The Editor’s Note: The pull of travel

Tourists touch the John of Nepomuk bas-relief sculpture on Prague’s Charles Bridge; legend has it that doing so will ensure a return to the Czech Republic city. For the editor, who touched it too, and our correspondent Tony Ensalaco, the draw of going back is particularly powerful. (CHRIS COCOLES)

When I visited Prague, Czech Republic way back in 2010 – it seems like a lot longer than a decade considering the tragic, surreal, outrageous and shocking moments of the past 11 months – there was one moment that had me thinking.

Legend has it that when walking across Prague’s Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River, if you touch the plaque on a statue of 14th century priest John of Nepomuk, it will not only result in good luck but also guarantee a return to the city someday. I touched, but haven’t been back yet to touch it again.

But after reading Tony Ensalaco’s story on why the Chicagoan consistently returns to Alaska for his fishing trips (page 47), I started thinking about going back to Prague. Ensalaco makes a compelling argument that while he’d like to get his fishing fix in other places, there’s just something about Alaska that draws him back. Actually, many things.

I’ve been lucky enough – thank you, John of Nepomuk – to see a lot of different places since my Prague visit with a friend in 2010. Part of me wants to go back to several of those destinations and do it all over again. Fishing in Slovenia’s Lake Bled. Wine tasting on Waiheke Island in New Zealand. The buzzing activity on the streets of Tokyo. The smiles of the people I met in Cuba.

Then again, the angler in me is intrigued by casting for trout, salmon and char in Iceland. The sports fan in me wants to go to the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. The foodie in me wants to devour the cuisine of Paris. The history nerd in me wants to soak up World War II sites in Poland and Germany. Even domestically I’ve never been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; nor the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan; nor the Grand Canyon; nor the Florida Keys. Will I have the time and money to do it all?

Then again, there’s Prague. Oh man, I loved Prague. The beer. The hearty food. The gorgeous architecture. The people. There’s also supposed to be some pretty great fishing in the rural Czech Republic. I need to go back. Perhaps Ensalaco had it right all along. John of Nepomuk too. -Chris Cocoles