Czech It Out!

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 ...

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...

"Taking things for granted" is a phrase that seems to emerge relatively early in life. As a child, your parents may utter this phrase under the likely circumstance that you beg them for some toy or piece of candy that you wish to have in your possession. You come to learn, quite early on, that it is necessary to appreciate your own belongings or the resources that are available to you while you have access to them. While I may have never started a "gratitude" journal, per se, I do aim to live in the moment, thankful for the opportunities I am given and have earned. When I recognize that I am not doing so, I try to take a step back, and this phrase makes its way to the forefront of my mind. It's kind of embarrassing, but until very recently, I would have sworn to you it went "taking things for granite." My boyfriend expressed to me recently that this was, indeed, not how the saying goes, however, and from now on, I'll strive to say it correctly. ...

I have never really been the kind of person to ask for assistance. I tend to focus on the task at hand and persevering despite any problems I may come across as quickly and effectively as possible. Usually my independence marks me a strong person, capable of whatever I set my mind to, but when life threw me a curveball and I ended up in a situation unlike any I had ever imagined, my day-to-day routine of keeping to myself and working through problems alone was no longer an option. A few minutes into my initial arrival, my world began to change. Bree, my friend since forever and companion on this life-changing experience, had flown from just outside of our home town to Chicago and then London with me. It was both of our first international flights, and our fear for arrival had been on both of our minds. What would happen when we got to customs? It seemed to us that customs had carried some kind of negative connotation for as long as we could remember. We thought of towering, indignant...