Submitted by Isabel LeCompte the 2024 Spring program in Prague, Czech Republic…
Almost two weeks ago I landed in the Czech Republic and the reality of my surroundings are slowly starting to settle in. I’m sitting in my small kitchen table to write this however I keep getting distracted and looking out the window. Not surprisingly though, my neighbors across the street are doing the same. Peering out the window and people watching seems to be a common past time here. Every night I come home, and just sit by the window to catch a small breeze and to see how many people grant this street a small glimpse into their nightly routine. If I were home, I would think it odd to peek into someone else’s window and see what they’re doing or even keep the blinds more than a little open. This doesn’t seem to bother many people here. Everyone here is unbothered by others’ attention, and are content with going about the day as they please.
There is one thing I’ve picked up about the Czech people that I think show for a true resilience in their culture. Most people speak English which isn’t a shock however unlike other countries I’ve been to, it’s only when prompted. It’s encouraged to learn the basics of the language in which you currently spend time in, but after that most people fall back on English to get the conversation going. Every time I greet Czech people with “Dobrý den” (hello), they almost insist the conversation keeps going in Czech and wait until I ask them to speak English. Even when I’m visually struggling to understand their native language. This isn’t a criticism, but an understanding of the nation’s history. This territory has belonged to many foreign governments, and forced to forget their own cultural identity. The Czech Republic have only been their own democracy for 31 years, so I understand why there is a polite insistence to speak their own language for as long as they can when visitors start a conversation. It’s small but impossible to go unseen.
This fun fact has absolutely nothing to do with me or what study abroad students experience, but I hope there is a small persistence to keep going without any fear of being the outsider. Or fear of putting myself in temporarily uncomfortable positions, because I know in the end it will benefit me greatly to come home with great memories.
I haven’t been here all that long but I’m starting to miss my family and only within the last two days has it sunk in that I’m not able to go home until December. Of course, there are other students on the same boat and we all share comfort in going through the same excitement and homesickness. Yet even that camaraderie can only carry you so far. There are many mixed emotions and times of loneliness. However, every evening when I come home, I enjoy my few minutes to look out the window and think. Without a doubt, I’m lucky to have this opportunity and learn about my host country and the people that make it a great place to live in. (Submitted on September 9, 2024)