that while there was so much to explore (like 3 Presidential Libraries), it was impossible to get around without a car. Buying a car in Little Rock was a big relief since renting one was very expensive.
March-April 2024: Texas
Texas is a truly remarkable American state. They are so proud to be Texans and so excited about their boots and hats. We totally fell for it and could not resist getting boots and hats of our own! We had a great experience at the rodeo with my husband's colleague, whom he had only known online until then.
Texas was in full bloom while we were visiting. Wild flowers covered the hillsides along the roads including the beautiful Bluebonnets which are said to only bloom in Texas. So we have many "Texas photos" with flowers, hats, and boots. In Texas we also experienced Easter, I found several public egg hunts for my boys to join in on. The boys had a lot of fun and I liked the tradition several times more than the Czech Easter tradition.
In Texas, we visited the Libraries of President Johnson and both Bush. In each library we had a guided tour, I got to meet their representatives and had the opportunity to research their archives for documents they had about Havel or Czechoslovakia. They were all beautiful buildings with extensive exhibitions describing not only the given president but also what occurred throughout his time. For example, I learned that Lyndon B. Johnson drafted his oath of office speech on a plane just hours after Kennedy’s assassination, with Jacqueline Kennedy still wearing her blood-stained outfit and with Kennedy's coffin in the plane
In Texas, we discovered a surprising Czech trace! The Czech Stop bakery is well-known for one thing… their Czech cakes - kolache, for which they attracted a long line of customers. Even if they didn't look like Czech kolache, they tasted delicious. Then there was a restaurant in Waco named "Pivovar' where they had giant Czech and Texan flags and photos of Václav Havel displayed within. We couldn't miss a visit to the Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange and the village of Prague. At the entrance of the village of Prague, there was a sign reading "Welcome in the motherland of Prague"'; however, it seemed like a ghost town. Adding to that feeling there was a large cemetery full of Czech names. By chance, we ran into an elderly lady who spoke Czech, although she had never been to Czechoslovakia or the Czech Republic. She lamented that she had always wanted to visit but it just couldn’t be done due to communism, then the cost of travel, and later her health. She learned Czech from her parents but never taught Czech to her children. She made sure we knew that we were very lucky to be able to do this traveling.
While searching for interesting events in the area, I came across a traditional Indigenous American Pow-wow not far from us, which we enjoyed immensely. The American Indians drummed, sang, danced, and sometimes even invited the audience to join in. There were stalls all around with unique and handmade items for sale. I bought a painted drum from one of the stalls and stayed in contact with the American Indian woman who sold it to me. I later learned that she was a Medicine woman and chief of the Southeast band of the Cherokee tribe. It brings me much joy that we still keep in touch.
The day after the Pow-wow, we experienced one of the most anticipated events of the season in North America… the total solar eclipse. We watched it by the lake and it was remarkable how the animals reacted - bats were flying above us, fish were jumping out of the lake, and my husband was stung by a confused wasp. My younger son did not understand what was happening at all, he looked scared and said it was night, and let's get back to the car right away. The moment when the sun came back, he was relieved. And I was very happy that my husband was able to capture this moment in a photo.
April-June 2024: Return to Arkansas
In Arkansas, we moved into a lovely, empty apartment just a 10-minute walk from Clinton Library. We furnished it with furniture from colleagues, from IKEA, and from thrift stores where we found many treasures, especially very cheap toys for children. I spent April preparing for the panel debate, feeling both excited and nervous about speaking English in front of the public. There were only two of us panelists at the debate and a moderator. All my colleagues were supportive and encouraging. Fortunately, the debate went smoothly and it strengthened my public speaking skills and confidence a lot. When I had another public presentation about Havel as part of the temporary exhibition on State visits, I had almost no stage fright.
Outside of working on the digital exhibition, I went to team meetings and enjoyed myself while talking to colleagues about their work. Everyone was very welcoming and helpful. With the help of one colleague, I filled out a request for the declassification of new documents about Václav Havel. At work, I also participated in many joint events, such as breakfast with bagels and donuts, active shooter training, deaf etiquette training (in the Library there were two deaf colleagues), a training week for teachers on desegregation, a picnic, baseball, a lunch for volunteers, and a baking contest that I even won with a traditional Czech apple strudel ☺ But it was my last day at work, so I don't know if they might have let me win on purpose so that I would have a nice memory. I also got a giant book with photos of Clinton, in which all the colleagues wrote nice messages, this was such a moving present. The digital exhibition on the relationship between Clinton and Havel that I put together will be published on the Clinton Library website sometime in the early fall.
In Little Rock, we got to know the local Chapter of the Fulbright Association, whose representatives received me warmly. I was taken to the offices of two Arkansas Congressmen, to lobby for increased funding of the Fulbright program. One very nice lady named DeDe Long invited me to their house in Fayetteville in Northwest Arkansas. It was here that Senator Fulbright lived for a long time, working at the university, where today he has a statue and a building named after him. DeDe knew him personally, she had worked all her life at the university in the field of international exchanges and her supervisor was Fulbright's spokesman. We spent long hours talking about Fulbright, Fulbright programs, and American and international exchanges. I felt at home with her. She took me to Fulbright's grave, where I could symbolically thank him for all of our American adventures.
Arkansas' rich forested landscape has earned it the nickname the Natural State. The nature there seemed quite similar to ours back home. However, in the vast Arkansas territory, the forests stretch from horizon to horizon. During our stay in Arkansas, we visited two state parks and also the spa town called Hot Springs. We enjoyed our time at Hot Springs and it too had a science museum that was so cool that we drove to Hot Springs twice for it.
The science museum in Little Rock also delighted us, we went there at least once weekly, sometimes more often. They held some kind of workshop in it almost every day. The most interesting workshop was the dissections of a squid and a small shark. In Little Rock, we also adored the Museum of Art and the History Museum, which both had an extensive program for children. Additionally, there is a dense network of public libraries that offer programs every day. We were lucky to find a nanny for the boys to spend the mornings with, while my husband was working. In the afternoon they went to various programs and I joined them after work. They went bowling, rollerblading, to the zoo, the movies, a wonderful visit to a submarine that is anchored on the local Arkansas River, a Disney on Ice show with ice skating performances that took your breath away... Simply put, there was so much to enjoy in Little Rock, I think the boys were never bored. My parents even came to visit us and were able to devote themselves fully to our boys, so that they could discover the beauty of Little Rock together.
I was very pleased that my younger son started to speak English fluently during those 3 months. The older son already spoke English before coming to the U.S. but has improved greatly. He had no problem or stage fright when he had to present about the Czech Republic at a local elementary school. Thanks to a tutoring program at the public library, he had reading lessons and started reading English. He also made great progress in swimming because we had a pool near the apartment. This came in handy as it was already unbearably hot in June in Little Rock. We were in the pool almost every day.
Our stay in Arkansas symbolically ended with a big fireworks display to celebrate American Independence Day. Sad to say goodbye, we cleared out the apartment and drove north.
July: Journey from Arkansas to Michigan and Chicago
Along the way, we explored several other Presidential Libraries. The Truman Library in Kansas City, recently renovated, was the most modern of all the Libraries we visited, featuring many interactive exhibits that my older son loved. We continued further north to the Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was thrilled to not only visit the museum but also get to know the employees and the lovely director Cecília Rokusek. Coincidentally, they had an exhibition on Václav Havel prepared by the Václav Havel Library. In Cedar Rapids, there is a Czech restaurant, where they served us in Czech and brought us pork-vegetable dumplings, it was a great experience.
We then stopped at the President Hoover Library for a guided tour. The director himself and some other employees devoted so much energy and attention to showing me around that I spent my whole day there. With them as my guides, I was able to explore everything they had in the archive related to Czechoslovakia, for example, the order 1926 White Lion for Hoover.
Along the way, we explored several other Presidential Libraries. The Truman Library in Kansas City, recently renovated, was the most modern of all the Libraries we visited, featuring many interactive exhibits that my older son loved. We continued further north to the Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was thrilled to not only visit the museum but also get to know the employees and the lovely director Cecília Rokusek. Coincidentally, they had an exhibition on Václav Havel prepared by the Václav Havel Library. In Cedar Rapids, there is a Czech restaurant, where they served us in Czech and brought us pork-vegetable dumplings, it was a great experience.
We then stopped at the President Hoover Library for a guided tour. The director himself and some other employees devoted so much energy and attention to showing me around that I spent my whole day there. With them as my guides, I was able to explore everything they had in the archive related to Czechoslovakia, for example, the order 1926 White Lion for Hoover.
We continued on to Michigan and along the way we came across the Indiana Dunes National Park. One of the big surprises for me on our trip was that Lake Michigan has beautiful sandy beaches. I felt like I was at the sea, the boys enjoyed playing with the sand and climbing on the high dunes. In Michigan, we attended one more American Indian Pow-wow, explored two great museums in Grand Rapids, and visited the last of the Presidential Libraries: President Ford's Library, whose stamp was missing from our passport. The Library director knew about our visit in advance and she took pictures with us. We received a commemorative coin as a gift. It was very satisfying to reach this milestone and complete my adventure of visiting all 13 Presidential Libraries in the U.S.
Photo: Our visit to the last Presidential Library (Gerard. R. Ford Museum), where we received our commemorative coin, and we took a picture with the Director of the Library, Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 2024.
The last chapter of our trip was 10 days in Chicago. Through Cecília and Czech networks, we found accommodation with Joe Vosický, a lawyer with Czech ancestry. We had a great time with him and talked every night. He was on a Fulbright stay 20 years ago in my hometown Brno. In Chicago, we enjoyed meeting some friends, going to Alanis Morissette's concert, and visiting several museums. It was clear to us that the Museum of Science and Industry was the most amazing museum we visited during our entire stay. It is huge and has the latest technology that makes exhibitions not only interactive but directly "immersive". For example, in an exhibition about music and the brain, you find yourself in a room where a film is projected all around you, and as you step small swirls spread across the screen from your feet.
We also enjoyed finding the Czech trace in Chicago: a statue of Karel Havlíček outside of the Adler Planetarium, and a statue of the Blanický knight called Masaryk near the Obama Library construction site. We went to see Chinatown which starts at the Cermak-Chinatown metro station and Cermak Road, named after Czech native Tony Cermak, who became the mayor of Chicago. In 1931 he died after being hit by a bullet during the assassination of President Roosevelt. While Cermak was mayor, he fought the Chicago mafia, which was represented, among others, by the famous Al Capone. It is said to this day that it is not clear whether it was intended to be the assassination of President Roosevelt or actually of Mayor Cermak. In Chicago, I also visited the Czech school T. G. Masaryk and the Czech consulate, where I had a great chat with Consul Jakub Utěšený.
Conclusion
The whole six months in America flew by incredibly quickly, everything went smoothly and was so beautiful. Everywhere we visited, we were warmly received and made friends along the way. All of us in the family were healthy, and happy, and enjoyed our stay tremendously. In retrospect, it all seems like a wonderful dream. Fortunately, we have about 5,000 photos with which I can remember our wonderful trip. I am very grateful to have received a Fulbright scholarship and I highly recommend everyone to apply for the selection process, because it is truly a chance of a lifetime to create unforgettable memories not only for yourself but possibly also for your family.