Daily Life (1)

     We have now officially been in Olomouc for 3 weeks and I can't believe how fast the time has gone!  The first week was a little here and there but now I feel like we have finally settled into a daily routine.  We don't have class until the afternoon most days, so the mornings are spent catching up on homework, doing laundry, or just exploring the city.  Sometimes we go and get coffee at our new favorite place, Cafe la Fe, it's delicious!  Then we have classes from 3:00-7:15.  I was definitely not used to having classes for 4 hours straight so I get pretty antsy by the end but I'm getting used to it.  It's also nice to have them all together because our dorms are about 15 mins away from the town center so we don't have to worry about catching a tram multiple times.
     After class we have the night free and by this time we are usually starving.  When we first arrived we had no food or utensils to make food with so there was a lot of eating out.  This was a big change for me because last semester.  Finally, after many Globus trips and in an attempt to save some money, I have a sufficient amount of things to be able to cook meals.  However with our tiny kitchen it typically ends up being a sandwich, pasta, or cereal.  This was a big change for me because last semester I lived on campus with a meal plan so I could just walk over to the cafeteria whenever I was hungry.  Of course we still have some favorite places to eat.  Our current addiction is Istanbul Kebabs.  It's amazing and I'm pretty sure all the workers recognize us by now.
     The rest of then night is spent hanging out in our dorms, pubs, or at international student parties.  Almost every Monday and Wednesday students from different countries put on a party for the rest of the international students in the program.  It's complete with typical decorations, music, dance moves, and drinks from that country.  At the end of May we get to put on America night and I am very excited!  We stay pretty busy during the weekdays and our weekends are mostly filled with field trips and more travel.  This is a good thing since typically most of the college students go home on the weekend and shops close early so there is not much to do.  This weekend a group of 9 of us took a day trip to Brno on Saturday.  We got to see the crypt, cathedral, castle, and underground labyrinth.  It was really fun and nice to get out of Olomouc for the day.
     One thing I LOVE about my daily life here is that even though you get into somewhat of a routine, each day is something new! You never know what hidden treasure you'll find in the city that day.  Each week I get to go somewhere I've never been before and that still amazes me.  For example, next week we leave on Tuesday and go to Vienna.  From there we go to Venice and then we start spring break where I will get to see Rome, Paris, and Barcelona. I feel like it will be really difficult going back to school next year and not being able to have that same opportunity so I'm enjoying it while I can!