Month: November 2023

The blur of the middle

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By McKenzie Harris

November 3rd, 2023

^sundial painted on a building in Český Krumlov^

I’m now exactly two months into my study-abroad trip. Because I leave in around a month and a half, that means I’m over halfway done with my time in Prague. I was very surprised by this two-month anniversary; after the one-month mark, I’d apparently continued to think I’d been here for “one month” for several weeks after. The rest of this entry will explore how I’ve conceptualized time passing as a study abroad student.

^an old boat by a pond in Český Krumlov^

Sometime after the “I just got here” stage began “the middle,” an amorphous haze of time in which many things have happened, much time has passed, yet the impending “final stretch” still came like a jump scare. Weeks have passed in quick succession, eating up fall, and somehow my mindset has begun to shift to the question of what I will do with my last weekends. So what exactly happened in the blur of the middle? That question was on my mind when I started planning my mid-program blog post, and I decided it deserved a post of its own. Upon reflection, my feeling of empty time passing during October was an illusion caused by the combination of midterm season, health issues, and (paradoxically) my plans and trips. To elaborate:

  • During midterms, students spent a lot of time studying for classes, and less time was given to more memorable pursuits.
  • In the past two weeks, I injured my knee and got a cold, which has kept me apartment-bound. I haven’t been able to do as many adventurous and social things as I could earlier in the semester.
  • Lots of plans made time pass quickly. In addition, it created a mindset where the time in between these trips was allocated for rest and school. With this mindset, a week between trips would zoom by, because I didn’t do anything present-focused. I was just doing homework and chilling, anticipating the next thing.

Despite my surprise at time’s passing, I experienced a lot of fun things in October. Here are some highlights and updates from recently:

^Fisherman’s Bastion^

Budapest! I already wrote a post about this, so check it out if you want to hear more!

iddle

^sundial painted on a building in Český Krumlov^

I’m now exactly two months into my study-abroad trip. Because I leave in around a month and a half, that means I’m over halfway done with my time in Prague. I was very surprised by this two-month anniversary; after the one-month mark, I’d apparently continued to think I’d been here for “one month” for several weeks after. The rest of this entry will explore how I’ve conceptualized time passing as a study abroad student.

^an old boat by a pond in Český Krumlov^

Sometime after the “I just got here” stage began “the middle,” an amorphous haze of time in which many things have happened, much time has passed, yet the impending “final stretch” still came like a jump scare. Weeks have passed in quick succession, eating up fall, and somehow my mindset has begun to shift to the question of what I will do with my last weekends. So what exactly happened in the blur of the middle? That question was on my mind when I started planning my mid-program blog post, and I decided it deserved a post of its own. Upon reflection, my feeling of empty time passing during October was an illusion caused by the combination of midterm season, health issues, and (paradoxically) my plans and trips. To elaborate:

  • During midterms, students spent a lot of time studying for classes, and less time was given to more memorable pursuits.
  • In the past two weeks, I injured my knee and got a cold, which has kept me apartment-bound. I haven’t been able to do as many adventurous and social things as I could earlier in the semester.
  • Lots of plans made time pass quickly. In addition, it created a mindset where the time in between these trips was allocated for rest and school. With this mindset, a week between trips would zoom by, because I didn’t do anything present-focused. I was just doing homework and chilling, anticipating the next thing.

Despite my surprise at time’s passing, I experienced a lot of fun things in October. Here are some highlights and updates from recently:

^Fisherman’s Bastion^

Budapest! I already wrote a post about this, so check it out if you want to hear more!

^An outdoor Signal Festival exhibit on the front of the library where I study (Městská knihovna)^

School: My midterms went well, and without test anxiety! Between now and finals, I’ll focus on a podcast research project for my gender studies class, and prepping for final projects. I have many plans in the works for the next month (trips to Dublin, Vienna, and Dresden, and a Hozier concert!), so school will once again have to be a smaller priority for me. I mentioned this in my mid-program post yesterday, but I’d like to take more opportunities to talk to my classmates and hear about their experiences in different countries before the end of the semester.

Český Krumlov! My flatmate and I took a day trip to this medieval town and fell in love with it. We spent hours by the river, looking at the castle, and walking under autumn leaves. I have many pictures from this trip in my Photos page.

Last week, my flatmates and I celebrated both my 21st birthday and Halloween. My 21st birthday was slightly anticlimactic, being in a place where I could already legally buy alcohol, but it was still a fun day!

Bohemian Switzerland! I went with a group of roommates and friends to hike for a day at the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in the Czech Republic. It was a day filled with stunning views, perfect fall colors, and many mushrooms. Last year, a fire came through the park and left large swathes of destruction, but now, there are carpets of moss and saplings growing from the ashes (you can see this in the left picture above). The park’s main attraction, Pravčická Brána, was unscathed, as was much of the forest. The rock archway of Pravčická Brána (top picture) was beautiful, and we learned that a scene from Narnia was filmed on it! The river was just as beautiful, and our group agreed that the gorge it descended through must be home to fairies.

To conclude this somewhat rambling post, I’ll say that even though “the middle” seems to go by without enough to show for it, all of my time here has been valuable. I look forward to the next two months of new memories!

Mid Program: “A day in the life”

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It’s hard to convey an “average” day in the life of a study abroad student. Every day looks different, since we’re all trying to be tourists and go on adventures amidst the stable schedule of classes. In this post, I will nevertheless try to describe what is closest to average for me. Accordingly, I’ve tried to pick out my most ordinary pictures for this entry (instead of showing off all the most exciting ones). In addition, I’ll give a little update on the goals I made at the beginning of the trip, and share advice to future students about community engagement.

^this sweet statue, “Dívka s holubicí,”or “Girl with a dove” stands next to the tram station that I take to go almost everywhere^

I start most days by waking up and opening my window, which looks out on a neighbor’s plant-filled balcony. The crisp air in the morning may smell like autumn, or cigarettes (it’s a toss up). I’ll get ready for school, and usually have a bit of time to get started on my to-do list before class.

At 11:45, I leave Belgická 2/24 (my apartment) and walk less than five minutes to my school. The walk is short but sweet; the streets of Vinohrady are lined with tall trees, now dripping with orange and green leaves, and I always walk by locals going about their day. Once I arrive at UNYP, I mentally prepare for my three-hour class period (some classes require more mental preparation than others…) before entering the classroom. At three pm, I’m dismissed, and the rest of the day is up to me.

At this point, the day-to-day variety is high, but here are some common ways I spend my evenings:

  • studying! I might take the metro to Old Town and walk to to Městská knihovna, a public library. This is the location of the famous “infinity book tower” which I have pictured in my Photos page (if you can find it in my sea of other pictures, i’m impressed). If I’m feeling slightly more fancy, I’ll go to a cafe. One of my favorites is Cafe Academia in Václavské náměstí, a 20 minute walk from my apartment. There are many closer options, but this is just one I like a lot.

^the outside ofMěstská knihovna^

  • choir practice: on some days, I walk a few blocks away from UNYP to the school where my professor’s choir rehearses.

^from the walk to choir!^

  • some fun social activity in Prague: from pub karaoke, to trying a new restaurant, to live music, to an art exhibit, to clubbing, to park picnics, the list of evening engagements is long! I’m so grateful to be in a place where I have such easy access to a variety of options. Because of all of these things to do around town, I use public transit a lot (see pictures from the metro and tram below).
  • walking: I like to go on long walks to/from destinations around town, so if I have enough time, I’ll walk somewhere instead of taking the tram. Along these walks, I get to enjoy the architecture of Prague’s streets, observe locals (though public transit has been the best for people-watching in my experience), and slow down during a busy day. I can also enjoy the cinnamon smells of the prolific trdelník pastry stands, or, again, cigarette smoke. Some pictures from these everyday walks are below.

Goals from the beginning of my trip:

When I first arrived, I had a few main goals for my visit. These included: getting to know the city, being present and not future-oriented, taking time for mental health and slowness, reducing my priority of academics, and interacting with Czech culture. In general, my goals have been going well. As time has passed, I’ve gotten better at balancing my priorities and knowing when I need to focus on school vs socialization. I’ve realized that getting to know the city is unfortunately beyond my capabilities for a four month stay, but I will explore what I can. I’d like to put more effort into engaging with Czech people, especially peers I’ve met in classes that I’ve neglected chances to talk to. One example of me trying to do this is starting an Eco Club at UNYP with my classmate and friend from my environmental studies class! Thankfully, I still have a month and a half to work on my goals and experience life here 

^My flatmate Megan feeding some ducks on the bank of the Vltava^

In terms of strategies for community engagement as a study abroad student, here are some helpful things I’ve learned since I got here:

  • at your host school, the student life office can connect you with volunteering opportunities nearby
  • join school clubs if you find some you’re interested in! It’s a great way to find like-minded people and experience local culture through club events
  • talk to people (classmates, teachers, locals, etc)! Don’t pass up the simple conversational ways to learn about their lives and cultures. Its also been helpful to engage with people who are very different from me, so I can get a broader sense of the diversity of human experiences. But still pay attention to kindred spirits! People who are similar to you are just as valuable friends to make while abroad.

Na shledanou!