A Home Away From Home

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, and everything I tasted of yours was incredible. Your wait staff was always so welcoming and I very much appreciated that you all spoke English.

Belmundo provided my first real "going out" experience. It became a near weekly Wednesday tradition. We laughed, we danced, we had a good time, and we certainly made some memories I will absolutely never forget.

The dorm room we stayed in was nothing to write home about, but just thinking about all of the nights we spent sitting on my bed watching movies on Netflix, getting a little tipsy before heading to the club, playing Cards Against Humanity in the middle of the night, or even just talking, laughing, and getting to know ourselves and each other better was quite the experience. I can't even picture what I would have been doing this semester if I hadn't had all of these crazy days and nights.

Last but not least, thank you, Cross Cafe for proving to me that when I experiment with my tastebuds, I may learn that I like thing I never thought I would. Your potato soup is incredible, and I pray you never change it. If I ever come back someday, I will definitely be getting a bowl or two. An even bigger thanks for giving me and my friends a place to go when we didn't know what else to, were trying to figure out our lives, or any situation in between. You will be dearly missed, but hopefully, it's just see you later.

Olomouc may not be the city you would think to go to if you were to visit the Czech Republic, but it certainly wouldn't be a place I would skip if I was ever to return. The nostalgia it would provide would be enough in itself to go back. Someday, i hope I get to experience that feeling. Someday, hopefully, I will return.