My second week here in Prague was a packed one. I started my internship at EARCH.cz, an online architecture magazine based in the city. I spent my weekdays getting adjusted to my new commute, office, coworkers, and workload. I was definitely nervous my first couple of days, but now I feel I’ve settled in. While I’m not completely comfortable in this office just yet, I feel I’ve found a comfortable spot with my boss and my coworkers.

Outside of the workday, I’ve been learning to adjust with my personal life too. I’m getting the hang of Prague’s awesome public transport, strengthening my new friendships, navigating public spaces like grocery stores a little easier, and exploring more of this beautiful city. As I get more comfortable, living here in the Czech Republic is starting to feel less foreign and more like a place I could easily live in.

While I think my internship is a good fit, there definitely are some aspects that are out of my comfort zone, the biggest being the language barrier. All my coworkers are very friendly and kind to me, but I’m finding myself struggling to communicate and participate in conversation. Despite them all being fluent in English, it’s only natural that they speak Czech in the office. This makes meetings and office banter go straight over my head, considering I don’t speak the language. The articles I’ve written have to be translated from English to Czech and then edited, which doesn’t leave me totally confident in my work. I know this is just a hump that both my editor and I will have to get over, I just hope that it’s soon.

I am also adjusting to being in a new world of design and architecture. I have zero background in the study of architecture, so I was nervous going into an office where I would be expected to write articles about it. But I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and patient my boss has been. My first day was spent with me researching and reading European architectural news, letting me get a feeling of the industry. After that, I found it a little easier to piece together articles based on research and advice from my editor.

I haven’t had a difficult time managing my time at EARCH. My editor will give me an assignment either the day before or when I get to the office in the morning. I then have the whole day to work on it, which I like. I enjoy having one task at a time that I can focus on, so that way I’m able to tweak and perfect my writing as much as I want. I don’t find the work to be very complicated, so I have easier days of being able to focus on my task ahead of me comfortably. If I have a question, which I’ve found I often do, someone will always helpfully provide an answer or help me out.

I’ve enjoyed the more laid-back feeling in my work place, compared to how the U.S. is. At home, everyone is go go go and there’s an expectation to finish things as quickly as possible. Here in Prague, I’m able to take my time. My coworkers encourage me to take a longer lunch and to take my time on my assignments. The workday is done promptly at 5 and no one is expected to even answer an email after. Even with it being a publication with deadlines, there’s less of a sense of urgency that I find to be more enjoyable.

Looking back at my first week as an intern in Prague, I see that the work itself isn’t a challenge, it’s learning how to be comfortable in unfamiliar places. Gathering up courage to ask for clarification in an office where conversations in Czech are flying over my head or navigating a grocery store where every food feels a little foreign has been the hardest part of my past two weeks. But every time I find myself getting more confident and comfortable, it boosts my independence.

I am excited to step into my third week here. I’m looking to continue building relationships with my coworkers and becoming more confident in the work place and in my writing. I’m also motivated to explore more of Prague and plan some trips to travel more around Central Europe.