Homesick for Prague

I am literally obsessed with Prague. The minute our plane took off to head back to the United States, I knew I was in trouble. It was everything I could do to keep the tears back. I was devastated to leave the city that I had so deeply fallen in love with. To me, it was the most perfect place in the world—its graffitied buildings, the lack of a jar of maple syrup for less than $15, even the placid (sometimes read as unhappy) faces of the local Czech people. Prague is filled with a million paradoxes (Kafka, anyone?) that should make it unbearable but instead you become obsessed with the crooked streets, colored facades and fried cheese sandwiches. You can’t leave—not really, because you go back every hour in your mind. I made friends who (two years later) I still laugh with over Skype, miss the smooth cobblestones, wrote my senior dissertation on a book from one of my classes, and even miss the bitter wind that whips through the underground metro station during winter. DID I MENTION THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN EUROPE?

The AIFS program staff at the Prague are beyond amazing. I came into the office about a month into my time in Prague with tears running down my face, clutching my crashed computer, taking all my photos, memories and means of communication with anyone outside of Prague. I was instantly hugged by Zdenek- or ‘Z’ as we so lovingly refer to him- and he told me to save my tears for a time when I really needed them. I will never forget the kindness the entire office showed me on that day. And as for my computer, Barbora (another amazing program assistant) had her boyfriend RECOVER all my documents, photos and music and reinstall a new hard drive for less than 200 dollars. (I still use the computer to this day).

The weekly city tours, café visits, museum excursions and planned trips to Vienna and Krakow (and Auschwitz) were absolutely unforgettable. I’m pretty sure Z knows everything about every European country, kingdom and royal family ever. I feel confident that I can take my parents back (this summer!) and regurgitate some smidgens of the history I learned from Z.

I can’t say enough how amazing this program is, and how having a supportive staff and office to come home to makes it that much easier to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in all the Prague, and the Czech Republic and Europe has to offer.

This program gets a bazillion out of 10. Please go. You will regret it every single day if you do—I’m off to daydream of my home.

Prague will always be my home.