Back to Reality

To say I procrastinated this blog is an understatement. Between not being able to come to terms with the fact that my adventure is actually over and the entire experience still not quite feeling completely real yet, I’ve had a long list of excuses helping me put this blog off to the very last minute. But, finally, on the day its due (sorry Kathy), here it is! The very last blog.

According to my professor, this blog is meant to be one of reflection. What I learned, what surprised me, what I liked and didn’t like... you get the point. I’m struggling with this topic though because I can’t seem to wrap my brain around the fact that my 3 months abroad went by so fast and that I will never have an opportunity quite like that again in my life. It was an incredible, life changing 3 months, which makes coming back to good ol Kearney, Nebraska that much harder. I missed so much of the little, wonderful American things like not eating out for every meal, free water, ENGLISH, ice, free refills, driving (this is a huge one!), and many other things, but once you’ve traveled to 11 countries and 19 cities in just under 3 months, reality hits you pretty dang hard. Don’t get me wrong though, I did miss so many of the comforts of home such as finally sleeping in a comfy bed larger than a twin, eating homemade meals <3, finally having a schedule, and being busy again. The best part about being home, though, is definitely being back with the people in my life that mean the most to me. My friends and family did an incredible job of helping me fight the homesickness while I was in the Czech Republic and always making me feel loved even from 5,000 miles away, but they have been more than I could have ever asked for since I’ve been home!

            Though all of these things are great, there will be so many things I will, and already do, miss about Europe. At the very top of this list is Olomouc, the place that became my second home and where I met some of the greatest people of my entire trip. I miss my roommates, who were a big part of why my time abroad was such a success. I miss my awesome professors who were so extremely knowledgeable and passionate. I miss the delicious food. I miss the sheer independence that comes with studying abroad. I miss the cheap cost of living. I miss being that engulfed in history and in culture. I miss constantly being surrounded by the 25 Americans I grew so close with.  I miss the ease of travel. I miss traveling 2 hours and finding ourselves in a new country. I miss the adventure. But most of all, I miss the simplicity of life.

            Studying abroad taught me so much more than I had ever hoped about myself, about the world, and about what lays outside of Kearney, NE. My time in Europe made me learn to appreciate everything and everyone around me. I became more grateful for the opportunity I had and realized how lucky I was to have the people I had waiting for me at home. I learned to be independent and grew so much as a person in such a short amount of time. I don’t know if I truly noticed this change in myself until I was home and back in the real world, but I’m slowly starting to recognize the different perspective I have gained on life. My priorities are in a whole different realm from where they were prior to my trip. Things that used to seem important begin to turn a bit mediocre once you have been out on your own in the real world, faced with real problems, and experienced some of the world’s problems firsthand.
            Being home is the definition of bittersweet. Europe stole a big piece of my heart when I left and really was a dream come true, but I am so happy to be back to regular life. Since arriving home, I have definitely jumped right back into this "regular life." Sami's American life now consists of nannying all day and Old Navy all night. With that being said, I think it is safe to say that European life was a lot more fun ;). It isn't all bad though! I have had a blast catching up with friends and family since I've been back. Between them helping me indulge in all of my American favorites and feeling overwhelmed with love, it feels good to be home <3

Until next time, Europe!

          If any of you reading this have ever had the thought of studying abroad cross your mind, go out and DO IT. Apply today. I can wholeheartedly say that based on the people I met, the places I saw, and the irreplaceable memories I made, it was the best decision I could have made. Now, for those of you that still may be a bit hesitant, think of it this way… When will you ever be able to travel like this again? When will you be able to receive 12 credits while traveling all throughout Europe with 25 of some of your soon-to-be closest friends? So, go. Go experience the world. Go find yourself.

My welcome home crew

Na viděnou, Olomouci!

See you soon, Olomouc!

Saying goodbye to Olomouc today and all of the wonderful people I've had the opportunity to get to know here is the definition of bittersweet. Not only has Olomouc become a place I consider to be my home away from home, but my classmates have become a second family. Some of my hardest goodbyes are being said to Olomouc today, but, in my opinion, it is only a 'see you later' because I know I won't be able to stay away from Europe for too long <3

On a happier note...

This past week, our adventures led us to one of the two regions in the Czech Republic, Bohemia. Our home for the past 3 months, Olomouc, is in the Moravian region, while the famous city of Prague is in the Bohemian. After our week exploring Bohemia, however, I discovered there is so much more to this region than just the Czech Republic's beautiful capital city of Prague. In our time in Bohemia, we visited the towns of Litomysl, Kutna Hora, and, my favorite, Cesky Krumlov. We had the chance to see brand new cultures and experience a whole different "small town" feel.

The first stop of our excursion, Litomysl, is a very small town with little to do, few things to see, and hardly any English. That didn't stop the Nebraskans from finding a good time, though! It was our last  class trip and our last week all together so we were determined to make our own fun. Our time in Litomysl did end up being quite fun; we found some surprisingly good local Czech food for dinner, toured a beautiful church with our group, and celebrated one of our own's birthday in a cute little underground bar. This is one of the many reasons I love the group I've had the chance to travel with so much: no matter where we are or what were doing, they always manage to make it a good time!

Our next stop: Kutna Hora, home of one of the famous bone churches, a silver mine, and yet another jaw-dropping castle. My favorite part of this town was the silver mines by far! We had our own private tour of the medieval mine, complete with our own white coat and hard hat. The tour was meant to give us a feel of how work and life in general were for these miners so we were taken through some of the largest portions of the mine and wedged our way through some of the smallest. I am not a claustrophobic person, but in some of these spaces I could definitely feel the claustrophobia creeping in!

The final town we visited as part of our Bohemian tour was Cesky Krumluv, known as the pocket-sized Prague. This town, in my opinion, is the place our group had the most fun. Our first adventure here was a tour of the Budweiser Budvar Factory just outside of Cesky Krumluv. We were introduced to the process of producing the beer and given free samples at the end of our tour where I learned very quickly I am not a Budweiser fan! After this tour we did our own little tour to get a bit more acquainted with the town.

The next morning we all met to tour Cesky Krumluv's castle, the castle's theatre, and the beautiful gardens surrounding it all. Little did we know this tour also meant stumbling upon one of the best views of Cesky Krumluv! Shortly after the tour we were scheduled to meet again as a group in order to head to our next adventure: rafting. Though the day had started off fairly cold and rainy, we were eventually blessed with the perfect weather for a day on the river! After a possibly torn ACL, a sprained ankle, more than a few of us falling into the river, our raft getting stuck in a rapid, and a little bit of getting lost, Bohemia gave us the best experience of our entire week.

That's a wrap, folks

Throughout all of the fun, however, there was the disbelief in the back of my mind that this truly was our last hoorah! Not only the last class trip, but also our last week together and the last time some of us will be seeing each other for a while. It is a very bittersweet feeling though because for every goodbye we say here, we are one step closer to being back in the arms of our loved ones and saying 'hello' to those friends and family we've missed so dearly.

On to the next one!

Our study abroad adventure isn't over quite yet, though. We are finally on to warmer weather! Next on our list of travel plans is the Grecian Islands. Brianna and I will be visiting the beautiful islands of Santorini and Crete. Though this entire trip has been nothing short of a fairytale, I am especially excited to cuddle up with a good book under the Grecian sun with my best friend by my side. With that being said, I am so looking forward to being in the same country as all of you in just 10 very short days!

Another weekend, another city

The best way to describe Paris is that it is exactly as you would expect it to be: dirty, busy, touristy, and expensive. But, also an extremely beautiful city filled with plenty to do and so many remarkable sights to see. Unfortunately, we weren't blessed with the greatest weather which put a bit of a damper on things, but it was still a great weekend surrounded by great company!

Now, don't get me wrong when I say Paris is 'dirty and touristy' because it does have its fair share of beauty too, but in my opinion it is a very average city. I definitely sensed the romantic side of the city and enjoyed all the sights we had the opportunity to see, but it just didn't surpass my expectations of being just another pretty city filled with tourists. The one thing that surprisingly did surpass my expectations, however, and the most beautiful part of Paris in my opinion, was the Eiffel Tower. Pictures simply cannot give this monument any justice. At first sight, my only thought was simply how massive it is. Then my mind wandered to how intricate and beautiful it truly is. The amazing part about the Eiffel Tower isn't simply its magnificence, either; its surroundings and its environment play a huge role in the effect. I think my favorite part, however, is everyone from tourists to locals, families to lovers, even kids to the elderly, enjoying this incomparable view together.

The next thing to add to that travel bucket list of yours is to see this baby lit up at night. Immaculate. Impeccable. Incredible. All of the above. Especially in reference to when it twinkles at the top of the hour every hour between 10pm-1am. Now that, plus a bottle of famous Parisian rosé wine, is something you all have to experience at least once in your life time (or in our case, 3 times). It truly is not comparable to anything I have ever seen and because I was surrounded by such wonderful people, a memory I won't soon forget.

I know what you're all thinking, but, don't worry, I promise my blog isn't going to be entirely about the Eiffel Tower (though I really could go on forever). Surprisingly, we did a lot more on our trip than just sit and stare at the Eiffel Tower ;) Our first day in the city began bright and early with Versailles and its gardens which are known as the musical gardens because of the water shows put on by the fountains throughout. Even with our weather not being the greatest, I thoroughly enjoyed this part of our trip and can't begin to imagine what they're like in warmer weather!

Next on the list: a free walking tour. Unfortunately, this part of Paris was slightly subpar as well. In comparison to the awesome free walking tours we've taken in every other city we've visited in the past, this one just didn't live up to expectations. We were given lots of interesting information and history on our tour but saw very little of the city. This left us to see the rest on our own, which we didn't mind! We visited the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, one of the famous lock bridges, Notre Dame, passed by the Louvre, Moulin Rouge, and the Latin Quarter. 

Finally, the most important part of our trip: THE FOOD. Crepes, pastries, and wine galore! But holy cow did I enjoy it. From sweet to savory, Paris definitely had the cuisine for me. I did my best to try a little of each thing the city and the French are "known for" and hit almost everything we could think of. Surprisingly, I think my favorite was the savory side of French cuisine. Cheese, cheese, and more cheese. AKA right up my alley :)

To sum it all up, it was a cold, crazy, wonderful weekend in Paris, but it would not have been the same without a few of my favorite traveling buddies! Now, headed to Bohemia tomorrow!

Piercings, pierogies, and plenty of culture

Another weekend, another city, and yet another trip I won't soon forget. This time our destination was Kraków, Poland. It was a class trip which meant our entire group went and was also joined by our UNK professor and one of our Czech professors, who also doubled as our tour guide. We left fairly early Friday morning which meant no classes and simply a day full of travel and exploration. Our first stop: the Wieliczka salt mines. 

Just a little sample

I don't think any of us were quite sure what to expect for this portion of our trip so we were pleasantly surprised once we arrived. Our tour ended up being a total of about 2 hours but because the Salt Mines are so immense, we were only able to see about 1% of the total area the mines occupy. The tour consisted of 3 floors of the salt mine, over 500 steps, and an eventual depth of 130 meters underground. We were able to see examples of how the mine was run, learn its history, and see various types of the salt excavated there (and maybe do a few taste tests along the way). In my opinion, the salt mines were a very interesting, unexpected experience and a fun way to start off our weekend in Poland!

After our time at the salt mines, we settled in at our hostel and proceeded to head out in search for some traditional Polish pierogies, which ended up being a more difficult task than we expected. After several restaurants telling us they didn't have enough room for the 5 of us, we stumbled upon an outdoor restaurant and bar where I tried their 'Polish soup' and a mix of three different kinds of their pierogies: one with meat, one with potatoes, and the other with cabbage and mushrooms. The next day, Krakow continued to impress us with its cuisine. We stopped at their local markets and I sampled some Polish sausage and the best crepe yet. On our last day, we FINALLY found the American breakfast we all had been craving. A cute little restaurant that served pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, you name it. Basically, based on the food in Poland, I wouldn't have minded staying a little longer.

Our second day in the city was by far my favorite. It started with a tour of the Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków and led to an entire day of flea markets, a vintage market, and our fair share of souvenir shopping. We also stopped at a couple places Kraków is known for, including the church of John Paul II and his place of residence. A few of us also decided to explore a different aspect of the city and be a bit rebellious. We got piercings using the excuse that it will help us to "remember the city" (sorry, mom and dad). However, between the 7 tattoo parlors that told us 'no' and my not so great experience getting the piercing, it was definitely more of an adventure than we had planned.

Another stop on our field trip in Kraków was Schindler's Factory. Many of you may recognize this from the popular movie Schindler's List, but for those of you who haven't seen it (like me) here's a quick explanation. Oskar Schindler was a part of the Nazi party, but instead of partaking in the persecution of Jews like other soldiers, he came up with a way to help them. Schindler's Factory employed Polish Jews and provided them with a safe place to work without fear and persecution. Also, because Jews were unable to purchase food themselves, Schindler paid them in food to help them survive. Schindler and his factory helped save over 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust but because he had been a part of the Nazi party, he was hunted shortly after the war and eventually escaped to Jerusalem where he is buried today. Today, his factory has been turned into a museum in memory of the Holocaust and the many Jews he saved throughout the event. 

Entrance to Schindler's Factory

On a completely different note, with only 23 days left in my second home, I decided it was time to make a list of some of the things I've been missing from my real home:

BARISTA'S, Qdoba, Buffalo sauce, FREE water, half price apps at Applebee's, bacon, home cooked meals, Runza, pancakes, Heinz ketchup, free bathrooms in public places, French toast, ranch, salt and vinegar chips from Jimmy Johns, my queen size bed, Dr. Pepper, country music, Amigo's (especially their cheesies), American coffee in general (so much better), Nebraska beef, Gourmet House Japanese Cuisine in Kearney, mac n cheese. 

Forget Disney World. Berlin is the happiest place on Earth.

Fast forward to any number of years from now and Berlin will still be one of my most vivid memories I have from my time abroad. From the friendliness of its people to the entertainment flowing through the streets, Berlin is by far the most fun place I have been this far and somewhere I was extremely surprised by. Berlin started simply as a cheap place to go for a weekend but I'm not sure a spur-of-the-moment decision could have ever played out as well as this one did.

Berlin Wall

Our first full day in Berlin began with a typical, free walking tour to see the more touristy side of the city. Our tour guide showed and explained to us the heartbreaking history behind the Berlin Wall and the remnants of the Nazi occupation and Holocaust throughout the city. We also visited the famous Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, a memorial to those murdered in the Holocaust, Checkpoint Charlie, and places where Hitler himself once stood. After our tour however, we went off on our own to explore the city in our own way. I think it is safe to say this part resulted in some food along the way. ;)

Did I mention I found Crème brûlée, too?

I was thoroughly impressed with the delicious German food we found during our time in Berlin. On our first night in town, we stumbled upon a very German eatery just around the corner from our hostel that served over 100 kinds of beer (I got a Sprite) and the best schnitzel I have had so far on this trip! It was served with a fried egg on top and baked potato wedges that were even better than they sound (YUM). Throughout our weekend in Berlin, we also found some heavenly Mediterranean food, German sausage, and plenty yummy European breakfast!

Our time in Berlin was filled with plenty of culture in more ways than one, but one of my favorite moments was a late night walk along the shore of the river that turned into salsa-ing with some locals on a makeshift wooden dance floor. Okay, so maybe I wasn't the one doing the salsa or a 3 step under the lights, but I sure did enjoy being a spectator to another portion of Berlin's thriving culture. 

Now, on to the main reason Berlin was the experience that it was: May Day. Unknowingly, we had planned our trip on the weekend of one of the biggest celebrations I have ever seen and on a holiday I have never really thought twice about back in the States. Lucky for us, May Day is definitely a celebrated holiday in Berlin and in a huge way. In addition to the number of locals that join in on the celebration, over 45,000 people travel from around Europe to Berlin specifically for this event each year. My best attempt at describing the pure insanity of this place is PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. Food, live music, dancing, a few German drinks, DJs, and thousands upon thousands of fun-loving Europeans showing the Americans the right way to celebrate a holiday! All in all, it was an experience of a lifetime and yet another thing you all need to add to those European bucket lists of yours. 

50,000 of my closest friends

Partner in crime

Germans are fun

You may not think its possible or be sick of me saying this, but I fell in love with yet another European city. I loved Berlin in a different way than any of the previous places, though. I loved Berlin because of its constantly filled streets at any time of the day and most of the night. I loved it for its people and its diversity. I loved it for its history but also for the city. More than anything, though, I loved Berlin purely for its atmosphere. Not a whole lot can top the feeling of being in a crowd of over 50,000 Europeans surrounded by good music, good food, good drinks, and good friends. It truly is a very entertaining city and this trip was one I won't soon forget. From museums and history to walking along the river or joining in on the local May Day festivities, there is truly something to spark anyone's interest. 

UNTIL NEXT TIME, BERLIN!

Memorial for Jews murdered in the Holocaust

Brandenburg Gate

Site of Hitler's bunker/where he committed suicide

CAUTION: Extremely long post ahead

14 days later and just like that I have crossed 5 more cities off of my bucket list and have added 2 of them to my list of all-time favorite places!

Throughout the past 2 weeks, we have had the opportunity to visit Vienna, Venice, Milan, London, and Dublin. The first two cities were part of our program here so our entire class was required to travel and we were accompanied by our UNK professor, Kathy, and one of our Czech professors, Jan. We were fortunate enough to have about 2 1/2 days in both Vienna and Venice, spending as much time as we could engulfing ourselves in the new cultures, exploring the new cities, and, most importantly, trying all the native foods.

Our first stop on our 2 week adventure was Vienna, Austria. We ventured there by bus and once arrived, immediately got settled into our hostel so we could embark on one of Jan's famous tours. The tour only lasted until mid afternoon so we were left with the rest of the day to make our way through Vienna and get a real feel for the city. We visited a few breath-taking historical churches, a nature museum, an array of tulip-filled parks, and witnessed plenty of beauty throughout Vienna during our time there, but my favorite part is the balance the city has between its clean, modern look and the classic, historical pieces that hide around every corner. Vienna has a different vibe about it. A completely different feeling. Personally, I have yet to find a city that I have truly felt a sense of security and "at home" in (besides Olomouc, of course), but immediately after walking through the streets on our first tour, I knew Vienna was different. From this moment on, it continued to impress me. From the refreshing personality of the locals to the variety of delicious food, I could definitely get used to this place!

Our view for lunch

Unfortunately, I will have to save the "getting used to" for another time because the 2 1/2 days in Vienna flew by and before I knew it, we were on our way to Venice, Italy! The anticipation (or maybe the 7 hour bus ride) was killing me by the time we finally got there! Luckily for me, we wasted no time getting our tour of Venice started. Jan's tour consisted of many of the main attractions of the city and finished near the water where we split off into smaller groups in search of our first taste of true Italian food. A group of us settled for a slice of pizza (thick crust, FINALLY) as a snack in exchange for some extra time to wander and a chance to find better Italian cuisine elsewhere. Surprise, surprise: we stumbled upon some delicious Italian food and paired it with a glass of wine and delicious desert. Afterward, to finish off our first day in Venice, we did one of our favorite things: wandered and got lost. No destination in mind; simply a bottle of wine in hand and the entire night ahead of us.  During our final day and a half in Venice, we went to multiple museums, on a gondola ride, to a tower that over looks the city, and enjoyed our fair share of Italian food. My favorite pasta we found throughout our stay, however, happened be a little hidden shop down one of the nooks and crannies that Venice consists of. So, in case any of you are planning on visiting Venice anytime soon, bring me back as much Dal Moro's as possible, please :) ...or feel free to buy me a one-way ticket back!

The Gondola Gang

After saying goodbye to one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and so many memories, Molly, Brianna, and I set off for our final 3 destinations--aka SPRING BREAK! With Milan being first on our list, it was just a short, 3 hour train ride to the beginning of our spring break. We stayed a bit outside of Milan in Bergamo at the cutest B&B I have ever seen, complete with free breakfast (OMG), a washer (OMG x2), and the sweetest Italian host. Our host was extremely welcoming and recommended a few dinner options in one of the city squares. We decided on a pizza place for dinner and enjoyed some good, old-fashioned Italian food. To finish off our relaxing first night of spring break, we made a tour of our own in Bergamo, which can best be described as the Italian version of Olomouc <3 The next day, after fighting through a few transportation issues, we finally made it to the fashion capital of the world! Milan was filled with class. The streets were lined with expensive, name brand stores and the entire city was outlined with intricate architecture. The best view of this could be seen from on top of the Milan Cathedral (which we totally took) where you could see a 365 degree view of the city! Though our stay in Milan and Bergamo was short, I definitely think Milan is a place everyone should experience.

Fast forward to our next destination: London, England.

London welcomed us with open, English-speaking arms as soon as we stepped off the plane early Monday morning! We slipped up a few times and used words from our Czech vocabulary, but, don't worry, we got accustomed to English again very quickly ;). We spent our first English filled day shopping at a department store Harrod's, taking in some fresh air at Green Park, and getting a feel for the underground Tube system. Our night was a bit more exciting, however. We went back and got ready for the experience of a lifetime: seeing Wicked on the West End. This was only the first of 3 shows we attended while in London. We also saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Showboat, but I'm still not sure anything can compare to the amazing Wicked performance. To entertain ourselves during the day, we joined a Hop-On Hop-Off bus and toured Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. My favorite part of this was our tour of the Tower of London because it has been somewhat turned into a museum so you are able to learn a bit of history along the way! In addition to the places we saw on our tour bus, we visited Shakespeare's Globe, St Paul's Park, Green Park, and did a little shopping of course! All in all, the three of us had an unforgettable time in London... for more reason than one. London got a tad more interesting on our last day in the city. We had plans to flight out that afternoon so we left our hotel in plenty of time so that we could arrive at the airport with over 2 hours to check our bags in and get settled. Somehow, this managed to not be enough time. Some overhead wiring was down between our train stop and the airport so we were forced to take an alternate route. This would have been fine and dandy, but the alternative transportation took well over an hour extra and we missed our flight, which meant we were staying in London for another night. Sounds pretty great, right? Wrong. The airport was much too far out of the city to go back in for the night and we had to be back at the airport by 5AM! We managed to find a hotel nearby and a taxi to take us there, but this setback and extra money spent definitely made for a long, stressful night and a very early morning.

Buckingham Palace

After a long morning spent traveling, we finally arrived in the much anticipated, Dublin, Ireland! We grabbed a quick lunch and wasted no time getting to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour. The factory has been turned into a museum and teaches you how Guinness is made, gives you free samples, and allows a birds eye view of Dublin from the top floor. It was a very cool experience, but after an early morning and lots of traveling, we were ready to take full advantage of our hotel's jacuzzi and spent the rest of our night relaxing! The next day, however, was not near as calm. By 7:30AM, we were on yet another bus, but this time, headed for a 13 hour tour of the Cliffs of Moher. Along the way, we stopped at several other attractions and got extremely lucky with a knowledgable, hilarious guide. When we finally arrived at the cliffs, we took a boat ride underneath the cliffs and then later viewed them from above. I fell in love with the natural beauty of the cliffs and loved having the opportunity to enjoy some countryside and to finally get away from the city. Brianna Melroy once said, "the best part of Dublin is outside of Dublin" and I don't know if I could have said it any better myself. In addition to loving the cliffs themselves, I also got my favorite souvenir here, a Claddagh ring. A ring with so much meaning and something I've been waiting for over a year to get, specifically in Ireland.

Our time in all of these places was simply cut way too short, but being "home" in Olomouc and reunited with the rest of our group is pretty great too. Next stop: Berlin, Germany!!

This one's for you, Mom and Dad.

After my past 3 blog posts, endless snapchats, and countless pictures, I know what you all must be wondering.. "do any of you actually go to classes while you are over there?" Unfortunately, that answer is yes. Though I'm positive it isn't like what you all are used to.

First day of classes!

If I were given one word to describe classes here it would be dysfunctional. Before we had arrived, we were given a tentative itinerary for our classes and what we would be learning, but each day we are presented with a different lecture topic and a new lecturer, which comes along with a new lecturing style, as well. So far, these lecturers have taught us things from important events in the Czech Republic's history to American and Russian relations to piracy in the Czech Republic. Though I find learning about another country's history and culture fascinating, the amount of new information we are presented with each day is, at times, too much.

Before venturing to Europe, we were required to read 3 well-known Czech books ahead of time: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," "The Good Soldier Svejk," and "The Trial." These books definitely helped us to get a better feel for the culture we were about to be engulfed in, but were difficult to comprehend because of the different style of writing and because they are based upon things we were not yet familiar with. To my surprise, however, I have already seen portions of what we read present throughout the Czech Republic. I'm excited to discuss the literature with our entire class in hopes that I will learn even more about this wonderful country I am lucky enough to call home!

The next class we are required to take at Palacký University is a Czech language course. This class and I have a very strong love/hate relationship. Though I love being able to communicate better with the locals and being able to get around better, it is a very tough language. So far, we have learned basic phrases, how to order in a restaurant/cafe, numbers 1-100, and are starting to learn verb conjugation! As I said, I want to continue to learn more and more of the language I am surrounded by, but that doesn't mean I can't have a countdown of how many Czech classes our left! (9, in case you were wondering).

Yet another portion of the program are the class field trips that typically coincide with our lectures. One of our most recent lessons was about Jews' place in the Czech's history, which was very fitting because we had a day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau this passed weekend. Saturday started out rainy and cloudy, matching the somber feeling of the concentration camps. We arrived to Auschwitz around 1:30 and our tour lasted till roughly 5:00. Though our tour only lasted about 3 1/2 hours, I feel as if I learned more from this short field trip than any lecture or text book has taught me or ever could teach me. I don't plan on speaking much on the topic of my trip to the concentration camps in this blog because I truly believe it is something that must be seen to even come close to believing the masquer that happened here. What I will say, however, is that this was the single most eye-opening, humbling experience I have ever had that words, and even pictures, truly don't give justice to. All in all, Auschwitz-Birkenau is a place I believe everyone needs to experience at least once in their lives to even attempt to understand the tragedy that is The Holocaust.

Where prisoners of Auschwitz were kept

Victims of Auschwitz

Inside look into the gas chamber

Destroyed gas chambers - Birkenau

"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."-Elie Wiesel