I’m starting off this work week tired, but happy from travel. I was able to spend almost a full three days in Budapest this weekend, which I thought was a super cool and exciting city. With the insane architecture of the Buda Castle and lavish Parliament building, fun cruise on the Danube River, delicious goulash and làngos, and active nightlife, Budapest lived up to my expectations.

Being able to walk through the streets of another European city made me realize how cool of an opportunity this internship abroad has given me. I’m able to gain real-life work experience during the weekdays, and catch a train to another city the second the weekend starts. I will definitely be planning out more places to travel to make sure I can experience everything that I can.

My routine here in Prague has become more natural as I am continuously getting used to my day-to-day life here. I’ve settled into a commute and work routine, and have established my favorite grocery store and jogging routes. The only thing I’m not prepared for is the incoming summer heat, which is hard to escape as air conditioning is not super common here.

I am content at my internship at EARCH.cz. Last week, we had a day of events to go to which was a good way to break up the typical work week. I was able to attend a press conference for a nearby museum, and then headed out of the city to an architecture exposition. Although I didn’t understand a word that day since everything was in Czech, it was interesting to see that side of the world of architecture and journalism. I also got to appreciate the perk of free snacks.

I have also gotten more comfortable with my coworkers. While the slight language barrier still stands, it’s become clear to me they are genuinely interested in who I am and where I come from. They’ve been especially excited to introduce me to Czech culture, giving me travel recommendations, pointing me to the best traditional food, and even bringing in Czech desserts to the office for me to try.

As with starting most new jobs, I’ve experienced some uncertainty at my internship. While I have two years of journalistic experience under my belt, this world of architecture is new to me. I’ve been struggling to make sure that my writing fits EARCH’s standards, since I just don’t have the architectural knowledge that my coworkers do. But I’ve found that as long as I seriously consider my editor’s feedback and make sure to ask plenty of follow-up questions, my writing turns out okay. I am hopeful that as the days go on I’ll become more and more comfortable and get a hang of EARCH-style articles.

Overall, this past week has shown me how much I’m learning inside and outside of the workplace. Between exploring Budapest, settling into life in Prague, and continuing to grow in my role at EARCH, I feel like I am becoming more confident and adaptable each day. I am excited to keep learning from my coworkers, improving my writing, and making the most of the opportunities this experience abroad has to offer. As the summer continues and Prague’s sunshine starts coming out, I look forward to seeing where both my travels and my internship take me next.