This has been an amazing experience - there's no debating that. Did I miss home at points? Yes. Were there times that I wanted to just come back to the US? Absolutely. Living in a foreign environment can take a toll on you - especially in an environment where you don't speak the language and don't really stand much of a chance at learning it, beyond basic survival phrases. That being said, I've definitely gained some perspective on what it's like to be a foreigner in someone else's home turf... and I hope that I'll be able to draw on my experiences here in my interactions with foreigners back home. In my first few blogs, I frequently referred to Study Abroad here as a "trip." Let me say, after completing the program, that this was not just a trip, not a vacation, not a tourist excursion. I can say proudly that I have lived in Prague and really got more out of that experience than I could ever have hoped to from just a visit. Many people come back from abroad and refer to their destination as their "second home." That won't be me. After getting a feel of the city and really experiencing the ins and outs of Czech everyday life, I can say with full certainty that I will not be returning back to live here. And although I appreciate many things about the Czech Republic and Prague, there are many aspects to life here which definitely are just a little too much for me to handle, though I have tried my best to understand why these things are the way they are.
I'm so thankful for the chance to spend this semester in a way that I never thought I ever would. I've done so many things, seen so many places, and gotten to know so many people that have opened my eyes to new things. And although I didn't get to see everything I wanted to (both in Prague and elsewhere in Europe), I've come to realize that this is a reality of traveling: for every one thing I didn't get to do, I was able to do something else that was not even on my radar at the beginning of the semester - in fact, two of my favorite places I visited this semester (Bruges and Switzerland) we never in the master plan before I left for Prague. This spontaneity, to me, is the most exciting thing about travel.
Anyway, I hope to post at least one more entry once I've get back to the states, but should that not be possible, I'd like to thank everyone who's followed along with my journeys. It's been a fun ride, and I hope you've enjoyed reading my thoughts and feelings about the places I've seen. I look forward to discussing them in further detail with many of you in person!
So - to Prague - NA SHLEDANOU and DEKUJI MOC!
After arriving in the city of Plzen, looking around a bit, and scarfing down a good helping of delicious Czech food (goulash, dumplings, etc.), my friends and I made our way to the factory. We paid a whopping 80kc apiece - the equivalent of $4 - for our tour... and since it's the off season for tourism, we were the only English-speakers there and were thus treated to our own private tour guide! On the tour we got a feel for the entire beer-making process, as well as an idea of the history of beer-brewing in Plzen. We were able to see where the beer was packaged (right), mixed, brewed, fermented, and stored.... and, of course, got to taste the raw products that go into the beer (hops, water, barley), as well as the beverage itself! The beer we got was poured from a tap straight out of the barrel - aka, it was not fully fermented, nor was it filtered or pasteurized! Even though it still had some "stuff" floating around in it, it was definitely some of the best beer I've had - and that's saying a lot!
