Officially in Prague

So, we made it to Prague at about 6 pm last night. So I am officially here and all moved into my room. But backing up a bit to where I last left off about two days ago when I was on my way to Munich...

We arrived in Munich about 12 pm and drove to our hotel. The size of the hotel room that we stayed in was about the size of standard master bedroom closet...and that included the bathroom. It was the smallest hotel room I have ever been in. We had about two hours after we got there before we were going to head out again to talk a walking/driving tour of Munich. So, obviously, I took a nap. The first half of the tour was in a bus, and it was pretty cool. I would say, in my opinion, that Munich isn't quite the tourist trap that London was. There wasn't really anything "big" that I was like, "Oh, I'm so glad I finally got to see that." Instead, it was just kinda like a history of Munich that we heard from the guide. The second half of the tour was a walking tour, and I had on the wrong shoes. They got soaked in the onslaught of snow and slush that was everywhere. It snowed pretty much the whole time we were in Munich. My feet were so cold and so wet by the time we reached our hotel room after the tour and dinner, that I was in physical pain.

We decided upon arrival at our hotel after dinner that we would go out again later to what one of the guys called the "factory district." It was basically a section of Munich where a bunch of old factories and warehouses had been changed into clubs and pubs. So we played cards and had drinks in the lobby of the hotel before we headed out at around 10 pm. Any further stories about what followed that night will only be shared with a select few, but I will say that it was a night I will never forget! :D

I got back to the hotel around 3 am and left the next morning around 11 am for the 6 hour bus ride into the Czech Republic and then Prague. We arrived around 6 pm last night. I went to a quick dinner of Italian food, and then headed back to my dorm because I was so excited about unpacking and not having to live out of my suitcase anymore! I got it all unpacked last night and went to bed relatively early...around 12:30 am. :) SInce we arrived in Prague after dark, we didn't really get to see the city until this morning. We were taken on a "familiarize yourself" with the city walking/metro/tram tour. The AIFS staff wanted to show us which metros to take to get to our classes, to their offices, to the post offices, to restaurants, etc. There was soooooo much information on that tour about which direction was which...my brain hurts now just thinking about it. It's not even easy to take the metro because the names of the stops are so confusing. The Czech language is notorious for its lack of vowels. A lot of their words don't have then at all! So, we had a meeting after our tour around Prague in which we learned a lot of important information for our time in Prague, and it lasted about 2 hours.

In order to save time and space, I won't bore you guys with details of my shopping trips around Prague today, but I will say this about Prague...it is by far the most beautiful city I have ever been in. It isn't like a lot of European cities in which they build the new alongside the old, here...everything is old. The whole city is alive and teeming with the charm and mysteries of times past. Everything is so beautiful and every time I look up from my map (which I carry at all times) I can't believe that it's real. Of every city in Europe, I couldn't have chosen a city more perfect for me. I am so excited to live here, and learn the language (which will be an invaluable skill) so that I can become immersed in a culture and town full of unseen magic!

Hopefully, I will be able to get some more information up tomorrow, but I only get Internet in the dorm lobby right now, because that's the only place that gets wireless. I can't hook up ethernet for a few more days, and I am now very low on battery.

So, I made it

Well, I already feel like I have been in Europe for two weeks instead of three days. However, the total amount of sleep that I have gotten since I left is about 10 hours...and that is no estimation. Jet lag hasn't been as bad as everyone made it out to be...it has actually been one of the easiest things to adapt too. However, I still have about 2 hours to gain as we travel towards Prague.

I arrived in London, via Boston, about 5:30 am London time. I was able to catch about two hours of sleep on the plane...which saved me later. We arrived at our hotel, which was very nice, about 8:30 am, and found out we couldn't check in until about 2 pm. So, they let us store our luggage in a basement room, and then we were on own in London! I paired up with a girl that I met on the flight out of Raleigh, and she proved to be a really nice person that I enjoyed traveling around with. It took us a while to figure out the Tube (which is what they call the underground metro system), and found out later in the trip that we had pretty much taken the long way to everything. Not fun. That first day we went to St. Paul's Cathedral, the replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theater, Tate Modern Art Museum, London Bridge, and several smaller sights along the way. However, since we were on own, the most we did at any of these sights was take pictures. We did take a tour of the Globe Theater, and that was my favorite thing of the day.

We went back to our hotel room around 2pm, checked in, and then set about keeping ourselves awake. There was a welcome drink at 6 pm in the hotel restaurant, so we could mingle and so that important information could be shared with us. There are 72 of us altogether traveling to Prague, so needless to say, I haven't met everyone yet. The people I hang out with most right now are actually the group of about 11 that all flew out of Boston together. Anyway, after the welcome drink, a group of us went out for a light dinner and drinks. We went to a nearby pub and ordered the traditional London meal of fish and chips with beer. Loved the fish and chips...discovered beer isn't my favorite thing. But we will see how things go...there are lots of different drinks to try. We got back to the room around 11:30 pm. End of the first day...ridiculous, I know.

Yesterday, we had an early start at 8:30 am for a three hour tour of the highlights of London. We saw Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and lots, lots more. Some of the places we were able to get out of the bus and take pictures, some places we couldn't. After that ended at about 12:30 pm, we were on our own again to tour London, and maybe revisit some of the places on the tour. A group of us decided to go to the National Art Gallery. We saw Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Rafael, DaVinci, and more...it was really cool. But after that, everyone was wiped, and so we went back to the hotel for a nap before...wait for it...WICKED!!! About 20 of us got discounted tickets to WICKED the Musical...they were about 25 pounds...not bad at all. It was the most amazing show ever!!!! Words cannot even describe how excited about that show I was, and it met every expectation. Amazing. Really.

Then we hoped back on the Tube and went to a pub for dinner after the show nearer to our hotel. We got back to the hotel around 11:45 pm.

Unfortunately, we had to get up at 4:30 am this morning to be ready to go at 5:30 am to the airport...which is where I am currently sitting. In about an hour I will say goodbye to London and hello to Munich. I am sorry that this post was so long, I will try to break it up a bit more in the future, but getting Internet is a bit tricky while we are traveling. However, once I get to Prague it should be easier. If you have any questions or anything, let me know...other than that, I think I about summed everything up.

I can't wait to sleep on the plane.

the deep breathe before the plunge

Well, here I am at last. I am really anxious, but also excited about what the future holds for me now. I know that tomorrow will usher in one of the biggest adventures of my life thus far, and I can't wait! I am a sad to leave behind my friends, but my prayer is that God would bring someone into my life for these next four months who will make the separation a bit more bearable. I am pretty much packed...except for a lot. I don't know how on earth I am going to be ready to leave tomorrow. This has been the most anti-climactic preparation week ever! I wouldn't even feel like I was leaving tomorrow if I didn't have to get up at 7:30 a.m. to shower and finish packing.

I have to be strong for my family, especially my dad, because they are already freaking out about my being overseas for 4 months, but to tell the truth, this whole endeavour is kinda scary. But, those emotions must be kept under wraps for at least the next five days. I don't have the time or effort to devote to being afraid, so I will devote them instead to being fearless. This is the deep breathe before the plunge.

packing

So, I am spending most of the day packing, and finally reading the enormous amount of pre-departure information that I have gotten in the past month. Yesterday, I got some of those space-saving bags you see on the t.v. infomercials, and they work like a charm! I put my comforter, pillow, and a blanket in one of the bags, sucked the air out, and it now takes up like three inches in the bottom of my suitcase! It's going to be perfect for the trip. I feel like everyone judges you based on how much stuff you bring...cause let's be honest, one of the first things you notice about a traveling companion is how much they are bringing compared to what you are bringing, and what they bring that you wish you had thought of. At least, that is what I do :) I just hope when people first meet me that they don't think I'm some sort of prima donna who needed a whole suitcase for my shoes kinda . Silly insecurities I know.

I had a cousin who came over from Germany, and she managed to only need one large suitcase and a large carry-on, and she stayed for 4 months...the same amount of time I will be spending in Prague. Albeit, she didn't have to pack bedding or kitchen utensils or winter clothes (Danja, my cousin, was here for the spring and summer months). I don't know, I guess we will see how it goes!

something to get this thing started...

I am new to this whole blogging thing, but I figured I would give it a try, because there is no better way that I can think of to keep up with all the emotions I will feel and all the place I will go than to write it down soon after it happens. And I am more likely to update this, then to physically write in a journal...this also keeps everyone else up to date as well. Not that I'm lazy, but telling everyone the same stories for a month after I get back will get really old really quick. This way, everyone already knows the same stories.

Also, I thought about, and I have decided to be a grown-up and type in full, complete sentences with correct grammar and punctuation...mostly. :) I like using three dots (...) to convey pauses or comedic effect, and I will probably add an occasional emoticon for emphasis. So, if I get lazy in my posts, please feel free to remind me that I did not just learn how to spell, and to step up my effort. I think it will be worth it in the end.

So, I leave for Prague in about 8 days. The reality of that statement hasn't even begun to take effect like it should! I have so much to do that it's laughable. How will I get it all done in the time allotted....that, as they say, is the question.