mother-daughter bonding time :-)

What an amazing week I just had. Last Wednesday, my mom arrived in PRAHA! Immediately after class, I went to her hotel, which was located in a prime location right in Old Town Square. Right when I got to the hotel, we were so excited to see each other. After a little time catching up in the room and after my mom finished the Pilsner beer I got her (most popular beer in prague) I took her to the dorm to see my FABULOUS living condition and to meet my roommates. 

First sushi dinner in 2 1/2 months!

After a brief tour of my dorm (you only really need about 10 seconds to see the entire room/kitchen) we headed back to Old Town Square to this cute little italian restaurant for appetizers. I can't even describe how happy I was to be in Old Town Square, one of my favorite spots in Prague, with my mom! After some grilled asparagus and sausage, we started walking around to find a spot for dinner. Once I told my mom I was craving sushi since it had been 2 and a half months since I've eaten it, she decided that's what we were going to eat...and I could not have been more thrilled! We went to this cute sushi place called Yami Sushi. We were pretty adventurous as always, and ordered a few of their specialty rolls. The rolls came out on a boat and we were both taken aback when we saw it! The food was delicious and I will definitely be back there with my friends.     
The next day, we woke up BRIGHT & EARLY for our flight to Budapest, Hungary. When I saw the tiny prop plane we were about to embark upon, I started to freak out a little bit. Luckily, I was too tired to stay scared for long since I passed out right when we took off. After a short hour and a half flight, we landed in beautiful budapest. Right when we arrived, we walked around the square by our hotel and stopped at a little cafe for some breakfast! The weather was absolutely perfect ALL weekend.. clear skies, sunny, highs of 65 in Budapest. As I'm sure you can imagine, I was very happy, considering how cold it was in the beginning. After breakfast we checked into our hotel and rested a little bit before our venture to the baths. 

Szechenyi Bath and Spa

Everyone who had been to Budapest before told me I absolutely had to go to the Szechenyi Bath and Spa, so my mom and I decided the first day would be a great day to go and start off our trip with a nice massage! What's so cool about these outdoor and indoor pools is that they are heated from underground hot springs... there are NO heaters! The downside is that the entire place smelled very strongly of sulfur... we were not too stoked about that, but what can you do. Since it was so sunny out, I decided I had to lay out on the lounge chair before my massage. I don't even remember the last time I laid out, and WOW was it amazing. Of course, there I was moving the chair every 5 minutes to be in the direct angle of the sun! Some things never change I guess. The massage was incredible as well. Apparently I had a few knots (who knew studying abroad was so stressful?!) because she was massaging REALLY AGGRESSIVELY on my upper back. It felt great though, and my mom and I were completely relaxed afterwords. When we left the baths we headed back to the hotel, the Sofitel. It was located right next to the famous Chain Bridge and our room had a gorgeous view of not only the bridge, but the city as well. After showers and naps, we were ready to venture out to our wine tasting at Faust wine cave. This place was so cool: it was underground and had such a great vibe. We tried 5 different red wines and then got to choose one more that we liked the most to try again. It was such a treat and I got to taste numerous different flavors of wines. My favorite was a blend of two different red wines! The man who owned Faust was very knowledgeable; throughout the entire tasting, he showed us (on a map) where each wine was made and where the grapes came from. After a delicious wine tasting, we kept the italian spirit going and headed to a cute little italian restaurant not far from our hotel. Overall, our first night in Budapest was a success!

Faust wine cellar in Budapest

    The next day we had a very in depth tour of the Jewish part of Budapest. Our tour guide, Andrea, really knew her history. She even talked more than Michael (and we all know that's quite an accomplishment!) However, I did learn a LOT about Budapest during the communist age. We walked into two synagogues that withstood the Nazi invasion and we walked by buildings which still had bullet holes in them! It was amazing to learn about the history of Budapest and actually see the buildings which made it through the war. In addition to the Jewish tour, Andrea took us to some important sites in Budapest. We saw the Parliament, the US Embassy, Freedom Square, and a statue remaining from the Marx era. At the end of the tour, she took us to the top of this hill where we overlooked the entire city. After a wonderful and detailed tour, we were dropped off at an indoor market, filled with vendors selling meats, cheeses, caviar, dried fruit (my favorite!), hungarian dishes, leather goods, souvenirs, glass art, and much more! We walked around and definitely did a little bit of damage here, but everything we tried was delicious! That night, we went to a restaurant called The First Strudel House, where we watched bakers stretch out the dough for strudel and make it fresh right in front of us.. YUM. On our way back, my mom and I were feeling quite adventurous so we stopped into the casino in our hotel. We were on a losing streak at this blackjack table until we all of a sudden had more chips than we started with!! Wow, guess I'm officially ready for VEGAS!

Cooking class in Budapest!

  Saturday was one of my favorite days in Budapest because we took our very special cooking class! We were each given our own station to cook a different recipe. I was at the dessert station (typical) and I made a sponge cake: half vanilla, half chocolate, with vanilla custard and rum soaked raisins! I've got to say, I was quite impressed with my skills. Just imagine how much better I'll be at cooking after living in an apartment next year! My mom made a potato soup with sausage and a mushroom cream goulash with noodles. I wasn't a huge fan of the sausage soup, but the goulash was AMAZING! The class was so much fun and we had a lot of laughs. For our last night in Budapest, we went to a very nice restaurant specializing in caviar. The food was incredible: I had borsht to start with (Nanny, I'm sure you're proud to hear this) and for my main course I got a grilled salmon on top of risotto with salmon pieces. DELICIOUS! Of course, after dinner we decided to give the casino one more go... while I didn't do so well, I learned quite a bit of blackjack 101 since I was sitting next to a professional GAMER! What a fabulous way to end the trip!
 Back to Prague we went! My mom took my roommates, along with Jenna's boyfriend, Mack, out to a cute czech restaurant. We all had a great time talking and catching up on our weekends. I am so glad my mom got to meet my friends whom I talk about all the time! Now she can actually put a face to a name. After some wine and delicious food, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel. Monday was definitely not the most uplifting of days because me, my mom, Jenna, and Mack headed to Terezin, a concentration camp located about 45 minutes from Prague. It was unbelievable to be standing in the cells that Jews were crammed into, walking on the paths that lead to most of the deaths, and to visit the crematorium where nearly 80,000 bodies went through. Our tour guide was unreal, mostly because he was so passionate about the subject and he was full of knowledge. It was crazy and sad to see the camp, and I learned a lot about the propaganda of Terezin. Unfortunately Jenna and I had class but when I was done, my mom and I walked around a little before dinner and then we headed to this adorable italian place overlooking a very busy street. We split a pizza and pasta dish and like every other night, had great conversation and plenty of laughs! On our way back to the hotel, we walked through Wenceslas square and lucky for me, past H & M where my mother so kindly bought me a number of cute dresses to start my internship wardrobe! 

On the Charles Bridge

Unfortunately the last day of my mom's visit came too quickly! Tuesday I had class but met up with my mom at one of our favorite spots: Bohemia Bagel. I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it. After, we walked into the Spanish Synogague which was awesome to see, especially after having been to Terezin. Since it was such a gorgeous day out, we walked toward the castle and stopped by the river at this cafe for some wine and a latte. What a wonderful way to spend the day! I had such a great time walking around the city pointing out all my favorite spots. For our last night together we went to the most incredible restaurant I've ever been to. Located at the top of the Dancing House, Celeste, a French restaurant, overlooked the entire city. We got there at sundown, and by the time we left, the entire city was lit up perfectly. Our meal was unbelievable! After wine, lobster appetizer, and veal rib, we were stuffed! After a quick look on the terrace which had breathtaking views from outside, we headed back to the hotel. Honestly, this was the best week I've had, and I am so glad my mom got to see what my life has been like here. I can't even describe how amazing this city is but now she got to witness the beauty of it! 

Pita, Doner Kebabs, and Baklava

I just got back from such an incredible weekend. Thursday morning, we headed to the airport for an 11am flight to Istanbul. Right when Turkish Airlines served us a full meal (and quite a good one might I add) of chicken, vegetables, rice, and complimentary wine, I knew I was in for a great trip. Once we got off the plane, we headed straight to the hotel. It was located in a prime spot, right near the major sites and shopping areas (crucial).  Our hotel, the Vezir Hotel, was a small boutique hotel, with green walls, cute interior design, and a small garden where we had breakfast. I had absolutely NO idea how many stray cats there were in Istanbul, but let me tell you, DO NOT go there if you are allergic to cats. Those of you that know me know that I am 100% a dog person, so I was not too stoked to find cats coming up to me at every meal.

me in front of the Blue Mosque

Besides the cats, the food in Istanbul was unreal. I am happy that I am not studying there, because if i were, I'd come back as a completely different human being, one that would not fit into my jeans. We had so many amazing dishes: the first night I got a chicken kebab, which consisted of freshly grilled chicken, vegetables, and some whole grain rice. Oh! How can I forget? Each meal started off with a HUGE piece of freshly made pita bread. We demolished those pitas. Another famous dish in Istanbul is the doner kebab, which are thinly sliced pieces of either chicken or lamb and it comes in a pita or in a sub sandwich. I got a couple of the chicken pita doners... interesting fact: they put french fries INSIDE the pita doners. What a wonderful surprise to bite into. Last but not lease, baklava. What can I say about baklava? Basically, I was never a huge baklava fan before this trip. Granted, I never really had it on a regular basis, but the times I did, I liked it but I wasn't craving it. This baklava was a whole other story. Turkish baklava is so fresh, dripping with honey, chocolate, nuts, and a crisp layer of flakey dough. Basically, it's heaven in your mouth. We all made it a point to try all the different flavors. My personal favorite was the plain one, but a close second was the chocolate baklava.  While the food was unbelievable, I have never witnessed anything as beautiful as the sites we saw in Istanbul. Right after checking into the hotel and putting our bags down, we took a short walk to the Blue Mosque. The first thing you notice about this mosque is the beautifully- arranged cascade of domes. The entire exterior is decorated intricately, with gold linings and detailed engravings. Inside, the mosque is lined with 20,000 blue tiles (hence the name, Blue Mosque) I thought this was the most beautiful sight in Istanbul. From the interior to exterior, everything about the Blue Mosque was so gorgeous!

Jenna and I inside the Aya Sofia.

The next day, we went to the Aya Sofia in the morning. It used to be an orthodox basilica, then a mosque, but it is now a museum. It is said that the Aya Sofia "changed the history of architecture." This is definitely true-- the domes and the interior decor really live up to its expectations. The interior is super tall and from the top, we got a great view of the Blue Mosque and the sea. Overall, it was beautiful and incredible to see how such an old site stayed in tact and so decorative. Later that day, we visited the Topkapi Palace. Crazy enough, this palace was the home to the Ottoman sultans. In addition to the incredible architecture and gardens, we saw swords, daggers, royal clothes, carpets, textiles, ceramics, and armor. We also saw one of the largest diamondsever. It was so beautiful I just wanted to take it out of the case and bring it home! (If it weren't for the security and cameras...) This palace was so big, it took us roughly 2 hours to go through all the rooms! 

Inside the Blue Mosque

After a busy day of touring, we went back to the hotel to rest and clean up for one of the best experiences I've had so far---the turkish baths. Jenna and I signed up for a 15 minute scrub bath and the 30 minute oil massage. This was truly a unique experience: once we walked into the spa where the bath area was, we found everyone laying topless on a huge steaming lounge. When it was my turn to get a bath, the turkish lady (who was also topless, weird...) scrubbed me with soap, and used buckets of water to wash me. She covered me with bubbles and then shampoo'd my hair with this amazing coconut shampoo. It was unlike anything I've ever done, but so incredible. After the bath, we waited for our oil massages which were done on a massage table. It felt so good to relax! After all the girls were done, we had a nice dinner and headed back home for the evening. Nice way to bond with the girl on our program. Saturday we went to the Grand Bazaar, which is known all over the world. There are roughly 4,000 different merchants selling their goodies on this series of covered streets. Anything from gold and silver, carpets, slippers, boots, purses, spices, teas, dried fruits, and much more, can be found here. Unlike shopping in Los Angeles, shopping at the Grand Bazaar was quite a treat. In turkey, they expect you to try and talk them town on the prices... It's kind of like a game for them. Luckily, my mom has taught me very well how to bargain so I think I did pretty well overall. I got a bunch of gifts for family and friends, and a few small things for myself! It was so crazy and eye opening to see the culture at the Grand Bazaar. After Jenna and I did some damage to our bank accounts at the Bazaar, we got to the Port which is by the sea. For those of you that did not know, Istanbul is the only city which is located on two continents, Europe and Asia. For a cheap fare, Jenna and I took a 20 minute boat ride over to... you guessed it, Asia. While it was actually pretty boring and freezing, it was cool to say we've been there!

the view as we were crossing to get to the new area- Taksim

Saturday night we walked about 45 minutes to the newer side of Istanbul. The area was called the Taksim area and it consisted of a 2 mile long street of nice shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. It was much more lively and modern than the areas we had seen earlier in the weekend. Our group of friends went to one last Turkish meal together and then headed back. It was so cool to see the different areas of Istanbul as we walked to the Taksim... We walked through four areas all together and each was completely different from the next. Today we woke up, did a little bit more souvenir shopping, picked up one last bit of baklava (of course!) and headed back to the hotel to leave for the airport. After a 2 and a half hour flight, we made it back to Prague safely. A new stamp in my passport and a stomach full of baklava and doner later, I am back to my dorm... home sweet home!

Belgian Waffles, Chocolate, and SENSATION WHITE!

roommates and I touring around Brussels

Hi everyone! This past weekend has been hands down the most incredible weekend so far. It was our first trip on our owns, and the destination was Belgium! On Friday, my three roommates and I had a 8:50am flight to Brussels, Belgium. After a short hour and 20 minute flight, we arrived anxious to see what our hostel looked like. Surprisingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was super close to the Metro where we got off, and a 25 minute walk to downtown Brussels. Steph's friend from Boulder is dating this guy who actually lives in Brussels, so we had our own personal tour guide! He took us to all the sites, including a palace and the world's largest brewery, Delirium, which contains more 2004 different kinds of beer! Crazy! After a great day, we went back to the hostel and changed quickly and went back out with the local boys to a local lounge. It had a new york feel which was very cool. Exhausted, we didn't stay out too late because we knew the next day was Sensation White, the rave with renown DJ's from all over.

Sensation White!

The next day, we had to check out of the hostel at noon, so we left our bags in the lobby, and my roommates and I walked into town to get some souvenirs, and experience all, and I do mean all, of the Belgium specialties. We went to this little restaurant for lunch, and then proceeded to have a DELICIOUS belgian waffle for dessert, with cream and sugar on top. It was perfectly soft on the inside but crisp on the outside. YUMMMMM! It reminded me why I love belgian waffles so much! Then after that, we walked around a little bit more and then stopped into a store called neuhaus chocolates. I was so overwhelmed, but ended up choosing a variety of dark chocolate, caramels, nougat, rice crispy chocolate, etc. Needless to say, I was about ready to die after a day of INTENSE belgian food. But hey, I'm only in Belgium once, so I figured I had to squeeze it all in, no holding back.

me dancing in my all white attire

At about 5, we took the train to Hasselt, a city north of Brussels, where the rave was that night. For those of you wondering exactly what a rave is (anyone not in my generation), it is basically a concert of DJ's that mix a bunch of different songs, specifically techno, house, and there are a lot of lights and the base is VERY strong. The concert went from 10pm to 6am. I kid you not, we lasted the entire time, and you know me... I didn't sit down once. We were dancing for 8 hours straight and my legs definitely feel it today. The rave was all white, so everyone got super creative with their costumes. I actually bumped into a few people from high school at the rave, such a small world. Anyway, we are finally back home, I took a well-needed shower, and now I am about to start my homework. This weekend was amazing, and it is just the first weekend of my travels. Next stop, ISTANBUL ON THURSDAY!

home is where the heart is...

Dobry den!

So I have been in Prague for a little over a month now, and I am so happy to call it my home. Finally, I am getting a feel for the city, I've developed my daily routines, and know how where to get all my groceries, school supplies, boots, etc. I can even tell when someone is ripping me off! While I am nowhere near fluent in czech, I am definitely capable of holding a conversation, or at the very least, saying "Nerozumin" which means, I don't understand. It's weird to think that after this weekend, I will be traveling every weekend up until April 18th. Prague has easily become the most incredible place I've ever been in my life, and I am just so anxious for the weather to get nicer and for flowers to bloom. If it already looks this gorgeous in the cold weather, I can hardly imagine what it will look like with green everywhere! After a grueling 3 days of class, my weekend began on Wednesday. We are taking full advantage of this last weekend we have in Prague for a while. Tomorrow I'll probably wake up and go explore! It's supposed to be sunny and in the 40's, which is very nice for here. I just can't believe it's already March, and by the time I'm done traveling it will be the middle of April! In case you're wondering where I'm going, here's the lineup: Belgium, Istanbul, Budapest, Vienna, Rome, and Poland. We're trying to squeeze one more trip the first weekend of May, but as you can tell, I have a pretty full schedule. We're trying to go to Croatia or greece since it will be warm and beachy! Basically, I am just so happy I chose to study here and I finally feel like I'm settled in and at home.

weekly forecast: clear skies and SUN!

the city of prague from the top of the church

Today was absolutely beautiful, from the weather to the scenery. Jenna and I woke up at around 10am and decided to take advantage of the nice hot weather (and by hot I mean 30 degrees). So, we decided to go to another tourist spot of Prague, seeing as though we've already been to the Charles Bridge and the Lennon Wall. You guessed it, we went to the PRAGUE CASTLE! We started our adventure by eating at one of our favorite italian restaurants, Grosetto's. We have one by the dorm, but we found another one right on the river with a beautiful view of the castle we were about to visit. After a delicious meal of tomato soup and salad, we ventured toward Prague castle. It took us a little while to get to our destination, but once we did, we took some scenic pictures, got a nice cup of hot wine, and walked around the cute area by the castle.
After, we headed toward the famous church that stands behind it. Let me just say this, Jenna and I woke up with intentions of going to the gym at the end of our day... WOW were we setting our sights high. Little did we know that in addition to the hike up to the castle, we walked up an additional 10 minutes of steep stairs to get to the top of the church behind the castle. 100 crowns and 10 minutes later, we made it to the top, and yes, it was worth the hike. I have never seen Prague from this view before and it made me realize how lucky I am yet again, to be living in such an incredible city. From this high up, we could see EVERYTHING: the bridge, Petrin Hill, the river, all the churches and famous buildings.. it was crystal clear out, which made everything that much better. On our way home, we stopped at Tesco to do some grocery shopping. I stocked up on my usual groceries here: rice cakes, turkey, dried fruit, real fruit (apples and bananas), mango juice, and some salsa. (some things never change, no matter where I am in the world!) We finally got back to the dorm, showered, and tonight we are going to our friend's apartment and then heading out to Lucerna, a really fun club that plays 80's and 90's music on Fridays. Anyway, the weather is supposed to be beautiful this entire week so I'm looking forward to tanks and shorts! Just kidding, but I'm still excited to finally have blue skies.

p.s HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LISA AND HOWARD STERN!! WISH YOU WERE HERE!

classes, culture, & catching up

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted but I have been pretty busy and a little bit under the weather with a cold and sore throat. A lot has been going on since the last time I blogged... A group of guys and girls from my program celebrated Valentine's day by going to this cute little mexican place, Las Adelitas. While it felt amazing to finally have some mexican food I've been craving, (I ordered a chicken tostada with mango salsa, right up my alley) I really don't like Valentine's day all that much, so it wasn't that exciting. 

steph and I at valentines day dinner.

The rest of that week mainly just consisted of my usual intense czech course daily schedule: picking up a fresh juice on the way to class, class from 9-1:30, gym, lunch, back to the dorm by 4, showering, catching up on shows, doing homework, then getting ready for the night. Luckily, the class ended that Friday, and I'm proud to admit I got an A- in czech! I guess I am a local now, considering I mastered vocabulary, adjectives, and the most common czech phrases! Funny because I still can't seem to speak to anyone at the market or ask someone a simple question regarding location, but I'm still going to keep trying to show respect, of course. Everyone on my program was stoked when that repetitious, tedious class finally finished... so we of course used that weekend to celebrate! A couple of my friends from Kappa, Katie and Carrie, were actually in Prague last weekend. It was nice to see some familiar faces in such a foreign country. We grabbed some lunch and then they came out with me and my friends that night. 

Jenna and I at the ballet

I've been super cultural lately, surprising right? I have been dying to go to a ballet here, so we finally went to one called Coppelia. It was held at the Prague National Theater, this beautiful theater with gold all around the insides and paintings of famous members of theater from back in the day. The ballet was much more entertaining to watch than the opera in my opinion. It was funny to see the guys as ballerinas though, I always get a kick seeing them in the tights! Another cultural experience we've had recently has been attending a Prague Sparta hockey game. Apparently, hockey is huge here, so we figured we had to go, and it was the last game of the season so we got lucky to get tickets. It was soo much fun to go and be in a stadium filled with people that shared a love for Praha. We were all screaming "sparta!" and we got hot dogs and hot wine. Regardless of the fact that it was absolutely frigid inside the ice rink, we all had a great time--I even managed to get on the huge mega-screen twice! I got so excited! 

This week was our first week of real classes. My schedule is pretty light, as I think it should be... let's be real, I'm mainly here to explore this new city and learn a bunch of new things, the fact that these classes count for credit is an added bonus! Monday, I have Jewish history from 2:30 to 4. This class seems like it will be a lot of work, but definitely informative. I'm excited to learn about why Eastern Europe is so historical with regards to judaism. The first day we watched a movie about the disappearance of Yiddush people throughout Europe which consisted of many interviews of older jews talking about their lives growing up and now and the differences with regards to religion. That's it for mondays, so normally I'd go to the gym after and then straight back to the dorm. Tuesdays I have Central and Eastern European film from 10-1:30. This class has a lot of writing because after every film we watch together in class we need to write a six page response paper! (seriously, six is WAY too much everyone in class was super annoyed!) That's it for Tuesday... Wednesday is my busiest day but my last day (Yes, my weekend starts on Wednesday :-)). I have my Art and Architecture class from 10-1 and then Jewish History from 2:30-4. The art class is a MUST and I'm so happy I'm in it. Basically, the first 90 minutes we are in class and the teacher lectures us on different styles of architecture. The last 90 minutes, we go on a tour of some specific part of Prague and look at those styles. Yesterday for our first class we went to Old Town Square and went to the top of the astronomical clock. Luckily, it was a crystal clear day out so I got awesome pictures from the top of the tower. 

The view from the astronomical clock tower!

Today we got to sleep in, but since I'm still not feeling too good I didn't sleep that well. Kept tossing and turning. I've been taking medicine, but my throat is killing me so I am just trying to get through it. According to weather.com, the weather is supposed to start getting a little better in March, thank goodness. This week was actually unbearable. It would be 10 degrees, that's right ONE ZERO, when we walked to class in the morning, and made it to a whopping 12 degree high. Good thing for that down jacket, or should I say sleeping bag that covers my body. Without it I would freeze. But today it is 30, basically I should throw on my swimsuit it's so warm here! This weekend I might take it easy because I definitely want to feel 100% for when I start traveling (I leave on March 11 for Sensation in Belgium and then the next weekend to Istanbul!! ) So I definitely want to make sure I am up to speed. Overall, everything is finally feeling like home, I've got my schedule down, have my favorite cafe's and restaurants, and a core group of friends. I miss you all so much and I cannot wait for my mom to visit! 

best day so far.

jenna and i in front of the lennnon wall!

yesterday was by far the best day i've had in prague this far. we finally got to sleep in past 8 which was already making the day better. once we got up at around noon, jenna and i decided to grab some brunch at one of our favorite restaurants called bohemia bagel. we got a make your own omelette and hash browns, which obviously was delicious considering not many places serve good eggs here. after a yummy meal, we met up with one of jenna's sorority sisters who was visiting this weekend from rome. she brought some other girls with her from washington so we met up with them and toured them around praha. it was funny though, since neither jenna nor myself have actually been to all the "touristy spots" yet: charles bridge, lennon wall, prague castle. so we warned them that we might get lost! eventually, we found our way and made it to the charles bridge. the weather was cold but clear and the view from the bridge was stunning!

me on the charles bridge.

 walking across the bridge was so much fun.. there were people playing music, beautiful statues, and a crowd of people taking pictures, smiling, and enjoying the views of prague. as we walked along the bridge and soaked in the breathtaking city that we live in, i really realized how lucky i am to be studying here. there is so much history and beauty that we dont even realize even though we walk around every day. after we crossed the bridge, we made it to the lennon wall, a whole wall with graffiti of sayings of the beatles and designs of peace and love. it is so colorful and pretty and we took plenty of pictures. finally, after a lot of walking and even more pictures, we headed back home but stopped at a cafe for some cokolada, hot chocolate! the hot chocolate here is so sweet and thick, we were just craving that after our cold and productive day. overall, i had such an amazing day yesterday.. the weather, the sites, the people, it was all so great and i know we will have many more days like that in the next four months!

czech does NOT equal spanish.

jenna and i at the opera

hello all, sorry it's been so long, but we have been very busy. today marked the last day of our first week of our INTENSIVE (and by intensive, i really mean that-- 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, of AWFUL czech language). You would literally die if you sat in on that class, i wish i could record it. Jenna and I laugh the ENTIRE time. the letters do not make the sound you would think. for example, ch makes a k sound. makes sense right? no. it sucks. i just speak spanish half the time, which the teacher is not too thrilled about! anyway, we're starting to get it, but it is definitely not going to become a second language. i know how to say the basic greetings and ordering food and drinks (crucial) even though most places speak some english. we are in the 9am-145pm class and our other 2 dorm mates are in the 230-645 one, which kind of sucks since we hardly see them anymore, but we still go out at night. these past few days have been awesome though, besides the class, because we're starting to get a daily routine going, making prague really seem like our home.

jenna, kirsten and i 

this week, we've been waking up at 8, leaving the dorm by 830, stopping at this fresh juice store for some good mango, kiwi, orange juice, going to class, going to the gym, and heading back to the dorm. you know how i always like to feel productive in the morning, so i actually prefer the morning class. last night jenna and I went to an Opera composed by mozart called Magic Flute. the opera house was absolutely stunning. there was a huge chandelier and gold lined throughout the entire theater. it was my first opera and I have to admit i am not rushing back to another one. don't get me wrong, i'm glad i went since it was very interesting and i feel like it was super cultural and one of those things you have to do here, but i'm not the opera type. this weekend, jenna and i are going to try and trek to find a launder-mat because we've been dragging this out for way too long and we both agree it's time to do laundry. the weather hasn't been too bad surprisingly, but our teacher told us it's supposed to get bad again, GREAT. I'm starting to really know my way around, and starting to really feel at home. this is honestly the most beautiful city. i'm hoping to explore a bit this weekend, hopefully go to the lennon wall and charles bridge if it is nice out. mostly, i'm just excited to sleep in!!! Anyway, i miss you all, and don't worry about me, i am having the time of my life!

Moravia, yes it REALLY IS a city.

gregor mendel's museum

What a weekend. We took our first trip with AIFS to Moravia, the center of the first slavic empire, which was established in the 9th century. It is a very religious area, seeing as it is linked with the first Christian mission and contributed to the spreading of christian faith. We got there on Friday, and on our way to Brno, the capital of Moravia, we stopped at a church that had a cloister built in the 13th century. The structure was beautiful and is built in Romanesque-Gothic style. After seeing the beautiful architecture, we moved on to our hotel, WHICH WAS CRAZY NICE (well, compared to the dorms we've been living in where jenna and I can basically hold hands as we sleep). Jenna and I made sure to shower twice while we were there to take advantage of the decent showers. After we had some time to rest at the hotel, the program directors took us to a family run wine cellar for dinner. We got delicious chicken, veggies, and potatoes, and of course, we tasted a bunch of delicious wine. The family told us about each of the wines and showed us where all of them are stored and how long everything takes. Overall, it was so nice going to dinner with a small group of us and getting to learn about Moravian culture. Yesterday we had a long day of sightseeing. After a delicious spread at the hotel (eggs, fruit, tomatoes, cold cuts, etc.,) we visited Gregor Mendel's garden and museum. Mendel grew famous wrinkled peas and discovered the foundations of genetics. It was pretty cool to see all of that, but I'm no scientist (obviously) so I wasn't as intrigued. Next we saw the Austerlitz battlefield from the Napoleonic period where the Battle of Three Emperors took place in 1805. It was very interesting to see the huge area of land where people fought. We also saw the memorial that was build to commemorate all people that participated in the battle. The memorial was so detailed and lined in gold which was gorgeous. Finally, we saw St. James Church, and St. Peter and Paul's cathedral. Both were absolutely stunning, each made differently but again, very detailed and exquisite. To be honest though, many of the churches are blending together to me, but they are all GORGEOUS! Last night, a few of us stayed at the hotel for dinner and then went to bed early. Today we woke up, had another BOMB breakfast, and headed out to see our last cathedral. While we were in there, there was actually a communion taking place! Of course, I was so confused since I've never been to one before, but it seemed intense.

inside of the caves!

jenna and i- outside part of caves

Last but not least, my favorite part of Moravia was the caves! The Moravian Karst is a complec of underground caves, ranked to be the most beautiful area of central Europe. We got there and walked through a portion of the caves, which were dark and icy, but then we got to an outside portion with a waterfall. I can't even describe how beautiful it was! The second part of the cave tour was by boat, kind of like a mixture of the Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Carribean rides at disneyland! We got to go on the water through the underground caves and it was beautiful. I'm happy to be back in Prague and with all of our roommates again (Steph didn't come but it is nice to be back together!) Tonight is the superbowl (starts at 1230am Prague time) and so we are going to this American bar to watch the game with a bunch of people from our program. I am so happy to be back in Prague... Home sweet home!

my first snow fall!

view of the entire sternberg castle

The past two days have been unbelievable. Yesterday, a group of us went to Kutna Hora, a small town in the Czech Republic, about 1 hour or so bus drive from Prague. We left at about 830am again, another early morning, and got to our first destination... the Sternberg castle (I felt so famous! They kept mentioning how Stern in czech means "star"!) The castle was absolutely stunning... and right when we arrived, it started to snow &

me and the roomies in front of st. barbaras cathedral

 I was the only one freaking out when I started to see it fall. The castle looked beautiful with its white blanket. After touring the castle, we headed into the central town of Kutna Hora and went on a brief walking tour. We saw a bunch of different cathedrals, structures, and buildings and learned which style they were designed as. The town wasn't THAT beautiful, but I'll admit the architecture was awesome (really got me excited for my architecture class in Prague). After the tour, we got a lunch break and my roommates and I went to a really cute pub and got some good czech food (I got grilled sausage and some potatoes). Hearty as always, wow. After lunch we went to St. Barbara's Cathedral in the center of the city. It was seriously so beautiful. Stained glass windows, intricate engravings and statues, and gold frames everywhere. I was shocked to hear that this church, as well as the synagogue from the day before, is rarely used for actual prayer--more so for concerts. Our final destination of the day was by far the coolest of them all-- The bone church. Inside of this ossuary contained the bones of 40,000 corpses! While it sounds crazy scary, it was actually awesome to see how well the bones were preserved and how many bones there are in one body. We got home at about 6, picked up some sandwiches for dinner in the dorm, and FINALLY GOT INTERNET!! Now we don't have to schlep to the lobby to get internet. We went out last night with some people from other programs which was nice and a good change of pace. The club was called Mecca and it was really fun and had great music and lights.  Overall, it was a great day, and needless to say, busy.

roomies at the Bones church

Today was another great day, but in a different, more relaxing way. After a whopping 5 hours of sleep, we went to the ECES (charles university, my school) office to receive our student ID cards. After that, Jenna and I wanted to sign up for a 3 month gym membership at this awesome gym near Wenceslas Square called World Fitness. We THOUGHT we knew how to get there from the office, but we were sorely mistaken. On our way to the incorrect tram route, it started to SNOW SOOOO HARD and I of course was loving it. After about an hour of walking in the complete opposite direction, we finally found the gym, and were so excited that we found our way. After all, our program director told us on the first day that getting lost is the best way to see the city! After the gym, we went on a hunt to find this place that I have been hearing about from all my friends who went to Prague. This place, Bohemia Bagel, was DEFINITELY worth the walk. Their menu is endless-- bagels, muffins, and scrambles, to chilli, soup, salads, and sandwiches, Jenna and I were struggling with our order choices but ended up both getting some chilli and a salad. It was very delicious and especially in the cold snow! Now we are all back in the dorm, trying to book our weekend trips to Rome, Belgium and Spain. It is a lot harder than we thought seeing as though we have a lot of weekend trips planned with AIFS including Poland, Moravia, Istanbul, and Vienna. Tough life, right? Anyway, tomorrow we are leaving for Moravia at 1030am and I am very excited because it is supposed to be super cool. Hope all is well in the states. Jealous of the weather, Dan.

Pilzen

jenna & i outside of the synagogue 

jenna and i at the pilsner brewery

Dobry Den! Today was a LONG LONG day over here in central europe. We woke up at 8am and headed out on an hour and a half bus ride to a town right inside the border of czech republic called Pilzen. It is not as beautiful as Prague, but it was super interesting and we did a bunch of cool things. First we saw the Jewish Sanctuary of pilzen-- the third largest synagogue in the WORLD. Unfortunately, now there are hardly any Jews left in Pilzen to pray in it, so it is mostly used for concerts and exhibitions. It is insanely gorgeous and exquisitely designed. We learned all about when the communists took over the town, they couldn't destroy the synagogue because it is too close to the main town and attached to some homes. However, the nazis DID remove all the stars of david from the building. After that, we went to the older synagogue which is a lot smaller, but the one that is used for prayer today. We also saw a jewish memorial of all the jews in Pilzen that passed away during World War 2. After the morning tours, we went to a czech lunch in the little town square of Pilzen. I've got to admit, I'm really enjoying some hot goulash and dumplings after a day of 12 degree touring weather. After lunch, we went to the Pilsner brewery (the same one we went to coming into prague) and got to see the entire factory and how they brew everything. It is amazing to see all of the technology and the differences from today from when they first started brewing so many years ago. After a long day, my roommates and I passed out at about 7pm and just woke up a couple hours ago. I'm starting to feel the time difference!!! Anyway, it was a very long day, but very informative and pretty. I love learning about how special the czech republic is and why it is so historical. Hope all is well and I'll update you soon !

DOBRY DEN!

PRAGUE!

jenna and i at pilsner brewery

hi!! so it's official, i am IN praha! We arrived yesterday after a pit-stop at the pilsner brewery right near the Czech Republic border. it was soooo delicious, got an order of goulash... i'm telling you, I don't understand how these europeans stay so skinny. beats me. anyway, regardless, i enjoyed that dish, along with some amazing, and might i add strong, pilsner beer (a czech classic). After lunch, we continued to prague and arrived at like 7pm. I was so happy to finally unpack and get all of my stuff put away. Our dorm is a lot less crammed than i thought, so that was a relief. The actual dormitory is kind of on the outskirts of prague but it actually works out this way because we get the best of both worlds.. we're not in a touristy location and it's only a quick tram ride from our dorm to downtown and our school. Today was our first full day and we woke up at 10 and had a walking tour of our area and then walked into town. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL... looks like a fairytale, i describe it as the fantasyland section of disneyland. After we walked around we had an orientation for AIFS and they told us everything we need to know about the program, activities, places to go, and weekend trips available to us. At 4pm, we were finally free to wander about. Since we were all exhausted, we did a quick trip to TESCO (aka target) and got some groceries and towels, etc and then came back to the dorm. Tonight we'll probably go out to downtown to a club or bar since we didn't go out last night but it's only 6:30 so we haven't really discussed plans for tonight.

steph and i in prague

The money is still very new and it takes me about 15 seconds to do the math from czech caronas to U.S dollars in my head, but I am working on it. We learned a few words in czech-- wow, not easy. makes NO sense actually. oh well, I've been doing my best to use please and thank you's every time I order or see anyone. Overall, I love prague so far and I know this is just the beginning!

so far, so good!

of course I had to take a phone booth pic.

me, steph, kirsten, jenna, and phil by the fountain in front of the national art museum.

Hi everyone! So yesterday was the most AMAZING day in London. We took an incredible tour of the entire city and stopped at a bunch of great locations: Buckingham palace, the london bridge, Westminster Abbey, and we went to a museum, and Big Ben. We toured all day and then we had some free time so a few of us went to this amazing national art museum. We chose to look at the artwork from the 1700's to present day. It was really cool, and it made me look forward to my art history class in prague. After we went to the museum, the same small group of us stopped at this cute little 

we stopped at the london bridge, beautiful view of the city.

jenna and I at buckingham palace

canadian pub and picked up a classic order of chips (french fries) and a sandwich... and of course beer. I am starting to ENJOY beer, although I am still one of the last to finish my mugs. After lunch, we went back to the hotel and took a long nap because we knew we had to leave at 4am for the airport for Munich AND we wanted to go out again in London. So, as we predicted, we had an amazing night at the clubs and made it back to the hotel at around 230am, leaving us just enough time to chill in the room, order some pizza, and then make it to the bus by 4am. Needless to say, this morning was not my best. I was SOOOO tired, not feeling amazing, and schlepping 4 bags around the airport. wow, seriously packed enough for a year... not okay when you're traveling every other day. we got to the airport with plenty of time, sat around the terminal (we boarded the plane at around 630am) and then we arrived in Munich at about 10am. Seeing as though we were beyond dead, Jenna and I immediately napped when we got to the hotel, and set our alarm for just enough time to grab some lunch before our tour of Munich. However, at about 6pm Munich time, we heard our friends calling our names from the hallway and Jenna and I shot up out of bed. We completely slept in through our tour of Munich, oh well. From the looks of it, it is very pretty, but I needed my sleep :-). Anyway, at 6:30 a huge group of us from the program went to this place called Beirgarden and got HUGE mugs of beer and of course had a sample of Germany's famous sausages. Very good. After dinner, we went to this awesome place called "hofbrauhaus" for more gigantic mugs of beer and pretzels. It was a lot of fun, although the Germans are pretty aggressive and rude. Now it's almost 1am in Germany and I am still pretty wide awake considering the 5 hour nap we took. Tomorrow we GO TO PRAGUE!!!!! I am soooo stoked and cannot wait to finally get my bags unpacked and get settled. We leave Munich at 10am, stop for lunch at a brewery (of course!) and then get to Prague around 5 or 6pm. I can't wait to explore tomorrow as soon as we get there and I will update you as soon as I get a chance. LOVE YAAA.

elllllo mate!

If you couldn't tell from the post title, I am officially in LONDON! After the very easy 9 hour 50 minute flight, I landed in London at about 10am local time. I slept for about 5 hours of the flight which wasn't too bad... and of course they had complimentary wine and spirits on the plane which didn't hurt either! You would've paid to see me schlep all my bags around the London terminal. The AIFS representative almost passed out when he saw Jenna, Kirsten, and I rolling around 2 huge duffels each, plus our 2 carry ons. Oh well... you may take a girl away from Los Angeles, but you can never take the Los Angeles away from the girl!! Anyway, when we got to the cute little hotel, a small group of us went to a couple local pubs while we waited for check in (I wasn't complaining). I can officially say I've had my first European beer! Hopefully by the end of my trip, I will enjoy it a little more. By the second pub I had to switch to a glass of wine...  some things never change. So I can already tell the four of us will be SUPER close: me, steph (boulder), kirsten (boulder), and jenna. We already get along really well which is fun. Tonight AIFS is throwing us a "welcome drink" in the lobby, and then some of us are heading out to a fun dinner and the clubs. I am VERY excited to explore London. Tomorrow we have a tour of the entire city, Buckingham palace and all. In addition, we are going to see WICKED in a beautiful London theater tomorrow night. I am still pretty confused with the money situation here. They don't take euros like I thought, so I had to get some pounds, which are apparently very pricey... annoying. Lets just say everyone knows I'm American. From my bags, to lack of an attractive English accent. But I am having an amazing time so far and can't wait to meet the rest of the people on my program. good day chap!

Here Goes Nothing.

bring it on snow.

WOW. I cannot believe the day has come. I am actually leaving for Prague tomorrow! My emotions are endless: excited, anxious, nervous, happy, fortunate, STOKED. However, I am quite worried considering I do not know one word of czech, and supposedly it's not too easy to learn. oops. Basically, these next four months will be the most incredible months of my life. I cannot wait to learn, travel, and really use this time to become more independent and realize that there is a whole world outside of my little bubble. For once in my life, I am excited to be uncomfortable and out of my element. I've got myself used to Calabasas, to Berkeley, my core group of friends, and now I am entering an entirely new stage, one that I have no idea of what's to come.

don't worry, these all fit into my 2 duffels =]

So,I've never had a blog, but I figured it would be the best way to let everyone I care about know about everything I am doing, seeing, eating, learning, etc. I will try my best to update it often, but knowing me I will start out strong, every day or so, and then end up doing other things... apparently prague has a huge party scene. I had absolutely NO idea ;-)


I'm on a non-stop flight to London tomorrow, staying there for 2 nights, flying to Munich, and then finally heading to Prague. I am going to be living in the dorms with Jenna and 2 other girls, Steph and Kirsten (they go to Boulder). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this blog and I will be sure to take LOTS of pictures and post them. Thanks to Molly, Ragan, and Alex for the AMAZING LISTS of places to go in Prague. Seriously, you are lifesavers.


get ready prague, here I come.