Daily Life In The Czech... So Far!

Life in the Czech so far…

            Getting to Olomouc was quite the experience, however, now that I have somewhat settled into a routine as much as I can with all the traveling, I am loving this unique city!  I spent my first few days in Prague, but sadly had a nasty cold from flying and spent most of the time in bed and sickly!  I am feeling much better now and enjoying Europe tremendously.  We took a bus as a group from Prague to Olomouc and checked into our dorms the first night, very exhausted and hungry!  Especially after Maekayla and I were so lucky to get the top floor (5^th floor) of our building with no elevator.  This meant hauling all our luggage, plus sheets and everything else they gave us upon checking in, up ten flights of stairs since each flight is a half…. Oh joy!  I will definitely be in shape between the stairs to my room and the miles we walk each day.  I feel as though I have been hungry this whole trip, though!  My eating schedule has been off with the jet lag and I am hungry when there is no food and not hungry when there is food!  I am settled into the dorms now and have experienced a few days of class along with orientation and tours of the town.  I cannot get over the beautiful and unique architecture everywhere I turn in this town.  Olomouc, to me, looks like a storybook come to life with each building a different color and different characteristics.  Our buildings in the United States are rather boring compared to Europe.

Now that I am on a regular sleeping schedule and over the time difference (hopefully), I am getting to enjoy the similarities and differences of daily life in the Czech.  Daily life in the Czech has definitely been an experience for this first week and it has opened my eyes to many things I did not realize about myself and my daily life at home.  For example, there are so many things that I take for granted.  Something as simple as ordering a glass of water at the restaurant is different here than at home.  In Nebraska, we go out to eat, order water and most of the time it is free.  However, in the Czech, you get a small glass of water and you have to pay for it with no free refills.  Another huge thing I and most other Nebraskans take for granted is our own private transportation.  Taking the tram has been quite the experience.  We have gotten lost a couple times due to everything being in Czech and each tram taking a different route!  I miss being able to get in my car and drive to where I need to go.  They say owning a vehicle is very expensive here so the government basically pushes people towards public transportation, which is better for the environment as well.  I also feel that they do little things here to help the environment that we are not used to in the United States.  For example, in every store you have to bring your own bag to take home the things you buy otherwise you have to buy a reusable bag.  Another example is that If you do not finish your meal at a restaurant, which is almost every meal for me since I do not eat a lot, then you have to pay for a “To-Go” box if you wish to take the food with you!

            Studying abroad opens up your mind to different ways of doing simple daily tasks and I love that I am getting to experience a different daily routine and way of life!  As much as I really was not looking forward to going back to the dreaded dorm life, I am beginning to like our little dorm room.  It is probably half the size of my dorm at UNK Freshman year, but I do have a small balcony!  Again, this is just another experience and opportunity to meet new people and new ways of going about my daily routine.  We do not have a meal plan, but we do share a kitchen with our flat mates, which has opened my eyes to grocery shopping in the Czech!  I think Maekayla and I have spent hours in the local store trying to just find simple things such as cheese to make mac and cheese or mayonnaise for sandwiches.  I think we have way more “quick meals” in the U.S. than here, therefore, we are adapting to cooking a bit in our dorm!  Even turning on the oven was an adventure and I just love the fact that even though it may be frustrating at the time, something as simple as going to the grocery store to get snacks turns into an adventure and an opportunity to learn about the culture.  I gave in yesterday for the first time and ate American fast food at the mall, but otherwise I have tried to eat Czech food or some other form of non-fast food since I have been here.

            I really believe that this trip has already changed the way I view my daily life and routine that I have at home and is influencing me in a positive way.  I feel like at home I need to be more productive with my day!  Not that I do nothing all day at home and also there is nothing wrong with a lazy day, but here I go all day everyday doing activities and learning and although it is tiring at times, I feel better at the end of the day.  Each day I am either exploring the town or learning Czech and history and I rarely have had down time, which has been almost a blessing because it allows me to not think about missing home and also to be productive and soak in this experience.

            We have visited so many places in town full of history and I have appreciated to learn so much about this town’s history.  I think we should take the time in the U.S. to know more about where we come from, even if we do live in a small town in the middle of nowhere Nebraska.  The people here know so much about their past ancestors and the history that is truly is a joy to hear them talk about their heritage.  I think that plays a part in the cleanliness and preservation of the town.

            I hope this gave you a little glimpse into my trip so far!  I could probably continue on for pages about my stories and experiences so far, but I will end it here and save the stories for later!  Thanks for reading through my ramblings of my daily life in Olomouc and my experiences thus far, I can’t wait to share more with you all!