Prague Study Abroad 2019, Week 1

Long time no see! I should have taken the opportunity last summer when I went to Alaska and Zion and Arches to blog again. But either way. Here I am in Prague, Czech Republic for 6 weeks as as a part of the NC State study abroad program. Everyone with me is an NC State student and we have a cool center in Prague. This makes it feel less like a tourist trip and that’s pretty cool.

It's a shame I didn't do a more intentional blog then because I spent most of my time exploring local and off the beaten path places alone. I should do a retroactive list of tips for navigating Prague on public transport, and finding all the hidden spots.

May 20th, 2019-

This day marks my full first week here. The past week felt like a very very long time which is probably due to the adjustment of being in a country where I do not know the language and having a sleep schedule that is all thrown off. Regardless, this week has been very fun. We had orientation on 5/14 and took a walking tour of the city, and finished the day with a dinner cruise. On 5/15 we had our first day of classes, and afterwards I took a little stroll over the river and hiked up the hill to the castle. On my way I stopped into this small park and while walking through this almost abandoned park, I realized it was filled with peacocks. They were sitting on trees, fences, benches, and running around. It was so cool but also terrifying because no one else was there and there was only one entrance. But I kept hiking up the street until I reached the view, which was really spectacular and breathtaking because you couldn’t see it until you reached the top. Prague is a surprisingly huge city and the red roofs make for a breathtaking view. The castle itself is amazing and very intricate.

I have classes through the week but on 5/16 I went to Budapest! I signed up in advance for a trip with random people on the program. I came into the program not really knowing anyone so I thought I might as well go.

We went to Budapest Thursday-Saturday and Vienna on Saturday-Sunday. It was really amazing to be able to go back to these places 5 years later and see what I remembered and how it had changed, and also how I had changed as a traveler. We visited Szimpla Kert, the most famous ruin bar at midnight the night we arrived. The next day we hiked from the Jewish Quarter to Heroes Square and the thermal baths. We reached the chain bridge at sunset which was perfect timing for a walk across the bridge. Another view that was stunning and unexpected. The parliament building wasn’t lit up yet so we got to see it both in the day and at night. The 8 of us in the group were exhausted by that point.

Vienna on Saturday was beautiful. The weather was amazing and with recommendations, we were able to see everything in just a few hours. Only 2 of us arrived early so we checked into our hostel (1st time in a hostel!) and we walked to the Belvedere- by far one of the prettiest palaces in Viennaand that I’ve seen. We then walked to Karlsplatz and the church and shopping street and we were able to find a little pizza cafe to have drinks and try sachertorte at. We then went up the giant cathedral at sunset and saw Vienna from above. Then we walked through the Hofburg and past the Spanish Riding School. It was wonderful to be able to return to 2 of my most favorite places and see them through a brand new lens because they are different when you travel alone and with friends of the same age, you are more responsible for the directions and finding places to go and organization but it was a plus that I got to use my German!

I returned to Prague on Sunday after a long train ride and passed out after making dinner and shopping at Tesco. Hard to believe it’s only been a week it feels like much longer which I appreciate.