Where am I now? oh yeah....America

Back. I've been back in reality for a week now and this is the first time I have been able to bring myself to write a final blogg entry, a final goodbye to Prague in a way. I have been trying to assimilate back into the world of english speakers and non-cobblestone streets, and slowley things have been "returning to normal", yet Prague has still managed to stay a part of me and my everyday life. Today was the first day I was able to bring myself to change the time on my computer clock back to normal, my facebook back into english (althouh I might switch back for the fun of it) and put American money back into my wallet and pretend like I didn't spend the last 4 months in a foriegn country. I love being home, being with my family and friends, being able to text without worrying about how many CZKs I am using, homemade food and the couch in my living room, but its still strange to be here. It's just a different feeling establishing a life abroad and then having to leave it, and you can't understand until it happens to you.

So let's see: back home, jobless for now except some babysitting jobs lined up, getting ready to find an apartment to move into in the fall, and getting ready for a new semester to begin. Catching up with everyone who I have been away from for so long and re-learning how to drive and make coffee. Pluses about being home- my piano and having coffee every morning, and afternoon and night. Minuses: not speaking czech and not being able to buy wine.

The trip home was one I would like to forget but probably never will. We ended out time in Prague with a trip to the largest club in Central Europe, Karlovy Lazne, after breaking out onto the balcony and lighting candels and enjoying wine together. We stayed at the club till about 4am, since we had to leave at 6am anyway, went home and packed away the last minute things (luckily noticing that I packed my passport at the bottom of my giant suitcase.) and headed out into the rain to load our luggage into the van and leave Prague forever. (ok hopefully not forever but close enough for now). At the airport I once again faced the fact that I overpack and my suitcase was over the weight limit even when you pay more. So there I was at 6:30am throwing things onto the floor from my suitecase and proceeding to layer my clothing, under both winter jackets. DIsaster. I made it to my first connection and then to my 9 hour flight across the ocean, in the middle of the afternoon on an asile seat, so sleep was not an option. After an awful movie and a pretty good German one, tons of food and multiple bathroom trips and a weird eye from the large polish man who wanted a conversation, we landed in Newark where I was a hot mess if I have ever seen one. No sleep in 24 over 24 hours, 2 winter coats and 2 heavy carry ons, and 2 giant suitcases that weighed more than 100 pounds together. there I was dragging all of this back through customs and waiting in line to recheck my bags to Rochester. Well when they told me it was overweight and I would have to pay I literly began to cry and they just checked them and let me through. thank god because there was about to be some intense problems. SO there I was chillin in the airport, everyone in shorts and sandles and Im in 2 winter coats basically crying becuase my phone doesnt work, I have no idea what time it is and my flight is delayed. Plus I missed my home, my Praha home. I was sitting next to a middle age business man on his way to florida with who I assume is his mistrss as she was young and hot and spoke very broken spanish english. SUCH a movie scene. Finally borded the plane and took my seat and began sobbing, for the remainder of the flight as well. On the smallest plane with maybe 40 people. The woman sitting across the asile from me handed me a gossip magazine to see if I wanted to read it, so you know I must have been a mess. I was feeling very displaced. Finally landed and now, Im back and it's like it never even happened.

I did look at my frist post ever and decided to update how my expectations came out 4 months later:

1. Coffee in Prague was just awful. there is no out for them at all. This feeling is felt by everyone- example in Mission Impossible 1 tom cruise mentions that the coffee in PRague sucks. I am not alone. Who would have thought I and Tom Cruise would agree on something.

2. Good bands from Prague: Well not too many but I was able to find a few. Ok only 1 that is Czech. Mandrage. I'm really sunburned right now and can't think very well so I guess I would call it punk rock but not really good charlotte style... better than that. Whatever it's in Czech. Also this band called Morandi, from Romania. Very good and very European, and in English! so I would call this a success.

3. Well in regards to finding a J-Lo buttload of fun- definite success. I probably haven't had this much fun in college ever, possibly based around the fact that I did basically no school work at all. thats another story I don't think I will talk about in public.

When it comes to things I didn't want to find, of which bad weather topped that list, lts just say didn't have so much good luck. possibly because the enire 4 months was cold and snowy except for a nice 2 weeks, absloutely not including the last day in Praha. Luckily there were no arrests and I even made it through customs with my licsence plate! SUCCESS!

So I guess this is it. No more fun adventures to blogg about, life is going back to normal. ROchester for the summer then moving back to NYC for good. Here's to this blogg and all of you who read it. Hope it was entertaining. We'll always have Prague...

Unconcete prosim, vystup a nastup dvere se zavirayi. Příští stanice....America?

This is my last post from Praha. Honestly I can't even believe it. 4 months later and Praha has become my home, and this time when I get to the airport and on that plane....Im not coming back. Im going to try to leave out all the sappy "I'm gonna miss it here so much" and fill in the last week or so...

Last Sunday, last Sunday here, I ran in the Prague International Marathon fun run thing that started and ended in Staré Město.
On Saturday CLarke and I went to went to the marathon expo in Holšovice and then went to meet Chris and Caitlin at the beer garden, this really great place in Letna Park that has beer and overlooks the entire city, as you sit outside at picnic tables. Great view. Before getting there we got a little lost, and by that I mean we had no idea where we were and an hour of walking later finally found it.
Sunday was the race and It was a really short race but was actually really fun and was a nice tour of old town and the river. I met some interesting people including an american teaching english in Austria. PLUS... got a medal. Yup. the race was only 4.6km and I got a really cool medal with the Praha logo thing on it and the neck part is the color of the flag. It's amazing how much Czech pride I have gained being here. Oh yeah... nothing about missing prague.

After the race we went on a farewell boat cruise that the school hosted, complete with hot and cold food and wine on tap. It was so nice out and sunny and It was really great to spend time with everyone that we went to school with (well maybe not everyone but most people) and have a nice boat ride with the Jaurisova sešters.

Monday started the boring week of finals. Everything went fine I guess, I just wasn't really into studying at all so...I have no idea how it went. My Czech final, however, went amazingly! výborne! I got an A and I'm going to really miss taking Czech. I surprised myself being able to learn a language that quickly and well enough to have a conversation, read signs and listen in on conversations on the tram! Plus I had the best teacher who I am so going to miss! By tuesday night all my finals were over and things were looking up! Packing began and we shared some wine and conversatio on the balcony with candles and blankets. A perfect night.

Wednesday I went to little school with Clarke, who has been teaching little kids, like 6 year olds, english. They showed me everything they have learned and we sang row row row your boat. They were so adorabele!!!! After that we all went to this place called U sudu, which is a medevil themed resturant, which has AMAZING potato pancakes!!! After we went on a walk through Václavské náměstí and old town and took pictures of everything you would never notice living there. Includig the Jan Palach memorial that I never thought to go look at but is actually really beautiful.

Im so gonna miss Praha!

That night we went out to this little Czech place popo Cafe and got drinks and just enjoyed the company...and took artsy pictures!

After drinks we went for the typical and last Smažený sýr at our favorite place and then went on a new adventure to this palce cross club, which is actually probably one of the coolest places I have been in Prague. There are all these tunnels and stairs that lead to different rooms, like a fooseball room dance rooms, bars and there is even food, like the syr! All the seating is old like train and airplane seats and everythig is made of twisted metal and lights. We found a really cool place to sit above the ground seats on these two balcony like areas where you basically have to crawl to your seat because the ceiling is so low and you can look over the edge and watch everyone.
Perfect second to last night. Today is all about finishing the packing, last Czech meal, and staying out all night to catch the sunrise and then leave for the airport. Im gonna end here before I get all reminicient. I'll save that for a layover....

April Showers bring May flowers...except in Praha where it just rains MORE

SO this title was meant for the entire last week since it rained literly every day (každý den for those of you who prefer Czech), and I decided to wait to write until now, the first day it was actually nice out and didn't rain. Oops. But for the most part its true.

Nothing has really happened worth documenting in this here blogg. Last week of classes has led to a crazy write-papers-before-they-are-due weekend... and last weekend in the Praha. Began pretty boring, writing all day, however just got back from a birthday celebration which was great! 1 liter pivos and a stop off at Prague Cayote ugly led to a successful night. Now im back and looking to write some more of a paper so I don't have to later.... yes it is already 1am here.

Thought I would list some things I am so looking forward to in America, and some things I am definitel going to miss from the Česká republika.

American things I can't wait to return to:
- Garbage plates
-Bagels and coffee every morning
-runnig in the park at home
-Pandora
-Awful American TV
-speaking english
-radio stations
-Peanut butter and chocolate
-milk that doesn't last for weeks
-Real chicken wings (yay western NY)
-my couch
-my bed
-free water at restaurants
-WEGMANS
-target
-Abbotts frozen custard- after Bill Grays
-leaf and bean/lovin cup
-late birthday cake hopefully my mom will make
-being able to read labels on food
-all my clothes I left behind
-my piano
MY CELL PHONE/TEXTING
-coffee. real coffee. including going out for coffee, coffee carts, early morning coffee. everything
-panda paws ice cream
-ice cubes
-big backyard
-burgers
-herbal esscesnce shampoo
-my hair straightner
-plugs without adaptors
-free laundry/dryer sheets
-MY SHOES
-all the crap i forgot i own and probably isnt important but will be happy to see again
-bathtubs


Things I will miss greatly about Praha
-being able to order wine at dinner
-buying wine for my house
-the old builings
-seeing a castle on the way to school and thinking nothing of it
-speaking czech
-cheap prices of everything
-tramvaje
-sleeping in
-polite people.... for the most part
-bar barretta
-having google come up in czech
-making up czech words and having people understand
-being able to travel all the time
-using Kournas instead of dollars
-living on Jaurisova/praha 4/ the ghetto
-referring to everything as being communist
-riding public transportation to the airport
-bagels and coffee... which had semi ok bagles and not brewed coffee
-disko cookies and milka bars
-tesco
-having the potrav downstairs and refering to it as the potrav
-late night study sessions in which no one studies
-getting carded on the metro and showing them my cesky pass
-19 CZK hotdogs in old town, and hot wine on the streets
-refering to 2pm as 14 o clock and things in celcius


I cant really think of anything else right now/i have to work on my paper. In other words its bittersweet leaving this country to return to America.

The Perfect Praha Weekend: Paddle boats, Picnic, Petrin Hill, and... ZOO

Second to last weekend in Praha ends today. Ask me 2 weeks ago if I was ready to go home and I would have jumped on a plane no question. Ask me now and I'll reply that I can't believe it's already been 4 months and I'm only here for 2 more weeks. I have fallen in love with Prague on a whole different level now with the weather as beautiful as it has been this weekend and the countdown to departure right on my doorstep. Yes I am ready to go home and experience America once again, this time with a more outside perspective, and Im so ready to sit on the couch in my living room for 3 days straight and watch mindless tv. But Prague has once again proved to charm even the most homesick and gave us the best weekend spent here.

Friday was supposed to be beautiful so we planned an entire day of seeing the Prague we had missed from the snow and below zero tempetures it had been for the past 3 months. The day began with a trip to Tesco to get supplies, mainly bread cheese and wine, and head over to the Vltava for some paddle boating. I have been dreaming of the paddle boats all winter so this was it! we rented 2 boats for the 6 of us and headed out to the river, around an island and "parked" for a little picnic in the middle of the river, casting out greetings to the other friendly boat drivers, except the giant one that almost ran us over.
After a slight scare in which we had not realized how far our 2 small boats had drifted and almost went off the little cliff they had built in the water, we were back on track enjoying the sun and outdoors and keeping the boats on the water for over 2 hours instead of the accoustomd 1 hour that we paid for. Thanks again to the Český who didn't realize how long we were out there and only charged us the hour.

After the paddle boating part of the day we hiked it up Petrin hill to lay in the sun and enjoy the beautiful view that it has to offer. Including on the way up the communist memorial and some beautiful flowers. It's amazing how in the past week Prague has bloomed and become green.
At the middle, because making it to the top would have required more energy and less heat from the sun, we sat in the grass and basically napped and reminiscenced of the past 4 months spent here. (NOTE that I do have friends here I just don't write their names or post pictures of anyone else for privacy reasons. Apparently this blogg is read by people I don't really know so just in case... gotta beware of the internet creepers!!!)

It was incredibly enjoyable just sitting and napping on the hill in the sun for a while. It's times like that when I begin to miss Praha already.

The next day was just as nice with a little less heat so we went to the PRAHA ZOO!!! Th zoo was pretty cool, minus the fact that half the animals were sleeping or hidden in their cages. The ice cream was cheap and good! and For every annoying screaming child there was a cute ne trying to eat a hot dog to balance it out! It was nice and relaxing to just walk around and see the animals. There was also a chairlift that goes over the zoo that we took and it was really actually cool. Especially with the "seatbelts" that couldn't have kept anyone in that chair and the sign told us the chairlift was made in Czechoslovakia and apparently hasn't been updated since. We survived.

After the zoo we went to Letna park to find the beer garden, however it was then the weather fell apart and it began to rain, and we couldn't find it so decided to go back home to escape the rain. We did see the famous skate park that is behind the metronome which replaced the Stalin statue.

what was especially great about this weekend besides everything I mentioned was the fact that it was nice in Prague and we were able to do all the things we have been wanting to see in Prague since arriving in January. And there is still 2 full weeks to explore even more.

However today is reserved for being a responsible student and writing my 3 papers, studying for finals, and translating a recipe into Czech. Good thing I made an entire pot of coffee! (also should go running as my first international race is in 1 week!!) gonna be another busy day in Praha!

příští zastávka Kutná Hora... and my česky love

Final full day with the mother and the Aunt. We decided, ok well I decided to take them on a road trip to Kuntá Hora to see the kostnice Sedlec, or in English/my language, the Bone church. This trip turned into more of a "Samantha practices her Czech" trip, but there was good pizzia, good food, and lots of bones so a good time all around, miunus the bumps.

We got to Florenc bus station and bought tickets to Kunta Hora, then had some time. Right next to the bus station was a little flea market type thing, which I will never enter again, and not only because they were selling guns, tasers, and brass knuckles. It was basically the most sketchyest set of tents I have ever walked through so warning to all of those who plan on exploreing the land around Florenc bus station. Got on the bus and made it to our destination. Boring part.

Better part: Now we were officially in the middle of nowhere. I pretended to know exactly where we were and what the plan was, but I honestly had no idea whatsoever what we were going to do. I went in to the information center and asked if the woman spoke english, to which she rudely replied no. Thats when I knew it was going to be an interesting afternoon. I started leading eveyone though a small basically abbandoned town and ended up at a small pizza place for some much needed lunch. NOTE OF IMPORTANCE: they don't speak english in Kunta Hora. Hardly any at all. This was good in some respects, I got to really practice my Czech and somehow succeeded. I was able to order our meals and sit outside and everything without using any english. Yes. I was very proud of myself. If only more people in Prague would speak Czech to us english speakers maybe I would be fluent by now.

Ok not fluent but closer.

Anyway I brokenly asked the waitress how to get to this bone curch and she said we needed to take a bus. Great. back to the bus station. I tried my hardest to speak Czech to the same woman who earlier had rejected my sad attempt at communication, and this time she was very friendly and was patient with my Czech and we somehow figured out what eachother was talking about and we made it on the bus. Now the question was what stop to get off at. The bus driver found me and my Czech especially amusing, especially when in Czech I told him I spoke very bad Czech but I was studying to be better. So after a good laugh he told us where to get off, and finally we made it to the Bone church!

Smaller than I expected quite honestly. But very intriguing. The Sedlec Ossuary, a smll church from the 1400's or something, was decorated with the corpuses of 40,000 people. ALL the decorations are made of bones, including a chandelier and a crest on the wall.

I really enjoyed looking at all the bones and using my Anatomy and Physiology class knowledge to pick out which was which, which was quite hard. Back to the books.


So that was basically the bone church. It was really interesting to see, probably more to me who loves bones (don't take that in a creepy way, I'm a nursing student). So back on a train this time and return to Praha. It was nice to show them some Czech country side and a very small town that is absolutely NOT touristy at all. No Englih. definitely an experience.

We then did some souvineer shoping, yes I did buy a Czech me out shirt that I plan on wearing in Rochester, and got a drink at a small resturant near the square.

For dinner I really wanted to try one of the resturants in staré město and they wanted one last Czech meal so we went to staroměstská restaurace, where I saw my future husband. The most ADORABLE Czech man EVER. I kid you not. He was always smiling and seemed to be in the best mood. I am basically in love with him and plan on walking past that restuarace every day for the rest of my time in Prague. We literly stayed in there through 2 bottles of wine and basically until closing so I could watch him more. Just saying, our bi-lingual babies would be cute.

Then I showed them the sights at night, because they are just as if not more beautiful at night.

And the mother and the Aunt left in the Morning. Hopefully with a bag of duty free crispy M&Ms from the airport to await me in America. (since they stoped selling them in the states in 2006- bad move USA.)

The next few days that followed were filled with homework catchup, and amazing weather that still couldn't get me out of my bed, but I did open the windows. Also signed up to run the Prague mini-marathon in May, aka a 5K. Really excited actually because not only get to run the race but get a shirt and medal. I haven't run a race in a while so I am looking forward to this, however after running on a tredmil all winter and then hitting the streets of Praha have taken a toll on my Quads. Ghetto Prague is quite hilly. Wish me luck!!!

That time I explored Praha.... again

SOOOO got back to the Praha around 10.. just in time for Czech class which I was basically a zombie through (or... and direct quote this: a "Cracked-out mess". Thanks)

After Class I went to wait for my mother and Aunt who had gone on the free tour. When they got there, raving about their tour and the leader, named Justin. I saw Justin... and he was NOT who he said he was.

Explanation: Last time I took the tour we had Donnal as the tour leader. Very good and very recognizable. When my mother pointed out Justin, I decided that from afar he looked very simialr to Donnal, and when I saw him up close I realized that he WAS the same person. WHAT? So who was he exactly? By the almost end of the tour he asked if I was studying there and then said that I looked really familier and he recognized me from a past tour. Well I decided if we were getting personal that I might as well call him out, so I mentioned that I had been on the tour a couple weeks ago, but it was strange because it was with Donnal who he looked exactly like. The kid took it like a pro and told me about how he had lost his nametag and borrowed one. I decided that it was the perfect time to tell him I knew that they all told the same jokes and it wasn't that funny. We bonded a little, however I still have some questions about the tour so I'm gonna have to find him again and bring up my concerns. I don't want people having to suffer though a non-enjoyable tour. You are welcome once again New Europe Tours.

After the tour we walked acorss the charles bridge and had dinner at a cute little czech restaurace. NOTE- every time I speak Czech people know im not a czech person. The waiter kept laughing so I finally was like AHHH is my czech really that bad. he laughed. no other response. I knew that was bad. I told him I lived here and he was quite surprised. Well whatever mister what do you know anyway? besides the language i'm pretending to know.

The next day aka today was major tourist day: first stop was the communist TV tower with the babies on it by David Černý. It is so ugly, and the babies are cool and the view is pretty nice as well so it was an interesting thing to see. SUCKS that the commies put it up though...

After that was the typical Prague castle tour, going into the curch and the coutyards and the stairs. I don't know I have seen the castle so many times it's nothing new. Which is weird to say because it is really beautiful but there is only so many times you can be amazed by the same thing.

After that we saw the pissing statue-- yes thats what it is called. another David Černý design featuring two bronze men peeing and spelling words into a pool shaped liek the Czech Republic. AMAZING!

We also saw a ton of smaller Praguell sites that I have never seen before but always wanted an excuse to go see. these included the John Lennon wall- which was really cool

We went into the cubbist store and looked at the wallpaper, went to see the other David Černý design of St. Wenceslaus riding an upside down horse in Lucerna passage, and the cubbist lamppost randomly placed in a small courtyard next to a resturant with apparently very cute waiters, and then hit the tesco to get some stuff to make dinner.

We also stopped and saw the dancing house, Tančící dům, designed by Frank Ghery. It is actually a really cool shaped building. Afterwards
we went home and made chili and just hung around my apartment. It was a nice day except now I am sooo tired!

and tshirt designs

I forgot the tshirt part of my last post.

I have decided to make tshirts. The back will say " I survived the volcanic flight disrruption disaster 2010" (but when you say it say twenty ten NOT two thousand and ten. Sounds much more dramatic this way.)

on the front will be the name of the stupid volcano, or for the long sleeve addition it will be writen down the sleeve.

thats it.