Month: November 2022

Travel & First days in Prague

Published on by maddieadams7Leave a comment

The end of summer arrived before I knew it, and it was time to pack my suitcase and make sure I was prepared for my semester in Prague. I started packing a few days before my trip. I took a while to decide what to bring for three months, but I managed to only have my carry-on and one checked bag.

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My journey to Prague was long but worth it. I had a very early morning flight on September 2nd from Denver to Dulles International Airport so I had to wake up around 3am in order to get to the airport and allow for enough time to get through security and get to my gate. I somehow managed to lose my phone charger cable while going through the security line. After my flight from Denver to Dulles, I had a little bit of a layover so I purchased a new charging cable (for $40!). I did have enough time to get a snack before boarding the plane to Brussels, so it worked out in the end.

The flight to Brussels had lots of people. It was a packed flight, and many people had issues finding overhead bin space for their carry-on bags. I was worried I would have to check my carry-on, but luckily a flight attendant helped me find space in a bin near the front of the plane. I wasn’t flying in first class, but my carry-on bag got to haha.

I had an aisle seat on the fight, which I liked since I didn’t have to crawl over anyone if I needed to get up. The people sitting in my row did not speak much English, but they were friendly. I don’t know if it was because I was so hungry, or if I developed a sudden affinity for quinoa, but the Southwest-inspired chicken with quinoa meal they served on the plane was delicious.

Once we landed, I had to navigate the Brussels airport, which I had never been to before. I followed the signs to the terminal I needed, but an airport official stopped a group of us and had us take a confusing detour, but I eventually found my way. One thing I found interesting about the Brussels airport was the massive shopping areas. I’m used to seeing duty-free stores in American airports, but I had to walk through a giant department store and various other stores before getting to my terminal. Another unique aspect of my airport experience was that everyone boarded the plane based on seat number, not boarding zones like in the U.S.

My flight from Brussels to Prague felt like it took no time at all, mainly because I could no longer stay awake in an effort to avoid the worst effects of jet lag, so I took a lovely nap. I happened to sit in front of a fellow student from my program on the plane, so we walked over to baggage claim together and waited for our bags. Our ISA coordinators met us outside the secure area, and a group of us waited until 1pm for everyone to arrive.

Our coordinators divided everyone up into vans that would take us to our apartments since the apartments are spread throughout the city. The van I was in did not have a large trunk area, and in order to make everything fit, one bag would need to sit on the floor in the front passenger seat. However, the van driver was not having it, and we waited while he argued with two of our coordinators in Czech. It must have been decided that it would be okay to make an exception just this once because six of us piled into the van and we were soon on our way to our apartments.

While the building looks a little beat up, my apartment is great on the inside. It is a two-bedroom apartment and I live with three other roommates. I opted not to request to live with anyone specific and I would recommend it since you get to meet new people from DU and other colleges.

The Prague ISA program has you hit the ground running. After dropping our bags off in the apartment, we were given instructions on how to take the tram to the ISA office for our first day of orientation. The first day of orientation only lasted two hours and was super chill. I met all four of the ISA coordinators and they went over basic information since we were going to have a full day of orientation the next day.

The second day of orientation was my favorite because we took a tour of Old Town Square. Lucie, one of my coordinators, also teaches part-time at a nearby school so she was super passionate about giving us all the historical information. She gave us a brief history of the Czech Republic and pointed out various sites and buildings along the way.

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After a full weekend of orientation, I just relaxed and prepared to start my two-week Intensive Czech course on Monday.

Talia in Paris

Published on by taliafrankelLeave a comment

(Not to be confused with Emily)

Did you even study abroad in France if you didn’t see the Eiffel Tower? Obviously not. That’s why last weekend I, and some of my friends, decided to make the journey to Paris!

We started off with a quick plane ride to an airport outside of the city (we’re ballin’ on a budget, so direct to Paris was a no-go), where from there we took a bus into the city. We found our adorable boutique hotel located just a block away from one of Paris’s most famous landmarks: The Arc de Triomphe. But at this point it’s around 10pm, we’ve been traveling all day, and we’re not ready for all the major tourist attractions. So where do we go first? CHIPOTLE.

YES I know that may sound weird to some. But for three American students that have now been in Europe for two months there is simply nothing more exciting than an American chain restaurant (especially when it’s Chipotle). And let me tell you those burritos were CONSUMED. Due to the fact that DU is located within walking distance of the original Chipotle I have had no shortage of Chipotle burritos in my life and I can confidently say I’ve never eaten one as quickly or ferociously as I did in Paris.

But there’s far more to the Parisian experience than just Chipotle burritos. Just like every other day I’ve spent in France, we began our morning with a cappuccino and croissant, aka French Fuel. We explored the city, window shopping, taking pictures, and admiring the architecture, before taking our first stop at the Eiffel Tower! Although we didn’t have time to wait in the line to the top of the tower, we enjoyed the view of the tower and the famous Seine river from the park, complete with crêpes and, of course, another cappuccino.

To top off an amazing day of cultural experiences, amazing views, and good food, we headed to a French restaurant where we ate our body weights in meat, cheese, and pasta. Recharged and full, we spent our night on an “exclusive” speakeasy crawl throughout the historic city. We visited secret bars throughout Paris from different eras in time, including an American-themed 1920’s bar and a modern tequila bar hidden in alleys or in cupboards in the back of restaurants. At the end of the night we collapsed into bed for a quick power nap, before catching our 6am train back to Aix-en-Provence. For only 24 hours in the vast city of Paris, I don’t think we did half bad.