Saturday, May 17th was our very last day together as a group 😦 We woke up at the crack dawn so that we could take a two-hour road trip to ÄŒeský Krumlov, which was yet another beautiful castle (I don’t think any other vacation I take will ever top this one with regard to the number of and beauty of castles we saw). Following our arrival back in Old Town Prague, we, as an entire group, got dinner one last time as well. It was a full circle moment for all of us. At the very beginning, I remember talking to Brandon at our first dinner about what he did in his free time. He was one of the first people I talked to, and it just reminds me how, initially, I knew nobody on this trip. However, by the end (at that dinner), we all shared jokes and close bonds that I will never forget. It is funny to me because it felt like I was saying goodbye to these close friends that I had made, but in reality, we were all going to the same place (at least most of us): good ole’ Pittsburgh.
By the last day, I felt as through I was in my hometown in a way. Having spent two weeks in Old Town Prague, I was very familiar with how to get around both on foot and through public transportation. I was comfortable that I could get where I needed to be even if it was late at night. The only obvious barrier that is still present is language. While I can get by on a day-to-day basis, if I am to even consider living in a place like Prague, I would first need to study the language of the region so I could effectively and intelligently communicate with others. Doing this, I understand, would be like starting from square one in a way. Although, I have noticed that being immersed in the culture of Prague, I have been able to communicate politely on a fundamental level, and this comes from never speaking any slavic languages ever prior to this trip. This gives me hope, also, for learning French. I have been taking French classes at Pitt for quite some time, and I just know when I get the opportunity to travel to France, I will be just as immersed and motivated to learn and communicate the language.
This has officially been my very first trip “across the big pond” as my dad said before I left, and I will never forget it. This might be a hot take, but I do not believe that the events and locations were the primary contributors to my satisfaction with this trip. Rather, my satisfaction relied upon the moments shared with my newly-made friends. From saying Shhhhhhhkoda with Brandon to playing Among Us on our long road trips, so much fun was had and so many jokes were made. Not one day was without a laugh on this trip, and that is how you know you are with the right people.
Swanson School of Engineering 