Kylie's Ab-raad!: So my mommy will love me again!

So, despite my best efforts, this is the first time I've had internet in a while, so I'm playing catchup from the last few days.... :)

also: i wrote notes for these as the days went by, but seeing as I'm exhausted and posting these all at once, i apologize in advance for any spelling/grammatical errors!

8/27

Today Brooke, Emily, Christian, and I woke up SUPER early to watch the sunrise in Prague. Emily had read a blog that claimed it was an amazing view, and despite my struggles with the morning, we did it! Fun fact: I actually sat up in bed and debated falling back down into bed and getting another 2 hours of sleep, but I sucked it up (be proud mom!) and it was worth it. It wasn’t the sunrise that was so extrodinary… it was that the city was empty. The city streets and the Charles bridge have been packed every moment we’ve spent there, but it was so quiet and calm in the morning.

Note: it was Brooke’s birthday, and in the process of being good roommates and going to find her coffee, we tried to avoid starbucks and go somewhere legit. But, Starbs was all that was open… ohhh bummer ;)

We also started class today, by having all three (nationalism, contemporary Europe, and the reformation) classes today. I think it was a rude awakening for all of us that this trip isn’t just about exploring cool cities, and based on the size of the readers and our books, there will be a LOT of reading. (NOTE: the Pointers are not the type to cut us slack because were abroad) Luckily, the classes are interesting, so it shouldn’t be too bad!

Kelsey and I took off for the afternoon and grabbed sandwiches and fruit and headed to the park by the river before heading out to the Communist Museum. The Museum was interesting… different stuff was kind of thrown all over the building, but it was cool to see things through their perspective and to understand how the Czech people have tried to distance themselves as much as possible from communism. One of the videos we watched had a scene of the levels of mercury, lead, and other poisonous materials that the people in the Czech Republich were ingesting each year, which just put a huge pit in my stomach to see. I’m learning already that concrete visuals are what makes all of this stuff real to me… the figures don’t do it. Its similar to the Holocaust Museum in DC where they have all the shoes of the victims and you’re just surrounded – it hits you in a really unique way.

Then, I grabbed dinner with Hayley and Kelsey (GOULASH!) … we’re so authentic!