Post-Departure - Sylvia Corfman

It has been almost a full week since our return from Central Europe. All too quickly I reintegrated myself into family, school and work life. Now I must consciously stop to think about the 11 days of travel, which seemed like a month en route. As I view the various photos taken by travel mates, I am taken back to a time and place that seemed both anachronistic and ahead of its time.

I was surprised to learn that, as diverse as our backgrounds are, women in the former Eastern bloc behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ have the same fundamental obstacles to achieving leadership positions as women worldwide. These obstacles seem to stem from women’s biological ability to bear children and almost universal inherent nuturing nature. However, with family guidance at a young age and family support when older, women are able to open new pathways to achieving the leadership positions that are their prerogative.

Perhaps the most enjoyable woman entrepreneur for me was our Prague tour operator, Sarka Kacabova, owner of Personal Prague Guide. She expressed her view of the issues with the current work force with refreshing honesty. Her perspective is that pervasive in the Czech culture is a resistance to change, a vestige from the false security of socialism, In spite of her family’s admonishments, Sarka followed her instincts and started a locally based tour business that has since become a world-renowned operation (via Rick Steves’ travel guide). Sarka displayed entrepreneur qualities when she was the first tour operator to offer a detailed and attractive tour map free to her customers, at the disbelief of her competitors. This map is a service winner for Sarka’s business.

Sarka has a plan and is on schedule. She is pregnant with the first of two children she hopes to rear. She will take advantage of the generous national maternity benefits (six weeks at 60% of earnings, and three years at 20% of earnings) augmented with the commissions she receives from her tour operation. Sarka has cleverly formed her business so that all of her operators are entrepreneurs, avoiding the overhead of employee administration.

I look back on my trip, thankful for having been, pleased at the new connections made, both long-distance and closer to home and once again learning life-lessons unexpectedly. Thank you to all for contributing to my experience.