Czech It Out!

Five or so months ago when I was booking my plane tickets for this trip, I hadn't really even thought about how once I landed that first time in the Vienna airport, I'd be leaving the same airport a few months later as, in a sense, a world traveler. Widened perspectives, a camera roll full of amazing adventures. Considering all of this as I prepare to board my homeward flight, right back where this all began, is mind-boggling. Three months has come and gone, but it certainly felt like a lifetime. Vienna, as a city, had so much to offer, and our time there, while brief, was well spent. We saw beautiful artwork, a Natural History Museum I would compare to the Smithsonian, and ended our adventures as a group with mulled wine and good times in the famous Vienna Christmas Markets. It felt strange to be saying goodbye. The last few months felt like a whirlwind, but at the same time, looking back, we really have experienced so much. Hell, I've been to eleven countries. Can't

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.