Submitted by Lia Naselli on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…
This past week has been quite the adventure, from figuring out the tram/metro system, to grocery shopping, to starting classes at Anglo-American University. Also, my roommates are nothing short of wonderful and we’ve all become great friends. The first few days here were both exciting and challenging. Jet-lag definitely got the best of us at times, but that didn’t stop us from heading out into the city to explore. On the first day of orientation, we got our first taste of some traditional Czech food, which was delicious! On Saturday, we explored the beautiful Old Town Square, which is fortunately only about a 15-minute walk from our apartment in Prague 1. Later that evening, we took a stroll down the Charles Bridge and rented a paddle boat on the Vltava River at sunset. It was truly stunning and the perfect way to close out the weekend.
The days following our adventurous weekend brought a bit of culture shock and stress. Running errands or asking for directions can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you never know whether the next Czech person you encounter can speak English. Then, there’s the “resting Czech face,” which may take some getting used to for us bubbly American students. But overall, this has been such an enriching experience and I am looking forward to the next few months!
