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Personal StrugglesThis past week held some more struggles than the week prior. I had a lot more free time, being that we were officially cut loose to experience life and the city on our own. This meant I had a lot more time to feel homesick. I never thought I would miss my home university as much as I do, but the loss of familiarity mixed with not being able to speak Czech has definitely taken a toll on me. I found that I began isolating myself during the week, putting my mental health in some distress. In an effort to counteract that, this weekend I really forced myself to go explore and meet new people and it helped substantially. Learning the LanguageThis past week was the first of my two week intensive language course. I feel like I started off pretty strong! Getting the hang of some basic phrases has definitely helped with navigating the city and feeling more comfortable. The people here aren't as openly friendly as they are in America. For example: in the US it is pretty normal to smile at strangers when you pass them on the street but here it is not customary at all. However the Czech people do seem to appreciate that we are trying and are able to throw a few phrases back and forth. The woman that teaches my language course is so sweet though and on friday she took us to an observation tower so I am including some photos from that below!
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Getting settled in has definitely been interesting! I've met a lot of really great people that I am enjoying exploring the city with! I'm not feeling as stressed as I expected but it is definitely weird and a big adjustment. Scavenger HuntOn wednesday we went in groups on a scavenger hunt of the city. Our tour guide was fantastic and helped a lot with learning some pronunciation. Below are photos of the astronomical clock and the dancing building, some famous architecture that we came across during the day. The following day I went on a trip to a town called Kutná Hora. There we visited the bone church, some very beautiful cathedrals, as well as an art gallery. The day after that I got to take a tour of a glass blowing factory and I was able to make my own vase!
Preparing for my time abroad has been an arduous but exciting experience! The past month feels like it went by so quickly, as if I had no time to get anything done. But now with less than 20 hours until my departure the time is going so slow and I'm not even fully packed. Right now my suitcase is 10 pounds overweight (and I still feel like I'm forgetting something) but we are figuring it out! Upon ArrivalWhen I get through baggage claim I will meet a driver from the school to transport me to the dorm. From there I find out my room assignment and can move in! Not knowing my living situation has been a bit stressful but being there's nothing I can do about it, sooo it's fine! I applied for a single room but there's no guarantees, so updates to come about all that. During orientation I'll be going on 2 day trips in the city. One of which I will be going to a glass blowing place and have the opportunity to make my own creation. The other I will be going to visit the famous bone church which sounds fascinating! Both trips have me very excited!! Thoughts and FeelingsI'm feeling very anxious about the entire experience, not sure if its the excitement of getting there or fear of leaving home. But I know this is going to be an incredible experience. I am very sad to leave my family and friends for so long (not to mention my cat, dog, and gecko).
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Hi, I'm Sam! This is where you'll find details of my trip abroad. Archives
March 2019
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