Studying Abroad Can Change You (Topic of Choice)

83 days, 9 countries, and millions of amazing memories later I am back in good old Nebraska. It's easy to say that studying abroad was one of the most amazing life changing experiences I have ever had. A year ago the plan I had for my life was going in a completely different direction. Things changed and I decided it was now or never to jump on the opportunity to study abroad. I didn't know what to expect or how I was going to feel, I hadn't even flown on a plane before.

Now that I am back in the United States i've realized how much studying abroad has changed me. First of all I feel more independent. If you would have told me that I would be traveling anywhere in Europe by myself I would have thought you were crazy. My last 5 days abroad I spent traveling in Ireland by myself. It sounded scary but by the time came I was so excited and ready to go! I survived traveling alone in a foreign country and now I feel as if I am ready to graduate and go out into the world and see where it might take me.

Taking in the view of the ocean in Galway Ireland.

Enjoying the view at the Cliffs of Moher. 

Something else I realized while studying abroad was that you need to enjoy every moment.  You don't always need to be on the go or doing something. Stop and take in everything around you! One of the most peaceful places I went was in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. The smells and the sites were outstanding and I could have sat there for hours. By coming to this realization it also helped me to learn I don't always have to have a plan. Which was a relief at times. By not having a plan it allowed for many opportunities to happen. While exploring many cities I often just wandered around and stumbled upon statues or buildings I never would have seen by following a map and going to a planned place.

Stream up in the Tatra Mountains.

I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world!  One of the best parts of the trip was the friendships I made with people from all over the world. This was the best three months of my life and I look forward to going back!

The amazing group of people I got to experience this opportunity with!

P.S. I have now seen more of Europe than the United States.
Countries I visited:
Czech Republic (lived in Olomouc but travelled all over it)
Italy (Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Venice)
Germany (Dresden)
Poland (Krakow)
Slovakia (Poprad)
Hungary (Budapest)
England (London)
Ireland (Dublin, Galway, and several small villages)
Austria (Vienna)
(Flew out of Switzerland and Belgium)

(6) A Night on the Town

Between all the studying and traveling is there anytime for a social life? The answer is yes, but a night out in Olomouc is certainly different than your typical night out in the states. To start off people don't go out very much on the weekends. The most popular nights here in Olomouc are Monday's at the 15 Minut Club and Wednesday's at Belmondo. Each of these clubs have special themed nights of the different countries the students are from. Going out is one of the best ways to meet new people! We just had our national party at Belmondo where I ended up meeting, visiting and dancing with people from all over Europe. 

Even though beer is cheaper than water, it's not always about going out just to drink. In Kearney we don't have too many options for places to dance. So I really enjoy going out just to go dancing. Some of the clubs don't even have a closing time so you can dance all night and catch the 4:00am tram!

Hungary, USA, Portugal, Sweden, and Bulgaria
night at Belmondo.

Our last night out as a flat family.

On our welcoming pub crawl.

The clubs are the main places to go if you want to go dancing but if you want to just have a drink and visit there are many pubs to choose from. Pubs are another great way to meet people especially locals. This gives us the chance to use our (little) knowledge of the Czech language. Typically they will help you out and even teach you some new words or phrases.

During our first week here we went on a welcoming pub craw and we got to see a variety of different pubs. They are nothing like the bars in the states. Some of them are in what looks like old cellars. 

My night life has really grown since being in the Czech Republic. I guess you could say I've become a "social butterfly". I've gotten to be pretty close with some of the people I've meet. Now I can say I have friends from all around the world and I look forward to coming back to Europe and visiting them again!

(9) A Whirlwind of Emotions

It is hard to put into words the emotions I felt as I made my way through Auschwitz where 1.5 million peoples lives came to an end. No matter how much you discuss the facts in class, nothing prepares you for walking on the same road 100s of 1,000s Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Soviet prisoners of war and prisoners of other ethnic groups walked, straight to their deaths. 

Auschwitz I entrance.

Auschwitz II Birkenau entrance.

As a class we made our way through Auschwitz, the largest Nazi German concentration camp out of six. The camp consisted of three different areas; Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II, and Auschwitz III. When entering either of these camps you were considered lucky if you weren't part of the group that was sent immediately to death before even checking in. The old, weak or ill, babies or young children never made it past the selection process. Only 25% of the people would survived the selection process. Out of the first 728 polish prisoners that arrived in Auschwitz I, 300 survived the war and there are still six alive today.

We walked I through the famous "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" (translated: work makes you free) gate and into Auschwitz I.  Up to 20,000 people would be in the camp and each barrack would have anywhere from 700-1000 people living inside. There were toilets and sinks inside these buildings which wasn't the case for the people living in Birkenau. As if just living in a regular barrack wasn't bad enough there were some that were even worse such as Block 11. It was know as the "block of death" and it was like a prison inside of a prison. Inside here there were starvation cells where they would leave people in there to starve to death. There were also suffocation cells that they packed full of people and you would just suffocate to death. Standing cells was another form of toucher which five men would be crammed into a tiny cell which they entered through a small door on the floor. If you survived the night in a standing or suffocation cell you would go work a full 12 hour day and be placed back inside your cell at night.

As I walked through these cells I couldn't help but tear up. It was unimaginable what these people suffered through. People were dying due to starvation, suffocation, and medical experiments. They could also be murdered by being shot in the at the "wall of death". They would stand facing the wall naked and then would be shot in the back of the head one by one. At Auschwitz I there was also a gas chamber. They would squeeze up to 1000 people in a room and drop the canisters of gas inside. It would take 20 minutes for them to suffocate and die. The bodies would then be cremated. This gas chamber was shut down in July 1943 due to "lack of efficiency". 

Pots, pans and cups brought by prisoners.

In some of the blocks we walk through were stored the personal items of the people that came to the camp. When people were transported to the camp they were allowed to bring a bag weighing 25kg. They were told that they were going somewhere nice they could live and work. Little did they know they bought their own train tickets to their deaths. 

Many of them brought personal belongings as well as ordinary kitchen utensils. You didn't get to keep any of the items you brought. Upon arrival you had to hand over your bag and you had to change into "pajamas" the uniforms which they made the prisoners wear.

It wasn't just simple personal belongings that the Nazi's would keep. They kept the bags, shoes, glasses, prosthetics, and human hair. Tons of human hair was being shipped back to German and being used in the textile factories. When the Russian arrived at Auschwitz they found 7 tons of human hair bagged up and ready to be shipped.

My breaking point was seeing the wall of hair. I just felt sick and it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it. These factories in German knew exactly what it was but yet they continued to use it as stuffing and for making material. We were not allowed to take pictures in this room but I was able to take some of the other belongings.

40,000 pairs of glasses.

80,000 pairs of shoes. 

Prosthetic legs, arms, crutches, and braces.

A map of the layout of Auschwitz II- Birkenau.

At this point I didn't know what to think and I felt helpless and I can't help but image what the people who lived there felt, but Auschwitz I wasn't even the worst of it. We headed to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the largest and the main extermination camp which had 100,000 prisoners at a time. Prisoners would be in buildings that were originally stables that held 52 horses. Up to 1000 people would be living in these barracks without any toilets, sinks, or heat. You would be allowed to use the bathroom (located in a separate building) twice a day for 30 seconds each. 630 men would be using the bathroom at the same time. You could be shot if you used a restroom during working hours.

Working in the bathrooms would have seemed like the worst job out of them all but several survivors said it saved their lives.  They were inside out of the elements and Nazi's wouldn't enter into the buildings because of the smell so they were able to talk with each other and exchange goods. It was the "black market" within the camp.

The barracks that 1000's of prisoners lived in.

The toilets which prisoners were allowed to use twice a day.
Workers would crawl down into the toilets and with their hands and a bucket scoop them out.

People were fed "three meals" a day. Breakfast was black water, a coffee like substance, lunch would be soup that was made from rotten vegetables and supper was a piece of bread with a teaspoon of jam. They would take in barely over 1000 calories a day which they easily burned during their 12 hours of work. With this intake of calories it was calculated that people would't survive over three months and new prisoners would replace those that died.

Entrance to the gas chamber #3. 

At Birkenau there were four main extermination gas chambers and crematoriums. People thought they were going to get a shower. Walking up to the building they would see flowers growing all around it. After entering the first room they would strip down and go into the main room. Nazi's would pack 10,000 people inside and then drop the gas canisters inside from the roof. A guard would watch through a window and after 20 minutes give the signal to open the doors. What's even more sickening is that other prisoners would have to haul the dead bodies into another room where they cremated them. In one day 1,500 bodies could be burned.

 The Nazi's wanted to dispose off all the evidence so the prisoners who worked in the gas chambers didn't work there long. They would soon be replaced by new works so that no one knew what was going on. To dispose of the ashes of the bodies they burned they would use them as fertilizer or dump them in the woods and into ponds.

A memorial next to extermination chamber #3.

A pond that they dumped the ashes of burned bodies into.

At the end of the war when the Nazi's knew that the Russian would be coming they marched 56,000 prisoners and left the rest of them to die in the camp. On this "death march" to another camp 9,000 peopled died. The gas chambers were also demolished and buildings burned to destroy as much of the evidence as they could.

A memorial was built between the two main gas chambers #2 and #3, built in 1967. There are plaques in every language of the victims along the front. They read "For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women and children mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945"
These words need to be taken to heart by everyone around the world. History can not repeat itself!

The English inscription in front of the memorial.

This was the most eye opening, emotional, and memorable place I have been. I will never forget what I saw at these camps and tears swell in my eyes every time I think about it. It's unbelievable what happened here. May those who perished rest in peace, you will never be forgotten.

(5) "Toto I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore"

It should really say "I don't think we're in Nebraska anymore" but what I am trying to say is that the Czech Republic/Europe is quite different than Nebraska/United States. There are many cultural difference that I have noticed. I was shocked at first by many of them but since being here for a 1.5 months I have gotten quite used to them.

One of the biggest difference is transportation. In the United States we are so used to getting in our car and driving ourselves where we need to go. In the Czech Republic and throughout Europe public transportation is used by a large portion of the population. I have grown quite accustom to using trains, trams, and busses. Everyday I use the tram system to get to and from class or to various areas in town. The hardest part about the trams was reading the schedules. As you can see in the photo it is in military time, which I learned how to read since being here. Another main way to get around town is to walk. It's not uncommon to walk over 5 miles in a day. There were several trips by the end of the day we had walked over 10 miles!

Afternoon Tram schedule.

Walking is our main form of transportation.

Another large difference which has taken me the longest to get used to is that water isn't free. Typically when you go out to a restaurant in the United States water is free, but here you have to pay for it. Fun Fact: It's cheaper to order a beer than water in some places. Many of us were so excited when we received free water on the trains. It's funny how something so simple that we don't really ever consider becomes a became a big deal. 

One of the funniest difference that many of us experienced as soon as we landed happened in the bathroom. We found out that you never really know where the flusher might be. Sometimes it's a string above your head, a button on the wall or top of the toilet or a pedal on the floor. Whatever the case maybe, it just takes you a little longer to find it!

Two things that have shocked me the most is how many people smoke and people with pets (mostly dogs). I am not sure if it's because in Nebraska you are not allowed to smoke inside that I don't notice the amount of people that smoke or if more people in Europe smoke. It seems like everywhere you go there are always people smoking and pubs or clubs are typically filled with smoke. Something else that shocked me is the amount of people who have dogs. It's also not uncommon that you take your dog on the trams or into stores. I am not sure if it is a law but many of the dogs you see usually have a muzzle on. I think I prefer animals being inside compared to smoking inside. 

These are just a few of the cultural difference that have stood out the most to me. There are others such as that you bring your own bag for groceries at the store, you don't typically ask how someone is doing (they will answer with a very honest answer), it's not uncommon to see people drinking early in the day or even in the streets (open container laws aren't enforced), you don't always tip, and many more. As on now I am quite used to the differences and I am very comfortable here. I am anxious to see how I will feel when I return home if I will experience some culture shock. For now I won't worry about it too much, there are several more adventures ahead to think about! :)

(2) Do you ever have class?

That is the question that I have been asked several times since being in the Czech Republic. The answer is yes! While staying in Olomouc I attend Palacký University the second oldest university in the Czech Republic. Similar to UNK different departments are based in different buildings. The architecture of the buildings is beautiful. Many of them being quite historical such as the main library that was the Theresian Artillery armory.

I attend class in the Department of History building. My classes consist of lectures from guest speakers, czech language, and more lectures from our academic coordinators Martin Elbel and Jan Stejskal. Our guest speakers are usually teachers within the history department and other related departments on campus such as Political Studies and Sociology. On a regular dat we attend three classes back to back, from 3:00pm to 7:15pm. This has taken some getting used to because typically my classes are more spread out and I usually scheduled them in the morning. It has also been a transition for me to go from hands on art classes to lectures. The lectures are quite fascinating! I am enjoying learning about the history of the country where some of ancestors came from and to learn the language they spoke.

Along with my lectures we have field-trips. This is why many people ask if I actually go to class. These aren't the kinds of field-trips you went on when you were in grade school. As a class we travel to different cities to see historical sites that correspond with what we are learning about with the history of the Czech Republic and other European countries. Going to the sites and seeing what we are learning about makes learning easier and more fun.

I must not forget that this blog is another one of my course. It may not seem like a very important one but it is because years down the road I'll be able to look back and read about My Czech Adventures!

My new Palacký University T-shirt!

Notes from guest lectures.

Czech Language class.

(8) On the road again!

A great part of the Czech Republic study abroad program is the field trips to other countries and historical cities. On the morning of April 7th we loaded up on a bus and began our second field trip as a class to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy. After the four hour long bus ride we arrived in Vienna. Once we settled in at our hostel we went to the town square, our main meeting point. We were all set free to have lunch and then met back up to head to the Imperial Treasury. This was quite the site to see. I was amazed at how much a royal outfit consisted of and wondered how much the garments would weigh.

Later we were again set free in the city to do what ever we would like. Several of us ended up going to an opera/ballet/orchestra performance. We were all so excited, because we had heard that Vienna was the place to hear music, and see performances. As soon as we entered the "concert room", we were a little worried. The scene was set up like a high school band performance. The amazing opera house we had expected, was no where in sight. Soon the small orchestra came out to perform, and while they sounded decent, it was nothing like we had originally thought it would be. Ultimately, the life lesson learned here is not to by tickets off of street vendors. Prior research is necessary when attending an opera or performance in Vienna.

Our second day in Vienna didn't start out the best. We were all excited to go to the Lipizzaner horse show. About an hour in we found out that it was just a training day. We left early from there and a group of us made our way to the National History Museum or what we liked to call the "Dinosaur Museum". I was shocked at the size of the museum and how many specimens that were on exhibit. They had every animal you could think of and more. In the "Human Evolution" exhibition you could transform yourself so I transformed into a Australopithecus africanus. A little information it gave me was "As an Australopithecus africanus, you live between 3 and 2 million years ago in what is now South Africa. You face many survival challenges... including large, dangerous predators. But living in a group with other members of your species provides some protection." The National History was my favorite part of the trip in Vienna. 

Me as an Australopithecus africanus.

 The next morning we loaded back on the bus to head to Venice where we would find out it is very easy to get lost. We settled into our hostel and quickly hit the streets. Martin lead us through the maze of streets to St. Mark's square. After a quick overview of the area we were told we had to meet back here the next morning. That meant we had to find our own way back to the hostel before the 1am curfew and back to St. Mark's square in the morning by ourselves. After wandering for about an hour and thinking we were lost and would have to sleep on the streets we magically found our way back to our hostel. A few of us got up early to explore and begin the adventure back to St. Mark's square. That afternoon we went to the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. I was blown away by the artwork and by the design of the ceilings in each room. It was very beautiful.

 

To wrap up my time in Venice I did what everyone should do just to say they did it, I went on a gondola ride. It was a short 30 minute ride but worth every cent. Venice is a beautiful city and I wish I could have spent more time there exploring. 

I've really enjoy going on these field trips with my fellow classmates and getting the opportunity to see new places all over Europe. Each one of these trips is a learning experience and I am filled with so much more knowledge. I look forward to our next day trip to Terezín!

(1) My Home Away from Home

 It is crazy to me to think that I have been in the Czech Republic for over a month now. The town of Olomouc, that had never heard of before, has become my home away from home and my flat mates and my roommate are now my family. 

Thibault and I.

My roommate/little sister, Billy and I.

Luca and I.

But daily life here is a little different than back in the states. To start off, with my class schedule I am finding out what it's like to sleep in!  I usually still don't get more than 8 hours of sleep because I end up being up later than usual, whether I am out with friends or FaceTiming my family. When I am not wasting the day away in bed I am out exploring the city. What I would normally do back in Kearney is get in my car and drive where ever I wanted to go, but that's not the case here. Trams, busses, taxi's and my own two feet get me where I need to go. Surprisingly the public transpiration was easy to figure out and use. I typically use the tram system to get me to and from class. 

Something else that surprised me was how well I sleep in my bed. My mattress is literally 6 inches thick but oddly comfortable! I guess it has to be small to fit in our small bedroom. Typically a small room doesn't bother me but when there are two girls in here it tends to get a little cramped. We just have so much stuff. If I could change one thing about my flat is the size of the kitchen. If you know me you know that I love to cook. That has become a challenge during my time here. As you can see in the picture the kitchen is quite small. To throw another wrench into it, finding groceries to cook with is also a challenge. For groceries I usually walk to Globus which is similar to Walmart in America. When looking for a specific item you never know where your going to find it. You can try to ask someone where it is but not very many of the workers understand english. Grocery shopping becomes it's own adventure! 

My bed!

My tiny kitchen.

Daily life here in Olomouc may not be as thrilling as traveling the rest of Europe but I long for it when I am away. After traveling for the past two weeks I was excited to get back to Olomouc and I was greeted with smiles and hugs from my flatmates. Olomouc is my home and I wouldn't have it any other way.