The End

"How lucky I am to having something that makes saying goodbye so hard"

Annie The Movie

I was trying to think of a better subject heading for this last blog but I didn't have any luck. It is indeed "the end" and as much as I tried to avoid that, the inevitable has happened. My journey is over...but only one of many. I have simply finished a chapter in my crazy beautiful book of life and for this I am thankful.

I continue to be in awe of the strength and peace that God gave me this past month. I was never lonely nor homesick...the former being my biggest fear of this trip. Don't get me wrong...I missed everyone a lot, but not to a point where I couldn't get by...just enough to make me appreciate those whom I love so much! I want to throw a few much needed thank-you's out there:
Thank you...
Mom and Dad-- for making it possible for me to see the world. You have given me so many opportunties in life and although I may not show it enough, I am forever grateful for the life you have given me.
Jitka and Pavel--for helping me arrange this amazing trip, I couldn't have done it without you!
Jane and Martin--for not only providing a flat for me to live in for a month but for opening your hearts and arms and welcoming me into your life. Who would have thought that so many memories could come from a silly Czech, an adorable girl from Maryland, and a crazy Washingtonian?
The Stevensons--My Alaskan/Czech grandparents! You will always be in my heart
Kyle--simply for loving and supporting me...and trying your best to understand me on every level :-) You are my everything
Grandma Hall-- I LOVE YOU!! And I am forever blessed by our relationshp
My Roomies--For believing that I could do this even when I didn't!
My Person--For understanding me in a way that no one but my "person" ever could.
JBs--For your prayers and unconditional love. You girls teach me so much and I missed you!! I can't wait to see you EVERYDAY at LC! WOOHOO!
Everyone who read my blog--Your comments brought me so much joy! When I read them I was reminded that I am never alone.

I have been home for 24 hours now and it feels good. I miss my January home so much but I am also excited to see what lies ahead. When I opened by suitcase last night that first thing I said was "IT SMELLS LIKE PRAGUE!!" My mom asked what Prague smells like and to me...Prague smells like Jane's fabric softner. Wierd...I know...but that simple smell unlocks a chest of memories that I will never forget. It has been wonderful seeing my family and I went to lunch with my mom and grandma today which was wonderful...except when jetlag kicked in! Speaking of which, keep me in your prayers. I need to get back on schedule immediatly since I start student teaching on Monday. Today was kind of a rough day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Pray for strength, energy, and excitement to get back on this crazy rollarcoaster of life!

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning."
-Ivy Baker Priest

Goodnight :-)

Terezin

Today was a "hang out with Jane" day and it was wonderful! First she took me to one of her favorite cafe's and we picked up yummy croissant sandwiches and took them to another one of her favorite cafe's where we had tea to eat with our croissants. Next we went to a beautiful art gallery that was basically a whole in the wall down a really small street that I would have never found if I hadn't been with her. It was beautiful and I instantly wanted to drop out of school so that I could spend a semesters worth of tuition on art!

After that we went back to the flat, packed some snacks, and set off for Terezin...a concentration camp about an hour outside of Prague. On the way we had fun singing, chatting, and eating but when we got there, suddenly our mood changed. Neither of us had ever been to a concentration camp before and we were not prepared for what we were about to see.

Unfortunately, we got there right as the actually "camp" was closing but we got to go to the barracks where the people lived and the museum that housed room after room of different artwork, music, literature, and poetry that was collected from the camps. After the museum closed we walked around the ghetto for a little bit as it was getting dark. It was beyond creepy and we couldn't imagine how anyone could live in Terezin now, after all that happened during WWII. The town is really run down and very few people were around which made the whole situation even more frightening, especially in the dark...it was as though the town never recovered from its horrendous past.

Terezin was originally a fortified city, (ironically, built to keep the Germans out in the 1780's) but the Nazis forced out the 7,000 people living there to create their prison. What's interesting is that the world was told, that Hitler had built a city for the Jews, to protect them from the vagaries and stresses of the war. A film was made to show this mythic, idyllic city to which his henchmen were taking the Jews from the Czech Lands and eight other countries. This was called the Beautification Campaign that kept the rest of the world in the dark about what was really going on. The Red Cross was even allowed to visit Terezin once. The village of Terezin was spruced up for the occasion. Certain inmates were dressed up and told to stand at strategic places along the specially designated route through Terezin. Shop windows along that carefully guarded path were filled with goods for the day. One young mother remembers seeing the bakery window and shelves suddenly filled with baked goods the inmates had never seen during their time at Terezin.

As we were leaving Terezin we got out of the car and decided to go walk to the gates of the camp and just look inside but as we started walking towards the long path way that led to the gates we couldn't go any further. Jane said it perfectly: I don't think I can walk down this path that thousands of people walked down to their death. So we turned around and headed back to Prague.

A Word About Food

My favorite breakfast while I've been here is yogurt and Jane's homemade granola. Now, I'm not talking about Yoplait Light....I'm talking about fresh fruit, whole milk yummy goodness!! It is incredible!!! At first I freaked about a little bit about the fact that I was eating full fat yogurt that tasted more like softened ice cream than a healthy snack until I realize that there are only about 250 calories in a cup!!! Isn't that great? I don't know how they do it but America must learn quickly.

Speaking of calories, I love how on the nutrition labels over here they call it "energy" instead of "calories". How refreshing! "Calories" has become such a taboo word with immense negative connotations so reading "energy" is a million times better. For example, how wonderful is it to say "My chocolate croissant has 600 units of energy in it! I'm gonna be raring to go today! Watch out world... Give me another one!"

Which reminds me...I have come to stand firm in the belief that while in Europe, eating pastries is equivalent to eating celery. Case closed.

...It's the little things that I love about this country or rather, this continent :-)

Cesky Krumlov....

...is beautiful!!

I made it to the bus (which alone, is worth celebrating) and traveled 3 hours to the beautiful little town. I spent the afternoon strolling down the winding cobblestone streets, eating the best pizza I have ever had in my life, taking pictures of the quaint little shops and houses, and drinking tea in a little cafe. No complaints here! Well...actually...one: The castle was closed! But I still got to walk around outside I just couldn't go inside.


Me being sad that the castle was closed...


These weird little pieces of bread that they gave me before my pizza came...I felt like I was taking communion
This picture is JUST for YaYa and Papu!!
The beautiful castle
A crucifix on the bridge
Beautiful view from the castle



"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand. Rejoice, for your soul is alive!" -Elenora Dusa

My New Day Job

I think I am going to be a tour guide instead of a teacher!!

I went on a walking tour yesterday. The tour guide was this wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, funny girl named Kelsey Merriman. Haha...ok so there is this section in my Lonely Planet book called "walking tours" so yesterday, after school I decided to take one. IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!! The book literally told you every step to take and explained the significance along the way. The tour took me through Vysehrad and Vltava beginning at a bunch of old battlements. I saw some beautiful Cubist architecture and had a great view of the city. However, my favorite part was walking along the Vltava River. It was surreal. As I made my way down the embankment I had to stop and take a deep breath. Touring around, it is very easy to walk quickly and check things off your sightseeing list and as I looked out on the river, surrounded by the enchanting architecture of this old city I had to stop and slow down, taking it all in moment by moment. I whispered a quick "Thank You", to God, to the city, and to the purity of heart, for this important reminder as I gazed around at the setting sun and the glassy water.

At the end of my tour I stopped at one of Prague's most famous cafe's, Cafe Slavia. Although more like a restaurant than a cafe, it is absolutely gorgeous! It is adorned in a art deco style and has big windows overlooking the river. I was excited to be there as it is a celebrated literay meeting place where Franz Kafka frequently hung out. Additionally, the first president after the revolution, Vaclav Havel, spent a lot of time there. Surprisingly, it was VERY reasonably priced and I had (what else) DELICIOUS guloush!

After my dinner, I met up with Martin and Jane and we went to see American Gangster (GREAT movie....I recommend it to everyone!). Wonderful night with wonderful friends!
The beginning of my tour

A mom and her adorable daughter feeding the ducks as the sun was setting.
Breathtaking
A picture I took especially for my roommate Kelly
The famous Slavia Cafe


Today didn't exactly go as planned. I didn't get to bed until like 3am (don't ask...right Kyle and Brooke haha) and slept through my alarm, rushed down to the bus station, but missed the only bus going to Cesky Krumlov today. I was super upset but then when I realized that I got to go back to bed, I felt a little bit better about it! After a nap I decided to go see the castle in the daylight and then went on another walking tour (brought you by...ME!) around Wenceslas Square.

Wenceslas Square
Yes, this is the "Good King Wenceslas" from the Christmas carol

A memorial to a University student named Jan Palach who, in 1969, set himself on fire on these steps to protest the Warsaw Pact invasion of Prague. He staggered down the steps in flames and collapsed on the pavement at the foot of the stairs. The next day, 200,000 people gathered here to honour him. He died in the hospital 3 days later. This marks the spot where he fell.

A little Czech Heath Ledger tribute

This man reminded me SO much of my Grandpa Shannon...Grandma I wish you had been there with me!
View from the castle
Cathedral in the daylight!
Amazing

Jane and Martin are babysitting for some friends so I am having a low-key journal/read night.
I'm lovin' it!

I Just Can't Get Enough

I love this city! I love it I love it I love it!!!!!

Today was another beautiful day in Praha! The weather has just been amazing lately.....such a blessing....

I'm getting a little bored being at the school. I still love the teachers and students but I am not loving the school as much anymore. There are just lots of things that are a little sketchy. I won't go into detail but I don't think I would want to work here. It has been an incredible experience and I wouldn't change it for the world but I guess it has given me a good picture of school politics, dodgy practices, and strange systems and methods. I think it is safe to say that every school has its...well...issues, and this has opened my eyes to some of those.

Today I had a Linda Buff (my Whitworth advisor) moment. Let me explain...when I had my student teaching interview in the fall, Linda said that my weakness as a teacher was that when I am in other classrooms, I tend to speak my mind and say when I don't like the way things are or don't agree with something. She said that it is important that I sit back and learn from the teachers and not always try to correct them and make things happen "my way". To be honest, I didn't really know what she was talking about at the time. I just kinda nodded and thought "Well I guess she has to think of a weakness and I'm so stinkin' perfect she can't think of anything else" (haha well, kinda). Today I understood:
I was in a year 12 class discussing George Orwell's "1984" and the teacher was talking about the lack of personalization and action in the Newspeak language (if you haven't read this book, this won't make sense). Well, I didn't agree...and I was a little tired of "observing" so I raised my hand and VERY politely told him what I thought. I think I shocked him a little. He continued to disagree with me and I, him. It was kinda funny actually. But afterward he apologized to me and was so afraid that he had hurt my feelings or embarssed me which is funny because I was afraid that I had offended him. We finally laughed and decided we had a good system and that it was good for students to see teachers disagree. Well Linda, I guess you're right...I'll pipe down a little :-)

I was going to hang out at Charles Bridge after school but I was super tired and went home instead. When I got home I got a sudden burst of energy and so Jane and I did Jane Austen's Hip Hop Funk Dance work out video...IT WAS HILARIOUS!!!!! Martin walked in, shook his head, and went straight to his room to read.

After dinner Jane and Martin wanted to show me one of their favorite things to do in the city: walk around the castle at night. It was beautiful....which is the understatement of the year. I am not even going to try to explain the experience because it was surreal and magical and perfect in every way. I felt frozen in time and loved every minute of it. One thing that I have learned about traveling is that taking pictures and writing in journals are 2 of the most frustrating parts. There was no possible way that my camera could capture what my eyes were seeing and this post will not even scratch the surface of explaination. So I quit. You will just have to trust me.

A word about Martin and Jane: They are two of my new favorite people in the whole world. I love them! I can't say it enough. We have so much fun together. I never stop laughing (as you can tell in the pictures). They are such a blessing in my life and I am so thankful for them. If this turned out to be the worst country I have ever seen in my life, it would have all been worth it just to meet this amazing family.

After the castle we went to this little cafe and had hot mulled wine. Well, Martin and I did...Jane had a brownie. As yummy as this drink sounds...I am not a fan, at all. Basically it is hot wine with blended spices I couldn't even drink half of it. But thanks anyway Martin!!

Speaking of hot drinks....as Shakespeare said, "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"...well Prague but you get the point. The first Starbucks in the Czech Republic just opened. While this might seem like a joyous occasion for many of you I think it's aweful. There are tons and tons of adorable cafes all over the city and big ol' Starbucks decides to come in and throw his weight around. Lame! To make matters worse, it bought out a cafe that had been their for ages and was cute and old and fit the castle surrounding beautifully. Ugh. On a happy note however, I decided I am going to start collecting those Starbucks mugs that say the different cities on them and I want to get one from every city I visit....so now I have one from Prague!

I learned something new today! Jane and Martin told me that before the Revolution in 1989, all of the metro stations used to have different "communist" names. In 1989 all the names changed to what they are now. In one of the metro stations, Andel (which means Angel), there are still some pieces of communist propaganda art. It is still amazing to me to see all the remains of the communist era, as it was not very long ago at all.

I am really beginning to grieve the end of this journey. I know that sounds funny...cheesy even...but I finally checked my tickets made some last minute arrangments. It was really sad!!! I miss everyone at home but I am not in any way ready to leave this country or rather, end this trip. I know that it will be very hard to say goodbye.....to the Hasiks, to the Stevensons, to Pavel, to the Charles Bridge, to the Old Town, to the Metro, to the Prague British School, to the gulash, to the smells, to the sounds....to everything. It's to soon and I am not ready.

After school I am going to go walk along the river, grab a coffee, and read a book.

I could stay here forever.

Martin showing how small the doors to the servants houses are
Soviet propaganda: The boy is holding flags that say that old metro name
The first Starbucks in the Czech Republic :-(
More communist propaganda: The Czech flag and the Russian flag with communist symbol
The Cathedral at Prague Castle
Jane trying to get a picture of me and the whole Cathedral....
Me, Jane, and baby HasikJust hanging out in a guard booth!

The Wise Man

I read somewhere that, "The fool wonders but the wise man wanders". I guess that would make me the wise man....which I'm ok with. One of my very favorite things to do after school is stop by the bread stand (by almost every bus stop there are these mini bakeries with fresh bread, rolls, doughnuts, and pastries), get a pastry and wander around the old town at the center of Prague. I usually have no purpose, no map, and no time line so I literally just wander around, get lost, and find fun things. Today I went to the top of the clock tower which has a beautiful view of the city. Nothing else really to write about....so just enjoy these pictures of beautiful Praha!