A bridge with thousands of locks on it that represent lovers' bonds. Kind of like a miniature version of the one found in Italy. This ones for you, Mase. |
View of the city from Charles Bridge, which I cross every day on my way to class. |
My room! (They said nothing on the walls but I couldn't go four months without making my room seem homey!) |
Prague (Praha) is divided into 15 "districts." I live in Praha 2, commonly known as Malá Strana, or Lesser Quarter. I'm not sure what is so "lesser" about it, because it is incredibly beautiful. My apartment is actually a hostel, and I was expecting a small, cold, dimly lit room with maybe a stove and some cupboards for a kitchen. Wrong. The apartment is GIANT. It has a total of 5 rooms with a shower and then a separate bathroom. I share a room with two girls, Caroline and Brittany, who also go to Chapman. Then we have a family room with a couch and a couple of tables. Two girls, Abi and Lacey, live in the other room, and we also have an adorable kitchen with a washing machine! To say the least, the apartment far exceeded my expectations. My only gripe is that it is hot in our apartment. Not just warm, but hot hot. Uncomfortably hot. We're working on getting the windows unbolted so we can get some fresh air, but for now walking around in shorts and a t-shirt is just fine.
Family room. |
Our little kitchen! |
Our first day we took an amazing historical tour of all of downtown Prague. This city continues to amaze me with it's incredible culture and history. Nothing in America (that I've experienced) even comes close to the beauty and strength this city emanates. The buildings are all so unique and each have an interesting story. It seems like every street has at least two or three bakeries (thank goodness I brought my running shoes and have Mason to keep me on track...), and the variety of food here is amazing! I've already had traditional thai food, amazing pasta (for less than $5), and even a burrito. The coffee here is also exquisite. I haven't figured out if they have soy milk here yet, but I'm surviving with just espresso shots and the occasional Americano.
My first Americano at an amazing café right near my apartment, called Café Mode. |
My Roomates! (Left to Right) Abi, Me, Brittany, Caroline, and Lacey |
Prague is an incredibly beautiful city. I have already met so many amazing people with so many different life stories. Maybe it is just something that comes with travel, but I find I have learned more about others (and about myself) in these past days than I learned all last semester. Traveling forces you to open you ears, your eyes, your senses to everything around you. It forces you to actively create an experience, instead of passively observing someone else's. These three days have felt like a lifetime and a split second all at once, but I wouldn't change anything for the world.
My first reaction towards seeing the Charles Bridge.... |
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