Time to Go!

Wow! I have not had enough time in the last 24 days to update my blog about Japan and now I am leaving for the Czech Republic. After coming home from Japan I spent four days visiting family in LA, ten days packing and hanging out in Seattle, and then ten days visiting friends in NY, DC, and Boston. This has probably been the most I have ever traveled in a summer. The number of trains, planes, automobiles, buses, and ferries I rode and will ride this year is amassing to a large carbon footprint, which I feel guilty about.

I am feeling fairly neutral about starting this new adventure, but I know that as soon as I touch down in Prague I will be full of adrenaline and excitement! While I love traveling and exploring, this numbness is something I often feel before leaving. It is bitter-sweet to be leaving all my friends and family, and the comforts of home and the English language. On the other hand, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in and explore Europe! I know that the road is always a little bumpy when you get to a new place (especially ones with cobblestone), but the friends I will make and the experiences I will have will be priceless!

I will be spending 2.5 days in Prague to catch up from jet-lag and explore. Then I will have a three day orientation in Brno. Finally, I will arrive in Plzen, where I will be living and teaching on a Fulbright Fellowship. Plzen is southwest of Prague and is famous for inventing the Pilsner beer! The primary purpose of this trip is to teach English to 15 to 20-year-olds at a science, engineering, and technology school. In my free time I hope to research and study my 17th century relatives who lived in Prague. I also plan to learn Czech when I get there, which is a Slavic language and supposedly more difficult than Japanese! Hopefully, I will also find time to travel around the country and region. I will of course keep you apprised of my travels, adventures, accommodations, etc.

**Disclaimer: This blog is not representative of the Fulbright Program**