Leah Living Abroad

One Year Anniversary

leelee1586 — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:35:00 GMT

I missed it by a few days, but just over a year ago, I moved to Prague. It’s been an incredible year filled with laughter, learning, adventures and more. I won’t say that everything has been perfect, but it’s been pretty damn close!

Life in Prague is quite wonderful—better than I could have hoped for. I spend a usual week teaching 15 hours and then working at a pub 12-35 hours (depending on the week). My students are pleasant, interesting and fun, and I get to meet a lot of different people at the pub as well. On average, I work around 35 hours a week and then spend the rest of my time relaxing, spending time with friends and doing other things I love (reading, sleeping, watching movies, being outside when the weather allows, etc.). It’s been an incredible adjustment, as my life in the states led me to believe that life would only hold work work work work because that’s what I had to do to pay the bills… but now that I’m adjusted, I’m not sure I could ever go back to that lifestyle. It's such a wonderful feeling having so much free-time and still being able to live comfortably and save!

I realize I haven’t posted in a long time, so here are some highlights from the last 6 months:

My friend, Cassie, came to visit and we went to Salzburg, Austria. We went on a Sound of Music tour and it was SO much fun—the entire bus sang the soundtrack while we traveled to different locations for behind-the-scenes information/trivia and photo ops. We met some great people to explore the city with and spent a rainy day touring the Hohensalzburg Fortress—complete with a medieval armor and weapons exhibition!
Another friend, Josh, was traveling around Europe, so we met in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for a long weekend. The coastal, medieval city was absolutely beautiful! The Adriatic Sea is a deep, rich turquoise and the waves crashing into the Old City’s walls felt… timeless. Josh and I ate amazing seafood for every meal, walked the walls of the Old City, had our pictures taken on the Iron Throne (parts of Game of Thrones are filmed in Dubrovnik) and watched the sun set over the city from atop Hill Srdj.
I spent 6 weeks back home in the USA on holiday. SO wonderful to see friends and family and meet my new baby niece for the first time!! Thanksgiving, Christmas and everything in between was extremely special and I’m so thankful for that time at home.

And some current observations: I forgot what winter can be like in places that actually experience real winters. Winter is cold. REALLY cold.

I think I was spoiled living in Atlanta for 6 years where I could get by with my fleece jacket and the entire city would shut down at the mention of snow flurries. But now, I once again live in a city that experiences the full force of winter. I’ve been wearing my winter coat (thanks mom) since October and I thankfully found a pair of boots while I was home on holiday (these are part of the daily dress code as well). I keep looking at the 10 day forecast, expecting to see that it’ll be warmer next week and then reminding myself that I’m not in the ATL anymore. Sigh.

But here’s the thing: it may be winter… but I live in Prague. I mean really, if I have to endure my least favorite season, I might as well do it in Europe, right?! Sure, it’s cold like reindeer poop (a Czech saying when it’s SUPER cold haha), but all I have to do is look up to be reminded of the beautiful city of Prague and how incredibly lucky I am to live here. And you know what? Winter will end… eventually… and then I get to experience another spring, summer and fall here. Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that this is actually my life. I am astounded by—but also so thankful for—the path my life has taken.

Lost in Time...

leelee1586 — Fri, 8 Jul 2016 10:55:00 GMT

Where have the last 2 months gone since my last post?? A lot has happened, so here we go…

Over the last two months, I’ve enjoyed 3 separate visits from stateside friends! Amber and her mom were the first to visit and we had a fantastic time exploring and eating and laughing a LOT. Amber and I haven’t lived in the same city for over 10 years, so it was pretty wonderful to spend more than an afternoon or a short weekend with her. And having mama Lageman join our shenanigans was super fun and gave me a little dose of “mom love” which I needed more than I realized. The next visitors were Erin and MK and we had a half relaxing, half adventurous week. Got to explore Karlstejn castle outside of Prague and had a “college night” at this amazing cocktail bar, Anonymous—so glad to have a little piece of ATL find me so far away from home. My last visitors were Meryl and Megan and we had a short couple days wandering around the city, doing yoga in a park and eating Trdelnik se zmrzlinou (pastry/donut chimney thing with ice cream). So glad to have my twins come visit and be a part of their first European experiences!!

Besides visitors, it has pretty much just been work work work work work. Teaching is going well, even though I feel like my students teach me more than I teach them—most of my classes are conversation, so they speak on topics in which they’re educated and excited while I just correct their grammar or help them find vocab. I’ve learned a lot about agriculture and aviation and the EU and operating systems and pharmaceuticals! I teach “in-company” classes, which means the language school I work for is hired out by companies all over Prague that provide English lessons to their employees (either for free or at a subsidized rate), which is a great benefit!

Speaking of benefits… get your sh*t together, USA. In the Czech Republic, the minimum vacation time that companies must provide is 20 days. Four weeks MINIMUM! And many companies choose to provide more or also add on sick days. And let’s look at maternity leave… women get up to 3 years to stay at home with their new baby/babies here. Yes, you read that correctly, UP TO THREE FREAKING YEARS! And the state provides a stipend to the new mothers during her stay at home AND her employer is required to rehire her if she decides to return to work after the 3 years (though not necessarily in the same position). Other great benefits that many companies offer (though are not necessarily required): daycare for children up to age 6, flexible working hours, food vouchers, mobile phones, gyms, and, as I’ve mentioned before, English lessons. Again, these last ones are not required by the state, but I’ve learned that work/life balance is extremely important here in the Czech Republic and companies seem to make sure to provide that.

Anyway, the past 2 months have been busy, but good! Will try to be better about posting more often.

Croissants Are Always Worth It

leelee1586 — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:12:00 GMT

Beautiful Bruges (...and Lille and Brussels)

Went on my first vacation since moving to Prague and it was fantastic!! Took my first Ryanair flight in 9 years and forgot how obnoxious they can be by making lots of announcements during the flight and trying to sell products and raffle tickets and whatnot. But the flights are cheap and I dozed most of the flight, which was pretty wonderful.

Landed in Brussels at the south Charleroi airport and it was very clearly still on high alert, as it had only been a month since the attack at the main airport. It was a Thursday afternoon when I arrived, so it wasn’t particularly busy, but the airport shut down most of the doors so that you could only exit through one door and enter through another (and only after travel documents were checked by airport security). So I got myself a chocolate croissant and waited for my bus to Lille. It was 30 minutes late, but the sun was shining, so I read and waited and then dozed on the bus ride because I was apparently too tired to keep my eyes open while traveling that day… met up with my friend Kierra at the train station in Lille and we headed back to her flat—our friend Channon had friends visiting as well, so after a tasty dinner we had a chill night drinking wine and chatting together.

Friday morning was relaxed and I ate the most delicious chocolate croissant from a little café around the corner from the flat. Kierra had to prep for and do a phone interview, so her flatmate Pat took me on a little tour of Lille. We went to a kebab shop and enjoyed some tasty falafel while people watching in the Grand Place, then we walked through Vieux-Lille (the old town)—like most European cities with an old town, this is the most quaint and beautiful part of the city (the classic Europe that you see in all the advertisements). Our wandering took us to the Lille zoo, which is free… saw a tortoise and snakes and monkeys and lemurs and rhinos and zebras, OH MY! It was a nice way to spend the afternoon--walking through an unknown city while chatting with a new friend. Pat told me that the reason many of the buildings in Lille are brick is due to the clay deposits that are plentiful in that region of France. The rest of the evening was again relaxed with a home-cooked meal and local beers (Ch’ti amber and triple) and good conversation with wonderful people. All in all it was an excellent trip to Lille—a city I probably never would have visited had I not stayed at the same hostel in Stockholm with Kierra and Channon and Alex. It’s neat how things work out :-)

Headed to Bruges on Saturday morning after eating more chocolate croissants because I just couldn’t get enough of the French pastries! Bruges is beautiful. It’s very small and the buildings seem to be untouched by time. The sun was shining, so I spent as much time as I could walking around and exploring without a destination in mind… found a little park to sit in and people watch for a little bit before heading back to the hostel. I stayed at Snuffel Backpacker Hostel and it was great; very clean, friendly staff, safe and secure. They also offer a “beer card,” so for 11 euro you could have 5 beers (which was well worth it, as most beers at a restaurant or bar were 3-6 euro each). Over my 2 days in the city, I had the local Brugse Zot, brewed just down the road from the hostel; La Trappe Trappist Quadrupel; Brugs Witbier/Biere Blanche; Duvel; and Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. All very delicious, but my favorite was the Westmalle Dubbel—rich and malty with a very slight semi-bitter finish. Delicious!

Day two in Bruges started with a crisp stroll along the river while listening to Les Miserables. I came across the Traitor's Skull at the Smedenpoort gate--a bronze replica of the skull of a traitor who opened the gates from the inside in 1688 to allow the city to be taken. Then clouds rolled in and after a short hailstorm I found myself at the Beguinage--the place where Beguines used to live. These women didn't take formal religious vows like nuns, but promised not to marry, so they lived in the Beguinage together. Throughout the rest of the day, I dodged rain showers and saw the Church of Our Lady, sampled some chocolate in the Belgian chocolate shops and found myself sitting at the historium bar overlooking the old town square. Later in the evening I made friends with a hostelmate, Britta, and we wandered around some more and got fries and a waffle (SO GOOD).

The next morning Britta and I had breakfast and chatted and then took the same train towards Brussels--she got off at Ghent, but I continued on. I only had the afternoon to explore and it was rainy, so not entirely pleasant. BUT I had another waffle, saw the Grand Place, the Manneken Pis statue and did the free tour of the European Parliament building (which was pretty neat). It really started storming around dinner time, so I spent the rest of the evening at the hostel and made an early night since I had to get up quite early to get to the airport.

I'm really glad I was able to take this little vacation. Got to see friendly faces, meet new people and learn about a few new cities. I think my favorite part, though, was the croissants. My final croissant count for the 5 and a half day excursion was 14. No regrets!

Cobblestones: Slippery When Wet

leelee1586 — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:53:00 GMT

It's been rather overcast in Prague the past week or so, accompanied by rainshowers. Luckily no extreme downpours, but it has reminded me that I need to get an umbrella, as my rain jacket isn't necessarily enough. And wet cobblestones are dangerous! I am generally a fast walker, but I've had to consciously slow my pace when it rains because it gets VERY slick! I haven't fallen yet, but I've definitely been slipping all over the place.

The sun did make an appearance a couple times and I am happy to say I had a chance to enjoy it!! The housemates and I spent a few hours in the backyard laying and chatting in the sun and I took a nice long walk in one of my favorite parks. Spring is definitely on the verge here in the Czech Republic... the cherry trees have started to blossom and smell exquisite--they remind me of the trees in Athens and make me smile whenever I come across them in the city. I am so looking forward to spring and summer in this city! There are so many parks to explore and of course the beer gardens will open soon too :-)

It's weird having so much time on my hands lately. The course had me constantly focused on something and now I'm in this pending period where I really don't have anything to do. Of course I'm enjoying a lot of it, but I also like being busy, so there's that part of me that is antsy and/or feeling guilty about not working. But at the same time, part of this experience for me is to really take time for myself... and I'm really trying to. I've been attending a yoga class every Wednesday evening, which has been fantastic for my physical and mental health--definitely something I look forward to every week. And I've been taking "wandering walks" around the city where I don't really have a destination in mind and I just enjoy the exploration. I've come across some beautiful places and it's just making me fall in love with this city more and more. It's starting to feel like a home rather than a vacation destination, and I'm so looking forward to getting into a routine once I get my teaching schedule in the next few weeks!

Keeping this post short and sweet. Much love from Prague!!

TEFL in Prague

leelee1586 — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 15:31:00 GMT

Second of two posts.

It’s been a whirlwind of a month! It’s hard to believe how much I’ve learned in 4 weeks and how much confidence I’ve gained in teaching from day one to now.

We started off as a group of 7, but finished as a group of 5, as two co-trainees dropped out after the first and second weeks, respectively. It is a very intense program encompassing a LOT of work, and I don’t think everyone was quite prepared for that. But the 5 of us that saw it through have spent the past 4 weeks huddled around our kitchen table on weekday evenings and all day on weekends studying, lesson planning and sharing ideas. It’s been a great experience to live in a house with people going through the program as well—it really fosters an environment of learning and support, and I’m honestly not sure if I could’ve gotten through the program without it.

We spent weekday mornings in workshops with our Trainers learning the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method (or communicative approach). This teaching method promotes the usage of interaction as the means and final goal of language learning/teaching. I have really seen the benefits of this approach, as I think back on my own language classes in high school and college, which were a combination of the grammar-translation method and rote memorization. I found myself wondering how much more Spanish I would have picked up had I been taught through the CLT method. Anyway, I’m glad that I can believe in and support the method of teaching we’ve learned, and I look forward to learning more about it!

After workshops we had an hour of lunch—the first week we tried a bunch of the restaurants near the school, but by the second week we had found our favorite: the deli. Full plate of delicious Czech cuisine for 59 crowns (approximately $2.40), so needless to say we went are there at least 3 days a week. We also found some quick and affordable spots for Chinese, Kebabs and Italian.

The afternoons were spent either teaching or observing our fellow trainees teach. We had 2 lessons a week and then observed the rest of the time. After these teaching practices (TPs) we would give each other feedback on how to improve, as well as get feedback from our trainers (who observed all the TPs). The feedback sessions were definitely constructive and very helpful—especially coming from multiple angles (peers in the same position of learning and from trained professionals).

Though most evenings were spent lesson planning and/or studying, one of my housemates invited me to yoga the second week and I am SO glad I went. Wednesday evening yoga has become a habit and my mind and body absolutely appreciate it! Between yoga and all of the walking involved in living without a car, I can really see and feel a difference in my overall well-being. And I love it.

This past Thursday was our last day of the course and I found out on Friday that I passed! I am super excited to begin teaching in this wonderful city!! The graduation party (when we receive our certificates) is tomorrow evening with all of the trainees, trainers, coordinators and students—super excited and will post pics, I’m sure.

Do přiště!

Czech Me Out

leelee1586 — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 21:09:00 GMT

First of two posts.

I’ve been in Prague for a month now, which is so surreal (albeit amazing). I honestly didn’t realize how much and how quickly I would fall in love with this city. Around every corner is a new surprise in the form of architecture, people, food, etc. I haven’t had much time to truly explore since I’ve been so busy with the TEFL course, but I’ve made a few excursions and done a lot of observing. So far, this is what I’ve noticed:

-Everyone smokes. Okay, not everyone, but A LOT of people. And most of them young, which is difficult for me to understand since we’ve been shown the disgusting and painful consequences of the terrible habit for many, many years. Smoking is allowed in all the bars, which makes going out slightly unpleasant, especially when I come home reeking of cigarettes. But I digress—I can’t stop anyone from smoking, so I’ve learned to limit my time in certain places or around certain people.

-There’s no wheat bread. At least that I can find. All I’ve found at the grocery at this point is white and rye. Sad.

-Public transit is on point! I have to say that Prague has one of the best public transit systems I’ve ever encountered. The buses, trams and metro are almost constantly running to every corner of the city, and they are almost always right on time (and when they are late, it’s only by a minute or two). I can’t imagine why anyone within a 20 mile radius of Prague would want/need a car—so convenient!! Just remember: trams ALWAYS have the right of way!

-Dogs are all over the city and they are super well trained. Often the dogs are off leash and will patiently wait outside of shops or schools until their owners come back out. I also learned that all dogs are required (by the state) to be micro-chipped. Dogs are allowed on public transit though I believe they have to be muzzled as a precaution, but I have yet to see or encounter an aggressive or poorly trained dog in this city (and I see probably 20+ dogs when I’m out).

-There’s a fixation on the 80s and 90s at many of the bars/clubs, and it makes me happier than it should. What can I say? I’m all for rocking out to Britney, Billy Joel, Spice Girls, Whitney, A-HA, Bon Jovi and Queen :-) Also, everyone is terrible at dancing in the clubs, so there’s this incredible camaraderie of acceptance and understanding of the bad dancing…which means everyone just has fun. I love it.

-Graffiti all over the place. Now I can appreciate some street art and graffiti in appropriate places, but I have to say this is one thing that boils my blood in this city. Because it’s everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Without respect to the history or location of whatever is tagged. And especially since the architecture in Prague is so splendid, it hurts my soul to see a half-assed tag on a three or four hundred-year-old building. People have also tagged historical landmarks, statues, memorials. I just don’t get it.

-Along similar but less gear-grinding lines, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of new and old throughout the city. Buildings that are hundreds of years old host McDonald’s or H&M with modern advertising in the windows. Sometimes while I’m on the tram I’ll find myself daydreaming of what used to be in those buildings…

-I play Lunch Roulette most weekdays. This entails pointing at anything on the lunch menu and hoping for the best because the lunch specials are always in Czech (you can ask for an English menu, but the prices will be higher). I haven’t been disappointed yet, though. Czech food is hearty and satisfying. Pork and potatoes and cabbage are the standard, but I’ve had some excellent beef and stuffed pepper dishes as well.

-Černý Pivo, or Black Beer, is definitely my favorite type of the Czech brews. I have never been a Pilsner fan, so I was slightly concerned that was all I would be able to find in Pilsner-land, but I have been pleasantly surprised. All bars have at least a lager and the best bars (in my opinion) serve the black beer. It’s not quite a stout, but bolder and thicker than a brown ale. Delicious.

-Finally, the essential Czech female cannot be without the following (in black, brown or grey) in the winter: wool coat, blanket scarf, skinny jeans, boots and purse/satchel. I got myself a messenger bag this week to start my assimilation. Boots are next—wish me luck!

Stockholm Syndrome

leelee1586 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:24:00 GMT

I can already say that I will return to Stockholm. Maybe not this year, but definitely sometime in the future—and if you have ever thought about visiting, DO IT.

Sweden's capital is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited. Gamla Stan, or The Old Town, contains the oldest buildings in the city, some dating back to the 13th century. Between the beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets and narrow passageways, walking around Gamla Stan was magical. If the weather had been warmer and I had more time, I probably would have wandered around Gamla Stan all day.

The first day I arrived in the late afternoon, so after checking into the hostel, I took a trip to the grocery, and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing. I stayed at City Backpackers Hostel and I can’t recommend it enough! Very clean space, friendly staff, free pasta to cook, a sauna available in the evenings, free skates/sleds to borrow (weather permitting), and group events.

I’ll be the first to say it: I don’t understand modern art, but I was still glad to go to Stockholm’s Museum of Modern Art on my first morning. I’m sure if you enjoy modern art, you would enjoy this museum…I, however, found it more amusing than anything because a stick hanging from a piece of fishing wire or a blue circle on a white canvas does not evoke any emotions in me other than confusion and laughter.

After the museum, I spent the afternoon walking in the footsteps of Lisbeth Salander. Unfortunately, the official Millennium Tour only runs during the summer months, but I found a DIY tour online! I visited Lisbeth’s posh apartment building on Fiskargatan, the beer hall Kvarnen where Mikael and Lisbeth hang out sometimes (though not usually together), the Milliennium offices, the 7-Eleven where Lisbeth gets all of her Billy’s Panned Pizzas, Mikael’s favorite coffee shop Kaffebar and Mikael’s apartment on Bellmansgatan. All in all, it was a pretty fun way to walk around the Södermalm district of the city.

In the evening, I went on a free walking tour (with a bunch of other travelers from the hostel). It was super cold, but super interesting, though I can’t remember much at this point because since it was so cold, I didn’t take any notes. Here’s what I can remember: the royal family does not generally stay in the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan because of the “white lady,” a ghost that when seen will bring death to a member of the royal family. Then there is the smallest sculpture (arguably) in Stockholm: “Boy Looking at the Moon.” Around 5 inches tall, it shows a boy squatting with his arms curled around his legs looking up at the sky. Locals knit caps and scarves for him in the winter and find tiny ball caps and the like for him in the summer. Super adorable. After that, we saw a Viking rune and went down an extremely narrow alleyway (that is apparently getting smaller because the buildings are sinking). I couldn’t feel my feet by the end of the tour, but it was well worth it! I spent the rest of that evening warming up at the hostel and having excellent conversation with my new hostel buddies. Fantastic reason to stay up until almost 2:00am :-)

In the morning of day two, I went to the Vasamuseet, which displays the almost fully intact 17^th century ship, Vasa. The ship sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, not even making it a mile through the harbor. Similar to the Fram museum in Olso, there is a lot of information and a lot of artifacts to look at—very interesting!

After a sushi lunch, I headed a little bit outside of the city to Hellasgården, a recreational area with a sauna. I wanted to try winter bathing, so why not in Sweden?! The process is pretty simple: sit in the sauna for around 15 minutes and then dunk yourself in the lake 20 yards away. Repeat as much as you’d like. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t freezing, but it was absolutely worth it and I would absolutely do it again. I repeated the process 4 times, and I felt SO good the rest of the evening. Extremely refreshing!

I spent my last night in Stockholm attending one of the hostel’s group events, the Swedish Meatball Experience. We learned how to make Swedish meatballs and did all of the prep work and cooking together as a group. Super fun night!!

Observations in Oslo

leelee1586 — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:26:00 GMT

I'll get to the Oslo Observations in a moment, but first I need to tell you about the plane ride here.

So I get myself all settled into my seat, we take off, they serve food, dim the lights, and I put my headphones in for a little nappy. Well, about 10 minutes into dozing, I open my eyes and there's this guy (learned later his name is Frank) talking to a couple of the flight attendants, so I pause my music out of curiosity. Let me paint you a picture: Frank has shoulder-length, stringy black hair heavily laced with grey and a 5 o'clock shadow. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a dingy, tan sports coat, cowboy boots and aviators (even though it's dark on the plane). I missed what he asked, but the flight attendant's response of "no, we will not bring you a gin and tonic, please take your seat, sir" told me enough—Frank had been cut off and was none too happy about it. After going back and forth for a few minutes, he finally returns to his seat in the back of the plane (I was seated closer to the front). I doze again, but am awoken by the flight attendants once again ushering Frank ("okay, I'll relax!") to his seat and then I overhear parts of their conversation with each other. Words like "divert the aircraft" and "handcuffs" come up, but since Frank has been seated again, all seems OK. A few Frank-free hours pass and I get an hour or so of solid sleep before the sky outside begins to show off the Atlantic and I come to terms with my body choosing not to sleep anymore now that it's light out. As we near Oslo, Frank returns to the front of the plane for unknown reasons, but clearly the flight attendants are extremely frustrated with babysitting this man-child and once again usher him back to his seat. As we start our descent into Oslo, Frank decides that's a great time to leave his seat again (this is during landing, mind you), so there were a couple of tense moments as one of the flight attendants had to physically put him back in his seat. We landed and Frank makes his way to the front, but the flight attendants won't let him stand near the door. About 10 minutes pass until the flight attendant opens the door to let security apprehend Frank. During this time, he pulls out a prescription pill bottle and downs at least 2 unknown pills that I noticed and tries to push through the flight attendants to get at the door (which hadn't opened yet because they were waiting on security). All in all, one of the more interesting flights I've ever been on. Luckily, Frank wasn't super rowdy and didn't harm anyone or himself during the flight (for which I am extremely grateful), but I feel for the flight attendants that had to deal with him. I'm just glad we all made it safe and sound!

Alrighty, now that I've given my mother a heart attack, I'll get into the fun stuff!

Norway is fantastic!

Day ONE

I arrived at my hostel before check-in time, so I stowed my luggage in their complimentary storage room and headed out. I wasn't at the Opera House 5 minutes before someone asked me to take a picture for her and we struck up a conversation. Salma (I hope I'm spelling that correctly) is another solo traveller. She's from Morocco, but currently studying in France and decided to visit Norway and Iceland on a school break--how cool is that?? We chatted for a few minutes and then went our separate ways, but it was so nice to encounter such friendliness moments after my arrival.

I got a nice surprise when I checked into my hostel: instead of the 6-person dorm I had reserved, they put me in a 3-person dorm (but a third still never showed up and the other person only came in to sleep). I got myself settled at the hostel, and then went to the grocery. I decided to treat myself to a Norwegian dinner, so I had Reindeer Stew and the local beer, Hansa, in the cafe connected to the hostel. The rest of the evening was spent at a local bar, where I made friends with a gay Norwegian nurse, Erik. Again, it was really great to have someone to chat with in a city I've never been to.

Day TWO

I decided to get the Oslo Pass, which I absolutely recommend if you’re in Oslo for 3 days or less (comes in 24, 48 and 72 hour options). It includes entrance into over 30 museums and attractions and offers discounts on many others, as well as unlimited use of public transit (buses, trams, metro). Anyway, I did a lot of exploring and had a wonderful day.

-Munch Museum: Of course has Edvard Munch’s work, but also currently displaying photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe. Some of Mapplethorpe’s photos are not for the faint of heart, but most were absolutely beautiful.

-National Gallery: Loved this one. The rooms are numbered and offer a nice path from one room to the next so that you see everything. The highlight was Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Also fell in love with a new painting: Eugéne Jansson’s Storm, Evening, 1898.

-Royal Palace: Didn’t go inside (not actually sure if you can), but walked around and took some pictures—pretty neat!

-Akershus Fortress: I love when audio guides are included in museum entrances! Really neat to walk through the fortress and see the dungeons, crypt, kitchen, ball room, personal chambers, keep and tower.

-Vigeland Sculptures at Frogner Park: 212 bronze and granite sculptures by Gustav Vigeland covering 80 acres of Frogner Park. Good stuff.

-Nobel Peace Center: Powerful. Current exhibitions are Targets and The Tunisian Method. Look them up. Favorite part was the room filled with digital signs of all of the Nobel Peace Prize winners and would randomly play one of their acceptance speeches or other inspirational sound bites.

Day THREE

-Viking Ship Museum: Super cool!!! Ships from 800 AD. The carvings on the Oseberg ship are so intricate (ship built around 800 AD or earlier). The Gokstad ship was built for travel and trade, so quite different from the Oseberg ship, which was more likely used as a pleasure barge. There were a lot of other artifacts throughout the museum, as both ships were found in burial mounds—nothing like jewelry or fine goods, as it is thought the burial sites were plundered in ancient times.

-Kon-Tiki Museum: I had never heard of the Kon-Tiki rafting expedition, but it was pretty neat! Thor Heyerdahl built a raft out of balsawood and rope and sailed with 5 other men from Peru to the Polynesian islands, proving his theory that it was possible for South Americans to have had contact with Polynesians or that South Americans had settled the Polynesian islands in pre-Columbian times. They spent 101 days on the Kon-Tiki raft. Incredible.

-Fram Museum: Absolutely lives up to its reputation as Norway’s best museum. Some crazy guys built this super sturdy ship to travel through the Arctic—originally planned to house the crew and hold supplies for up to 5 years. CRAZY! I could have spent an entire day in this museum, as every wall is covered with information with cutouts holding all kinds of artifacts. You can even walk around the actual Fram ship (above and below deck) and there’s a room/walkthrough that simulates the temperatures and conditions of being on the ship—reminded me of a Disney ride :-)

-Norwegian Folk Museum: Open-air museum with over 150 structures from all over Norwegian towns and rural districts. The highlight was the Gol Stave Church from the 13^th century.

-Holmenkollen Ski Jump: Didn’t make it here in time to go to the ski museum (everything closes at 4pm and it was a 45 minute trek on the metro to get there), but I walked around and got a few good pictures, as well as an awesome view of Oslo.

General observations:

-Everyone is always dressed well—no sweatpants at the bar, which I always appreciate haha

-Most everyone speaks English, which has been nice, but also makes me feel kind of like a jerk for being in their home-country but asking them to speak my native tongue.

-You can easily get to the winter park from public transit, so it is not uncommon to see locals and tourists alike dressed for skiing/snowboarding and carrying their skiis/snowboards on the train.

-Most children I saw walking around with their families were dressed in what I’ll call a “winter onesie” …basically a snow costume/jumper that zips up from toes to neck. Some made out of waterproof material, others in fleece, all in all adorable!

-Oslo is under a LOT of construction

-Small rocks are used instead of salt on the walkways

I am currently on the train to Stockholm from Oslo. Met a group of Georgia Tech college students, so excited to have some travel companions for the next couple of days!

At the Edge of the Precipice

leelee1586 — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT

The day has finally arrived.

It's crazy how quickly the last couple of months have passed. It was incredibly difficult leaving Atlanta after 6+ years, but having the opportunity to spend time in Columbus before my departure is an experience that will travel with me today. I got to spend more time with my awesome nephew in the last two months than I have since he was born, and the hug and kiss he allowed me the last time I saw him showed me just how much that time meant. I got to spend more time with my Ohio friends than I have in years, proving to me just how much I missed them, and I got to meet some new people that I look forward to having in my life and getting to know more.

The last week I've been in New York staying with my friends Rachel and Andie on Long Island--they have been wonderful enough to open their home to me before I fly. Most of this week has been spent prepping for departure, but also enjoying some much needed down time (Netflix and chill, anyone?)... I spent a solid 5 hours exploring the Met in NYC on Wednesday, which was really interesting--I love museums! Afterwards, I had delicious sushi with some friends--I met Steph and Jack on my study abroad in Wales in 2007, and it's hard to believe (in a good way) that we have kept in touch for almost a decade. I look forward to seeing where we will all be and what we'll do over the next decade!

The first week of my trip will be spent exploring Oslo and Stockholm--I am very much looking forward to spending time in Scandinavia during the winter (thanks again for the winter coat, mom), which sounds kind of crazy, but every season gives every city a different character. Keep an eye out for details on those adventures later. On the 19th, I'll head to Prague and start my TEFL course. I finished the precourse assignment this week, and I have to say that the English language can be a pain! As my native tongue, I understand sentence structure and the different tenses and when to use them, but actually articulating the WHY and HOW is a learning experience for me. More on that in the next couple weeks, I'm sure!

Okay, let's get real for a minute: I'm terrified. In 10 hours I will be getting on a plane and not coming back to my home country for possibly 10 months. That's scary. But in a good way. I've learned that it's OK to be scared. Fear offers a remarkable opportunity for growth and learning. Sure, I've made mistakes in letting my fear (of success, of failure, etc.) control me, but I've made more of a commitment this year to not letting fear overwhelm me. One of my friends, Kris, came up with this idea of 16 goals for 2016 in our friend group. Two of my goals fall into this fear category: 1, quieting my mind and 2, saying yes more. For those of you that know me, you know that my brain is constantly going, and you know what? It's exhausting. And really not all that healthy for me. So how to quiet it? Well, my former boss and Leah-appointed life-coach, Jan, gave me a very small tool that I've started with: just say "stop it." And I have been. As soon as I consciously recognize that my mind is spinning out of control or wandering down a negative, imaginary alley, I say (out loud, usually), "stop it." I can't say that it is a fool-proof tool, but it's helping. And it's making me more aware of what my mind is saying and how that is affecting my well-being. As to saying yes more--well, I've let my fear control my actions in the past and I've probably missed out on a lot of great opportunities. So I'm trying to say yes more. One of my best friends, Johnny, has been a huge cheerleader on this point, constantly encouraging me to say yes to new experiences, even if I may be a little wary. And you know what? I've had an amazing time. So even though I'm terrified about this journey, I am ridiculously excited about all that it holds in store.

I need to take a moment to thank you. All of you. This journey would not be possible without your love, encouraging words and support (both emotionally and financially). Sometimes I am blown away by just how lucky I am to be blessed with such an incredible support system. Mom and Dad--I couldn't ask for better parents. You have guided me with patience (a task that I know has not always been easy), allowing me to become my own person without losing sight of what truly matters in life: compassion, understanding, patience, family. Thank you Johnny, Bri and Jenna for driving me out to NY last weekend--I cherish our friendship and the times we spend laughing and challenging each other.

To the rest of my friends and family: thank you for taking the time to come see me, to attend one of the farewell parties, to treat me to dinner or lunch or coffee. Thank you for being there in whatever capacity you were able--it means the world to me and I really cannot express my gratitude enough. Know that you have a place to stay if you end up in the Czech Republic this year!

One last thing: people keep asking me what I'll miss most while I'm gone. Truth is... you.

Photos: Me

leelee1586 — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 09:03:00 GMT