Škoda surprised me. The thing that stuck specifically was the balance of everything in the factory. Too much automation and you lose flexibility, while too much human labor and you lose efficiency. Getting that ratio right is an ongoing experiment, not a fixed answer. Watching the iteration process for design testing reinforced the same idea. Overall, I understand that manufacturing isn’t about getting it perfect the first time, it’s about building systems that let you improve.
Every trip has its peaks and pits. My pit was probably on Mother’s Day, being far from home on a day like that did sting a little. But the highs have more than balanced it out. There’s something genuinely special about wandering a city with no fixed agenda and stumbling onto something beautiful you weren’t looking for. I’ve loved just roaming the streets with everyone, the program, and window shopping at all the stores in Old Town and trying different treats.
And the food has been great as well. A gyro outside Charles University that hit at exactly the right moment, and a soup from the cooking class that was somehow just as good even though we made it. Honestly, I haven’t had a bad meal yet, and that might be the most surprising discovery of the whole trip.
Swanson School of Engineering 