Fifteen years ago, I did a project on the Czech Republic in my kindergarten class. Each of my classmates was assigned a country and a short paragraph to recite during our weekly assembly, which I still have memorized. I am unsure why, but the kindergarten version of me was beyond excited to receive the Czech Republic. It’s a pretty obscure country for a 5-year-old to research. It is not one that people typically think of when they list off European places, but ever since kindergarten, I have felt a connection to the Czech Republic.
When we arrived in Prague, we checked into our Airbnb and met our host. She was the epitome of a Jewish Grandmother and gave us some great advice for the weekend. She recommended the most incredible bakery, which we stopped at the next morning for breakfast. Unlike other weekend trips, Prague was much less scheduled. Since we were staying in the same place the entirety of the weekend, we had more flexibility in when we did different activities. On Friday night, we stopped at the Christmas Markets, which is quite similar to jumping into the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Each country has its own special cuisine that they add to their Christmas Markets. In Prague, chimney cakes are the quintessential Christmas food. It’s a dough that gets wrapped around a rotating skewer over hot coals. After it is cooked, it’s rolled in cinnamon sugar and is often accompanied by ice cream or Nutella. It was definitely a sweet way to start a weekend in Prague.
On Saturday we spent some time walking around the city. As we were crossing the Charles Bridge, there was a couple who got engaged right in front of us. Throughout my semester abroad, I have now watched a wedding in the middle of a lake in the Dolomites (the bride and groom were in boats) and now an engagement on the Charles Bridge in Prague. There’s something so special about witnessing such important life events in the world’s greatest places!
We spent the afternoon walking around the castle and visiting the Franz Kafka Museum. In the evening we went to an Ice Bar, which was essentially just a good way to prepare for my arrival back in Syracuse. We ended the night with dinner at a fabulous vegetarian restaurant.
The following morning, we toured the Jewish Quarters. Prague is home to the oldest active synagogue in all of Europe. As I walked into the synagogue, the architecture was very different from that of Florence. It wasn’t as welcoming or uplifting. It didn’t at all represent the renaissance period. I have walked into so many churches built during the period of rebirth and enlightenment; I am used to my eyes being drawn to the beautiful artwork on the ceilings.
The Old-New Synagogue was built in 1270, during the medieval period, and represents a Gothic style of architecture. While I prefer the renaissance style of architecture, it was interesting to see a change in how a space with the same purpose can be designed in so many different ways, reflecting the time period in which it’s built. The ceilings were a clean slate of white filled with Gothic arches. It felt a bit colder and less hospitable. The stone walls reminded me of the cave town of Mattera in southern Italy. It’s hard to imagine that these beautiful arches were built 700 years ago, without the modern-day equipment, proving the importance of a community space during this time.
The Old-New Synagogue survived several pogroms and even fires. Most recently, it persevered through Nazi occupation. After visiting Dachau the weekend prior, I had so much appreciation for the sheer existence of this space. I think the Old-New Synagogue is significant, as it proves the strength and resilience of the Jewish People. While the building itself is rather interesting, there has always been a sense of strength no matter the time period. In kindergarten, I had the opportunity to write something special about my country and I chose to say, “There were many Jewish people that used to live in the Czech Republic.” While this is certainly true, I made one major error: I used the past tense. Prague has one of the strongest Jewish communities that I have ever seen, and it became evident after visiting the Old-New Synagogue. It is this strength that countered the struggles I witnessed during the weekend prior.
I am a bit sad that this was my final weekend trip in Europe; it symbolized the start to the end of an incredible semester. I can’t imagine saying goodbye to my host family, my professors, and friends. I remember when I first arrived in Italy and wondered how I would ever adapt to the culture. After waiting for orientation to begin, my friends and I visited a small bakery near the school. As I walked in, I asked, “Do you speak English?” I stood wide-eyed and somewhat terrified as the woman shook her head and said, “No.” I didn’t know how to order anything. I pointed at a pastry and opened up my wallet and took out a few euros. I wanted to say, “Thank you” or “Have a good day,” but I couldn’t. I remember leaving wondering how was I ever going to thrive in such a different culture.
Communication is one of the key ingredients to success, yet if I couldn’t communicate with anyone, how could I possibly live in Italy? I had heard that many people speak English in Florence, but that was mainly in the touristy areas. I knew I would be taking six credits of Italian, but I never enjoyed learning languages, nor found it easy.
However, learning Italian while living in Florence transformed my thoughts on understanding new languages. Each day, I practiced what I learned during dinner with my host family. As my host Mom’s grandchildren learned English from me, I began to learn Italian from them. I never thought some of my greatest teachers would be between the ages of five and seven. My Italian class was filled with field trips throughout the city, which helped to balance six credits of a language. Last week, each person in my class presented on their experiences in Italy. It was an 8-minute presentation in Italian. Presenting for 8 minutes in English is somewhat lengthy, but in Italian added another dimension of challenge. When I first arrived, I never thought I would be able to hold a conversation in Italian, yet my entire class was able to spend 8-minutes each presenting on their favorite moments in Italy.
When I look back at all of the incredible memories that I’ve had throughout the semester, it is hard for me to summarize the experience of spending 118 days studying and traveling throughout Europe. I have visited so many places that I never thought I’d see. I met Reindeer in the Arctic Circle, I watched the sunrise over the cave town of Mattera, I visited the castle that inspired the one at Disney, toured Mozart’s house, and steered a four-person bike around the walls of Lucca, just to name a few. It is through this experience that my ideals have simultaneously been confirmed and challenged. I have discovered how connected we are to one another, and the importance of becoming a global citizen. As I prepare for my return back home, I feel excited to get back into my normal routine. For now, I will appreciate each moment of my last few days in Florence.
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