Planes, Trains and New Terrains

As I write this, I am on a plane flying from Prague to Barcelona. A gaze out the window shows an epic view of what I am assuming must be the Swiss Alps among a fringe of clouds. In this moment I feel so much gratitude for the experiences I have had this semester —  and for the fact that I somehow scored an entire row of seats to myself.

The last few weeks have been quite busy with traveling for me. Last weekend was Bologna and Rome in Italy, and the week before was London. The back-to-back traveling has left me a little weary, but my brain usually finds everything funnier when I’m tired, so it’s a fair trade off.

The Pros and Cons of Prague: My Two Month Czech-in

Tomorrow marks two months since I arrived in Prague, and the halfway point of my time here. I can’t make up my mind whether I feel like I’ve been here a longer or shorter time than that. Time feels like it passes differently for me while I’m over here. I think this is because I am so far out of my normal routine.

I think missing home is natural, and my occasional moments of brooding have inspired me to compile a list (in no particular order) of what I’ve been missing most from home. To keep things balanced, and to avoid this post being just a negative rant, I will follow with a list of things that I definitely do not miss.

The Camaraderie I’ve Found Abroad

Many things have come to mind as I’ve considered the differences between traveling and going to school in Europe, versus back home in the United States. What I have found to be one of the best parts is the sense of community you find when you meet other international students or like-minded travelers. Something about the shared experience of being in another country brings people together in a humbling way.

At my university in Prague, I take classes with students from so many different backgrounds. I have flatmates from France. I have classmates from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Korea, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Turkey, India, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, to name a few. The class discussions are fascinating to me because there are so many more opinions and interpretations that come from having such a culturally diverse representation of students.

The Good, the Bad and the Funny: My First Two Weeks Abroad

I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but some of my favorite travel memories are from embarrassing moments or mistakes. And my time in Prague so far has not failed to deliver.

Being in a foreign country constantly takes you out of your comfort zone on so many levels. This includes all the little things that I don’t even think twice about back home like going to the grocery store or eating in a restaurant, and things that are completely new to me like trying to learn the public transportation system.

Preparing for Prague

I think the first time it really hit me that I am going abroad for a semester was when I received my Czech visa in the mail. The second time was when I finally sat down and actually opened my suitcase to start packing.

My last couple of days in San Diego have been a whirlwind. It’s been a lot of running errands, doing neglected loads of laundry and just making sure that everything is ready for my trip. And because I clearly have a pack-crastination problem, I seem to have left things until the last minute.

I’ve found myself sitting on my floor in a caffeine-fueled frenzy, the soothing sound of my Czech language app playing in the background, while I try to figure out what items from my Southern California wardrobe should make the trip to central Europe.