Shortly after my first post from Prague, I went to Berlin for the weekend. Going to Berlin, made me appreciate Prague so much more. Berlin was much more expensive, and not as pretty. Berlin, like much of Europe is on the Euro, and the majority of the city was under construction. For anyone considering study abroad, I highly recommend Prague. At the risk of sounding biased, allow me to state my numerous reasons. First of all Prague is a beautiful city. It is full of rich culture, and amazing architecture. Also the dollar is around twice as strong as the Czech koruna. I spend only between 10-20 dollars on a typical day, which includes food, and activities such as museums. An average meal costs under five dollars. My money goes a lot farther then it would someplace. I was in Berlin for only two days, and spent as much in that time, I would in Prague for over a week. The best thing about Prague is that no day is ever the same. Tomorrow will be different then today, and today was different then yesterday. I am really enjoying my two courses. They are rigorous, but also a lot of fun. My professors are intelligent, kind, yet challenging individuals. I feel that I am learning a lot.

One of my favorite memories of this entire trip is from yesterday. A group of my friends got together and had an American style fourth of July celebration in Prague. My friend Chelsea has a grill, and we barbecued in the park. We made hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, and grilled vegetables. Chelsea has been here ten months, so she has a lot of local friends as well. It was nice to meet Czech locals for the first time. It is hard being in an American program, and only speaking English to meet locals, so I was very excited. We spent hours in the park. They also had music, and one point Chelsea and I got up to dance. The park was absolutely beautiful, and I really want to go back.

I still have my fair share of struggles in Prague, even though I am enjoying my time here overall. I had a mini freak out last week, worrying about my classes. I underestimated how much effort would go in to taking six credits in less then a month. Charles University is also a highly ranked university. I do not think I have put forth this much effort in my entire college career thus far, since the summer program is very much accelerated. I calmed down a lot though. Midterms are on Monday and Tuesday, and once they are done, things will be a lot easier. I also worry that people do not like me, and often times find myself getting overly sensitive, and anxious. It is hard being with the same people day after day at times. It is also easy to get on each other’s nerves being in such close corridors. I have good days and bad days here, but I try very hard to just focus on the good. That seems to work for the most part. A part of me never wants to leave Prague, but a part of me is excited to go home. I miss my family and friends. I crave whats comfortable and familiar. As corny as this may sound, studying abroad really makes you grow as a person. It forces a person to step outside of their comfort zone, and navigate new situations. If you are always comfortable you are not growing, and this is not a good thing. I want home now, but once I leave I am going to want to go back to Prague. I constantly need to remind myself to relax, I do have friends, and a good time here. I tend to stress myself out over every little thing, which is something I am trying to work on. The rest of my weekend is going to be spent preparing for midterms, but hopefully I will have lots of adventures to share with you next week. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Until next time.

-Emily