Our very last class excursion on Tuesday took us to the Terezin Concentration Camp, a “model” camp. This is where the Nazis took the Red Cross to prove they weren’t doing anything wrong. By now, after visiting Auschwitz and Jewish memorial sites in the Czech Republic, we had learned a lot about the horrific events of the Holocaust, but it still doesn’t make it any less chilling to visit the camps.
Tuesday night and Wednesday were cram time for our final projects. We took over Coffee Heaven, the Globe, and any other coffee shop in the city with free WiFi. Miraculously, we all somehow finished (even if no one slept much Wednesday night), and by mid-afternoon Thursday, we were DONE with spring term! We didn’t waste any time before we celebrated- one last lunch at the school pub, and then a quick change to prepare for our farewell dinner.
The farewell dinner was a bittersweet night, as the Dartmouth and Czech students and faculty got together one last time. After a boat cruise up the Charles (complete with an open bar), we went to one of Frank’s, and now our, favorite restaurants, where we enjoyed cocktails on the patio before moving inside for a delicious meal.
All our teachers from the term were there, and it was fun to see them one more time. Our Czech language teacher from our crash course the first week also came, which meant pop quizzes… we didn’t pass all of them, but we had made major improvements! After dinner, Frank and the “three amigos” gave speeches and presented gifts to each other and to us. The Czech faculty had given each of us a local Czech movie, and a bottle of the desert wine from the wine cellar that we had loved so much. It was a really sweet gesture, and everyone was a little sad to leave at the end of the night. We have really become friends with some of the Czech students, and it is weird to think we might never see them again. Hopefully, some of them plan to visit the US and Dartmouth- please do! You are all welcome any time…
Friday morning most people left for the airport bright and early (including Emily, who headed early to Barcelona... the first time we were apart this whole trip! ), but a few of us just weren’t ready to say goodbye to our new home, and stayed in Prague for one final weekend. We were kicked out of our apartments, but we had booked a hostel right in town, which was a nice treat after living so far away these few months- we could walk everywhere!
That night, Ana, Anny and I joined Julia and her Mom and sister at their hotel up by the castle for dinner. We had no idea what to expect, but when we got there the outdoor terrace restaurant had one of the best views of the city we had seen yet. And it was even better when a rainbow came out over the city, and later in the night fireworks! As we watched the sun above the city fade out above the red roofs and the lights turn on, I really got to appreciate how beautiful a city Prague is, and how lucky we were to have spent a term here. After four hours of great conversation, Ana, Anny and I walked home across the Charles Bridge in the full moon. Despite the drizzle, it was one of the most memorable nights of my term.
If Friday was a peaceful way to leave the city, Saturday was a crazy one. After one last journey across the bridge to leave our mark on the infamous Lennon Wall, the day was spent preparing for the nighttime festivities- Sensation White, the biggest dance party in the world. It is a traveling show/rave that happens a few times a year around the world, and we were lucky enough that it came to Prague on our last weekend. The only requirements to attend the show are that you are 18, and that you wear all white. Even if you have a ticket, you will not be let in if you’re not wearing white. We had bought our tickets months ago, and had been waiting eagerly for this night. Having heard a lot about it, we were excited, but had no idea what to actually expect...
From the minute it started, it was incredible- definitely sensational. 18,000 that had come from around the world for this night danced together in a sea of white. The “Wicked Wonderland” themed event started with the first DJ at 9:30 PM, and went until 5:30 in the morning, with a new DJ every hour or two. I am not the biggest techno fan, but I was able to dance all night long, loving every second. The special effects were crazy, and you never knew what would happen next, between the strobe lighting, fireballs, dancers, and other surprises. It is a hard event to explain, but definitely one of the coolest things I have done during my time abroad (I say that about a lot of things though, don’t I…)
After two hours of sleep, our taxi arrived at our hostel this morning to take us and our term’s worth of luggage to the airport, where we played magical bags, moving everything around until we were able to get every bag to reach the weight limit, or at l
east get as close as possible! Otherwise, our flight was pretty painless, especially considering I slept the entire time, and we arrived in Barcelona in no time. After dropping our suitcases in lockers in the Barcelona airport and taking off with just backpacks, we were finally free to enjoy ourselves on our Spain vacation this week!
Emily greeted us at the hostel, and showed us around, as she has already been here since Friday with Laura. We were tired, but walked around our neighborhood, and enjoyed a delicious meal on the streets, complete with fresh sangria. I love this city already- it is so alive and friendly. I am really looking forward to the next few days here, and then our time on the beach in Ibiza!
It hasn’t hit me yet that our time in Prague is over though- it just feels like we are on another weekend. It is crazy that some kids from our FSP are already back and hanging out at Dartmouth- wow. I will be home in one week, which seems like both very far away and at the same time way too soon. But both Emily and I are so glad and so lucky that we have the chance to keep traveling, and getting to experience as much as possible. Plus, I get to practice my Spanish! I’m a little rusty…
Besos from Espana!
PS- Congrats to my brother Peter for graduating this weekend! I missed being with my parents and siblings at Deerfield to celebrate the event, but I’m sure it was a wonderful weekend. Thinking of you all lots, and can’t wait to be home with you!
No comments:
Post a Comment