With an afternoon start and ample time to catch up on sleep, most all of us capitalized on the opportunity for some much needed rest. In the morning I went on a walkabout/public transit excursion down to Vyšehrad, the other castle in Prague and the grounds of which the first trading post was established. Our first official item of the day was a tour of the KunstHalle art gallery in the Lesser Town just below Pražský Hrad. Afterwards, we met at the gallery’s top-floor cafe for an event with Alumni from Pitt’s Katz Business School’s International MBA program here in Europe.
As others had plans or were all but eager to get up, I headed out on my own to the 17 tram down to Vyšehrad. It was interesting to, for once, be away from the group and personally immersed in the city. I am generally quite good at planning and navigation, so the ride down was quick and easy. The roundtrip was a series of connections from the teams to the metro with various stops and walking sections in between, and with how frequently the lines ran managing it was a breeze.
At the KunstHalle we received a presentation on the history of the institution as well as some notes on their current operations. The gallery worked with artists from all over the globe, from here in the Czech Republic to as far as Japan. Their strategy was a bit different than a typical gallery or museum; only boasting a small collection they kindly showed us in storage, a majority of their exhibitions are created for the short-term before moving on to another gallery or being deconstructed and disseminated locally.
Upstairs was the reception for our alumni event, with some of the Pitt graduates holding CFO, COO, and even CEO positions at their respective companies. As we got to talking I thought back about my little day-trip and the opportunities in front of me.
I have wanted to work internationally for a while now, and the past day has really cemented that sentiment. Being able to navigate and communicate on my own, as well as the opportunities presented by the alumni, showed me that not only can I do it, but I want to do it. Just existing on a daily purpose has been so refreshing and new throughout the program, and I can see a future in which I don’t just visit abroad, but live it.
Swanson School of Engineering 