Flying with Emotional Baggage
09.26.19
Hello, I am a procrastinator. I started my trip on the twenty-first of September, and did not start packing until the twentieth of September. I stayed up twenty-four hours to finish packing my luggage. We left Nebraska City for Omaha at 3:00 A.M., ate breakfast at Perkins, and then went to the airport. Upon departure, it was as if I was witnessing my funeral. My mother was crying, my boyfriend was crying, everyone was crying. They kept saying phrases such as, “I am glad we got to eat out last breakfast together with you.” Rest In Peace to me I guess.
Anyways, from start to finish, getting to Olomouc, Czech Republic from Nebraska was an all-around fiasco. My favorite pal, Ashley, and I traveled together, making it slightly more bearable when it came to being clueless. We had three stops: Omaha to Chicago, Chicago to London, london to Vienna. Then from Vienna, we took a two hour bus ride to Olomouc. Going through airport security was a blast! Not. I got pulled to the side by TSA, and questioned about whether I had a weapon. Clearly speaking English, and being a decently competent human being, the TSA man decided to talk to me as if I was a mentally challenged individual with prospects of dark intentions. He was roughly thirty -two with a prematurely receding hairline who most likely lives in his mother’s basement. After demanding I tell him what I was hiding, and putting my bag 3 extra times through the X-ray, he called over 2 of his compadres. After about twenty minutes, and dumping everything in my backpack on the table, annihilating my chocolate chip cookies, they discovered a smooth butter knife stuck in the bottom lining of my bag from my high school cafeteria. He educated me that the smooth butter knife was indeed serrated, and needed to be taken to my vehicle. The vehicle I did not have in the time frame of 15 minutes before take-off. I rode the struggle bus all day. On that flight, I got a can of cranberry juice poured into my lap, we had a nine hour layover, I got a killer headache, we were in the wrong building, the corner of my laptop got broken off through customs, we accidentally left the airport when we had a connecting flight, and our last flight had a baby who screamed for over an hour. Moreover, the seats were small, cramped, and had very little foot space. Nevertheless, we made it and that is all that matters, except I did not get to say a proper goodbye to my dog and it breaks my heart. |
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Olomouc’s is our home city for the next three months. I have five different classes here: Czech Language, History of Witchcraft, Religion, National Identity and the European Union, and Eastern European Studies. Each class is an hour and a half long, which can be very difficult to get through if you have multiple classes in a singular day. Furthermore, I am residing in a dorm style that has 4 pods connected by a small kitchenette (“kitchenette” translating to a sink and microwave). Our pod mates are from Spain, and they are studying medicine.
Only the Best in Budapest
Budapest, Hungary, was our first spontaneous adventure. It took us a total of 10 hours on 3 different bus rides and then a 20 minute taxi drive to make it to our destination.
First arriving to the inner city of Budapest, I noticed how cramped and smoky it was. It felt minutely claustrophobic, and slightly dirty. Nevertheless, the outskirts gave away to breathtaking views.
The first night we decided to do a pub crawl. The itinerary said we would go to 4 different bars and end our experience at a popular club. Long story short, we didn’t make it to the club. I had to take on the mom role and hold hair as my companion was face deep in a men’s restroom toilet. Not only did I have to pick her off the floor multiple times, but also provide tissues for the emotional wreck she decided to be that night as well. It turned out to be a fairly rough night, and we all slept in until noon the following day.
Speaking of which, since two of the four travelers had hangovers, we decided to go to the Széchenyi thermal baths. Basically, it’s a huge building consisting of 15 indoor natural spring baths and 2 large thermal pools. The spa was very relaxing, and quite unlike anything I have seen before.
On our last day in Budapest, we went sightseeing. We backpacked to the castle on the hill, which was extraordinary. The architecture was beautiful, and offered great overlooks of the entire city. We walked 12 miles that day. A great day, however, turned into a nightmare as our bus to head back to Czechia left at 11:45 PM. We sat in a bar ( the only thing open) for about two hours before we took a bus ride to Brno, Czech, where we sat in a sketchy, run-down, train station from 4 AM to 6:30 AM. Not to mention, we were cold, hungry, and there were no bathrooms whatsoever. Finally, we made it back at a ripe 8:00 AM just to have class at 2:00 PM.
First arriving to the inner city of Budapest, I noticed how cramped and smoky it was. It felt minutely claustrophobic, and slightly dirty. Nevertheless, the outskirts gave away to breathtaking views.
The first night we decided to do a pub crawl. The itinerary said we would go to 4 different bars and end our experience at a popular club. Long story short, we didn’t make it to the club. I had to take on the mom role and hold hair as my companion was face deep in a men’s restroom toilet. Not only did I have to pick her off the floor multiple times, but also provide tissues for the emotional wreck she decided to be that night as well. It turned out to be a fairly rough night, and we all slept in until noon the following day.
Speaking of which, since two of the four travelers had hangovers, we decided to go to the Széchenyi thermal baths. Basically, it’s a huge building consisting of 15 indoor natural spring baths and 2 large thermal pools. The spa was very relaxing, and quite unlike anything I have seen before.
On our last day in Budapest, we went sightseeing. We backpacked to the castle on the hill, which was extraordinary. The architecture was beautiful, and offered great overlooks of the entire city. We walked 12 miles that day. A great day, however, turned into a nightmare as our bus to head back to Czechia left at 11:45 PM. We sat in a bar ( the only thing open) for about two hours before we took a bus ride to Brno, Czech, where we sat in a sketchy, run-down, train station from 4 AM to 6:30 AM. Not to mention, we were cold, hungry, and there were no bathrooms whatsoever. Finally, we made it back at a ripe 8:00 AM just to have class at 2:00 PM.
Things I took advantage of in the States:
Europe has great food, beautiful architecture, and fabulous views. Notwithstanding, it lacks very important aspects of American culture that I just cannot help but to miss dearly:
- Peanut butter
- ice
- Good coffee (I.e. scooters blenders)
- free water
- free public restrooms
- pickup trucks
- Peanut butter
- ice
- Good coffee (I.e. scooters blenders)
- free water
- free public restrooms
- pickup trucks
Cesky Kremlov, Czechia
Cesky Kremlov, Czechia , is the origination of postcards. It is a beautiful peninsula city that just overflows with character. As a group, we had the great opportunity to stay here for three wonderful days, where we visited the castle as well as a monastery. Mostly surrounded my water, Cesky Kremlov holds a very naturalistic beauty in its city walls. There was a lot of greenery and rock along the outside of peninsula, and we were there at the beginning of fall when the ytrees just began to change colors. Notwithstanding, Cesky Kremlov was cramped and busy, resulting in narrow strreetways that were fought after by vehicles amd peaople alike.
In the mainpeninsula of Cesky Kremlov, where we stayed, they was no large supermarket nearby. We made do with a minute shop on a corner to find snacks. It is here that we found our first American Reeses. Although it tasted relatively weird, it was a Reeses nonetheless. The extraordinary find brought us great joy and happiness. This happiness carried over into the next day when we decided to go to a club and bar and dance the night away.
In the mainpeninsula of Cesky Kremlov, where we stayed, they was no large supermarket nearby. We made do with a minute shop on a corner to find snacks. It is here that we found our first American Reeses. Although it tasted relatively weird, it was a Reeses nonetheless. The extraordinary find brought us great joy and happiness. This happiness carried over into the next day when we decided to go to a club and bar and dance the night away.
Rome, Italy
On Saturday, October 12, our group flew to Rome. We stayed at a monastery that was converted into a hostel. It was very nice, and was located in a quieter area of the city. throughout our trip, we visited the Vatican City along with the Vatican museum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and Palatine hill. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, yet Rome seemed to be very dirty and there was an over abundance of homeless people.
Although the Colosseum was my favorite landmark we visited in Rome, the Vatican City was very neat. However, the museum was packed. It was so crowded, and hundreds upon hundreds of people packed like sardines. Unfortunately, it was so hot and busy it was almost not enjoyable. Nonetheless, the inside of the Vatican was amazing. The intricacy and enormity of the chapel was brilliant and unforgettable.
Although the Colosseum was my favorite landmark we visited in Rome, the Vatican City was very neat. However, the museum was packed. It was so crowded, and hundreds upon hundreds of people packed like sardines. Unfortunately, it was so hot and busy it was almost not enjoyable. Nonetheless, the inside of the Vatican was amazing. The intricacy and enormity of the chapel was brilliant and unforgettable.
London, England
On Friday, October 18, fall break started and we flew to London, England. While there, we went to the British Museum, the Shakespearean Globe, the Tate Modern art museum, and just explored the city as a whole. It was rainy the entire time we were there, but we did not let that stop us from having a good time. We even met up with Nick and hung out with him for a couple days. Our London trip went downhill on the third night at 2:00 AM. Ashley and Chase were sleeping, and I was in the kitchen talking to one of my friends. All of a sudden a man starting yelling at our door, demanding it to be opened. He yelled that he knew I was in there, and then proceeded to throw his body into the door and tried to open the door handle. Finally, after waiting it out, the man left, and we survived the night.
Dublin, Ireland
On October 22, we flew from London to Dublin, Ireland. On our first day, we paraded around the city and settled in. We went shopping in a nearby mall, and bought some souvenirs. The second day we went to the Cliffs of Moher. It was pouring rain and windy, but it was worthwhile. We had a really cool tour bus driver named Wes. After hours, he asked us what we were up to, and after we told him we didn't know, he told us to hop back in and he drove us to a bar in his big tour bus and told us to look for his photo on the wall. We found his photo, and he made it on the wall for building a large lego replica of the bar.
Paris, France
10.25.19
Upon our arrival to Paris, we found out very quickly that France has a very aggressive nature. We had just walked down the steps into the metro line to buy a ticket for a subway when a tall man in a grey business suit kicked a woman down, proceeded to punch her in the face, and then take her by the hair and rip her around. The woman was screaming, and the man was yelling at her in French. Finally, another man broke it up, and the woman disappeared up the stairs. The man turned around like nothing happened and yelled at everyone to get back in line and buy tickets. He worked at the metro. When approached, he said something about a pickpocketer. That was only one of the several aggressive encounters, although the rest were not as major as that.
Obviously, you cannot go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, so we did exactly that. We went there once in the afternoon and again at night where we climbed the hundreds of stairs to reach the second floor. The view was stunning. You could see the whole city, and it was brightly illuminated with all sorts of colors.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, we went and saw the Catacombs and The Louvre Art Museum. The catacombs were very interesting, and it was quite a surreal experience. It really made you think, especially seeing so many skulls and other bones. It also gave you a sick feeling watching people take selfies with the skulls and walking into a gift shop selling cartoon skull figurines and other similar merchandise. Personally, I feel it to be wrong and disrespectful. The Louvre, on the other hand, was extraordinary but in a completely different way. It was vast, with art and sculptures from floor to ceiling. We witnessed the Mona Lisa (although smaller than I expected), and countless other famous works of art. However, the Louvre had a restaurant and the prices were crazy. We were going to stop for coffee until we realized it was 20 euros. A calamari appetizer was 100 euros and a burger was 45 euros just to give you an idea of other options. Let’s just say we didn’t get our coffee there, and Starbucks all of a sudden looked a lot cheaper.
Obviously, you cannot go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, so we did exactly that. We went there once in the afternoon and again at night where we climbed the hundreds of stairs to reach the second floor. The view was stunning. You could see the whole city, and it was brightly illuminated with all sorts of colors.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, we went and saw the Catacombs and The Louvre Art Museum. The catacombs were very interesting, and it was quite a surreal experience. It really made you think, especially seeing so many skulls and other bones. It also gave you a sick feeling watching people take selfies with the skulls and walking into a gift shop selling cartoon skull figurines and other similar merchandise. Personally, I feel it to be wrong and disrespectful. The Louvre, on the other hand, was extraordinary but in a completely different way. It was vast, with art and sculptures from floor to ceiling. We witnessed the Mona Lisa (although smaller than I expected), and countless other famous works of art. However, the Louvre had a restaurant and the prices were crazy. We were going to stop for coffee until we realized it was 20 euros. A calamari appetizer was 100 euros and a burger was 45 euros just to give you an idea of other options. Let’s just say we didn’t get our coffee there, and Starbucks all of a sudden looked a lot cheaper.
Krakow, Poland
11.02.19
On the first weekend of November, Chase, Ashley, and I, collectively decided to take a spontaneous trip to Krakow, Poland. To get there, we took a train and a bus. However, we had 10 minutes to go from our train to our bus when we made it to the station. Unfortunately, our train got delayed 15 minutes due to technical difficulties. Luckily, we ran to the bus stop and made the bus just before it left. After the transportation fiassco, we arrived on Saturday pretty late and decided to explore the surrounding area, and then chill out in the air bnb and watch The Boy In the Striped Pajamas and Schindlar's List. The following day we took an all day tour to Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camps.
The tour was very somber and ominous. Each block where prisoners used to sleep had been transformed into different exhibitions. We went through several blocks, containing grotesque and heart-wrenching images, living conditions, and even torture/starvation cells. The most memorable exhibition for me personally was the collection block. It contained belongings from the Jews and other people from which the Nazi Germans had taken from them. The worst part is the people had no idea what was coming. The Nazi's told them they were starting a new life, and to write their names on their luggage so the belongings could be returned upon arrival. Inside the block, there were heaping piles of brushes, eyeglasses, clothing, pots and pans, children and adult shoes, and even two tons of real human hair. Exiting the blocks, we saw hanging posts, the courtyard kill wall (where prisoners where taken, forced to stand in front of, and shot in the head), and a krematorium, Outside the barbed wire fence you could see the commander of the camp's house. The tour guide enlightened us about how when the commander's family had to leave, his wife did not want to because she liked it there.
Birkenau was a lot larger than Auschwitz I, and the living conditions seemed to be even worse. The prisoners were forced to live in small wooden barracks initially made for horses. The barracks did not retain heat well, and people were packed like sardines onto small wooden bunk beds. They were only allowed to use the bathroom for one-half hour each morning and night, so top bunks were fought for because diarrhea and urine would not get all over them.
Walking through each camp was an experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime. It undeniably gives you a new perspective on life, a terrible feeling in your stomach, a yearning to count your blessings, and a hell of a lot to think about.
On Sunday, we visited Schindler's Factory. I have to say that this museum was hands down the best structured museum I have been to in a long time. Each room was themed, and very interactive. There was always something to see, watch, or read. It was very all encompassing about the Holocaust as well as Schindler himself.
Overall, we had a great trip. It was not your typical party travel weekend, but a interesting and educational experience. This trip just really showed that simply reading a book about it, and actually seeing it for yourself are two totally different things. It really pays off to walk a mile in somebody else's shoes.
The tour was very somber and ominous. Each block where prisoners used to sleep had been transformed into different exhibitions. We went through several blocks, containing grotesque and heart-wrenching images, living conditions, and even torture/starvation cells. The most memorable exhibition for me personally was the collection block. It contained belongings from the Jews and other people from which the Nazi Germans had taken from them. The worst part is the people had no idea what was coming. The Nazi's told them they were starting a new life, and to write their names on their luggage so the belongings could be returned upon arrival. Inside the block, there were heaping piles of brushes, eyeglasses, clothing, pots and pans, children and adult shoes, and even two tons of real human hair. Exiting the blocks, we saw hanging posts, the courtyard kill wall (where prisoners where taken, forced to stand in front of, and shot in the head), and a krematorium, Outside the barbed wire fence you could see the commander of the camp's house. The tour guide enlightened us about how when the commander's family had to leave, his wife did not want to because she liked it there.
Birkenau was a lot larger than Auschwitz I, and the living conditions seemed to be even worse. The prisoners were forced to live in small wooden barracks initially made for horses. The barracks did not retain heat well, and people were packed like sardines onto small wooden bunk beds. They were only allowed to use the bathroom for one-half hour each morning and night, so top bunks were fought for because diarrhea and urine would not get all over them.
Walking through each camp was an experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime. It undeniably gives you a new perspective on life, a terrible feeling in your stomach, a yearning to count your blessings, and a hell of a lot to think about.
On Sunday, we visited Schindler's Factory. I have to say that this museum was hands down the best structured museum I have been to in a long time. Each room was themed, and very interactive. There was always something to see, watch, or read. It was very all encompassing about the Holocaust as well as Schindler himself.
Overall, we had a great trip. It was not your typical party travel weekend, but a interesting and educational experience. This trip just really showed that simply reading a book about it, and actually seeing it for yourself are two totally different things. It really pays off to walk a mile in somebody else's shoes.
Germany
Wittenberg
Wittenberg was a cute quaint little town that held lots of character. We stayed here for approximately a day in a half, and while we were here, we went to the Lutheran church where Martin Luther was buried and where he hammered the 95 theses on the doors. Not to mention, we took the opportunity to climb the spiral staircases up to the top of the lookout tower. You could see the whole town and it was breathtaking. Afterwards, we walked over to the Martin Luther Museum. We learned literally everything you could ever want to know about Martin and then some. Once we finished, we got the rest of the day off. We explored the town some more, went shopping, and also ate ice cream for lunch and dinner (like most sane adults do). The next morning, at 9:30, we drove two hours to Dresden.
Dresden
Dresden was slightly larger than Wittenberg, thus offered several more things to do. Personally. I enjoyed Dresden significantly more than Wittenberg. Dresden had very interesting architecture. During WWII, the city was badly damaged by the bombings, therefore they rebuilt the city using new bricks and old bricks to give an almost speckled appearance. We stayed one full day in Dresden, visiting another Lutheran church and the German Military Museum as a big group, and then got the opportunity to explore the city the rest of the day by ourselves. We committed ourselves to finding the best chocolate, and German bratwursts Dresden could offer that evening. Unfortunately, we went to a place that did not take debit cards, so I was forced to go on a wild goose chase to find an ATM. Luckily I found one, and Chase and Ashley were not forced to do dishes.
Prague, Czechia
11.23.19
On November 22 to the 24, we took a weekend trip to Prague. Usually only about a two and a half hour train ride, unexpectedly turned to about four after our train was delayed due to another train whose engine burst into flames. Nevertheless, we eventually made it, and decided to break off and get dinner. A group of us went to a small pizzeria. The pizza was decent, but their ice coffee was terrible. The term "ice" is misleading, however, because there was absolutely no iced involved. It was practically a cup of hot black coffee with a tablespoon of vanilla ice cream that instantly melted. Therefore, this left you with a bitter cup of room temperature grossness. on top of that, the restaurant only accepted cash. I was not too surprised though, because that tended to be a trend in Europe. Debit and credit cards are rarely accepted, and if they are, they do not let you pay separately. After dinner, Martin took us on a walking tour around the city. He should us different landmarks and monuments. Afterwards, we went to a couple stores, paraded around until we decided to go back to the hostel and play cards. Everyone got together and we setup a giant speed tournament with a makeshift bracket drawn by Sheyenne herself. Post speed games, we also played spoons. It proceeded to get very violent. People were pushed down, chairs were thrown, boobs were grabbed, arms were bit, bodies crushed other bodies, and friendships were ruined. Moreover, anytime someone lost and was kicked out of the game, they got marked as a loser on their arm, so they would never forget their place.
The following day, we went to a large cathedral on the hill, then basically had a freed day. Bailey, Chase, Nick, and I walked fourteen miles in total that day. We visited the giant metronome on the hill, then walked to the observation tower (aka copyrighted mini Eiffel Tower) and explored even more around the city. Long story short, our feet hurt a lot that night. Eventually, we all met back together, and went ad got dinner and hung out.
On our last afternoon in Prague, we visited the Jewish quarters. We witnessed the oldest synagogue in Europe, which was very fascinating. The drawings made by the Jewish children prior to perishing in concentration camps were very disturbing, but it was interesting to witness their perspective and briefly see through their eyes.
The following day, we went to a large cathedral on the hill, then basically had a freed day. Bailey, Chase, Nick, and I walked fourteen miles in total that day. We visited the giant metronome on the hill, then walked to the observation tower (aka copyrighted mini Eiffel Tower) and explored even more around the city. Long story short, our feet hurt a lot that night. Eventually, we all met back together, and went ad got dinner and hung out.
On our last afternoon in Prague, we visited the Jewish quarters. We witnessed the oldest synagogue in Europe, which was very fascinating. The drawings made by the Jewish children prior to perishing in concentration camps were very disturbing, but it was interesting to witness their perspective and briefly see through their eyes.