Intro. To My Life In Prague

Old Town SquareHere I am, sitting in my new room, staring out the balcony overlooking the courtyard facing the back of my living quarters at the Machova residence hall, halfway across the world in Prague, and I still can’t believe I’m actually studying abroad. It’s been about a week since I arrived and I still can’t believe I’m actually here. Clothes unpacked? Check. Toiletries on hand? Check. Bed made? ...Well that’s irrelevant to the purpose of this blog. All in all, it still hasn’t sunk in that I’m not just visiting here for a short period of time. My name is Andrew, and I’m a Junior at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU that still can’t stop feeling like he’s in the midst of some bizarre world-travelling dream. Now that I’ve had about a week to reflect on being here, I will say a few things about Prague. I’ve never seen such a breathtakingly beautiful place in my life. Granted, I’ve not been the epitome of globetrotting thus far in my life, so my opinion may be biased but even New York can’t hold a candle to the innate beauty of this city. We’ve all heard that phrase that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in relation to Prague’s architecture at least, that seems entirely acceptable. I’ve gone into several buildings that were as gorgeous on the inside as they were on the outside, and never cease to be amazed at the awe I experience at every corner I turn. The only word I have to describe it all: WOW. Anyway, enough with my love affair with Prague. There are some downsides: Most Czech people in Prague barely speak English, other than in the tourist areas (NYU is situated near the most touristy area in Prague), which are the only places in Prague where prices may seem steep. I’ve also had a hell of a time navigating Prague and buying groceries thanks to the sort of confusing Czech language. Luckily, NYU gave us Intensive Czech lessons, which I enjoyed (despite getting up early for them every day). My lack of understanding and speaking Czech has led to some rather funny situations, but I’m luckily auditing a Czech class, and I can now order in Czech, which I’m rather proud of! However, it is true what they say about the Czech fixation with pork and beer, neither of which are favorites of mine, leading several people to question whether I should have just gone to Paris instead. I’m still confident in my choice however, and am starting to get used to living here and cannot wait to see what the rest of the semester holds!

Location