As I wrap up another week, I thought I would take this post as an opportunity to talk about my life here in Prague without any real structure or purpose, other than giving some insight into my day to day life. While it’s been great sharing some “tips and tricks” that I’ve discovered over the past few weeks in themed out blog posts, I think a bit more free form, laid back chat is in order.
My actual full-semester classes started last week, and I’ve just finished up my second week of them. I’ve really enjoyed all of them so far; I think they’re going to be great classes that I’ll really like. I had enough space in my college-long four year schedule that I was able to take all elective classes while abroad; this has given me an awesome amount of freedom in not only selecting my classes here, but selecting a study abroad program to begin with. Having the freedom to chose a program without worrying about classes counting towards my major was one less (big) thing I had to worry about; it would have been especially difficult for me to find a program I could do because I have a unique major. Saving elective space for study abroad is a great way to increase your freedom of choice and decrease stress levels overall.
My program is structured so that we only have our classes once a week, with the exception of the full-semester length language class. Not all students take this class, as it is as optional as the rest, but I am so glad I enrolled in it. This schedule works great for me because, as I talked about in my last post, I have the freedom to travel or explore Prague on my long weekends, but I’m also able to have my language class twice a week, which is a great, more efficient way to learn a language than having one long class once a week. The more exposure you have and the more often that exposure occurs, the more you learn, and I’ve been learning so much helpful information that’s made living in Prague easier and easier.
I’ve discovered some favorite places in the city, as well, and I’ve developed a kind of weekend or free time routine that I always look forward to. I always like to find a good coffee shop or quiet space to write or read in, and I’ve found a few spots that are ideal for the artistic-introvert. There is an adorable English bookstore here in Prague, which has tons of gorgeous (and tempting) books, plus a cavernous basement that’s a great place to hide away and do work, write, or read. I also have two (so far) favorite coffee shops; one is open and sophisticated-French-looking and, with lights that are dimmed for the perfect relaxing atmosphere and windows showcasing the narrow winding streets that seem to branch from it, and the other is a teeny tiny (and I mean TEENY tiny) coffee shop with the nicest owner ever, unique, Wes Anderson-esque art on the walls, and the perfect mixture of jazz and classical music for relaxing and enjoying the ambiance or following some creative endeavor.
I can’t wait to uncover some more of Prague’s gems to enjoy and share with you in the weeks to come! 