9 more days!

I cannot believe I'm leaving for the States in nine days! It's just been such a whirlwind! I'm excited to come home for Christmas, but leaving Prague is a lot like leaving the adorable abandoned puppy you took home with you, even though it chews up all of your shoes and poops all over the floor. (Okay, bad analogy, but you get my point.)

I'll admit I've experienced lots of ups and an equal amount of downs here -- it's always tough to live in a new city, especially on a different continent. (Really, Central Europe and the US are so incredibly different.) I think I've finally truly realized how I've taken a lot of things in my life in the States for granted, like smiles from strangers (Czechs are very reserved) and an American sense of social justice. I guess it's true that traveling makes you appreciate your home that much more.

But the more I explore Prague, the more beautiful it looks to me. I'm still in love with its architecture, delicious pastries, and incredible history. I even got used to wearing high heels on the cobblestone! (Remember my booties?) I know that when I leave, I'll take a life's worth of memories with me... and I can't wait to share with you all soon. :)

thoughts on traveling

Hello, my dears! I'm writing from Venice now, on the last night of my week-long trip to Italy. It's funny how fast time flies when you're on the road, touring one city after the next without break. My friend from Prague Kate and I visited Milan, Florence, and Rome before Venice, and I'm so happy I was able to spend some time in each one. They're all so unique and lovely!

But I'm really blessed to have had a nice week-long rest after my 10-day Fall Break because traveling can be so mind-numbing! I mean that in mostly a good way. There's so much to see and learn, so many different maps to read, transportation systems to understand, special places to visit, people to observe. I just love how educational my travels have been. And I'm glad I was ambitious in planning everything earlier in September, because if I had known how crazy the actual traveling part could be (especially traveling while being cost-conscious), would I have attempted to tear through 10 cities in 3.5 weeks? Probably not. But honestly, what other time in my life could be more perfect for backpacking and exploring than in college? I have no serious responsibilities or obligations, I'm healthy and young and eager -- it's just the perfect opportunity.

I have so much I want to share with you on what I've learned (about myself, balance, compromise, friendship, being a team player, etc), but I just realized I've been so bad about telling you all about the rest of my Fall Break in Southern France, Paris, and London! So I'll have some quick recaps of those up really soon, I promise. And some more random thoughts of this whole experience. And then, of course, you can expect to see tons more on Italy! I had such a fantastic time, I know I'll be back molto pronto. It's a little sad that this is the last of my travels in Europe before I come back home to the States on Dec. 18. Let's catch up when I'm back in Prague on Wednesday? xoxo, H.

carpe diem!

inside a column of books in the city library!

And today, it hit me: I really love it here. Just last week, I felt a little uncomfortable with living abroad for so long, like I'm on extended vacation in Central Europe while life passes by in New York without so much as a glance in my direction. I was afraid of losing my place. But now I realize you can plant roots in lots of places and feel right at home without losing your past. I still have a lot of New York and Philly in me, and that'll never change!

But I am loving my Prague home: the thrilling balance between independence and new friendships, incredible Czech histories I'm not just learning, but touching and seeing, every weekend booked for an exciting adventure, eating pastries and gelato whenever I want, taking classes on Kafka, art, and architecture...

Thinking back on the past 3 weeks makes me smile and melt with happiness and feel so grateful for my luck! I'm reminded again, carpe diem! Seize the day! Making little or big decisions, trying new things, spontaneously getting lost in new neighborhoods, eating goulash and dumplings until I want to barf, grocery shopping random items -- I'm so grateful for the thousands of opportunities and choices I can make, for how precious and generous life is. Certainly, I've had my share of unfortunate situations, but that only makes me feel even more fearless! So... carpe diem! Seize the day! :)

when life throws lemons

Eating Prague's sweet bread (bought by a friend), hours after being robbed

I had possibly the worst morning today. Sickness, 3-hour classes, no money or cards -- and then my only spare debit card was eaten up by an ATM machine. I spent the rest of the afternoon suppressing tears and emailing bank representatives.

But when life throws lemons, what else can you do but make lots of lemonade? If I continue tormenting myself about my terrible luck, I'd drive myself crazy! I can't keep examining these damn lemons, that's for sure. Sometimes, the hardest thing to deal with in every bad situation is my own psyche, replaying scenarios over and over, exaggerating the consequences, dreaming about the "what if I held my bag just a little closer???". Excuse my language, but it's all just a total mind-fuck.

So I can't change the past, but I can stop myself from creating a future full of past regrets. That's no way to live, continuously choosing sour moments over the sweet. I'm thankful to have bounced right back to being the happy person I will always be, because I love my "lemonade": my wonderful, generous, supportive friends (old and new), my family, and the places that I've visited and will visit.

I will never, ever let myself be the guest of honor at my own pity party. Which is why, yesterday, mere hours after being robbed, I ate the largest piece of sweet bread I could get my hands on and continued exploring Prague with all my "lemonade" in tow. It was a great day. Bring on those lemons!