The Butterfly Effect

The "Butterfly Effect" is a concept originating from chaos theory. It describes a situation where a small change in initial conditions can lead to significant and unpredictable consequences in the future.

Scarlett, Panama, and Me – or How Everything Is Connected

You'll find out how the city of Charleston, South Carolina, is connected to a medical facility in Jevíčko,  Czechia.

However, I did become a bit lazy while I was there. So, the time has come to write a new blog post. One about how everything is connected.

Yes, even my butterfly flapped its wings. But don’t worry — I won’t go all the way back to the moment of my conception.

Let’s start at the turn of this millennium — manageable, right?

At that time, I was often visiting the United States. My son lived in Jacksonville, northern Florida for three years, and I completely fell in love with that part of the U.S.

The surrounding nature in spring — with vibrant blooming rhododendrons and azaleas — and the laid-back lifestyle of the American South absolutely enchanted me. Old Southern plantation estates, where it’s easy to picture Scarlett O’Hara sitting on the porch with a fan in her hand.

That's when I started planning another trip — this time with the goal of visiting Charleston in South Carolina.  

But that trip took while to materialize. We bought our tickets to the southeastern U.S. in the summer of 2024 (yes, we're getting closer to the present) — with departure planned for March 2025.

In November, we applied online for an ESTA — a quick electronic authorization to enter the U.S. (basically a fast-track visa for the chosen few). With our Dutch passports, this shouldn't have been a problem... or so we thought. So imagine our surprise when, just eight hours later, we got a message saying our entry to the U.S. had been denied. When I immediately called the U.S. embassy, they gave us a dry response: "Sorry, but you've traveled to Iran in the past." (Apparently, that's an unforgivable offense.)

We had to exchange our expensive KLM tickets for a new destination.

We were offered a route heading west — meaning our beloved Africa was off the table. We had to decide quickly. And within the same price range, the choice fell on Panama. 

At that point, I knew only two things about this country:

1. That North America ends and South America starts there — (or vice versa) depending on your point of view 
2. And that the Panama Canal forms the border between them 

Panama Was Definitely Not on My Bucket List

But we love unplanned adventures.
So we said: Yes, let’s go.

It turned out to be a journey into pristine jungles — on both sides of the Americas and both ocean coasts: the Atlantic and the Pacific.

The first time I went into the pool, I grabbed the metal handles on the ladder — they were burning hot, like the devil himself. I flinched in shock, lost my grip, and slammed straight on the edge of the pool. 

The impact bruised the entire right side of my body.
Thankfully, nothing was broken — as confirmed later by an orthopedist after I got home: bruised ribs, pelvis, and a few other minor injuries.
And my heart doctor added a comment I won’t forget:  “Now that’s what I call a luxury injury.”

So I came back home with a bruised right side, limping, wheezing — and alive.
But… the body can be tricky — when you protect one side, the other side takes the hit.
And that’s exactly what happened.

As I spent weeks, avoiding the pain on my right side, I overused my left leg. And my already worn-out left knee couldn’t take it anymore.

In June 2025, the verdict came: a total knee replacement was necessary. A TKA. In other words, a brand-new knee.

And that’s how I ended up, after surgery in Plzeň, rehabilitation in Jevíčko — back to where this story began.

Footnotes

The Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect is a concept from chaos theory that refers to how a small change in initial conditions can lead to significant and unpredictable outcomes in the future.

A simple explanation:
Imagine a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in Brazil — this tiny event could (in an extreme theoretical case) trigger a chain reaction that eventually causes a tornado in Texas.

Of course, it's not literally about butterflies and tornadoes — it's a metaphor showing how sensitive some systems (like the weather or human behavior) can be to small changes.

Where does the butterfly effect apply?
– Weather and climate
– Economics
– Human decisions and social events
– And more

Scarlett O’Hara
The heroine of the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell, later adapted into the iconic 1939 film.