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Let’s begin with a small, apologetic explanation. When a student of society, culture, and language teaching becomes immersed into a city such as the one I am in currently in, he may forget that people thousands of miles away are still thinking of him. As I write this, I realize that I have neglected you, as I have been here 8 days now without an update. I will try my hardest to never let this happen again. However, here is the reason I am tardy:

This city has everything anyone has ever told me, combined with countless things that I have now experienced myself. Prague- Praha here, is truly the city of enchantment and mystery. Freezing cold days and nights, coupled with gothic architecture at every turn make Prague a delight to be a part of. I can’t really justify the experience with these words and pictures. It is like being in one of those Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies every time you step outside. Even the simple activity of walking from metro station to tram station brings the beautiful city to life every time. The experiences here give me goose bumps, as I know it will be hard to forget everyone of them.

My school, INTESOL, is very nice. Right near the main square (Wenceslas), INTESOL has everything a good language school should have (man, that sounds like a tourist brochure!). Good, quality teachers, exhaustive resources, and a very slow internet…what more could one student ask for. Coupled with my 4 classmates, I could not ask for anything better. These classmates, however, have been truly amazing.

I have made a wonderful connection with the two Southern California girls. They are my age and they have never been to Europe. It is one of my jobs to acclimate them to European culture with constant trips to local restaurants, bars, and sites around Prague. We have done so much and have become so close over the past 7 days that it kind of scares me.

Yesterday was a great day. The girls, Jay, Hana the Hottie (one of our instructors), and I jumped into a train and headed to Southwest Czeske Republica to a small mining village called Kutna Hora. On the way, we were greeted by some beautiful snow, falling quietly and peacefully on the passing countryside. We played tourist for the most part, including a trip to an ossuary church with everything inside made completely of bones. Human bones. From the chandelier to the alter throne, 40,000 complete sets of bones were on display to show the basics of mortality, that everyone will eventually die. It definitely proved its point. From there we hiked to the main Cathedral of St. Barbara, an awesome Gothic church from the late 14th century. As we walked there, we enjoyed the fact that a fine layer of snow had dusted everything in that breathtaking town, letting us literally go “walking in a winter wonderland”. It was a great town, with some unforgettable moments. I still say I won the snowball fight, but it is hard to do when you always get ganged up on.

Now I am here in my apartment, quietly watching the snowfall on our small street this Sunday morning. This wonderful city has captivated me, and I am hooked on experiencing even more. My prior qualms about this place are dissolving, quite like the unsticking snow as it hits the ground. I have, however, made my decision to come back home for Christmas, as I do miss each and everyone of you (Tanner and Riley the most…, sorry Mom and Dad).

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