I am what most call a non-traditional student and this was my first time studying abroad. At 41 years old this was something I that I didn’t have the opportunity to do when I was younger. I had never been to Europe and was looking forward to learning about different cultures and how they live. When I arrived in Prague I was excited to see this beautiful city and study at one of the best Universities in Prague.  I did not realize I was going to be so homesick and want to go home. Everyone said it’s just a culture shock and give it a few days. One thing that helped was all of the dogs in Prague.  Prague is dog friendly and welcomes dogs everywhere. Every day I traveled to school I would see dogs walking along side of the dogs off leash. They are allowed on the public transportation but have to be on a leash and some have to be muzzled.

Opera in Prague

Getting around Prague was really convenient. You don’t really need a car here, the bus, tram and train are all on the honor system and you buy a ticket validate it and if stopped by an inspector you show proof. I met some great new friends that go to school here and work here in Prague and took the time to sit and listen to them about what life is like living here. I walked around the city for a few hours and took the subway and the bus to see the city. The things that I noticed about here was the people on the public transportation didn’t speak to each other or text on their phone, instead they all read books. The other thing I noticed was how clean it is here. There is graffiti on the walls around certain parts of town but there is not trash on the ground. They take a lot of pride to keep their city clean. The culture here is very different. People go out in the evening, get dressed up and go see the opera or watch the orchestra play classical music. The opera was the highlight of my trip and I am looking forward to coming back to see another one! Although I was looking forward to coming home, I will come back and visit. It is truly a beautiful city and I have new friends in the Czech Republic and it was a great experience.