For Future Explorers

PACKING AND TRAVELING: Specifically, what kind of linens did you need to bring? What are you glad you packed from home? What do you wish you had left at home? Do you have any travel tips to pass on (planning advice, safety considerations, guidebooks, train vs bus, etc)? What places would you advise future students to see and why?

-As far as linens go, bedding is provided for you whether you’re at the dorms or the various hostels you’ll encounter, so you’re set there. You can buy a towel abroad or if you choose to bring one, make sure it’s one you don’t mind leaving behind. Honestly, “things you don’t mind leaving behind” applies to about everything you pack: t-shirts, socks, clothes in general, even shoes, pack what you are willing to let go of as you’ll be bringing home a lot of new stuff! My biggest mistake was my method of packing. I completely overlooked packing for all four seasons, so when the warm weather came around I was skimped on what I had brought with me and ended up buying a lot of new clothes. By the end of the trip I had a lot of cold-weather wear that took up a lot of room trying to pack up to return to the states. I highly suggest packing lightly; no need to shop and prepare for things you could wear overseas because you’ll have more than enough time to shop for that stuff! You’ll be exposed to so much while traveling with a group that planning your own trips will be easier than you’ve ever imagined. Take advantage of the STUDENT AGENCY; they’re pretty darn helpful.  Get out of your dorm room and see as much as you can during the long weekends you’ll be granted with! I highly suggest taking a trip to Brno, Czech Republic and Budapest, Hungary! These were two of my favorite weekends. Regarding whom you travel with, don’t be afraid to break down your “crew” into a smaller few because you’ll find it much easier to travel in small groups. However, I took various trips with there just being three total and then other times having nine, you’re bound to have a good time either way –you’re in Europe!

SOCIAL LIFE: How did you meet students from your host country? How did you like to spend your free time and why? Is there anything you regret not doing more of in your free time? What opportunities for social, recreational and cultural events that the host university or program offered did you like best and why? What piece of advice would you give to future students regarding their non-academic life while overseas?

-As sad as it sounds, I didn’t really meet too many people from my host country, they really liked to keep to themselves where I was. I also think that it was harder to meet people of the host country because the living situation was almost a barrier to doing so. The dorms we stayed in were for all of the international students, not necessarily the locals of the country. Regardless, it was an adventure enough warming up to the students from home; majority of us didn’t know any more than one another’s names prior to the trip. Some of the social opportunities we had involved going to Club Belmondo or 15 Minute; both very student oriented and usually a good time. Belmondo hosted a party for a different country every Wednesday, so we were always getting a taste of a new culture that way, haha! There were also random festivals held in the town square which involved live music, rows upon rows of souvenir shopping, and food and beer. My favorite and most memorable experiences definitely revolve around the friends I made during my time abroad. The trip wouldn’t have been near what I was able to experience if it wasn’t for the people that entered my life. Do things that you never would have dreamt of being able to do during your college years, especially because for a lot of you, you don’t know when you’ll get to come back. Don’t be afraid of feeling uncomfortable because more than likely you’re not the only one. Get to know your new surroundings, literally familiarize yourself with where you are and your route will become much easier as the time flies by.  Acquaint yourself with the strangers on your trip, and get out of your comfort zone and make the most of your time abroad!

SCHOOL WORK: How did your academic experience at Palacky differ from your US experiences concerning: relations with professors/classroom instruction, grading, study habits, and using the library. Also, what enabled/hindered your successful academic experience?

-Academically, the lectures were much more interesting in here because a lot of them contributed to the upcoming field trips. I would say that the schoolwork was a lot easier at Palacky in comparison to being home because it was all just paying attention to class lectures, and the real learning was in my own hands, and how I chose to apply it elsewhere. I definitely think that in this kind of learning environment of being abroad, a lot of learning happens outside of the classroom. The grading was fair with our university professor as she was clear in setting her standards for what she expected on our quizzes, participation, and final exam. My study habits probably weren’t the best while being over here simply because it almost didn’t seem like I was in school. It was too fun overseas to even compare to school at home. I didn’t ever use the library at Palacky; one, I didn’t know where it was located, and two, I never needed it. The field trips definitely aid to what is taught in class. Get the most out of those of what you can, and you’ll appreciate it so much more.

MONEY & COMMUNICATIONS: How much money in US currency would you recommend students have at their disposal for their whole time overseas? How much money did you have in foreign currency when you left for the program and was it enough? How did you manage your money (credit cards, traveler's checks, bank accounts, etc.)? How and where did you access your money? How much money did you spend on books, school supplies, food, entertainment, local transportation, travel, toiletries, airfare, and laundry? How did you communicate with the US? What would you recommend to future students (e.g.: calling card, Skype, set up email account, etc.).

-Money, money, money...the worst part of traveling. I think I set aside about $5,000 for this trip. I brought over $1,000 in cash to exchange into Czech korun, which lasted me the first month, and then I used my debit card to withdraw at ATM’s the rest of the trip. I also had a credit card just in case, but I never had to use it. As far as taking out money, you’ll want to take out larger than smaller amounts because of any international and foreign ATM charges. Spending money varies from person to person and where you choose to go, what you choose to buy and eat, etc. Overall additional travel and airfare in Europe probably cost me around $1,200, more or less; this included hostels, too. In Olomouc though, you’re provided with a transportation pass for the buses and trams. You are also given a laundry card that allows you to use the dorms laundry units at a small charge, but the machines are worthless. They are tiny washers, and unless you combine loads with a friend you only have one of the tiny washers, and one load takes about two and a half hours to complete, not including drying. Use the laundry mat by the tram stop, and meet George –laundry is done quickly there, a little pricier but no regrets there. Also, bring a line of some sort, for hanging clothes to finish their drying. Globus is their version of Wal-Mart, and it has just about whatever you’ll need grocery wise, buying a straightener/blow-dryer, slippers, toiletries, etc. and it’s just a fifteen minute walk away from the dorms. All in all, spending money is your own call; I highly recommend making a budget for yourself, it’ll help in the long run. Communication is pretty simple, turn your data plan off and use Wi-Fi; Skype home, use messaging apps, etc.

OTHER COMMENTS/TIPS:

-Take your own bags to the grocery stores because they’re not provided.  

-Pack wisely, pack lightly, PACK WISELY. Pack for all four seasons.

-Bring a water resistant coat, preferably one that has an inner layer, so it can also be used during chilly days.

-Plan for America Night at Belmondo ahead of time! Bring some red, white, and blue wear overseas! If you’re thinking Jell-O shots, bring the packets from home; there’s no Jell-O in Olomouc!

-If you’re planning on being anti-social, don’t come. Harsh, but why take the spot of an applicant if you don’t intend on branching out of your comfort zone and making any friends or memories on an adventure like this.

"TOP MUST-DO-ACTIVITIES" TO EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR TIME IN EUROPE:

1. Climb to the top of the tower on Petrin Hill to get a beautiful view of Prague, Czech Republic.

2. Spend time outside while you’re in Olomouc! There’s a park nearby always swarming with people, and it has a little beer bar. There are also some really pretty paths you end up finding on your own if you’re a runner/walker.

3. Go to Budapest, Hungary! Stay at the party hostel called, Carpe Noctem Vitae, and you’ll be in for a treat. They always have something planned to do to keep their guests busy; Budapest in general keeps their guests busy and entertained. Go on a free walking tour to get a taste of both sides Budapest. Go to the baths and relax!

4. When you’re in Venice, Italy be sure to eat at Alfredo’s Pasta to-go, you won’t regret it! Also, grab some friends, a bottle of wine, and go on a gondola ride.

5. If you go to Rome, Italy go to Frigidarium for gelato that will be beyond compare to anywhere else’s! Visit Vatican City and be sure to see the Sistine Chapel! See the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain, too! Rome is all about their tourist attractions and that’s about it.

6. Go to Brno, Czech Republic, it’s the second largest city in the Czech Republic. It’s only about an hour away and makes for a fun weekend. Hang around the big black thing in the center, you won’t miss it! See Spilberk Castle and the Capuchin Crypt.

7. Take a train to a small town for Easter Monday to see Czech festivities and get a whole other taste of their culture.

8. Eat at Café Opera at least once, and get their gelato, a lot.

9. Try Daybreak juice at Daybreak, right by the dorms. The owners are so sweet, but you’ll find cheaper prices when you get into town. Remember to hit up Café 87 and St. Angelo’s for cappuccinos and warm breakfasts.

Best in the Pest

Budapest: To begin with, mad props to Jacob for choosing a great hostel for us! We stayed at a party hostel called, Carpe Noctem Vitae which in Latin means "seize the night". Appropriately, we did just that immediately following our arrival. We were welcomed by the hostel-keepers who were an incredibly chill group of people, not much older than us, inviting us to attend an evening on the well-known boat bar, A38. They checked the eight of us in and within fifteen minutes of getting to our rooms and freshening up, we were running out the door. We literally ran the whole way to the bar to catch up to the others going to the river for A38. Here's a couple of pictures from that night!

On the boat with the Budapest buds

Budapest's Parliament

The next morning we were up at a decent time and went on a free walking tour through Budapest. Budapest is split by the river in which one side is Buda and the other is Pest. We were staying on the Pest side, but we got to see plenty of the wealthier Buda side on our tour. Following the tour, we split for the majority of the rest of the day. Some of us shopped and stayed in, and others went out for round two, on a pub crawl to the ruin bars! I was one who hung back, but I got to see them during the day and that was good enough for me. 

View of Pest from the Buda side

View of Buda from the Pest side

A ruin pub is created from keeping the original buildings doomed by destruction and adding old and rejected furniture; they are not only for partying but also for gathering the community.

Our last day in Budapest was my favorite. We slept in and meandered our way to a popular tea house known for its "Narnia like wardrobe entrances" into different tea rooms and its 50 or so different flavors of tea! It was such a relaxing way to start our day! After we each finished our pot of tea we hit up the Grand Market. This was an enormous, overwhelming market of fresh produce, bakeries, spices, and traditional clothes and trinkets --a lot of souvenir shopping happened here. The spa bath was our next stop, and a top priority of the weekend! Before going to Budapest, the thermal baths was about the only thing I knew about the place. The bath we went to is one of the largest in Europe and is the first of the Pest side of Budapest. The bath had hot-spring water with a variety of minerals in it that left our skin feeling good! We strolled through the city park on our way back to the hostel and called it a fairly early night, only because we had to be at our bus at 6AM this morning. Here's some pictures of the tea house and the bath!

One more night in Budapest would have been nice, but I'm grateful for the wonderful time we had there and the beautiful weather we were blessed with. Thanks for reading, love and miss you all!

-Molly

Poles and Peanut Butter

Extracurricular: A lot has happened over the past couple of weeks, but I’ll try to make this section short and sweet. One of our free afternoons in Olomouc a few of us took a bus just outside of town and visited Holy Hill. Holy Hill is a pilgrimage site with a legend of an Olomouc citizen who was asked in a dream, by Virgin Mary to build a chapel. It was beautiful out and a great time spent relaxing in the sun, looking down on the town of Olomouc. Later in the week our class took a day trip to somewhere about an hour away and toured a palace that we had to wear funny slippers over our shoes for. Following the palace tour we visited the second oldest wine cellar in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. A lot of us agree that while being down there, touring and sampling wine, we knocked off a few years of our life from the musty air and excessive amount of mold. Although I have yet to know the name of the town we were in, it was a memorable field trip to say the least! As I mentioned in previous posts, a club here in Olomouc (that we’ve familiarized ourselves with) allows a different group of students to host a party for their country, every Wednesday. The club provides decorations and the necessities for making a popular snack of the country as well as a choice of beverage. This last Wednesday, it was America Night! Let’s just say that the club thanked us for the crowd we brought in with our Jack Daniel’s Whiskey and PB&J sandwiches. America Night is definitely in my top five of most fun nights out! The next day was May Day, and the town square was holding festivities all day; a live band, food vendors and an assortment of stands with handcrafted items similar to what we had seen at the Easter Festival. Our other and most recent trip not surrounding the Holocaust was to Ostrava, Czech Republic. It’s located near the Polish border and is the third largest city in the Czech Republic; it’s known as the “steel heart of the republic”. We toured the industrial steel plant, their pride and joy, and then proceeded to Krakow, Poland.

Cutie Pie Jenna

Kaitlyn and I representing Gamma Phi Beta with a crescent moon, at Ostrava's Industrial Plant

A little set up of what work in the salt mines would have been like

Terezin: Before our trip to Auschwitz in Poland, we visited Terezin (Thereseinstadt), Czech Republic the weekend before, giving us more build up to the Holocaust. Terezin is located near Prague and once served as a ghetto and concentration camp established by the SS during WWII. Tens of thousands Jews were sent here, but it was not an extermination camp; thousands died in Terezein but mainly due to malnutrition and disease. Most significant about Terezin is its role in Nazi propaganda, creating a film that portrayed decent living conditions in the camp. The Red Cross sent representatives to Terezin to assure that the living conditions there were okay. However, the Nazis were aware of the upcoming visit months in advance and created false advertisement to get the Red Cross’s approval. Several Jews were deported to death camps to reduce the overpopulation of the camp, and rooms were added to the camp such as a barbershop that would never be used. Following the tour of the camp, we visited a few museums; there was old artwork from the children in the ghetto as well as set ups of what the barracks would have looked like.

"Work Makes [You] Free"

Sinks in the Barbershop that were never actually used by the Jews

Poland Shtuff: The first day in Poland we toured a massive salt mine in Krakow. We only saw 1% of the mine and that alone took three hours! It was pretty funny on our tour as we stopped to lick a lot of the walls. After the salt mine we checked into our hostel and wandered around the neighborhood in search of some supper. The next morning we visited a Jewish Museum; there was a sequence of events with readings of life in the ghetto during the war. Afterwards we walked to Krakow’s town square to do a little shopping before heading back to the hostel to play cards. Sunday, we got up early and visited a castle, its treasury, and the dungeon. After the tour we were eager to get to the little festival we noticed from afar, with lots of traditional Polish foods and handmade trinkets. Speaking of food, Poland is second on my list of best cuisine for this semester’s cuisine. Over the weekend I had perogies, which are Polish dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, sauerkraut, or fruit, Polish sausage and potatoes, two hamburgers –first ones since being away from the States, and they weren’t nearly as good as the State’s, and Mexican food –also incomparable to the State’s. Nevertheless it was a spectacular weekend of good eats!

Polish flags were everywhere; definitely the most patriotic country we have visited in Europe!

Enjoying our margaritas and Mexican food

Schindler’s Factory: We visited the museum in Oskar Schindler’s Factory which has been devoted to the experiences of the WWII Nazi occupation. Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist, spy, and a member of the Nazi party. He is most known for employing Jews to work in his enamel factory and by doing so, saving 1,200 lives during the Holocaust. The museum exhibits the German invasion in 1939 and everything in between to the Soviet capture of the city. The museum was nothing like what I expected; I really thought we would just be seeing the factory and work aspect of the Jews, but there was so much more to see. If you haven’t seen the 1993 film, Schindler’s List, I highly recommend it.

Auschwitz: This was our final and most anticipated destination for the weekend in Poland. Words don’t really do this site much justice, but it was an experience I will always remember. Hearing and learning about the Holocaust in class is one thing but getting the opportunity to visit the historical site has left me with a much greater impact. I can’t even fathom my being there in Auschwitz, walking over the same steps thousands of Jews. The tour seemed to go by so quickly that I wasn’t able to fully take in everything presented before me. It was a weird feeling overall. I actually got legitimately sick to my stomach upon arrival to Auschwitz, and I honestly don’t know if it was from something I had eaten or a mental buildup of preparation of going to the camp, maybe a little of both. Auschwitz consisted of three parts: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III-Monowitz. Auschwitz I was the original camp which first held Polish political prisoners; this was where the administration and gestapo were and where the torturing was done. Here I saw piles of pounds of hair on display which really choked me up. Following this was a portion of thousands of pairs of shoes of men, women, and children. Touring Auschwitz I was definitely the hardest part of the tour. Auschwitz II-Birkenau, this is where the Jews went through the selection process after being transported by the countless trains entering the camp and either worked or were gassed immediately. We stood where the Jews stood and walked the paths they took to their filthy barracks and to the gas chambers. Being in Auschwitz II-Birkenau didn’t hit home as much as I imagined it would. It just didn’t feel real; being on the same grounds that marked history not even 100 years ago. We saw the destroyed crematorium and beyond them monuments sculpted, recognizing the lives lost. The most surreal part of being there was the shockingly peaceful environment it is today. It was so strangely beautiful; the camp is now surrounded by trees that were planted by the prisoners of the camp. I felt like these trees represented so much more than what they’re acknowledged for because the ashes of those who suffered in the gas chambers were scattered all along where those trees stand strong and tall today. While we were still walking through the camp, I overheard a tour guide having a one on one conversation, maybe even an interview, sharing that he loved his job and felt like it was rewarding. Aside from educating others and gifting them with knowledge, I can’t imagine ever loving being at Auschwitz every day. I’m glad that I was able to fulfill the opportunity of seeing Auschwitz, but I don’t think I will ever go back.

Only a handful of the thousands of cans of Zyklon B used in the gas chambers; one can could kill 700 Jews.

T-Minus: 25 DAYS UNTIL I AM HOME! Bittersweet, but I’m ready. May is already a quarter over! Tomorrow I leave for Budapest, Hungary and return on Sunday. The next weekend I have free. May 20^th through the 23^rd I’ll be in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, and immediately after that I’ll be headed to Barcelona, Spain, with Jenna and Taylor for the majority of the last week! Crazy to think of how fast this semester has gone by! Thanks for reading, love and miss you all!

-Molly

"V" is for...

Vienna, Austria: Beyond ready for a tremendous 12 days of adventure, the class was loaded onto a bus Thursday morning, and Vienna bound! However, as you read in my previous post, my 12 days were cut short. Nevertheless, Austria and Italy were a good time while they lasted. When we arrived in Vienna we followed our typical routine of dropping off our bags at the hostel and heading out for a mini tour of the city. We started down a main strip of shopping places where we would eventually be doing damage to our wallets. Then, just turning off the street and down another was a beautifully grassed and gated in area with huge museums. We proceeded to scurry past them for the time being as it began to down pour! We postponed our outside tour until the next day and ran until we arrived, soaking wet, to the Imperial Treasury. The Imperial Treasury holds a collection of treasures from the Imperial House of Habsburg. There are several robes on display as well as the Imperial Crown, Orb, and Scepter of Austria. I thought it was really interesting to see the belongings of the Holy Roman Empire! Following the tour of the treasury we parted for lunch in which I tried Weiner Schnitzel for the first time. Weiner Schnitzel, the “w” is pronounced as a “v”, is a traditional dish of Austria; it’s a thin piece of veal and is breaded and deep-fried. It’s good but not “that good”. After lunch we met again to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral which was immaculate to say the least. We were only there for a short while and then set free to venture on our own. That night, Jenna, Taylor, and I had a lovely spaghetti dinner in a little eatery overlooking the city night life. We then caught up with the rest of the group who was getting ready to go out, but by that time I was pretty tired and checked out. I tagged along for a good time anyway, and while trying to speed walk/ imitate Abby’s speed walking, ended up face planting right upon reaching our destination. In my defense, my short strides managed to fit perfectly in this plastic wrap on the ground, capturing both of my feet and taking me down. It was pretty funny at the time yet pretty painful in the morning. On our second and last day spent in Vienna, we were given the option of four museums to tour. The majority of us chose the Museum of Art History called, Kunsthistorisches Museum which took a couple hours to get through. My favorite part of the museum was the Egyptian art and artifacts that took up most of the first floor of the museum. I also thought it was fascinating to see several art students replicating the works of art hanging throughout the picture gallery. Following the museum a few of us were given just enough time to lie in the grass and soak up some sun, as we waited for everyone else to finish their tours. Still enjoying the beautiful weather, we looked forward to visiting the local market for a bite to eat before heading to the Imperial Apartments of the Habsburg’s. The museum displayed the chinaware used by generations of the Habsburg’s and the rooms once lived in by royalty. After visiting more than enough museums for the day, a few of us indulged in some last minute “spring break attire” shopping. I decided to hit the hay right when we got back to the hostel, ready to leave for Italy the next morning!

Items from the Imperial Treasury 

My fall in the street along with the plastic thing that caught my feet!

Kunsthistorisches Museum: Outside and Inside

Venice, Italy: After sleeping for six of our seven hour bus ride, I woke up to wonderful scenery of graffiti marked brick walls and an Italian yelling at us to move our bus. Nervous that this was how we’d be treated during all of our stay it fortunately was not but close to it. From where we got off of the bus, a train took us five more minutes to Venice, my favorite city thus far. We started on a tour first visiting the site of an old Jewish ghetto. Like usual Jan [yawn] had a lot to tell us about each stop, and as we were listening, an intrigued, older woman wandered over to learn something, too. Surprisingly, the surviving Jews of Auschwitz that once occupied this quarter, came back to live here hoping to restart their community. Moving on we found ourselves at a dead end. Jan led us there on purpose to show us how easy it is to get lost in Venice, and boy did he warn us. We kept walking with the entire class until we reached Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) and then split up for the rest of the day. Thad, the one who always has a plan, led us to this great homemade pasta place called Alfredo’s. We loved it so much that a handful of us went back the next day! I found out that the man who took our order both days was the owner; he was Alfredo and the guys working right alongside him were family. So reasonable, and so delicious! Of course after accomplishing pasta in Italy, gelato was next on the list followed by wine and wandering the night life of Venice. When we got back to the hostel, Taylor and I got barked at by a middle aged woman for being too loud. It was maybe 10 o’clock, for five minutes when we were hysterically laughing in our room, yet she waited until after midnight to yell at us. We found out that it wasn’t just us she tried to fuss about; it was our whole group she wanted to “kick out”. Taylor and I just concluded that our happiness was unwelcomed at this hostel seeing as how our last one in Vienna was called, Happy Hostel. Our second day in Venice happened to be Palm Sunday, so St. Mark’s Basilica was full of tourists when we visited it. After our walk through of what seemed like the hundredth cathedral,  we all fulfilled the excitement and enjoyment of a gondola ride. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather to tour around some of Venice’s oldest parts of the city. Sad to say good bye but anxious to start spring break, (or so I thought) I loved everything Venice had to offer, and I hope to make it back there some day! 

Gondola Rides!

Alfredo's Pasta!

Vennice at Night

Most Recently: From my last post explaining Jessi's and my spring break failure, everyone has made it back safely, and our issue is no longer haunting us (as much as it was at first). Working around Jessi getting sick, we tried to make the most of what free time we had, in Olomouc, but everything seemed to fall through. Places we wanted to go to were closed, or we couldn't find them. Part of us thought that we were just supposed to listen to our worried mothers after all; they had told us not to go anywhere and to just stay in our dorms all weekend. However, we were eager to at least to something festive for Easter since it's different in the Czech Republic. Being the most atheist European country, the Czech Republic doesn't focus their Easter around Christ's resurrection. Here, they celebrate Easter as the end of winter and start of Spring, and it's on Monday instead of Sunday. Sunday evening a few of us girls went to dinner anyway to fill in for each others' families; it was a pretty bittersweet Skype call that evening (for all of us) as I was passed around to talk to everyone in my family. Our Easter was just beginning though; Abby, Jessi, Taylor, and I took a train to Rožnov pod Radhoštěm where traditional Czech Easter festivities always take place. We were overjoyed to see the hand crafted Easter eggs we were told about, performances of traditional Czech dancing, and rows upon rows of little shops that people had brought their handmade goods to sell. That's about all I have for now! My next blog will be about my visits to Terezin and to Krakow, Poland and Auschwitz. Thanks for reading, love and miss you all!

-Molly

Random Stuff:

• I tried the milk here because I was craving a bowl of cereal, and it did not taste like home's. Even their version of Cheerios was way off from what the U.S. has. Of course, I'm the only one who can't stand it because for some reason my sense of taste and smell are incredibly strong and sensitive.
• I finally watched the movie Frozen for the first time and immediately fell in love with it!
• The past two days we've been blessed with an amazing lecturer. He's been incredibly inspirational and has said a lot of what people my age need to hear. He simply started by differing the job place from the work place. Long story short, to find something you like to and want to do, and do it, and from there plan your life around what you want to be doing.
• As I shared in what may have been my first post, every Wednesday a country is celebrated at a nearby club, and our turn is finally here! America Night is next Wednesday, and we cannot wait! (You'll be hearing about this in my next blog post, too!...maybe.)

Train Wreck

Rome: We came, we saw, we got conquered. A missed flight, five hours of hopelessness, an unfathomable amount of redirection, and three different train stations have managed to set the bar for the worst day ever. Although it wasn't in my plans to miss spring break in Malta, I know it was part of God's. Never before have I been so sure of feeling God's will. As confident as I was going into my 10 days of spring break, I have yet to doubt that God kept me (us) away from there for a reason. It's hard to see past the money that has now been wasted toward the trip, but at the same time, "it's such a first world problem," Jessi and I kept reminding each other. There are so many worldly issues going on, and all that happened to us was that we missed out on Malta. I would have never even considered going to Malta before my Czech Republic adventure because I didn’t even know of its existence. So we missed our flight and were trapped in Rome without any Wi-Fi or source of communication, big whoop. We had each other and didn't have to go through anything alone. Together we spent what would have been our first night on the beach and warm, sleeping in the airport, shivering ourselves to sleep (and being circled by homeless people). As scary as it sounds, it was; definitely never want to do it again. Our entire day was exactly what you hear of happening to someone but never expect that someone to be you. Fortunately, by the end of our catastrophic day, we were able to book a next day flight Rome to Prague. We were beyond blessed to finally have somewhat of a plan for getting home. From the several travel agents, bus and train stations our day consisted of, we were told over and over that nothing was heading anywhere near home until after Easter. Several even replied by saying, “Impossible!” over and over again. Without any hesitation we finalized our tickets and proceeded to wait at the airport overnight, having the sketchiest sleepover two girls could ever imagine. Don't worry though! We took shifts of sleeping and watching over each other and our luggage. Oh yea, we were also grateful to even have our luggage because after nearly throwing up hearing that our flight to Malta was gone, we panicked about our luggage being stolen as we waited a half hour to receive it. However, we made it through the night, made it on to our flight to Prague, and caught a train to Olomouc just in the neck of time. Following our arrival into Prague, we were getting on the tram to head to the train station, and a man asked us, in clear English, if we knew where we were going. Jessi and I didn't hesitate a second to engage in conversation with this gentleman and his wife. We were elated to hear English spoken in a kind tone to us for a change! The couple was coming back to the Czech Republic from their hometown in Minnesota. They live here in the Czech Republic as missionaries, training youth pastors through the evangelical church. I thought it was rather amazing on account of the majority of the Czech Republic are non-religious. The couple asked us if we would help them with their loads of luggage, and in exchange they helped us get onto the right train. It's safe to say that meeting them was a rewarding end to our journey. Above all, Jessi and I are alive and healthy and back home in Olomouc where we're supposed to be, for now at least. Looking on the brighter side though, we were granted with 60 degree weather while trekking all over Rome's train stations and airports. Neither of us got pick pocketed or mugged. We even got a few laughs out of each other in between all of the crying! For instance, instead of being asked why I was crying, I got told by various people not to sit there, wherever "there" was at the time. No sympathy over here in Europe whatsoever. Jessi got slammed in between a sliding glass gate after I had already gone through. Following that we experienced yet another chasing of a tram/train! Jessi and I chase trams together like it's our job. Our typical day in Olomouc consists of at least one sprint to the tram stop, ha! Half of the time it's not even the right tram we're running to because I can never see far enough to read the number. Jessi is my roommate here in Olomouc, to all who don't know. We had met once, maybe twice before this trip, but you'd never guess that. We've been like two peas in a pod most of this trip even though we differ from one another in a lot of ways. However, I think our mixed views of pure doubt and over confidence toward our lone traveling actually balanced each other out; there was always one of us calm when one of us was not. Wrapping up on our time spent in Rome though, it really wasn't worth it. It was everything you would imagine; to say you've been to Vatican City, the Trevi Fountain, and Colosseum but sadly there was no "and more". We literally saw what there was to see and that was that. I would have much rather skipped Rome and headed straight to Malta, but like I said before, everything has happened this way for a reason; a reason that I am currently clueless of but have faith in the Lord that He knows, and that's all that matters. Thanks for reading, love and miss you all!

-Molly

Random Stuff:

• I had a full on Spanish conversation with an Italian when I was choosing what kind of wine I wanted.
• I've fallen down/tripped here in Europe more than I have in the past nine years; in the streets, on the sidewalks and down the stairs.
• I/we got gelato five times while being in Rome. Three scoops each time and dipped in white chocolate, and we were only there for two days. 
• Three words: pasta in Italy. Four days between Venice and Rome, and at least six different handmade pastas and sauces beyond satisfied me.

Stay tuned in for pictures that I'll be posting within the next few days!

Brew Crew

Weeks on Weeks on Weeks: I lied. I said I would try to post more often to avoid rambling, but here I am with about two weeks’ worth of filling in to do. My last post ended with me settling in to Olomouc, and I’ve since then spent a weekend back in Prague, making a day trip to Dresden while being there, and am now just unpacking from spending a couple nights in Brno. On top of my trips over the weekends a lot has happened during the weekdays. My experience thus far wouldn’t be nearly what it’s been if it wasn’t for the ten people I’ve gotten closest to. I kid you not when I say that this crew has reached family status. We’ve befriended one another in a way similar to that of brothers and sisters; we’re all so comfortable with each other, and I love it this way! It makes me miss my older brother, Luke, so much! Especially since Jacob kind of acts like Luke in some ways and looks like him, a lot! Jacob and I, and Thad too, have all been able to be gross and obnoxiously weird around each other, so it’s been really easy to get close to them. They have both taken on the role of big brother for all of us girls, and it’s much appreciated to say the least. Here we are in Brno, Jake on my right and Thad behind me!

Shenanigans: During the week prior to Prague, I took advantage of the 60 degree weather and visited one of the beautiful parks of Olomouc. On my walk I noticed several people roller- blading, as well as multiple packs of five or six people performing what seemed like taekwondo. I also witnessed not one but two children of different families being led to a pee in the grass when the bathroom was literally the same walking distance away. Kind of weird seeing in broad daylight, but apparently it’s okay here. When I brought it up to a Czech student, he told me, “People go to the bathroom wherever they please here in the Czech Republic.” (I don’t really know if he was kidding or not...) Later in the evening, a few of us experienced a night that has not and will never be forgotten. Fancy Night happened. The crew had planned that we’d get dressed up (for no real reason other than we wanted to) and go out together looking fancy. Although we did get ready, looking fabulous, five of us got left behind. We scurried to the tram to meet the rest of the crew where they said they’d wait for us, but as we were passing a stop different than the one we were supposed to get off of, we saw them waving to us on the tram as they kept on walking. By the time we got dropped off and sprinted to where we saw them from the tram, we were out of luck with ever finding their whereabouts. Nevertheless, the four ladies and I headed to the nearest location with Wi-Fi access, McDonald’s. This is only relevant because three of us got McDonald’s glasses to take home with us; it literally put the cherry on top of our Fancy Night –no pun intended! We figured that the glass they gave us in our bag cost more than our meal to make, so we were pretty stoked. We headed to the nearest tram stop beyond ready to get home and out of our heels, but we got on the wrong one. I remember laughing hysterically as the tram turned off of our main road home once, twice, three times and then stopped after the fourth or fifth turn. Frantically, Abby yelled, “Does anybody speak English!??” Fortunately one did. He told us it was only a ten minute walk, so we were homeward bound in a part of town we’d never seen before. Although his directions back to the dorms were correct, it actually took us about forty minutes to get there. Our Fancy Night will always be remembered but hopefully never repeated. During this same week, my roommate Jessi and I turned our room into the central hang-out location amongst our crew. We’ve had ladies’ pasta night, several movie nights, and lots of evenings spent “getting ready” in our room. After a night out, we headed in to town for lunch at one of the many gyro eateries in Olomouc where we ran into Jessi’s third cousin, Beth! What are the odds!?? It was incredible being there to witness it; I was so overwhelmed with joyous emotion that tears welled in my eyes! It was unbelievable that of all places Jessi runs into Beth in small town Olomouc after not seeing one another in five years. I woke up that morning saying it was going to be a good day and sure enough, it was a very good day.

Prague and Dresden: This was our first fieldtrip with the class and although many were excited to be heading back to Prague, I was indifferent about the trip. This was just because our first weekend there I was never feeling 100%. However, rearing and ready for travel I was willing to give Prague a second chance. When we arrived we checked into our hostel and toured the town with Jan (yawn) and Martin. These are two English speaking professors here at Palacký University in Olomouc that have been making the entire Czech Republic study abroad program so rewarding. They are equally full of so much knowledge, and we’re beyond lucky to have them here to better our experience. We walked and walked, seeing several of the historical sites some of us had visited a couple weeks before. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the John Lennon Wall. This wall was created to symbolize the freedom and rebellion against the communist regime. The youth of Prague made this wall of John Lennon for their admiration of his fight for peace, freedom, and equality. However, now it has sadly been taken over by a mass of graffiti. Before moving on, I stayed to listen to a guy maybe around 25 years old, sing songs of the Beatles’ in front of the wall. The playing of the guitar and singing of “Let It Be” really added to the whole visitation of the wall. Following the wall, I was taken on a climb up Petřín Hill and to the of Prague’s mini version of the Eiffel Tower. Sweaty as ever, the haul was well worth it; 299 steps later and a one of kind view awaited us. After this we were Tavern bound! The Tavern is a restaurant owned by an American, serving greasy American classics like giant hamburgers and loaded chili-cheese fries and RANCH. We girls were a little too excited to have a taste of something as simple as ranch. The next day we ventured to Pražský hrad which is Prague Castle in Czech; here we toured the cathedral, saw rooms full of coats of arms painted all over the ceilings, and the servants’ living quarters where there are a few shops and cafes. We also watched the changing of the guards, which is a pretty intricate process where guards on duty change out and someone comes to take their position. Our third day we took a train to Dresden, Germany. We began and ended our day in front of an enormous church that was bombed by the allies and then restored, having only a handful of the original bricks from before it was demolished. We were given the choice to visit either the Old Masters Picture Gallery or another castle, so trying to do something different I decided to go to the art museum. This was probably the least effective day of my weekend; the art didn’t really have much of an impact on me, but I still appreciated the opportunity to visit and found interest in some of the portraits. We met back with the entire group to climb to the top of the church, but the view wasn’t anywhere nearly as breathtaking as ones we’d seen before. Ready to head home, Taylor and I were meandering our way to get dinner before hopping on the train when our entire class went sprinting behind us to catch the train that was leaving in three minutes. With our backs turned to them as they ran past, we would’ve been waiting for forever for them to walk by and grab us to get on the train. Fortunately for Taylor and I, the train was missed by the entire group, and we found them out of breath, having a beer. Once we got back to Prague that evening, we made it to our reservations at a place called, The Pub. This place has four taps in the center of every table, seating about ten people, measuring the amount of beer that is poured into your mug. Therefore it is a competition between tables as the liters of beer for every table are projected on the big screen. We all thought this place would be awesome to have on Husker game days! (However, I don’t like beer at all, so I was just there for the fun of it!) On our last day in Prague we visited the main Jewish Ghetto there, visiting the Pinkas Synagogue and cemetery inside the ghetto. I can’t even put into words how I felt being there. If I felt this way about the ghetto I cannot fathom what the feeling will be when I visit Auschwitz in a few weeks.

Jessi and me in front of the John Lennon Wall

The view from the Prague Eiffel Tower

Several gravestones in the Jewish Ghetto

The oldest gravestones

Back Home: Almost reaching the one month mark of being away from Kearney, and Olomouc is being called home. Like I mentioned, the past week or so, we’ve gotten extremely close to each other, and for me, it’s made it easier to not waste time missing home. Last Monday, we all went out for Jenna’s 20^th birthday, went to lunch and got her a cake like it was something we’d been doing for years. My roommate Jessi and I also found a gyro place that delivers for free, and we now consider Gyradiko the Jimmy John’s of Olomouc. One of the guys here, Anthony, generously hosted a spaghetti and wine night for our entire class. Who would’ve guessed that 20 of us would fit into a dorm room!?? We had a great time and can’t wait to do it again!

Brno: This past weekend, nine of us packed up and took a bus to Brno. Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and is the capital of the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. We stayed at different hostels each of the nights but both located near much of what we wanted to see and do (also both in which I forgot to take pictures of). The day of our arrival we journeyed through the park with a fortress at the top. To our dismay it was closed, so we decided to get lunch at a place called, Pivo Richard. We were so hungry that we all engorged on a feast, tiring ourselves and having to nap. When we woke up we were all disoriented with the feeling of jet-lag, so we stayed in and played card games in our pajamas. The next day some of us were forced to buy coats because we had packed for 70 degree weather, and it was cool and drizzling rain. Our group split up for most of this day, while some went to a nearby lake, we visited the fortress of Špilberk castle which we couldn’t see the day before. This fortress was like something I’d been hoping to see during all of our castle tours, and I was finally getting to in Brno. There were staged guard rooms and torture sessions set up. It was really interesting to see how it used to be, but we agreed that we’d never want to be left alone down there! Next we visited the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, and it was beautiful to say the least. Afterwards we made our way to a Capuchin Crypt. This was my favorite part of Brno! The crypt here is a funeral room for Capuchin friars. The bodies buried in the Capuchin Monastery basement turned into mummies from the soil and system of airing. Of the 205 deceased in the crypt, 41 are preserved there today. The saying that was inscribed throughout the Crypt translates: “WHAT YOU ARE, WE WERE; WHAT WE ARE, YOU WILL BE.” The craziest part about these bodies was that a handful of them are older than the United States. We all concluded that Brno is like a “wannabe” tourist city. Although it has its historical sites for tourists, it is not as upbeat or as crowded as Prague.

Bodies in the Crypt

Brno Ladies

On top of everything I’ve also been in class for four hours every day, surprised? Every day we have Czech language with our silly instructor, Katka, followed by at least one history lecture in which the professors vary for. It’s been fun inside and outside of class, and the days are sure flying by! My next post will be about my upcoming field trips to Vienna and Venice, and then my spring break in Rome and Malta. Thanks for reading, love and miss you all!

-Molly

Random Stuff:

• No one waves here. I’m genuinely outgoing and will say “Hi!” or wave to about anyone who passes me, but here hardly any of them respond back.
• I have discovered that I am a morning person! I’m one of the few that are chipper and ready to take on the world at 8AM here.
•  I do not like beer. It’s awful, and I might even be allergic to it. On a couple of occasions I’ve found myself sick after just half of one. Wine is the way to go.
•  All of my answers can be found on Facebook. Funny story though, we had yet another pointless orientation one night after class because the university gave us the wrong student ID cards. Having the wrong identification on one of our train rides resulted in a fine. Secondly, half of our class had been unable to access the internet because the university forgot to mention the day we got here that there was a kit of cables to get internet in our rooms. Lastly, there has been a cafeteria for each dorm that we were just being told about. The guy “orientating” us yelled, “WHY ARE YOU GUYS JUST BRINGING THESE ISSUES TO ME NOW? YOU HAVE ALL BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST FOUR WEEKS. DON’T YOU KNOW THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS HANDED TO YOU? WHY HAVEN’T YOU BEEN ON FACEBOOK FINDING THIS STUFF OUT?” Kind of a joke now that all of our answers can be found on Facebook.

Fiona Bust

"Just be present in every moment. Do things that make you uncomfortable." That's just a little of what my best friend wrote to me to keep in mind during my travels. This is a simple post for my best friend, Alyssa. She's been a huge support to me as I've taken on my adventure abroad. I only wish that she could be here to experience it with me; I know she'd love it here! A little of why I'm posting this is because she is the reason for the name of my blog, "Going and Growing..." Before I left she gifted me with a small journal that I now take everywhere! It has a special note to me taking up the first few pages filled with encouragement and what I consider to be words of wisdom. She also scattered a variety of songs and quotes to listen to and read, for all moods I may be feeling. Here's a glimpse of it! (She painted the cover!)

I know that before long we'll be taking advantage of our long to travel and embark on a journey abroad of our own. I predict that no matter where we are in the years to come, we'll make time to catch up and see more of the world. Even if we're this old...

I watched these two ladies wobble onto the tram one morning and talk each other's ear off as if they hadn't seen each other in years. It made my heart smile as they turned to me only for a second to smile and then continued with their conversation. Not that I am looking forward to getting old by any means, but I can only imagine the fun it will be to tell my children and grandchildren of the memories I'd made with my best friend. From the  millions of concerts, shenanigans at Bonnaroo, and everything in between that has brought us to be the friends we are today, I can't wait to see what lies in the future! This one's for you, girl. Thanks for always believing in me and pushing me to be my own person; to only do what makes me happy. Be checking your mail these next couple of weeks, and I'll see you in June, ready as ever for round five of Bonnaroo!