Ahoy!

I love Praha!
So I have been here just about two weeks now and have moved into an apartment. These past two weeks have really been a blur, and I feel like I have been in this city forever already. I am living in Vinohrady, which is just up the street from Wenceslas Square, and am sharing an apartment with 4 other girls. Our apartment is about a 10-15 minute walk from school but there is no metro or tram, which I don’t mind yet because I am still in awe with this city- and have loved walking around.
Last week we had intensive Czech classes every morning from 9-12--- which was really rough. This language has way too many consonants. We also had some orientation lectures about how to best acclimatize to this city and adjust to life in Central Europe- there were some funny anecdotes from these. Including that Czech’s are offended when beer is not ordered in a restaurant, and also laugh at Americans because they always move furniture in restaurants. I had never noticed this before, but as soon as she said it I realized that every meal we went to we would move the furniture.
Outside of class we have been going to some really great restaurants and bars and wandering around the city. It is definitely the most confusing city I have ever been in- by far- we have gotten lost every time we try to go anywhere, but I don’t really mind besides for the cold. I have been struggling with the menu- the first night we were here Brianna and I accidentally ordered pork shoulder and cow tongue- yuck.
This past weekend I went to Amsterdam with Brianna, Lizzie and Rob and it was ridiculous. We stayed in the red light district in this tiny apartment that over looked the local scenery. It was my first time there, and it the weirdest and most contradictory city I have ever been, but very beautiful. I liked all the canals and it was a great city to visit- one night we went to an Irish Karokee bar and the next night we ended up at this pool hall with live music and some different bands playing. It was great.
We have been planning a bunch of trips and talking to people about the best places to travel- I’m really excited to see Eastern Europe and want to go to more of the random places like Croatia and Sarajevo. Well I gotta run, I have my first Czech class tomorrow at 8, but I will try to update more now that we have internet- Na Shledanou!