Czech Republic

Post Program Epilogue – Prague- by McKenzie Harris

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After four months, I’m back home.

^me with my cat^

It feels so comforting to be back in my old room, to be with my family, and to have a few weeks of unproductive mindless downtime before going back to school. I expected to feel very sad after leaving Prague, and I do miss my friends from UNYP, but I am mostly happy to be home. The glow of all my happy memories from the last few months has kept me feeling grateful, not sad.

This last blog post is what it says in the title—an epilogue, and a reflection on the whole semester abroad.

From WWU’s travel writing program writing prompts:

If I had the chance to go back in time, I would probably do almost everything the same way. I might have tried a little harder to look for an affordable program at Charles University, but my experience at the University of New York in Prague was fine. One thing I could have definitely done better was getting to know people who weren’t studying abroad. Almost all of my friends were only staying in Prague for a semester, and I neglected the chance to talk to full-time students in class. It’s hard to definitively list more things I wish I had done differently, because I know that I did the best I could with the time that I had. Sure, I could have been stricter in my plans and fit more Prague sightseeing into my weeks, but that may have taken away from my ability to be present and spontaneous. I could have spent more time with my friends, but that may have burned up my social battery.

In the future, I would like to travel abroad again. I may not study abroad again, since I graduate after next year, but I think another semi-long-term trip abroad is possible for me (ex: peacecorps). On the other hand, I’ve realized that I really like my home, and I found it hard to be away from my roots. Because of this, studying abroad has shown me that I don’t want to live abroad for a long time period. One semester was the perfect length for me. I know that my experience living abroad for several months will help me in any future trips abroad, and for that I’m grateful.

Main takeaways:

I’ve recorded my biggest takeaways in this blog throughout the semester, so to get their full scope, I’d recommend looking at what I’ve written over the last few months. Here are some of my most notable takeaways that I’ve written about, and where to find them:

Vignettes

One prompt for this post-program post was “What has this experience meant to me?” I think meaning is shown well through memory, so to sort of answer that question, I’ll record some of my favorite memories from this fall.

^ A group of strangers, soon to be friends, stand with me on the walls of Prague castle. We look out over the orange and green expanse of Prague’s skyline, feeling like we have all the time in the world to explore it.

^ My roommates and I walk together in the arched gothic halls of the St. Agnes Convent, in our fanciest outfits, before listening to a string quintet as part of Prague’s Dvořákova festival. Some of us have wine glasses in our hands, and our hushed voices mingle with the clicks of our heels in the echoing rooms.

^ The spired cathedral crowns the hill above us as we follow an overgrown cobblestone path down to the creek. A cat follows us. We’re not in a rush; we have all day to meander through the town of Kutná Hora. For once, the sunlight’s warmth is welcome as we shiver against the first breezes of autumn.

^ I sit with my friend at the edge of a pond, which we found in the midst of a sprawling wooded park. While admiring the light on the water, we gasp as a golden koi drifts out from under the lily pads and glides around us. Once it leaves, we sit for a while longer, talking softly and enjoying the reeds and swaying trees.

^ It’s hard to hear ourselves think over the waves of chatter and laughter flowing across the table at our friendsgiving potluck. But that doesn’t stop us from continuing happy conversations with the people next to us—leaning close to share jokes and loudly compliment every homemade dish. I enjoy Sea’s pasta, and no one can get enough of Todd’s lasagna.

^ After weeks of rehearsal, the school choir that “adopted” me performs our winter concert. My friends (and their friends) take up two full rows of seats, and I feel proud to be sharing our festive music with them. The Czech Museum of Music is built so that every note and chord reverberates through the space, echoing after we finish singing.

^ Captivated, bordering on reverential, I listen to Hozier’s “Cherry Wine.” The whole audience sings along, and our voices are so indistinct that they merge into one. An unspoken connection tethers us all for a moment until the song ends.

^ Reflections of streetlights glisten on the waters of the Vltava as I walk along the bank with my friends. Prague is frosted, and quiet, as if the snow muffles the busy city. A faint fog seems to bring everything closer. We wander around, half believing ourselves to be in Narnia.

Photo Recap

I’ll end this post with some of my favorite pictures from this semester. I’ll make them from most to least recent, just like my Photos page, because that way we can end this blog with the beginning. I always like a good circular ending—don’t you?

From Petřín Hill
I finally found a group of swans!
Snowy Pražský Hrad
Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) in the snow on film
Swan by Charles Bridge
A lot of pictures of Charles Bridge, right? But the light in this one was too good not to include
Pigeon-feeding
Just a normal selfie, but it’s the only picture I have with Barbara and I like it
Bohemian Switzerland National Park (below pic as well)
The tree caught the light just right
Český Krumlov
Cindy taking pictures of Český Krumlov
From Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest
Statue fountain in Budapest
Hungary’s parliament building
I like that I caught them mid-laugh!
The wall on the hill of Kutná Hora
St. Barbara’s Cathedral, Kutná Hora
The walls next to Prague Castle
On the roof of the Czech National Museum
My favorite park: Grébovka, aka Havlíčkovy sady
Basilica of St. Ludmila at Náměstí Míru
My first glimpse of Prague from the incoming airplane 🙂

Dear reader, thanks for staying with me through this whole post, and for the whole saga of my travels! It means a lot.

Now that we’re officially done: Goodbye Prague! Until next time, na shledanou.

Logistical tips for studying abroad in Prague, by McKenzie Harris

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By: Mckenzie Harris – Prague

This post had to come eventually! It will be fairly boring to anyone who isn’t planning an upcoming study abroad trip, so please don’t feel obligated to read this if you’re just following along with my pictures and updates about my trip. The following post will include various practical things I’ve learned about traveling to a new country, including language learning, cell service/technology, packing, and shopping. My very first post (“The calm before the storm”) shares some of my pre-departure tasks and how I prepared for my trip; I will repeat some things from that post but I still recommend reading it.

Packing

I decided to bring one large suitcase, one small suitcase, and a backpack to Prague. I tend to overpack, so it took a lot of deliberating and precise folding to finagle everything I wanted to bring into that luggage. I had to be very picky about what I brought, but that being said, I also think it’s important to bring sentimental and comforting things with you. After all, when you study abroad, your host location will be your home for several months, so it’s important to make it feel like a home, not a hotel. For reference, I brought some framed pictures for my desk, some non-framed pictures to tape on my wall, a small Wonder Woman plastic figure from my mom, and my boyfriend’s oversized puffer coat.

Despite being very strict about what clothes I brought, I still have clothing items that I rarely wear. So one tip is: if you’re trying to lighten your packing load, pay special attention to your clothes, because that’s usually the category where you can remove the most things without causing problems. I know a favored solution to the packing problem is buying things at your host location, but I wanted to avoid that as much as possible. I didn’t want to spend money on redundant things and then have to throw them out or bring them home in extra luggage. I decided to only buy toiletries here (shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc), and packed everything else I needed.

The things I’m most grateful to have brought are:

  • my nice camera
  • an extra folded-up duffel bag (for the trip home)
  • extra bags for shopping
  • my pictures
  • a portable charger
  • a small padlock
  • winter gear
  • small first aid kit
  • my kindle
^my pile of things that I packed^

Technology

For international cell service, I decided to leave my family’s Verizon plan because its international charges were too high. I got Google Fi instead, and used its “flexible” plan so I paid monthly based on how much data I used. I recommend this option if you’ll only be away for 2-3 months, but not longer, because after around 2 months, Google Fi told me it was canceling my international coverage since I wasn’t using it in the US. Apparently, that little stipulation was in the fine print that I didn’t read carefully enough. As an alternative, I recommend trying an e-sim card, because they’re digital and they usually allow you to keep your existing phone number. Another option is to buy a physical sim card once you get to your location. A group of friends of mine did this and got a big family plan at a local T-Mobile in Prague, so they got to split the cost of the plan. They call themselves “sim siblings.”

Other technology tips:

  • Bring multiple outlet adaptors, or a single adapter with multiple charging ports, because I only brought one and had to buy another when I realized I couldn’t charge my phone and laptop at the same time.
  • A portable charger comes in very handy!
  • I recommend bringing any kind of camera that you have, to take higher quality pictures and avoid using up your phone battery while traveling.

Language learning:

I tried to learn some Czech over the summer to prepare for my semester in Prague. Here are the main tools I used:

  • On Spotify: Czech music playlists, and the One Minute Czech podcast
  • I kept a notebook where I wrote down everything I learned, and brought that notebook with me everywhere
  • Duolingo
  • Quizlet (after writing what I learned in my notebook, I made a ton of flashcards so I could test myself)
  • Czech With Katerina (youtube channel): this was the most important tool I used, because Katerina has almost 30 episodes of Czech language instruction, along with free worksheets that you can print and fill out every episode. She even has little quizzes!

I learned quite a few words/phrases over the summer, but interestingly, I’ve hardly learned any more since I got here. For one thing, since I’m at an English-speaking school, I’m not surrounded by Czech-speaking people. In addition, after I learned basic greetings and etiquette over the summer, the sheer volume of vocabulary and grammar rules beyond that was so overwhelming that I haven’t really made any progress since I arrived. I have gotten to use the Czech that I do know, however, which has been fun. One thing I like is that the Czech locals will usually begin a conversation in Czech, not English, even if they can tell I’m a foreigner. I appreciate that they let me initiate a conversation in Czech, even if I then follow it with an embarrassing display of my ignorance of the language 🙂

^my czech notebook^

Some miscellaneous tips

  • Public transport may seem overwhelming at first, but google maps and apple maps have a transit feature that will tell you exactly how to get where you need to go. Follow them, and pay attention to which side of the street you need to be on depending on the direction you’re traveling.
  • If you’re coming to Europe from the USA, you may need to get used to shopping more frequently and in smaller “batches” than in America. Since I’m sharing a small food storage space with 5 roommates, I can’t buy very much food at one time, so I shop more frequently than I do at home.
  • Seeing everything labeled in a different language can be confusing, but google translate has a photo option that translates the words in your picture. I use this almost every day for shopping, cooking, etc.
  • do some research on your host area ahead of time, so you can prepare for the climate, understand the locals, and start a list of things you want to do (especially things that will require planning).

If there are any students reading this who have further questions about preparing to study abroad, feel free to reach out to me!

Winter in Prague, A Story told through Photos, by McKenzie Harris

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McKenzie Harris

December 9th, 2023

From snow-covered statues, to foggy mornings, to Christmas markets, Prague in the winter feels like a fantasy land. Equal parts cozy and formidable, the city captures the duality of the season. Sometimes I feel like a child, looking at Christmas lights and catching snow on my mittens, but sometimes I feel like a traveler wandering through a forbidding and ancient realm of eternal winter.

In this post, I’ll be showing off Prague with pictures from the winter season so far.

^ Kicking off the holidays, the Náměstí Míru Christmas market in my neighborhood opened last month while my parents were visiting. Above are pictures from its first night! ^

^Above are scenes from the Vltava river bank on a chilly November afternoon^

^ Prague being its “dark academia” self ^

^ winter-themed people-shaped cute things ^

^ Friendsgiving potluck ^

^ The grand opening and tree lighting at the main Christmas market in Old Town Square ^

Below are more miscellaneous snowy pictures!

^from the walk to school^

^my apartment^

^ Prague castle ^

^ entrance to Charles Bridge ^

^ my friends at Václavské Náměstí ^

Settling in: host location, classes, and immersion – Prague, by McKenzie Harris

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McKenzie Harris: September 28th, 2023

After being here for almost four weeks, it sometimes feels like I have my neighborhood figured out. But I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of Prague and its mazes of streets. I’m excited to get to know the layout of the city and its activities better as the months go on. From what I’ve seen and explored so far, Prague never disappoints. From underground karaoke in an Irish pub, to the Mucha Museum, to Charles Bridge, every new experience sits glowing in my memories. And there’s always something more to do—to the point where the number of options and plans can actually be sort of stressful (more on that later). I’ve never lived in a big city, so the vibrant and constant energy here is new and fun for me to experience. To be fair, I think the frenetic pace of studying-abroad university students is probably not an accurate representation of all city life. For example, in my neighborhood, I’ll see parents bringing their kids to school or people walking their dogs and it reminds me that most of the people here are just living quiet lives with their families, just like anywhere else.

Since this is technically one of my official “arrival” posts for the travel writing program, I’ll summarize my experience so far with academics, students, extracurriculars, and getting settled into my life here.

^The view from my perch on the upper floor of the Prague Municipal Library^

Academics:

So far, my classes have been quite a lot of work. Home at Western, I’m used to having several classes made up of lectures, readings, and/or discussions, with an occasional exam or essay. Maybe once or less per quarter, I’d have a project or presentation. Here, however, all of my classes are largely project and presentation-based. Since projects are more work than writing for me, and I find presentations stressful, these classes will be a bigger burden than I’m used to in college. Before coming here, I promised myself that I would not let academics control my time here, because for once I’m in a position where I have more important things to do (experience a new city and culture, etc). I realized a few days ago, after a few weeks of diligently doing all of my optional readings and assignments, that I’ve neglected that goal. So I’ve decided to start doing the absolute bare minimum for my classes while still completing all of my graded assignments. (Sorry for any teachers or academic advisors at WWU who might be reading this). I don’t view this as me being careless or lazy; it’s just me straightening out my priorities a bit.

Another subject related to my academics here is that I like University of New York in Prague, but I should have done more research on the school before deciding on this program. One of the main reasons for me to study abroad was to experience my chosen subjects of study in a globally-minded way—to get a new perspective on psychology and environmental studies outside of the American education system. Unfortunately, UNYP is (as you can guess from the name) an American-style school, and I feel like I’m lacking the chance to learn from a European point of view. So for any prospective WWU EdAbroad students reading these blogs to help plan your trip, I highly recommend that you pay attention to the programs’ host schools in addition to the host city.

^From a recent daytrip to Kutna Hora–the St. Barbara’s Cathedral^

Activities outside of school:

In addition to socializing and exploring the city on my own time, I’ve been able to join a few extracurriculars which have added to my experiences here. My music psychology professor recently invited me to join a choir that he directs at a local school. We’ll be learning some Christmas carols to perform at a Christmas concert in December! This was so exciting for me because I’ve been missing music since I’ve been here.

UNYP also has an international friends club, which organizes events where study abroad students can meet locals and do fun things around town. My flatmates and I joined this club and have enjoyed their outings so far.

How I’ve been managing my time:

I’ve been trying to balance my priorities but it’s been a little difficult. One reason is that there’s a very tricky balance between making my experience here as full as possible, and making time for my mental health and rest. When in a city full of options (as I mentioned earlier), it can make me feel guilty to spend time resting at my apartment or doing homework. But I know that I need a lot of rest and quiet time as a person, and if I fill my days too intensely at the beginning of my trip, I might burn out and make myself stressed and sad later. So I’m trying to know when I should make extra plans and when I should take time to stay home. I haven’t really figured it out yet.

The other reason it’s difficult to decide on my plans is that I often find myself choosing between doing something I don’t feel like doing or alienating myself from my friends here. There’s a lot of social politics involved with missing group outings! So I’m working on knowing when to independently do what I want vs. when to do something I hadn’t planned to do for the sake of socializing. It’s hard to explain, but it’s been bothering me lately and I hope to resolve the issue eventually.

Overall, I’ve been really enjoying my time here, and I’ve made so many memories already that I can only look forward to all the ones I’ll make in the coming weeks.

^also from Kutna Hora–the statue walkway on top of the hill^

A weekend in Budapest: featuring a million pictures of the Danube, poignant history, and too many clubs for my liking, by McKenzie Harris

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McKenzie Harris: October 11th, 2023

My five roommates and I, plus four other friends from UNYP, joined a student tour to Hungary this weekend. Since Budapest was one of my most highly anticipated trips out of Prague, I was excited to see it, but knew so little about the city that I had almost no expectations. I think that’s a lucky combination of attitudes because I went into the trip ready to be pleased but unable to be disappointed! And sure enough; I got a very positive impression of the city. I still prefer Prague, but I’d like to return to Budapest someday.

For anyone looking into education abroad, I can say that it’s definitely reasonable to do multi-day trips like this while you’re studying abroad. I’ve had a lot of homework lately, but I just did a little extra right before the trip and I was able to go all three days without thinking about school at all. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth it to see some extra sights in your host region, as long as the travel isn’t too stressful, expensive, or distracting from your host city.

^the Parliament Building lit up at night^

Our trip consisted of two walking tours (one on the Buda side and one on the Pest side of the river), a nighttime boat party on the Danube, a street market for local vendors, and some excellent restaurants. The student group also did several very late excursions to clubs. I would have preferred to stay home and sleep, but what can you do? (leave early in my case, haha). I’ll have pictures from all of these activities and more at the end of the post!

Since this was my first trip outside of the Czech Republic since I’ve been here, I wanted to learn a bit about Hungarian culture and history. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make it to the national museum and I learned less than I would have liked. Nevertheless, we learned some history from our tour guides and I also found a little online to share:

  • Budapest is celebrating its 150th anniversary of being a city this year. Before 1873, apparently the city was split into two parts on either side of the river—Buda, and Pest—so when they unified, they became “Budapest”. I know it sounds like I’m making this up but I swear it’s true.
  • Why I was so excited to see the Danube: This river was apparently very important to many historical empires, including Rome, the Huns, and the Ottoman Empire. I read a historical fiction novel earlier this year that was set in the period of the Ottoman expansion, and the river served as an important border and battle location between the Ottomans and Eastern Europe. Even though Budapest wasn’t where all of this happened, it was still cool to see and touch such an important river in person.
  • The Danube carries many dark legacies in its waters; in addition to the aforementioned wars of the middle ages, the river was used to dispose of the bodies of Jewish people in WWII during Nazi occupation. The picture of the shoes (below) shows a memorial sculpture, for the people who were shot and thrown into the river. The people had to take off their shoes, because they were well made and the Nazis wanted to use them. The third picture below is the Dohány Street Synagogue, the second-largest synagogue in the world. It’s hard to think about the cruelty and violence in the history of this city, but memorials like the shoes and other WWII sculptures (see 2nd below) are good reminders of the sordid past events that shouldn’t be forgotten.

More pictures below!

^the UNYP group!^

^St. Stephen’s Basilica, which we could see from our hostel window!^

^the common room of the hostel^

^me in front of the river^

^another parliament picture, this time in daylight!^

^the tour group, via the Oh My Prague organization^

^this is the ceiling of a cafe! It was the New York Cafe, which marketed itself as “the most beautiful cafe in the world”^

^we had to try the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world too, of course^

^the UNYP group again!^

^me at the Fisherman’s Bastion on the hill, overlooking the city^

^the view over the Danube to the Buda side^

^one of four sculpted lions standing sentry for the Chain Bridge^

^part of the walk up the hill to the castle^

^two sculptures near the castle complex on top of the hill, showing an interesting contrast between the success of the hunters and the woman with a fawn looking at them^

^another picture of the parliament building from the river, but this time it’s from a slightly different angle!^

Thanks for reading!

Two weekends of travel: Dublin and Vienna, by McKenzie Harris

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McKenzie Harris, December 3rd, 2023

I apologize for lumping these two visits together into one post, but I have several other topics I’d like to write about in this blog in the next few weeks, so I didn’t feel like last month’s trips needed two separate posts. In addition, the Dublin and Vienna trips were during two consecutive weekends, so in my head, they’re sort of the same event. (that’s what I’m telling myself).

Dublin

When I was deciding where I wanted to travel outside of the Czech Republic, my main ideas were Budapest and Vienna (both of which I’ve now seen!). In a less realistic sense, I wanted to go somewhere a little farther away, and among those options were the Mediterranean coast and Ireland. In the end, I decided on Ireland because I have a friend studying abroad in Dublin who could show me around. I was also excited about Ireland because I have a delusion that my reddish hair, pale skin, and name somehow connect me to the country. As it turns out, McKenzie is not even an Irish name; my taxi driver told me he knew I was American because he had only ever heard that name in American tv!

I spent two full days in Dublin, and I’m really glad I went, despite the cold and my knee’s issues. It was very comforting to see a familiar friend in an unfamiliar continent. On the first day, I got a tour of downtown and Trinity College from my friend Barbara, visited an art museum, and tried my first Guinness at an authentic Irish pub.

^my “mini” Irish breakfast, accompanied by a chai latte and my current read^

^looking into the courtyard of Trinity College, Barbara’s school^

^St. Stephen’s Green^

^National Gallery of Ireland^

On the morning of day two, I went to the beach and was delighted by the number of intact shells on the shore. Later in the afternoon, I met with Barbara to see an archaeology museum, where we got to see bog bodies! For those who are unfamiliar with said bog bodies, they’re sort of mummified people who were recovered from the peat bogs of northern Europe. The peat bogs are extremely acidic, so the bodies of the dead who were put in the bogs are preserved extremely well, similar to how vegetables can be preserved by pickling. I will put a picture of one of the bog bodies below; it’s not graphic but it’s a bit unsettling, just so you know. After the museum, we watched a movie at the Irish Film Institute before saying goodbye. The movie wasn’t Irish, but we were at an Irish institution so I thought it was still a culturally relevant activity. We watched Past Lives (2023) and we both loved it, so I recommend it if anyone’s looking for new movies to watch. I flew home the next morning and prepared for my next few free days before my parents arrived in Prague.

^Bog body!!^

^Barbara and I on my last night in Dublin^

Vienna

My parents and I spent the weekend in Vienna while they were visiting me in Europe. It was a chilly few days, but definitely worth it to see a city I had looked forward to seeing for so long. On our first and only full day, we visited the Habsburg dynasty’s palace, learned about our favorite Empress Sisi, ate schnitzel at the famous Cafe Central, walked around Vienna’s old town, and saw a classical music concert complete with Mozart, ballet, and operetta songs. We also enjoyed the Christmas decorations all around the most popular streets.

^me in front of Schonbrunn palace^

^one of many statues on the palace grounds^

^christmas lights on Kärntner Straße^

On the second day, we left in the early evening, but before that, we were able to get in some sightseeing. In the morning, we went on a (somewhat disappointing) river tour on the Danube and ate strudel. We walked around a bit, and before leaving, we got to see the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, which was the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen.

Overall, I liked Vienna a lot and would like to go back when it’s warmer. It was different from how I imagined it, mostly because I expected the whole city would look just like it did in the movie Before Sunrise. Instead of being intimate and indie-like, everything seemed giant and important, which isn’t a bad thing. I expect other parts of the city are smaller and less regal. I told one of my friends that Vienna is the light academia to Prague’s dark academia, and I still stand by that characterization.

^part of our river tour^

I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to see these amazing places, and hope to return to them sometime.

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!

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^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!

Arrival: Czech Republic: “I speak English like it’s my second language (and other post-arrival realizations)” by McKenzie Harris

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As of today, I’m officially two weeks into my stay here in Prague.

St. Nicholas Church in Hradcany

The last 14 days have been a whirlwind of new people and near-constant activity planning, mixed with hot afternoons where I melt into my bed and cease to exist for a few hours. I just got here, but I’ve also been here forever. Do you know that feeling?

As I’ve been adjusting to living here, I’ve noticed little things here and there about myself and about traveling/living in another country, so I thought I’d write some of them down in this blog. In the coming weeks, I’ll do a more specific description of my life here and how it compares to my plans and expectations, but for now, here are some of my first realizations.

^my phone’s best attempt at a nighttime picture of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle^

I speak English like it’s my second language.

I’ve gotten to talk to many non-native English speakers here, and I find it so interesting to listen to how they talk. While listening, though, I’ve gotten this feeling that I talk exactly like they do most of the time. I feel like it takes me a very long time to search for the right words to say, and I tend to pause a lot before speaking. I have no explanation, being a native English speaker, unlike my peers who are translating many languages in their heads. Maybe translating thoughts/feelings into words is a comparable task sometimes.

There’s something comforting about a warehouse full of unbridled consumerism…

After a week of shopping in cute neighborhood markets with unique and limited supplies, I can’t deny that I felt some relief stepping into a giant, impersonal, and commercialized chain store (Tesco). This was an unsettling realization because up until this trip, I thought myself immune to some of the basic American stereotypes, but here I was in week one wishing for the comfort of Target or Costco! I think I’m very used to only needing to shop in one place, and then not needing to shop for weeks because I could buy things in bulk. It’s a little awkward not knowing where to find things and knowing I’ll run out of things quickly. An unexpected adjustment for me will be learning how to shop in a way that better suits the norms here in Europe.

^St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Square^

If I had done this a year ago, I wouldn’t have been as homesick.

I’m very happy to be here, but I still feel very closely tied to my friends and family and home in America. It’s been a weight that I didn’t actually consider much when I first started planning this trip last year. I could explain it by saying that in the planning stages, I wouldn’t have accounted for homesickness because leaving was so far in the future. But I think another explanation is that I really wouldn’t have been as homesick a year ago. During the past year, I’ve become closer with my best friends and my boyfriend, and spent less time in my hometown than I wanted. I think the unexpected homesickness I feel is a product of having more things to love and miss than I planned. I’m looking forward to building familiarity here in Prague and hopefully loving it enough to miss it a lot when I leave!

The culture here is not just “Czech”.

I noticed this most clearly when I was walking through Vinohrady during a Mexican street market festival, eating a sushi burger (pictured above). I reminded myself that like any big city, Prague is a melting pot of many vibrant cultures and ethnicities. I’m so lucky to get to experience not only Czech culture (like trying svíčková for the first time, pictured above) but many of the subcultures of Prague as well.

^the view of Prague from an arrow slit in the wall of Prague Castle^

I’m not a tourist, but I’m not a resident either.

What am I then? I’m not sure, because it seems like studying abroad is such a specific and unique middle-ground between being a local and a visitor. I don’t have enough time to make this a home, but I’m not rushed for time. I still can’t speak the language, but I belong more than a tourist. I’m personally very excited to explore this transient but long-term experience, and I’m curious to see how I identify myself among tourists and residents as the months go on.

A few days ago, I was on a walk and came across two European tourists who asked me if I could help them with a few questions. They said they had arrived here two hours ago, and were curious about how to say “cheers” in czech, where to go clubbing, and where to find ATMs. I excitedly told them how to say cheers because I shockingly knew the answer (“na zdraví”). I only knew one club by name and didn’t know where the closest ATM was, but I told them there were many options in Old Town and recommended google maps for both.

After wishing them luck and walking away, I felt so proud of my somewhat unhelpful advice, and it reminded me of this one specific scene from The Great Gatsby:

“It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road. “How do you get to West Egg village?” he asked helplessly. I told him. And as I walked on I was lonely no longer. I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler. He had casually conferred on me the freedom of the neighborhood.”

I feel like that quote sums up my experience here pretty well, sarcasm and all.

(I’ve added many more pictures to my pictures section of the website, so I’m not putting a bunch at the end of this post like I did for the previous one)

Arrival: Czech Republic “The chronicles of traveling for 24 hours, and my first few jet-lagged days!” by McKenzie Harris

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Prague – Unsplash @ceye2eye

The chronicles of traveling for 24 hours, and my first few jet-lagged days!

At 4 am, bright (not) and early Saturday morning, my parents dropped me off at my hometown’s airport. By 7 am, I had landed in Seattle, where I settled in for a 7-hour layover. During my time haunting the airport, I practiced my Czech flashcards, watched Once Upon a Time, got food, started a new book, and generally wandered. The hours passed surprisingly quickly, probably because I was in a half-asleep fog the entire time.


The near sunrise of my early morning flight to Seattle.

My next flight was the longest leg of the journey, a 9ish hour flight to Paris. I knew it was important to sleep on this flight because I would be up for many hours after, which is probably why I couldn’t sleep a wink the entire time; murphy’s law and all that. Despite not really sleeping, I did spend most of the flight resting. Once I had landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, I had an extremely tight layover that made the hour between landing and leaving for Prague very stressful. Thankfully, the airport seemed very well-organized and I made no wrong turns on my way to my connecting flight. I rushed through halls, up and down escalators, and bore the unbearable slowness of each line, without time for the bathroom or a single mistake, until finally I reached my gate. At the point I arrived, they had called all groups to board the plane. Once I was finally in my seat, sweaty and gross, my hands sort of shaking, it took basically the whole 2 hr flight to Prague for me to calm down. I was very excited to have made my flight on time, though. Seeing Europe below me, and the first glimpses of Prague (pictured below) also made me feel better.

At 11 am Europe time, which was 2 am to my body, I landed in Prague. This marked hour 23 of traveling (counting from when I woke up the morning before), but I wasn’t really letting myself be tired, because I still had one more leg of the journey to go and I couldn’t afford to stop functioning after I made it so far! I left my plane and stopped by the bathroom, where someone spoke to me in Czech for the first time. A woman told me thank you (“děkuju”) for holding the door, and it happened so fast I couldn’t say “není zač” in return, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Before continuing to the exit, I took a moment to get all of my immigration paperwork together because I assumed the Czech customs would be strict. These documents were my passport/visa, proof of my purpose of stay (acceptance letter), proof of accommodation, plane tickets home, and even proof of financial support. As it turned out, I didn’t need any of them; I walked straight to baggage claim and out of the airport. That was a little hard to wrap my head around, because up until that last checkpoint, I think part of me was still worried that something would go wrong and they wouldn’t let me in. I was met at the exit by a UNYP student shepherding a group of 7 new arrivals like me, who had flown in from the East US coast, South Korea, and more. We were shuttled to our apartments in small groups. I’ve since gotten to know all of these people at orientation and 2 of them coincidentally are also my flatmates! The group of visiting students is quite small (around 100), so it’s been nice to see the same people every day and build familiarity.

For the rest of my first day in Prague, I slooooowly unpacked my suitcases and decorated my side of the room, in between eating, a small shopping trip, and a walk to our school with my flatmates. In general, I was going through the motions in a sleep-deprived fog. It took me until the next morning to feel fully excited about being here.

The front steps of my host school.

Today was day 2 (“dva”) of orientation and day 3 (“tři”) of my trip. In the last 2 days, I’ve met many interesting and friendly fellow visiting students. I’ve also enjoyed some sightseeing with my 5 flatmates and other new friends. One of the most exciting things about this trip so far is that our apartment and school are located within walking distance of Prague’s most famous areas. In our walk to T-mobile to get sim cards, for example, we walked through Wenceslas Square and all the way into Old Town. While we were there, we walked a little further to pop by Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock—as if it was just a normal walk around the neighborhood! I’ve been in such awe over the beauty and architecture of the city, and it feels so fulfilling to see all of these famous things I’ve researched and seen pictures of.

I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve been homesick, felt tired and dizzy, or gotten overwhelmed at the prospect of 4 long months before me. But I brought many little reminders of home with me, and I hope I will eventually develop routines and familiarity that make Prague into a home as well.

Below are some pictures from my neighborhood, Vinohrady, a picture from a walk with my orientation group, and a video from Old Town Square. I have no pictures of the most famous things yet, because so far I’ve only walked through them without my nice camera. I also apologize for the poor picture quality—I don’t know how to upload pictures to WordPress without them turning grainy 🙁

Pre-Departure: Czech Republic “The Calm Before the Storm”- A week before departure – by McKenzie Harris

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Prague – White bridge over river in daytime – Unsplash Photo @leachmar

“The Calm Before the Storm”- A week before departure

Hi everyone!

This first entry in my study abroad record will hopefully orient you to where I am in my preparations for studying abroad, as well as go over the main steps I’ve taken up to now. For those of you who are here for fun pictures and stories about what I’m up to in Prague, you will be sadly disappointed by this post, as it will hopefully be very dry compared to my future ones. This post is also partly to test if I know how to post things on WordPress. As of right now, I don’t really know how to use this website, so fair warning: the formatting of my posts and pictures will be quite lackluster.

My completed pre-departure tasks from earlier this year:
– Visa application
– register for classes
– buy plane tickets
– register with STEP
– paperwork both from my host school and home school’s abroad department
– make a budget estimate with my advisor
– figure out how to switch my cell service provider to get a better international plan

As summer made its way into the year and my abroad trip got closer, I switched my focus to the more exciting things—learning the language, deciding what to bring, and researching the Czech Republic.

The notebook I’ve been using to record what I’ve learned of the Czech language.

An example of an average ill-organized page!

I think part of being a respectful traveler is making an effort to learn some of the country’s language. Since I’ll be in Prague for 4 months, I’m trying to learn as much Czech as I can before I leave. I’m focusing more on learning common words and conversational phrases than grammar, thankfully (I’m not going anywhere near the seven Czech cases any time soon!). My main resources for language learning have been youtube (mainly Czech with Kateřina but there are many good channels!), duolingo, a podcast (One Minute Czech), and quizlet flashcards.

Part of my packing list.

Ideas for the things to do in Prague!

In addition to learning Czech, I’ve also had fun researching Czech history, customs, geography/things to do, and food. For these things, youtube has been my best source (travel vlogs, tour guide videos, etc). As you can see above, I made a list of ideas for things to do and places to go while I’m there, and nearly all of these items came from videos I’ve watched. There are so many places in Prague itself that I want to see, not counting all of the cool places outside it. I’m very excited to try some Czech dishes, like knedlíky (dumplings), svíčková (cream sauce over a roast), bramboráky (potato pancakes), and trdelník (a swirly pastry!).

I leave for Prague on Sept 2, which is a week from tomorrow. As the date looms closer, Prague feels no more real than it did when I applied to this program, but I’ve gotten some nerves about the trip that I didn’t feel until now. I’m nervous about being lonely in a new country, and about the way that every simple task feels complicated in a foreign place. I’m also nervous about things like my safety, transportation, and the immigration process.

But I’ve prepared as best I can, and I hope that will allow me to be flexible while I’m traveling and adapt to the inevitable complications that may arise. During this trip, I hope to lean into the experience of being alone in my dream city, because there’s freedom in being my own company, I think. I also hope to meet interesting people, participate in my interesting psychology classes, take too many pictures, and share them here with all of you.

Na shledanou!

The Czech Republic: Pre-Departure by Leatha Starks

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Charles Bridge at dusk
If I had to narrow it down, I think as of right now, I’m most excited to get there and marvel at all the amazing architecture! Many people have told me that Prague is a beautiful city and I just can’t wait to see it for myself. Pictures can only show you so much, you know? I want to smell the air, taste the food, hear the people. All the senses!

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Czech Republic: End of Program by Laurel Messenger

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Saying Goodbye and Heading Back Home

This weekend, I will back in the United States. It’s a strange feeling, and it’s hard to fully grasp the idea of leaving Prague and returning home. My emotions are mixed. It doesn’t feel like I have been living here for almost four months. I have seen so much of Prague and explored places of Europe I never imagined I would have the chance to visit. I am so thankful for this experience. While part of me wants to stay and keep exploring, I miss home and am ready to return. While it is time for me to return home, I’m going to miss Prague.

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Czech Republic: Arrival: “Time Flies When…You Move Across the World” by Laurel Messenger

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“When coming to Prague I really didn’t have too many expectations. I hadn’t traveled before so I didn’t know what to expect. I just went into it with an open mind with the idea that anything and everything is possible. The good and the bad.”

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Czech Republic: Pre-Departure: “Thoughts & Prep for Studying Abroad in Prague” by Laurel Messenger

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“Besides being scared and nervous, I am just as excited. I am looking forward to finally seeing another part of the world and immersing myself in a different culture. I am excited to meet new people and hear their stories, and of course, I am excited about all the food I am about to eat.”

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Czech Republic: “Arrival” by: Sarah Zinda

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Arrival

 

While packing for Prague, I still didn’t feel like I was actually going to be leaving for a foreign country for nearly 5 months. When I boarded my flight, same feeling. Arriving at my new apartment, nothing. I still don’t think it has hit me that I’m in the Czech Republic with the chance to experience something I never expected to have an opportunity for. I’ve always wanted to travel, but until now I have had school to finish. Although I still have classes while I am here, it’s not quite the same. After finishing my first week of classes I am expecting a somewhat difficult semester academically, but with the help of Prague’s charm I think I will make it through just fine.

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Czech Republic: “Pre-Departure” by Sarah Zinda

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Pre-Departure

 

 

From my previous posts you may have noticed that research is something I have been struggling with. I’ve done some broad reading on the history of the Czech Republic through Nazi occupation, the Soviet era, and the separation of Czechoslovakia. I still have a lot to learn about the Czech Republic’s past, but for now I at least have a little bit of background. I stumbled upon someone’s personal blog who seems to have married into a Czech family and offers a lot of practical advice about the dos and don’ts in Czech culture.

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