Having the opportunity to live and learn in two amazing, unique cities has given me different perspectives on the information that was being taught. Living in Prague, we were located in a prime location within the city. It was amazing having the ability to walk everywhere. Living in a walkable city made navigation much easier, which ultimately made adapting to the city a smoother process. Krakow is set up in a similar way where walking everywhere made the transition easier. Both cities have their unique charm that made me appreciate each of them in an individual way. One of the most enjoyable things about Prague was the architecture and the history behind each and every building. Krakow has a lot of rich history as well, but I enjoyed the authenticity that can be found in the city. Krakow wasn’t as full of tourism which was very noteworthy. In both cities I was staying in hotel rooms with one other roommate. One of the biggest similarities to the cities I was in and Pittsburgh, was the ability to walk to most places. On top of that, if a destination isn’t in walking distance both cities have public transportation that is accessible and easy to navigate.

The program I was on was an economics based class, so many of the lectures we had were on the economics behind each of these countries. We had the opportunity to have guest lectures from those native to each country on economics and the political climates’. It was interesting hearing from those who experience the topics that we would discuss. In such an academic environment it is important to have good listening skills. Each lecture was taught in a different style so having the ability to listen well and be flexible to different environments is essential.