This will most likely be the second-to-last post I write for this blog! To finish WWU’s travel writing program, I will write this post about “preparing for re-entry into the US,” and then I’ll make a “post-program reflections” post when I’m back home. It’s bizarre to realize that I’m leaving Prague so soon; after four months of experiences, five days doesn’t seem long enough to say all of my goodbyes.

This week will be a mix of final exams, packing, saying goodbye to my friends, and soaking up the city as much as I can before returning to Oregon on Saturday. It will be a bittersweet few days as I try to reconcile my sadness for leaving with my excitement to be back with my family and cats and house.

What I’ve missed

I’ve missed many small things like being able to read food labels in the store, knowing my way around without google maps, and not worrying about my cellular data usage.

However, in the last few months, I’ve missed people the most. While I’ve made friends here, it was still hard to be away from my parents, best friends, and boyfriend for so long. I’ve gotten used to not being able to communicate with them between 8 am and 5 pm, so it will be great to talk to them whenever I want.

I also look forward to being in a more permanent living space. I like our little Belgická apartment, but it was never a long-term place. There’s only so much comfort you can have when you know you’ll have to pack everything up again soon, so it will be nice to settle back into my apartment in Bellingham.

What I will miss

I expect to miss a lot about Prague when I leave. Just like in the above section, I’ll miss people—my flatmates, professors, and friends. It’s crazy to think that if I had gone anywhere else, I never would have met these people, and they would have been off living their lives around the globe without me knowing. It’s hard to comprehend that I won’t walk to the tram stop with my roommates anymore, and I won’t laugh with my music psychology classmates again. I could have done more to deeply connect with the people I met here, but I’m happy with the memories I have.

Four months isn’t long, but it’s enough time to become tied to things, despite knowing the impermanence of my status here. For instance, I’ll miss Eco-Club, because I became invested in it even though I knew I wouldn’t get to see it reach its full potential. I still feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface of Prague, and there are many things I wish I could have had more time with. I’ll miss the opportunity to take a short tram ride and see stunning historical landmarks. I’ll miss the view of the Vltava as I cross its bridges.

I keep forgetting that all of my little mundane routines from here will be over as well. I think I’ll feel the absence of the small things the most, like taking the metro to my study spot in Old Town, watching the pigeons walk along the cobblestone sidewalks, or seeing the last bit of sun hit the spires on the cathedral in Náměstí Míru.

What comes after?

I will probably keep the study abroad experience alive by talking about it annoyingly often. I also hope to keep in touch with the friends that I’ve made here through social media. I’m not sure we’ll see each other again, but I know that I’ll always have friendly faces in Czechia, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Netherlands, South Korea, and more countries, along with several US states!

I’d like to say that I will continue practicing the Czech language, but I think I will let it go. I’m so glad I got to learn some Czech for this trip, and I hope to retain some of the basics, but I don’t realistically see myself practicing regularly or continuing to learn new words. I hope that the experience of learning some Czech will help me in future language-learning endeavors!

I wonder if, after I return, it will feel like Fall was all in my head? As if it was my imagination, distant as the events of a book? Thankfully, I will be bringing lots of evidence home with me, from gifts, to pictures, to decorations, and of course, my memories. I like to think that even as months go by and my memories grow blurry with time, the happy moments I had here will sit preserved in the city, held in its bricks and soil.