Czech It Out!

A lot has happened during my time here in Olomouc. This is the place we first met most of the people our lives would intertwine with for the last few months. It's the place I learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I'd even go as far as to say it helped me gain some perspective and clarity on the direction I see the rest of my life going. This city has given me so much, and for that, I think it deserves a proper goodbye post. Public transportation may not be my preferred mode of getting around, but those trams and their schedules became an essential part of my day. I never could have gotten from place to place in a timely manner without them. I'm grateful for the crowded ares and the empty ones; the little kids and the dad who thanked Bailey and I for letting them sit down. I appreciate it all. Sophie's Cafe, the place I tended to go when I needed a day of introversion, you became a place of solace. I felt comfortable and productive within your walls, an

I like to have some control over most situations I get myself into. Times, dates, what will be required of me when I get there... those are usually things I like to have the answer to. Recently, however, I have been trying to let go a little bit, letting fate have its chance and not forcing anything to come my way. In the past, when I have allowed myself to loosen my reigns a bit, it has proved to be a more than profitable situation for me, and this weekend wasn't any different. Picture this: it's after midnight this past Thursday night. For the past couple of weeks, you and your friends had known you had one more free weekend, had researched places to your heart's content, and had said "yeah, let's book it," more times than you can count, and yet, your efforts proved less than fruitful. At this very last opportunity, you take the trip that's handed to you, and five hours later, you're on your way.  That is exactly what happened this weekend. 

I'm not outwardly a super religious person. When I choose to think about my faith, I don't usually choose to share my thoughts, but that doesn't mean I'm lacking in beliefs. I was raised Lutheran and grew up in a family where attendance to Sunday School on a weekly basis was mandatory, but my favorite parts of the church had to be the sermons. It made sense that someone as knowledgeable as my pastor would choose to share his wisdom through the word of Christ, and I enjoyed receiving these life lessons. When we began talking about Martin Luther and the Reformation in class, I honestly never realized the vast depths of information there was to know on the subject. While my lessons and my pastor's preachings had reached my soul, in a way, the history of the basis of my religion had never reached my mind in such a way as this. Getting to go to Wittenburg and Dresden to see the place where it all began and where I somewhat expanded my faith was such a positive and in

One of the most humbling experiences I've had on this trip came a couple of weeks back when Bree, Chase, Bailey and I decided to spend our free weekend in Krakow visiting a couple of very historical places: Auschwitz and Schindler's Factory. Learning about the Holocaust and World War II in the place where so many horrible things occurred was striking to the core. On our tour of Auschwitz, we saw the camp so many Jews, gypsies, and "outcasts" were tortured, made to be slaves in a society that simply didn't accept them for one thing or another. The glass cases that stood in rooms that had, at one time, been used for accommodations held vast quantities of the belongings of those who never made it out alive. We stood inside a gas chamber where thousands too many had been murdered for no more than being themselves. It was an impossibly difficult experience, and to put into words what standing in the footsteps of so many before me who had marched unknowingly to their

Fall Break Fall break was a whole lot of fun. This trip is so worthwhile. We’ve seen and done so many things, my thoughts I must compile. In order to explain this well I must do it my way. A set of poems I’ll write for you to read the words I say. We’ll start with Rome, our last day there, then London, Dublin, France. Each place I’ll describe what I can, so just give me a chance. Rome A gorgeous city, I must say.   The sights were beautiful. Our last day there, when left to roam, we had one common goal. The Trevi Fountain we must see, a wish we knew we’d make: a perfect life, a wondrous love - that’s all there was at stake. I’ll cross it off my bucket list. My wish? You bet I made. The memory of going there will surely never fade. London In London we spent several days. It’s my new favorite place. Hands down, the best place I ha

Studying abroad was never really even a part of the plan, not that I ever really had much of one. I knew I would end up in college somewhere after high school, but truly, that was the extent to which I knew where my life was headed. My first year of college, although I hadn't laid out any thoughts for how it would go, was much different than I'd believed it would be. With constant assignments, a demanding work schedule, and trying to balance a decent social life, everything became very overwhelming very quickly. When studying abroad was suggested to me, I thought of it as a kind of escape from the hectic life I was living. Little did I know it would end up being so much more than that. About two and a half weeks ago, only a few weeks into the semester at the time, we left Olomouc for our second class trip to Rome. A hop, a skip, and a jump later, or rather, a tram, train, subway, plane, and another tram later, we arrived and checked into our hotel of the next few days. We all