abakerAlyssa Baker

Alyssa, a psychology major with a concentration in psychobiology, is excited to spend the semester in Prague, Czech Republic. In the hopes of adventure, she wants to meet new people, learn a new language, try new foods, and travel whenever she gets the chance. She can't wait to experience the culture of a different place!

All articles by abaker

 

Reflecting Back on Studying Abroad

It has been three weeks since I’ve been in the United States and coming home has treated me well. I thought that I would have reverse culture shock but I adjusted back to life surprisingly in a matter of days. Of course the glorification of coming home has faded and I find my mind wondering
Continue reading...  

The Inevitable Journey Home

It is unbelievable how fast this semester went by. As my semester of studying abroad was drawing to a close, I found myself reflecting back on all that happened and all that I accomplished. Even looking back before I decided to study abroad, it seemed like a fantasy, something that I could only dream about
Continue reading...  

Happy Birthday to Me and the King!

It’s Sunday night and my program ends in less than a week. I cannot believe that I have spent almost 4 months in Europe! Time has gone by so quickly and it is is crazy to think about everything that has happened. We had a reflection week where we went to programs that my program
Continue reading...  

Roadtrippin’ in Search for Christmas

Ahoj! It’s crazy to believe that in just two short weeks, my time here in the Czech Republic will be over and I’ll be back on a plane to the United States. I’m trying to absorb as much as I can now for the time being while also trying to manage writing my final essays,
Continue reading...  

Volunteering in Prague

So this semester, I have been volunteering at a Czech high school called Gymnázium Jana Keplera (Johannes Kepler Gymnasium) conveniently down the street from my dorm where I get to spend time each week with a group of Czech students. This school is actually well-known as being one of the best schools not only in Prague,
Continue reading...  

Studying It All in while Studying Abroad

One of the major reasons why I wanted to study abroad was to get different insights and open up my mind to a better understanding of the world. I have experienced a lot so far and with only a month left before my program officially ends, I reflect back and notice all the progress that
Continue reading...  

Cheers to Ireland and London

I was only in Prague for two days for classes after I got back from Amsterdam to go to Ireland to visit my friend who was studying abroad there at Limerick University (Go Wolves!). I made sure to stop in London too! The best thing about this trip is that I was not expecting to
Continue reading...  

Finding My Heritage

It has been a couple of weeks since I have been able to post but I’ve been too busy having some awesome experiences! I’m going to break up the last weeks into several different posts so I can talk about adventures I’ve been on and some recommendations for people who plan on traveling or studying
Continue reading...  

Springtime in Praha!

So I decided to take a break from traveling and spend my Easter in my home- the City of Prague! (Although I did end up going on a day trip to Dresden on Saturday!) So you wonder what Easter is like in Prague? Well, prepared to be spanked. No seriously! A Czech tradition involves boys
Continue reading...  

Antwerp, Brussels and Brugge!

I journeyed to the beautiful land of Belgium! My friend and I planned on traveling to three different cities in Belgium in one weekend!! We ended up going to Antwerp, Brussels and Brugge! I always find it fascinating when I step of the plane and am immediately exposed to another country and their culture. I found
Continue reading...  

Getting Kray in Krakow!

Ahoj!! This weekend, I boarded a midnight bus to travel 6 hours to Poland! Although, it was a struggle to find a comfortable position to spend the night and get some much needed sleep to be ready for what was to come, it was an adventure in itself! It reminded me of the long, achy,
Continue reading...  

When in Vienna, SCHNITZEL IT UP!

The days are flying by and I feel like there is still so much to see, so much to do! I’ll be walking on my way home from class and just want to go down streets I’ve never been to and see places I’ve never seen. So I end up getting distracted but it leads
Continue reading...  

Jeden Měsíc!!! (One Month!)

It has been a crazy journey so far and I can’t believe that tomorrow marks the one month that I’ve been in Prague! This may be sappy and mushy but looking back on the past month, I am so incredibly thankful to be given this opportunity and to have support from my family and friends
Continue reading...  

Adventuring!

It has snowed in Prague!!! I’ve been in Prague for three weeks now and it still feels so unbelievable. I feel myself getting sucked within the walls of the city around me like I’m clinging to the surface, absorbing the culture of this unknown world like a like a Czech dumpling absorbing gravy in a svíčková
Continue reading...  

Falling for Prague

So I’ve finally arrived!!!!!!! I’m on the other side of the map!! (Side Note: And…. my computer charger arrived… a week later!! I made the classic mistake of taking my computer charger out to fit something else and never put it back in. Although I’ve been deprived of the internet and the safety of normalcy
Continue reading...  

Map on My Wall

I’ve had a map on the wall of my room for as long as I could remember. As I glance at it now, I can’t help but trace my finger from where I am in New York to where I’ll be spending the next four months of my life in Prague. But the map is
Continue reading...