It is hard to believe that it is already the month of July and I am halfway through the program. My time in the Czech Republic has been an incredible experience thus far, full of adventure, fun times, and memories. I remember how nervous I was when I left for Prague back in June, as I had never been to Europe before. It was similar to the feeling of going to college for the first time, unsure of what is to come but nevertheless, excited to see what happens next. To no surprise, I quickly fell in love with the city of Prague and never looked back since. I remember when I first arrived in Prague, I instantly could tell how traditional the country was. In general, this part of the culture has been very difficult to assimilate to. Residents are a lot less friendly, do not enjoy speaking to English natives, and do not stray away from their customs/routines. However, this does not mean I do not enjoy being in their presence but it can sometimes be very frustrating dealing with individuals who are more closed-off. I completely understand that I am the outsider and from an inside perspective, I should be the one speaking their language and mirror their customs. Many times I have tried to learn phrases to get by in short conversations but always fall short as I mostly never understand what is said back to me. When I try to switch to English, most individuals get visibly upset and annoyed. In essence, the effort just backfires and I have pretty much given up on speaking Czech, but rather use the phrase in Czech that asks “do you speak English”. Another part of my host country’s culture that has been difficult to assimilate to are common social norms. It is very common for people to not be friendly to those who they are not close with. There is no such thing as “southern hospitality” which I grew up on where people are nice to you regardless if they know you. In public, people do not smile at you when they pass you and will not waste time on meaningless small talk. They are respectful of those around them, but truly do not care about how the other person is doing. I am very extroverted and personable so it has been difficult muting my antics. My days have gone almost completely silent until I get home from work as I do not speak on public transportation or make small talk with coworkers. In the workplace, the only part that has been difficult is understanding there is not much stress on actual work. I have grown so accustomed to the work culture of corporate America and always being on the go. The difference in Prague when it comes to work is that they care more about teaching me the ways of the business for my experience rather than giving me monotonous administrative work. This has tested my patience a lot as most workdays involve no such tasks at all but listening to/shadowing my supervisors. Again, this is not bad but has been very different to how I have structured my work ethic.

I have really enjoyed working at my office so far and appreciate those that I have been able to build a relationship with. My team members are very welcoming and truly care about making my experience worthwhile. On a personal note, this past weekend, I was able to travel to Split, Croatia with a few friends from my program. This destination has been the best trip yet as it was great to get away from the city vibe. We hiked two hours up a mountain to get 360 views of the whole city, relaxed on a pebble beach, and even enjoyed an eight hour boat excursion that took us to a shipwreck, an island village, and a private beach. The cold water of the Adriatic sea was very refreshing and worth the delays we had arriving and departing the country. I gained a new fear of sea urchins on this trip as there was an abundance of them throughout the shallow waters. I had to be very careful not to step on them with my bare feet as that would have definitely ruined the whole trip. The weather was a lot hotter than we were used to back in Prague but the views, sunsets, and vibes made up for it. Croatia is a beautiful country and I hope that I can travel back sometime in the near future. There are 26 more days left in my program and I am making sure that I will make the most of it. Cheers!