1)Daily Life

Daily life in a Study aboard at UNK is changing since the day you get to the place that you will call home for the next few months of your life. This being my third study aboard I have gotten to experience daily life many time and see how daily life changes you. The moment you get into the new country everything you do from ordering food to finding some old building to tour is a new experience.

So as you go on throughout the study aboard you get used to some of the new experiences but still find new experiences every day. With that being said on a study aboard there is no actual daily life. You as a person is changing and becoming stronger with every day passing. You meet new people, and have new laughs about some little thing that is so funny to the group of people you are with. Even when you bring it up a year later it is still funny.

With this program about to be to an end we have to have so many hard goodbyes. The group of people you come with almost become like a family to you over the last couple months spending day in and day out with one another. Of course everyone in the group has there ups and downs. Everyone goes through missing loved one back home, being sick, and having the time of their lives with the people around us.

I can’t say this enough but studying aboard is truly a life changing event which makes you try so many new things and learn a whole different culture. Everyone that I have come here with is leaving Olomouc as a whole new person. This has opened everyone eyes to the wonderful world of traveling.

With that being said there are also some hard times ahead for all of us going back to the United States. We have been away so long that life was moving forward back home and we have been in a stand there but have been opening our hearts and minds in another country. The transformation back to what some would call reality can be really hard. We won’t be experiencing new things every day and all the memories we made wont sound as good to family and friends when we tell them the stories of us getting lost or meeting someone new.

However, I think everyone in the United States that goes to college should study aboard. It’s truly a one of a kind experience that can’t be expressed in blogs or Facebook pictures. So if anyone is reading this blog and is unsure about studying aboard for some reason my advice is “just do it!” My advice to you is don’t think about it too much and dive right in! Some wait too long in there college years to do one and end up never doing a study aboard then later in their life they will regret it. 

8) Field Trip 2

This weekend was a whirlwind of emotions. I had such a good experience spending time in my ancestor homeland of Poland. This was my first time being to Poland and I could say it was just my style. We stayed in Krakow for two nights in which we explored the biggest town square in Central Europe. One of the most famous items in Krakow is stone called Amber which is actually sap from ancient trees that is found under ground around Krakow that has been there for millions of years.

               The first day of being in Krakow we toured the salt mine a little bit outside the city. This was such a huge place! This mine was used for over 300 years and I couldn’t picture what it looked like before they made it into a museum.

 After we checked into our hostel we were free to do whatever we wanted, the city was very alive because it was a Friday. A few of us walked around the square and went to the park. After a while of walking we sat in the main square and had a couple of drinks chatting away.

               The next morning we woke up pretty early to look through the castle and treasury. After the museums I found the best burger place that tops any hamburgers that I have had in Europe. This hamburger reminds me of home, because Nebraska is very well known for their good beef.

               That night I went to bed early knowing that I needed to prepare myself for a life changing experience in the morning. On Sunday morning after a little bit of rain fall we visited Auschwitz. I have learned about Auschwitz trough out high school and college but not pictures of this place can describe how it feels besides actually being there. I felt so sick hearing all the stories that the Nazis would do to these innocent people. I never thought I would be able to visit Auschwitz in my life and have learned so much from these field trips of actually visiting of what I have learned about in the classroom. 

4) Language Issues

My mind is in chaos right now because our time here is coming very rapidly to an end. This is crazy to think about because it felt like the first week end here was so long ago but there were so many great memories that have been made. Since we are over the peak and the time is a month less it has made me sad. Today’s blog however is going to be about language issues.

To begin with, I am no stranger to being in foreign countries and hanging around people at UNK that don’t speak so much English. One of the things here though that surprises me the most is there are people that speak English that are from here but I meet them in the most random places. One of the best English speakers I have met was a Mexican restaurant that was just a hole in the wall down some random Olomouc street.

               So of the hardest language issues I come across are in the restaurant that doesn’t have English on their menu and so it is always a lottery of what you might have for supper. I just close my eyes and choose something random.

               To be honest, being here has improved my Charades game tenfold. If I run into someone that can’t speak English I began to act out what I am trying to find or wanting. The people are always so kind in doing so they are there and want to help you. I am sad because I could maybe not say the same for foreign people that come to America not knowing any English.

               I am blessed to have been a native speaker of English. Beside Chinese, English is the most common language used around the world. The Erasmus students are students from all over Europe coming to Czech to study here. They all speak different languages but learn in English here. This has become very handy because I have been able to talk to people from around Europe and learn a few words spoken in their language. 

This weekend was a Mayday celebration that had live music in the Square. Jon and I had some good food there and listen to amazing music!