Accomplishments

When I got here, I could only place myself by what I could see around me. When we’d first walk places, I didn’t know which direction we were heading or what we would see next. But now, the map of Prague in my mind is expanding. Now I can stand on my street corner and know that if I walk ten minutes North I will reach Old Town Square, and if I head South, I’ll find my school. And if I get on the number 24 tram heading West, I’ll arrive at Wenceslas Square in about 7 minutes. I imagine it like in Coraline, when she walks around the entire world as it unfolds in front of her only to end up back at her house. This corner of the planet is beginning to unfold around me, becoming smaller and more managable.

            Every thing you do in a new place is a task. Learning the public transportation system, finding a place to buy towels, buying a phone and prepaid plan, ordering off of a menu, searching for a post office. I feel so accomplished anytime I figure out something new. And usually, trying to figure things out leads to discoveries. Lauren and I were trying to find a store near Old Town the other night and emerged out of a metro stop to a stunning view of Prague Castle along the river. It is the most beautiful piece of this city I’ve seen yet and it feels good to have found it accidentally. And after three days of my Czech language class, I can now successfully ask people for directions and respond to pleasantries instead of staring at them blankly. While walking down the street today I could pick out bits and pieces of conversations and advertisements. Nothing I could make any sense of but it’s a start. At least I can tell people “Sorry, I don’t understand,” and ask them if they speak English now.

            More exciting news: my weekends are filing up quickly with trips! My friends and I are dedicating this weekend to exploring and sightseeing in Prague. Taking a tour of Prague Castle and visiting some museums are on the top of my list. The weekend after that is a group wine tasting trip to Moravia planned by the school. The next Friday we will be visiting a glass blowing factory where we get to make our own art. And I’ve booked a trip to Warsaw for the weekend after that. In the works are trips to Belgium, Dresden, Krakow, Greece, and Istanbul. I am meeting my parents in Amsterdam and visiting Bruges and Brussels with them in March. And I’m hoping to also make a quick trip to Rome to see my friends studying there. I’m still having a hard time imagining being away from people back home for four months, but seeing my calendar fill up is keeping my spirits high.

            This has been a fairly positive post so I want to go ahead and ruin that by complaining about the coffee situation. We were hoping to pass a coffee shop on the way to school on our first day that we would be able to frequent in the mornings. When we didn’t see one, we asked our Resident Director if he knew of any. He informed us that coffee is not a big thing here, and people do not typically gather or hang out in cafes. Espresso is popular, but drinking a 24 oz. coffee is not. This is devastating. Beer is, as you may have guessed, the most popular drink here, and usually the cheapest. This may be good for my caffeine addiction but I’m not sure it will be for anything else. I am not complaining about the availability and price of beer, but I will definitely appreciate giant coffees and polar pops and cheap water more when I get home.

            

I am about to meet friends and check out a Jazz bar off of Wenceslas square, so that's all for now. Nashledanou!