Life is a book and those who don't travel read only a page.

(DR. LARSON-----#5: Cultural Comparisons)

     Until now, I have lived in Kearney, Nebraska my whole entire life. I was born there, went to school there, and even chose to go to university there. Needless to say, Olomouc is just a tiny bit different than Kearney, and the Czech Republic is maybe a little different than Nebraska, and Europe is quite a bit different than the United States. It takes a little while to get used to a new place, but if you let it be and go into it with an open mind, it can be one of the most fun and exciting things you will ever experience! I remember my first small dose of culture shock; we had just gotten into Prague our very first weekend, and I had to use the little girl's room at the airport. I do my business, go to leave, and can't find the flusher! I literally sat there for a solid five minutes trying to figure out how to use these fancy new European toilets! Since then, I've actually kept a count of how many different ways there have been to flush a toilet (I'm at 14!), but this was just a small example of one cultural difference I have experienced since coming to the Czech Republic. This is one of my favorite topics to talk about, and I probably could for hours, but instead of just listing all the weird different things I have noticed, I am going to delve into just a few of my favorites.

     One of the major things that I have loved getting used to is the way European towns are laid out, and how to navigate and get around them. Because many towns' roads are based upon old trading routes and merchant squares, they are often very narrow and winding and because of that, we tend to to do quite a bit more walking here than back home. I get a kick out of my "Walking Distance" graph on one of my iPhone apps, because the months of March and April are loads higher than any other previous months back in the US. It's no wonder why people are so much thinner and health here, when the average walking distance per day can be as high as 7 miles.

 There seems to be a small increase in March.

(Today was a lazy day, don't judge me.)

     Walking isn't the only way to get around here though, and we have all gotten extremely comfortable using public transportation. The main way we get from one side of Olomouc to the other is on the tram, and it is so much a part of our daily routine here now, that we don't even have to think about it! I have not driven for almost two months now, and i think I have gone more places than I ever have with my car! Trains, trams, busses metros and cabs are so much more convenient and fun that I think public transport is going to be one of the main things I will miss about living in Europe.

     Another thing I have noticed over here that is really interesting is the way people interact with one another and even the conversations between individuals. One very pleasant thing that happens when you spend time with people here, is that they actually spend time with you, and not just stare at their phone screen the whole entire time, and even though you might not have taken a picture to show for it, it still happened! Another thing that has been (pleasantly) absent from a lot of European conversations that I have had, is just the meaningless small talk jibber jabber that most Americans have gotten so used to, that I doubt many even notice anymore. I feel like when people talk to you over here, they actually have something worth saying, or they don't talk at all. There isn't a need to "fill the silence" like I feel there is in America, and honestly it has been a breath of fresh air. I have learned that one thing that pins you as an American instantly is our smile! It doesn't matter if you are having the worst day ever, in America, it is so normal to feel like you have to hide it behind a big fake smile, and still answer "how are you?" with "good!", even if you aren't. Here, it's different. First of all, the "how are you?" question is not even used very much, and at least here in the Czech, people actually answer the question honestly, and then maybe a real conversation comes out of it! Weird, huh? I also love how nothing is really sugar-coated. (Yes, you actually do look fat in that dress. You're right, you did over-cook that meal. etc..)People here are more blunt, and a lot more forward. Not rude or without-filter or anything, but if you are doing something that they find annoying or abnormal, they WILL tell you, or if you ask a question, expect it to be answered without sparing your feelings.

     One thing that is very different from the US is just the range of cultures and people that you are constantly exposed to in Europe. In Nebraska, there are Nebraskans, and Nebraskans, and maybe a couple more Nebraskans. Occasionally you might get an out of state-er, but chances are they still speak fluent English, and are from a surrounding state. Here, when countries are just a few hours away from each other, you never know what language (or more realistically: accent) your next conversation might be in. You can actually learn a lot about people if you actually take the time to get to know them and not just talk lazy small talk at them, and this has by far been my favorite part of the whole trip. Now that I have met so many amazing people, I will never be afraid to start a conversation with a stranger again, because I have learned that if you give someone the time of day, they may just be one of the most incredible people you have ever met. This is something that Europe has given me that I will carry with me my whole life. People can make all the difference, and if you go to a new place and just go sight see and get the expected picture, I truly believe you barely see anything. If you actually want to go learn about a place, try to experience it through someone who actually lives there, or meet someone new to experience it with. Give up your hotel room and go stay at a hostel instead. Go to a pub or restaurant alone and strike up a conversation and learn how to say "cheers" and "thank you" in the local language, and try the weird food that the foreign waiter is vigorously pointing out, even if you can't pronounce it. That is the difference between being a tourist, and traveling.

     I swear I have learned more about myself, and the country I come from by being over here and exploring cultural differences than I ever would have learned by staying. There is a quote, "Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors." I have learned so much, and I am starting to see that maybe the way I have always learned to do things is neither the only, nor the best way to do them, and I think that being able to think like that might be what traveling is supposed to do to you.

   

Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.

(FOR DR. LARSON-----#1)

      I think this is the only time in my life where I can confidently say that every day, multiple times a day, I wake up and do something that I have never done before. Many things that I took as completely mundane tasks back home are made so much more exciting by the fact that I'm just not at home anymore!! My daily life is so different than it was back in Nebraska, but because I've been here for almost a month it's finally become my new normal. All things seem to happen a bit later here, so normal shop opening and wake up time for the town is about 9:00-10:00, and that's about the time I get up and start getting ready for the day. Not much is ever planned for us during the time of the day before class at 3, so we usually use that time to our advantage and explore our (not so new, anymore) home! Olomouc is a beautiful little town, honestly one of the most beautiful we have been to yet! I have taken the tram ride into the heart of the city dozens of times, but all of the old buildings and culture and little markets and shops still leave me in awe every single time. I don't understand how anyone can ever truly get used to it! It seems that every step I take leads me to a new experience that I would have never gotten had I not come here to Europe. We have found many little gems hidden throughout the city, but I think one of our favorite things to go on an adventure to find is definitely our new favorite restaurant. We all eat out multiple times a week, and I know right now you're probably thinking I've gone mad and I'm going to waste all my money on food, but honestly everything is so cheap here that it's almost the same to go grocery shop and make your own food! At least going out we get to meet new people, and see more of the town we all have fallen in love with. At a restaurant, if I'm wanting to treat myself and splurge, I might get a glass of wine, an appetizer (I'm on a hunt to find the best bruschetta!), salmon, and a dessert (my personal favorite: dumplings!) and the total bill will come out to be about 250 Czech krowns. That may sound like quite a bit, but it really converts to just a little over $10. Like I said, ridiculously cheap. 

      The weather here has surprisingly been a lot like home. Just the other day I was going to do laundry, so I took a peek outside and it's snowing! Not wanting to freeze, I put on all my winter gear (hat, gloves, scarf, heavy coat), grab my laundry, and head outside. To my well-trained Nebraska surprise, the sun was shining and it was beautiful! While I was in the laundromat, it was snowing again, and it was sunny for my walk home! Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it? On the whole though, it's been a bit chilly, so I am so excited to make it down to warmer weather for spring break. 

     Going out and socializing is a big part of culture for people my age here in Europe, and a normal daily past time. People here are allowed to have alcohol from the age of 18, and in many countries, even before that. It may seem odd, but actually many people here are a lot more responsible with it because of that same reason. Going out for a drink after class, or after dinner is completely normal, and just a good way to meet some locals and have a great conversation. Many people do not even go out on the weekends here in this town, and we've finally figured out that they use that time to either travel to a nearby city, or to visit home. Monday nights and Wednesday nights, we have noticed, are the biggest nights to go out in this town.

     Arguably one of the biggest aspects of my daily life is where I live. We are located in the international dorms called Neředin, and there is a new nationality in every person you would ever have the pleasure of meeting. Just in my flat, I live with my roommate Marissa, an Italian named Luca, a girl from Poland named Marta, a Frenchman named Thibault, and a Spaniard named Dani. A floor below us, our two of our fellow Nebraskans have two flat mates from France, and one from Turkey, and across the hall from them, we have gotten to know a couple lovely ladies from Estonia named Piret and Maria. This is just an example of the bits and peices of the world we have just a few steps from our door. We have gotten pretty close to these people, and it has been so much fun to learn about where they come from, what they're studying, what they think is different here, and my personal favorite, hearing how we either fit or defy all of their American stereotypes. People don't realize that one of the biggest learning experiences of a study abroad trip is through the people that you meet along the way. Through my flat mates Thibault and Luca especially, we have connected with a whole new group of people that we would have probably never met otherwise. These are going to be some of the people I will miss dearly when it's finally time for me to leave (😭) and the ones that make my daily life that much sweeter and more enjoyable every day!!

80,000 Names, and the Town that was on Fire

(For Dr. Larson----- #7)

     I am officially able to cross another item off of my bucket list! Last Thursday was my first time ever riding on a train, and I was lucky enough to be going back to the very first city I ever experienced Europe through. Praha is an absolute wonder, and even though I have already spent a whole weekend there a few weeks back, it is the type of city where when you turn a new corner, everything feels completely different again. We spent three nights there, and spent the days touring some of the major historical sights the city has to offer. After the train ride, we dropped our belongings at the hostel, and headed out on Martin's, one of our Czech professors, first tour of the city. Praha is an extremely fun city to walk through, because it has two famous city centers, which is a bit unique. New town square, or Wenceslas square, is a bit more modern (you know, only a COUPLE of centuries old) and it overlooks the beautiful Prague National Museum. It was an exceptionally beautiful weekend to come, because the town was starting to decorate for all of their Easter festivities so there were a bunch of little markets all over the square decorated with fresh flowers and tassels and hand painted eggs. It was amazing to see how a whole town center could transform in just a matter of a couple weeks! 

(New Town Square decorated for Easter)

     As you start to move towards the older part of city, the streets start to get a bit more narrow and winding, the buildings become more ornate and not as shiny, the cobblestones become increasingly uneven and irregular, and you can just feel that you are taking a step back in time when you finally reach Old Town square, which was our first stop. We arrived at the top of the hour, so I once again was able to watch the famous astronomical clock sing its song. 

(Astronomical Clock)

     Martin also informed us that apparently, every time you see the clock ring, it adds a few years to your life. I have now watched it five times, so out of all the old Czech legends (which there are a ridiculous amount of), I would love for that one to be true! The clock is really something to see though, it is beautiful. So beautiful in fact, according to legend (see?) the people who commissioned the man to build it stabbed the builder's eyes out so he would never be able to create anything like it ever again. This man had spent so long building this masterpiece though, that even blind, he knew it so well, he went in and removed a key part of it so it stopped working. It apparently took another 50 years at least for them to find someone as skilled as the original builder to be able to put it back into working order. 

(Marissa and I with the Charles Bridge to the left and Prague castle in the background)

     From there, we took the scenic route to Charles Bridge. When someone thinks of Prague, they probably have an image of Charles Bridge in their head, but for a good reason! It is a beautiful piece of architecture and history, and gives one of the most amazing views of the city. It is lined with statues on either side of it of important figures in Czech history and religion, and also has a curious piece of antisemitic history. There is one statue of jesus hanging on the cross with a banner above him, and on that banner is written "holy holy holy" in Hebrew, as an obvious offense against the Jewish religion. After the war, it was debated whether to remove this part of the statue, but it was decided that it was to be kept as just a piece of history. From the bridge, we went to the much-anticipated John Lennon wall. It was still an amazing thing to see, but Martin told us that it is just not what it used to be. The bad graffiti and song lyrics written on it today is just a remnant of what it once stood for.

(John Lennon Wall)

     Back when this country was still trying to gain its freedom, the wall was a symbol of resistance, and John Lennon was its flame. It took an amazing amount of courage to risk arrest or worse to paint a John Lennon face on the wall, only to have it painted over. It was a risky game played by the resistors and the oppressors, and was such big symbol for a lot of the young people hoping for freedom in this country.  They now have that freedom, but the wall has lost some of its magic along the way, as many of the tourists don't even realize what a big piece of history it is. That was our last stop of the first day before we were able to go off by ourselves, where I then decided to join Marissa to go and find the Harley Davidson store, so she could get a gift for her parents.

     Let me tell you, getting lost in Prague is one of the most awe inspiring experiences, and I implore everyone to try it at least once, but 5 hours and 17 miles later may not be the best way to go about it. If you want a Harley Davidson shirt from Prague, TAKE A TAXI. That store is literally out in the middle of nowhere, and on top of one of the biggest, most vertical hills I have ever had the pleasure of climbing. Other than the blisters and sore muscles though, that will be one thing I will always remember, and I guarantee we probably saw more of Prague that day than most tourists will ever see in their lifetime, and even though I can STILL feel that walk, it was well worth it.

(Marissa in a spooky forest with her Harley bag)

     Friday was spent making the climb to the Prague castle, the Katedrála Svatého Víta, St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane. These places were so beautiful, and so full of history that it is no mystery whatsoever why Prague is the capital. I have never seen anything like it, and I don't think I have ever felt so small in my life than I did standing next to that monstrous cathedral. I literally was not able to be anywhere near it and get the whole thing, bottom to top, in one single picture. Every building in Europe is so breathtaking though, that there comes a point when you are looking at them through your phone camera that you realize you just have to put it away, because NO picture that you ever take could do these places the justice that they deserve. These are the buildings whose beauty punch you in your stomach, take your breath away, steal your words, and make your eyes water. Then you remember how old they are, and how many hundreds of thousands of people have set foot on these same floors and stones and it makes you feel even smaller. I may just have a bit of an overreaction to some, but I just cannot fathom how they were made, and how something like these could still be standing.

 (Katedrála Svatého Víta)

     That night, our whole group just had a night in at the hostel, and we really just hung out and got to know each other. I feel like I have to throw in that I honestly don't think that fate could have given us a better group, and I know already that we are all going to be so close (well, closer than we are already!), and these are going to be some life-long friendships formed here.

    Saturday we took our day trip to Dresden, Germany. It was a short trip, but really there aren't many historical sights to visit in the city, because it was the last one to get bombed at the end of WWII. The Americans wanted to make an example out of this city, so when I say bombed, I mean blew it to smithereens. Jan, our other Czech professor, said that there were thousands of planes that came through in waves and destroyed the city.

(Dresden Frauenkirche)

   

     The fire that swept through the city was so big, it could be seen from Prague, and having just come from there via a two-hour train ride, I cannot even imagine how big that had to have been. It was also a bit eye-opening being an American in Dresden and knowing that yes, in WWII people from Germany did some god awful things, but we seem to put ourselves on a pedestal where we swoop in save the world, and although we did help end the war, we also caused some pretty horrific damage. It is just very humbling, and seeing some of the remnants of the buildings that got bombed made me really reflect. When you learn about WWII in school, it seems like this intangible mess that happened a world away so long ago. Actually being here in Europe though, especially in a place like Dresden, I actually get to see with my own eyes that places here are still recovering, and it doesn't seem so far away anymore. For example, the Dresden Frauenkirche was a church that was basically completely destroyed in the bombing/fire. There was one pillar that was left standing (you can see in the picture it is the darker, back left side of the church) and from that, they reconstructed the whole thing and it was just finished in 2005!

(The cross of the original church, burned and warped from the fire)

   

     It was a very unique experience to see what a European town looks like when it has to completely rebuild itself, especially when I now have a very distinct image of a "normal" European city.

     The last day we visited the Jewish quarter, and we got a very humbling and a bit of a disturbing glimpse into Prague's history of the holocaust. Before WWII, there were roughly 120,000 people in Prague's Jewish community, but during the holocaust, about 80,000 of them were sent to concentration camps and killed. We were able to visit one of the few remaining synagogues where they have written the name, date of birth, and date of death of every one of those 80,000 people.

(One of four rooms covered with names)

     Just hearing the number is heartbreaking enough, but seeing them all laid out before you covering dozens of walls made me absolutely sick to my stomach. Having the ages also added a whole other aspect. Any human life is precious, but seeing the names of children as young as three was absolutely unfathomable to me.

(Close up of some of the names)

     We are learning a lot about the holocaust and how it affected Europe, and especially the places we are visiting, but this was really our first hands on experience seeing how a place so close to where we are living was so devastated by WWII. I was wiping my eyes constantly throughout the whole synagogue, and just the thought of having to go to Auschwitz in a few weeks is so much real for me now, and while I am definitely still excited, I am so much more anxious than I was before this weekend.

No hablo czech?

(FOR DR. LARSON: #4, so it doesn’t get lost!---- like I tend to!)

     Dobrou noc! See how good I am getting at Czech? I can differentiate between day (den) and night (noc) now! What can I say, I am pretty much fluent! Just kidding, that was sarcasm, the Czech language is actually one of the most difficult ones out there, apparently, and I have barely touched the top of the iceberg! From the moment my group and I flew into Praha (Prague), the English language has been surprisingly hard to come by. This is such a different culture than the one I am used to, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. This is by far one of the most different and unique places I have ever visited, but I am absolutely infatuated with every aspect of it, especially the language.  The first night we arrived in Praha, we made an effort to get the to know the locals, and from them we got to know the basics of the Czech language. Before I got to my home in Olomouc, I could only say “hello”, “good day”, “please”, and “thank you.” Luckily Praha had enough English speakers that my limited Czech was not a problem, but, of course, that was one of the most touristy places in the Czech Republic. 

     Here in Olomouc, there are a very limited amount of native Czech speakers that also speak English, so our group of Americans that have come here have been forced to learn a bit of Czech just to be able to function in this smaller town. Most of us have picked up how to order our favorite beer, glass of wine, or entrée by just listening and learning from the locals, but I don’t think any of us realized what we were getting into before we had our first real Czech lesson last Thursday. Our Czech professor is really our first real educated impression of the Czech language, and you know its going to be difficult when your teacher cannot understand half of the things you are trying to say. I can confidently say I am probably one of the most excited people to be here on this program, and my head most definitely hurt after those few lessons. Apparently, the people here in the Czech Republic are not used to other languages or accents, because our professor informed us that unless you have an almost perfect Czech accent, you literally will not be understood. I am working so hard to exactly imitate every word I am taught, but honestly I don’t think my mouth can even make some of the sounds this language requires! Luckily (surprisingly) I seem to have a bit of knack for the pronunciation here, and I have been pleasantly surprised at my ability to be able to be understood! Honestly once you are able to understand the rules of reading the languages on paper, you are actually able to pronounce them pretty accurately! Understanding those same words though is a whole other animal, and also for a whole other post. Na shledanou (goodbye) for now, and for everyone that is reading this (besides for educational purposes!) I miss you so much, but just know that I am having the time of my life and I love it here!

And so it begins!

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off those bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, and catch the trace winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Only 23 more days until I set foot on the plane and take my first trip abroad, and I'm not sure how much more excited I can get! Between my family, friends and fellow students I have heard so much about this exciting world of ours, but I think it's about time I see it for myself first hand! Adventure awaits!