Prague Day 1, Back in Europe and Back to Solo Traveling

Prague!! I am happy to be back writing about my recent travels. I've been focused in Minneapolis at my job and it feels so good to back adventuring around the world. This is the first of five stops on my two week solo trip hopping around different cities in Europe on my Tour de Friends! The idea for my trip to Europe began over a year ago when my roommate Paige learned she got into the same study abroad program in Madrid as I did, and I promised I would go visit her! Spain would be my third stop, but I wanted to check out a few more places before heading back to my second home for the first time since I left it almost exactly two years prior.

Prague is stop one. This city was sort of chosen for me as it was the most affordable roundtrip ticket from MSP and an added bonus that I've always wanted to see the city but didn't have time to go when I was living in Europe. And to make this stop more special, my cousin Amelia who is teaching English in Romania, joined me for my stay in this lovely city. Not only was I happy to have company for this stop, I was overjoyed at thought of hanging out with my family turned friend. So, let me tell you what I did here!

I flew from MSP to Amsterdam to Prague, and it felt so good being back in Europe. Getting public transport from the airport to my hostel, walkable cities, incredible architecture, nature, and people. It had not hit me before leaving Minnesota that I would be in Europe, but I finally had my moment of realization that I was in Europe when I stepped out from the metro and onto the cobblestone streets. I’m here. I’m so happy, I’m back. I almost had a tear in my eye as I walked to my hostel, the reminder of the joys Europe brings me, the contentment that enters my body as I look up at the ornate buildings and the daily moves of the people. I enjoy everything Europe has to offer and do so deeply. 

Saturday May 17th

I arrived in Prague around 11am Saturday morning and would be solo until Amelia arrived at 5pm. First thing first after a long haul flight, get a quality meal. I checked into my hostel, dropped off my bags, and headed to the cute vegan restaurant right next to the hostel. I had a nourishing meal of scrambled tofu, toast, greens, and veggie sausage. I also got a matcha latte to give it a try and some energy after a sleepless night on an airplane, I am still working on liking matcha, but one drink at a time and soon I might get there haha. Being back in Europe, I forgot what it feels like when everyone around you speaks a different language. I always strive to look like a local, which helps in a variety of ways, and I must have been successful in Prague as well, because several times I was spoken to in czech with zero understanding of what words they said, but used my context clues to translate what they were asking. I truly love being in an environment that encourages you to learn more languages and by not understanding what the people around you are saying in their conversations, it helps me focus in more on my thoughts and engagements which I find so valuable.

Traveling solo meant that my camera was bound to come out. So, just like that my local look turned immediate tourist, but I embraced it as this city was so beautiful and I wanted to capture it in photo. Especially too because I wanted to make sure that I got all the photos I wanted before Amelia got there so I wouldn’t slow her up.

What did I do with my afternoon and camera? My default and favorite sightseeing activity - walking around the city. I did a 8 mile loop around the city, starting in New Town where my hostel was, to a park on the hill with a wonderful view of the city. The view was distant but still visible and lovely. As I paused to admire the lookout, I took a deep breath, reflecting on the fact I was here today, living out a dream of mine to visit Prague, return to Europe, to travel solo once more. To stop and appreciate that I am doing exactly what I love most and that I won't take for granted my opportunity to be doing so. I exhaled my breath, and turned my foot to continue forward on my tour of the city.

I made it to Old Town, which I would soon learn is where all the sights are. One observation, Prague has so many towers, many of which I would stumble on today. I also somehow timed it out well to pass the astrological clock at the top of the hour, in which I got to watch it strike the hour. There's so much to see within Old Town the best advice I have is to wander about, stop in stores and dessert shops.

Eventually, I made my way to the St. Charles Bridge, a famous crossing point to get to the other side of the town. This area was just as beautiful. The bridge was packed with tourists, but as I moved along the bridge, I kept stopping to enjoy the slightly new view, getting closer to the city and admiring the beautiful buildings draped along the river. I could also see the Prague Castle at the top of the hill. Street performers provided a soft instrumental, making the walk ever more enchanting. I really enjoyed walking around this area of the city, so make sure you don't miss it as well.

After doing my casual strolling, I made a point to visit Island Legii, a recommendation I got from my friend Miles who studied abroad in Prague. I wasn't able to spend a ton of time here as Amelia texted me she was on her way to the hostel and I still have a 40 minute walk back. But, based on what I saw, it was beautiful and surely a great place to go to have a relaxing afternoon.

I couldn't help but make a handful of photo stops on my way back to the hostel, but I cannot tell you how amazing it was to see my cousin and greet her with the biggest hug. A day alone is great, but I was looking forward to catching up with her and sharing experiences in Prague together.

I was so grateful to spend the rest of my my time in Prague with her. We wanted to see similar sights, had a similar demeanor, were both a bit tight on the wallet, and we had the best conversations. Not to mention all of shared laughs. It was such a joy to give her a big hug after seeing her for the first time in years, but some things never change.

We ended up at a vegetarian restaurant, which I was grateful for as I was able to order a veganized czech meal - beef goulash aka chunks of “beef roast” with some breaded circles that soak up the dark brown sauce it sits in. It wasn’t out of this world, but I am so glad to have tried it and experienced part of the culture in that way.

Amelia and I had so much fun catching up. I rambled to her all that was happening in my life and what I had queued up for this trip. And the catching up did not stop at dinner, so much so I kept telling Amelia I wanted to go somewhere “so Prague” and get drinks before heading back to the hostel for the night. We walked around a bit looking for a place that was "so Prague," but it started raining on us. Quite quickly a wave of fatigue hit me as I was reminded that I probably only slept 4 hours in the last 48, so the drinks would have to wait for another night.

This was just the beginning of the adventure and I could not wait for what was in store for this city and this trip.