Flight of a Little Bird

First Month in Prague

little_bird_rs — Sat, 2 Sep 2017 21:04:00 GMT

Well, I’m officially a TEFL certified teacher! I finished my course yesterday and it was so intense. We learned so many different grammar skills and teaching methodologies. I didn’t realize how many different careers we can have with this certification. I’m going to stick with my tried and true passion- teaching little ones. Teaching adults was interesting, but I definitely prefer kids.

I can’t believe I’ve officially lived in Prague for a month. Everything about this city is crazy beautiful. I’m so in love with every street and building and monument. I’ve figured out the public transportation and found a few favorite spots. I’ve done most of the touristy stuff, but there are still museums I plan to see. I move to my new flat this weekend, and I’m excited to explore another neighborhood.

I don’t miss a lot about home yet, but I have noticed some differences. Here are some things I’ve learned about Europe during my first month:

Paris is beautiful, but over-romanticized.
I DO miss having a dryer for laundry. You have to do a lot more planning when you wash clothes here. They take at least a day to dry… and longer in the winter, I hear.
Most people speak English but you’ll get better help if you greet them in their native language. Always learn a few key phrases when you go somewhere.
Speaking Czech is insanely challenging but I’m so excited to learn more. I’ll be getting a Czech tutor for sure.
Public transportation is a blessing. Once you learn the routes, you can go anywhere.
There is no such thing as a free public bathroom. You better be a customer, or bring some change.
Beer in Prague is actually cheaper than water, and none of it is bad. People come here to party for a reason. You’ll see stag (bachelor) parties out and about every weekend- from all different countries.
I absolutely LOVE sitting on a tram and hearing multiple languages at any given time.
And for obvious reasons, I love that it only takes a few hours to get to another country. See my post about Berlin. :)
I still don’t like odd numbers.

I still wake up and ask myself, "is this my life?” I’m a lucky girl!

Exploring in Paris

little_bird_rs — Sat, 2 Sep 2017 20:24:00 GMT

This is super late, but here's a recap of my first day out and about in Paris. I was swamped with my TEFL course in August!

I woke up around 8 and had breakfast downstairs in the hostel. It was 6 euros for croissants, coffee, and juice. I spent half the morning figuring out the metro and which lines connect to which in order to get close to the museums. I started at Notre Dame, and it was gorgeous. I’ve always been impressed with old buildings and the insane amount of details people put into them. The Notre Dame was built and updated over seven centuries! Right in front of the cathedral is a “Crypt of Archaeology” that tells the history of France, and it shows some really cool ruins of old Roman and middle aged buildings.

Since I didn’t use my museum pass on my first day in Paris, I was determined to use it as much as possible on Wednesday. After the crypt, I found my way to the Concierge- a palace turned prison by the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette was held there before her execution.

I wandered towards the Louvre and stopped for a sandwich at the local grocery store, Franprix. I knew I’d never make it through such a gigantic museum on croissants alone! I was super overwhelmed by the size of the Louvre but I did as much as I could. It’s a LOT to take in, and I was honestly frustrated by the the amount of tour groups in the way. I love the information from tour guides, but I prefer to wander alone and look up anything interesting on my own. I like being sans schedule. :)

My original plan was to hang out around the Eiffel Tower, and see it lit up at night, but my phone was dying. Luckily I found a charge station at the Louvre for 0,50 euros and mapped out a new game plan while it charged. Then I made my way to the Museum d’Orsay and was once again overwhelmed by a massive amount of beautiful art. It’s not possible to see these places in one trip, unless you literally do nothing else that day. Get the museum pass and come back to whatever you feel needs more time!

After that, I headed back for my hostel but I got lost since I’m me, so I thought I’d check out Boulevard Clichy which is supposed to be a little more “open.” That’s the nicest way I can put it, since I know who reads this blog. ;)

I got locked out of my room when I returned to the hostel, and as I was waiting to speak to the clerk I overheard her recommending French restaurants. Naturally, I asked her about my key AND dinner. So once I was semi-recovered, I headed back out for dinner. It was a cute little place called Le Relais Gascon and I highly recommend it too! I tried a quiche at a place behind the Sacre Couer the night before, and I couldn’t finish it. Nothing against the restaurant- I just suck. So this time, I tried what she suggested and it was basically pot roast with potatoes… but 100x better. She said the prices were reasonable too, so if you go to Paris, don’t pay 25 euros for a plate at dinner. You can eat just as well for 10-15 euros, before alcohol.

I did manage to find the more “liberal” part of town on my way back, and I haven’t seen that many neon lights since Vegas. This is definitely worth checking out if you’re cool with super laid back people who will happily chat up a small town girl. (Also, lots of promiscuous advertisements.) Then I went home to write and drink a bottle of French champagne in bed.

All in all, my first real day in Paris felt like a giant maze but it was successful! My Fitbit marked me at 26,915 steps and 10.3 miles. I don’t feel guilty about those carbs, at ALL.

Almost Ready

little_bird_rs — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 23:24:00 GMT

We're in the single digits now- less than a week. The only thing keeping me sane at this point is looking up pictures of my new home. It's a lot to process; this will be the first real move I've ever made. I've only ever lived within 20 minutes of my hometown, and my parents' safety net. I know at least ten ways home from any part of town, and most of these people have known me since elementary school. But I'm a small town girl with wild dreams.

I've spent my last month walking dogs, cuddling with my favorite person, and reminding myself that this is the right choice (albeit a crazy one.) I've also had way too much sweet tea. My two suitcases are almost completely packed, and I've got a few more days before I jump. I've never had a blog before, but I'm excited to share my adventures! First Paris and Prague, then the world!