Nashledanou, kamarades and kamaradkas!!

fun fact: Nashlednaou means goodbye. and i AM in eastern europe, and what would eastern europe be without the continued use of "komerade"?

Hey everyone

This is my last email from Prague. Or Europe, for that matter. The past few months have been like something out of a fairy tale. Minus the Prince Charming, that is (unless you count the random beautiful foreign men who text me on a semi-regular basis that I use to get discounts on pashmina and cashmere scarves).

At first it was weird being in a completely different world, with this crazy language and even crazier currency. But after awhile (and an intensive Czech language class), I've mastered this city. Prague is a beautiful city, with cobblestones and castles and communism, that has been so untouched by the Western world.

A nice little tradition has come about with some of the girls on the trip. We all gather in our friends Kristel and Angela's room a few nights a week, and sit around and talk and bum around for hours. The other night, my friend Sarah made an observation. To go to Prague, you've got to be a little quirky. Then we thought about it-weird Eastern European city that's just begining to peek out from behind the Iron Curtain, a city that isn't even on the Euro, full of unfriendly and unattractive Czech people (just the men, the women are beautiful). You've got to be a weird one to come here. And really, aren't I the weird one? In whatever circle of friends I am in with you, aren't I the one who is a little quirky? Well, that's just how everyone is here-a little weird.

My time in Prague has been incredible. I've visited every country that borders the Czech Republic, even if only for an afternoon. Some of the more memorable excursions included Salzberg, Oktoberfest, Auschwitz, Bratislava (very different from the way it looked in Eurotrip), the spa town of Karlovy Vary (very similar to the way it looked in that box office smash Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah). Fall Break in Greece with the girls was a wonderful vacation from my 4 month long vacation. I ventured into the world of Couchsurfing, and didn't end up dead. I learned that the Czechs idea of vegatarian just means that there are vegetables in the meal, that even though I don't like beer, its better here than anywhere else in the world, and nothing says nice Czech dinner quite like a plate of goulash and dumplings.

I thank you all for reading these emails (or only half-reading them, whatever). Hurricane Melissa will be making landfall early Tuesday afternoon, and I should be back in Kingston by the evening (if you're in town, we're going to the diner). Its gonna be a low-key winter break, with a few trips here and there, but I'll be back in College Park in mid-January to move into my Commons apartment (Commons 2301, get pumped). I appreciate all of the emails you guys have sent me in response to my obnoxious updates, and will return the favor when you all go abroad (which you all better fucking do).

I hope that the holidays treat you well, and I'll see you all when I get back to America!

Oh, AND, my flight back to America, though on Chanukah, will not be as awesome as my last Christmastime transatlantic flight, because I don't think I'll be lighting candles in the middle of the airport waiting to board my plane. Though I highly recommend it.

Take care everyone!!

Love, goulash, pivo, and everything amazing and Czech,
Melissa

Christmas markets, trees, and nativity displays around every bend? Must be Prague in December!

Hey there world!

Happy December, everyone! Its a bittersweet time for all of us here. On one hand, I'll be back in America with most of you really soon, stoked to kick ass for the rest of junior year. On the other, I'll be leaving Prague, which is really one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen.

The past few weeks have been really busy. Last we spoke, I had just come back from Vienna, our last program-sponsored trip. The weekend after found me in Budapest, Hungary, with several friends. Budapest was beyondddddd amazing. We went to the baths, crossed the Danube several times, and even got caught up in a government protest (for the handful of you who sleep with a new york times or washington post under your pillow at night, then you know about the massive rioting and protests that were going on earlier this fall). It was sort of like being back at Maryland, except nobody was cheering, "FUCK DUKE!". Oh well, can't win 'em all. On our way back from Budapest, we decided to take a lunch break in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Yeah, lunch break in Slovakia. It was really cool, actually. Well, first we missed the center of town entirely without even realizing it. Once we figured out the error of our ways, we hopped a bus back into town. We walked around their main square for about an hour and ate, and that was about it. It was really nice to go and experience it, but I don't know if I would suggest Slovakia for a romantic getaway.

The next weekend was Thanksgiving. Our program had a massive dinner for us at a ritzy hotel in town, and afterwards we celebrated being Americans the best way possible-by going to see Borat on its Czech opening night. The next morning, my mom and sister arrived from New York...weekend of fun and free stuff ensued! We took a bus tour of Prague, during which I learned more about the city than I had in 3 months of living here. We also took a day trip to Karlovy Vary, a spa town a few hours outside of the city. I wish the weather could have been better, but we still had a great time. It was so nice to see my family after so long, even though I'll be back soon enough and get to see them all the time. And also, they brought me eight boxes of Kraft mac and cheese, so I've been a happy kid.

The fam left that Tuesday, giving me a whole two day respite before my friends Ruthie and Erin came in from Rome!

Their weekend here was just as good as the weekend before it. Ruthie goes to UMD, and Erin is from Woodstock, so between the two of them, I got my home and school fill. We did the touristy stuff that one does in Prague, and as luck would have it, Saturday night happened to be the big Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Old Town Square. We got smushed like chickpeas facing their last moments pre-hummus, but it was alright, because in the end, we had an amazing evening. We went ice skating afterwards, and were all shown up by a six year old Italian girl named Sara, who was pretty much Oksana's kindergarten compatriate. She rocked. This weekend was also the opening of the big Christmas market in Old Town Square, which was tasty and pretty and fun all at the same time. We also sampled a few museums, like the Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments, and the Sex Machine Museum. Stories for another time...although it should be mentioned, I DID get to watch the first pornographic film that included a threesome (sorry Grandma).

That's about all for me. The program ends in less than two weeks, and due to some financial and otherrrr reasons, it looks like I'll be home soon afterwards. I miss you all, and while I can't wait to see you, Prague has a special place in my heart.

Keep me updated on your lives!!!

Love and Italian skating princesses,
Melissa