Originally published on LinkedIn (reformatted for zahradnik.io / Medium)
I arrived in Prague with no business intentions. Even my friends will be surprised reading this.
No meetings. No networking. No consulting.
Just a pilgrimage.
Today marks the anniversary of Mozart’s death — and I came to see an opera in the Estates Theatre, the very place where he conducted and where Miloš Forman later filmed Amadeus.
For me, this moment carries the same emotional gravity that Buenos Aires holds for tangueros: a return to the source.
I still remember what set this in motion.
Exactly two years ago, after a business trip to Brno, I stopped in Bratislava to see La Traviata. My contract had just ended, and this symbolic closure pulled me into the theatre.
A couple sat next to me.
“Dobrý deň,” I greeted them — then quickly switched to English.
Their names were Rosemary and Mark. Both software engineers, both with history in Microsoft and later Silicon Valley. Florida residents now.
It was Mark who casually mentioned:
“You know… today is the anniversary of Mozart’s death.”
We spent the entire intermission talking. Their company was more memorable than the modern staging of La Traviata.
Two years later, that small encounter still echoes.
And so — tonight — I am in Prague.
Here’s to serendipity.
Enjoy your weekend. Work can wait.
