The days are going by so quickly! Like where did the
last month and a half go? Looking back at everything that I've done since
I've been here is almost like watching a movie on fast forward, everyday has
been so eventful, and each day is passing so much quicker than the last.
For the days that I have been in Olomouc, the days for the most part are fairly
productive and fairly similar. On most
of my days I usually wake up a little after 10, get ready for the day, make
lunch, and then work on my business statistics homework, which I'm taking
online through UNK. I then start to head to class sometime between 2 and
2:30, and class starts at 3 and runs until 7. After class I then usually
go home and make dinner and work on statistics some more, or I will go out to
eat with some friends and then get ready to go out for the night. Of course there are some days that are
different from this, but the only difference is usually sleeping later to about
11:30 and maybe working out. Ever since
we have arrived here I have been really wanting to work out, but the opportunities
for it are pretty limited. However, ever
since we have been back from spring break I have been trying to go running a
few times a week for about 30 minutes or so.
I have also been trying to use the gym that is in our residence hall,
but it can be a challenge to use. The
maximum occupancy of the gym is 2, and the front desk literally won’t let you
in if it’s full. Also, the only equipment in it is some free weights, a bench
press, and a pull up bar, and it’s about the size of an average person’s
bedroom. However limited this “gym” may be
I’m still trying to use it, really just due to the fact that I feel super lazy
without doing any type of physical activity other than walking and
running. On Fridays, the days are
usually a little bit different because class is at 10 am instead of 3 so that
we can have more time to travel for the weekend. I’m hoping that I will have more time to
explore the city once I get done with my business statistics course this
week. This here is pretty much what your
average day in Olomouc is like!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Spring Break in Amsterdam and Berlin (10)
17. That's the number of days that I spent backpacking
Europe over the course of a weekend trip, a school trip, and spring
break. This time was by far the fastest two and a half weeks of my life,
and was without a doubt one of the best experiences in my life. Our
school trip to Venice ended on Saturday, April 11th, and then spring break
began. We decided to stay in Venice for an extra day, and I'm really glad
that we did because there was still so much of the city that we weren't able to
see. We flew from the Venice Marco Polo Airport on Sunday at 9:30 pm for
Amsterdam.
Amsterdam was the most interesting, weird, sophisticated, and amazing place that I have ever been. The amount of freedom in this city is amazing, it’s like nothing I have ever experienced before. This place is like an absolutely different version of America, and it actually reminds me a lot of the Denver/Boulder, Colorado area for a lot of different reasons. Everyone in Amsterdam speaks really good English, American things are everywhere, people are active, they are super friendly and intelligent, and specifically why it reminds me of Colorado is because of how much people use bicycles for transportation and because of legal pot. For anyone who has been to Colorado you have probably seen how active the state is with bicycling, bicycling in Colorado is really a pretty common mode of transportation. Now imagine a city of roughly 800,000 inhabitants, and imagine how much car traffic would be in a city of this size. Now imagine that 8 out those 10 cars are bikes; that is the city of Amsterdam for you. It’s really odd being in a city when the bike lane has so much more traffic than the regular car lanes. A funny saying that our tour guide said on our first day there was that "if you hear the bell, run like hell" and this saying could not have more truth to it. You absolutely must be aware of your surroundings at all times in this city because you never know when a bicycle will appear out of nowhere and nearly knock you down.
There is so much history in the city of Amsterdam, and this history greatly impacts on why Amsterdam is so different than anywhere else in the world. Amsterdam is a city that is hundreds and hundreds of years old, and has played a major role in world trade throughout history, and was even the headquarters for arguably the most powerful and influential company ever, the East Dutch India Company. Now because of how important global commerce has been to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, the people that live here have always been very tolerant of other people, no matter how different. They respect all people regardless of who they are, and as an American I thought that our country did a spectacular job with this, but simply put we don't even come close to comparing to the Dutch with how tolerant and accepting of a society that they are. Its honestly really quite mind blowing how incredible Dutch society is. However, there are some dark sides to Dutch society. Prostitution is legal in the city of Amsterdam, as well as shrooms, and while other hardcore drugs are technically illegal, they can be very easily found. No other place allows as much as Amsterdam does, and while the vast majority of people around the world would view this as wrong, the Dutch actually have what I think is a pretty valid reason for why they allow so much.
During WWII the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, and with it came their oppressive laws towards everyone, but especially towards the Jews, homosexuals, political enemies, as well as some other targeted groups. Amsterdam was one of the only places occupied by the Nazis in the entirety of the war where the citizens of the city peacefully rose up to protest what was being done to the Jews and the other targeted groups. While their efforts actually resulted in much harsher laws and treatment in the area, I think that this is a great example to show that the Dutch really do care about everyone in their society. Now after the war, the Dutch had to rebuild their government, and with it they decided that they thought it was better to error on the side of having too much freedom than not enough, and they really have the mindset that as long as you are not harming anyone else than you can do what you want to do. While personally I do question some of the more extreme results of their very liberal policies, I do very much so respect the fact that put such a high value on freedom. Also, there is currently a huge momentum to end prostitution and to work on curbing back the hardcore drug scene in the city, and we were told that these things could very well be a thing of the past in the next 5-10 years.
The last place we visited over our spring break was Berlin, the capital city of Germany. Berlin was the most historically rich place that we have visited yet. I really think that Berlin could be the most historically important place in the world when looking at recent history. We saw so much history relating to World War II and the Cold War. We saw places such as the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, as well as the place of the bunker that Hitler and his wife committed suicide in. We also saw the Holocaust memorial and other monuments that have been important throughout history. We also met a lot of really cool people in our hostel that we ended up hanging out with quite a bit while we were there. One other thing I liked about our Berlin was that there was a restaurant in our hostel that served THE BEST American food that had free ketchup and free water! And by free ketchup I mean like there was a bottle of ketchup on every table... you can bet that I took full advantage of it! It was almost just like eating a good meal back home at like an Applebee's, it was so good!
These last 17 days of backpacking Europe have without a doubt been some of the best days of my life. I really hope that someday I will be able to come back here and travel to even more amazing places. I truly hope that my trip will inspire other students to study abroad, as it is truly a completely life changing experience. Adventure is out there, go and find it.
Amsterdam was the most interesting, weird, sophisticated, and amazing place that I have ever been. The amount of freedom in this city is amazing, it’s like nothing I have ever experienced before. This place is like an absolutely different version of America, and it actually reminds me a lot of the Denver/Boulder, Colorado area for a lot of different reasons. Everyone in Amsterdam speaks really good English, American things are everywhere, people are active, they are super friendly and intelligent, and specifically why it reminds me of Colorado is because of how much people use bicycles for transportation and because of legal pot. For anyone who has been to Colorado you have probably seen how active the state is with bicycling, bicycling in Colorado is really a pretty common mode of transportation. Now imagine a city of roughly 800,000 inhabitants, and imagine how much car traffic would be in a city of this size. Now imagine that 8 out those 10 cars are bikes; that is the city of Amsterdam for you. It’s really odd being in a city when the bike lane has so much more traffic than the regular car lanes. A funny saying that our tour guide said on our first day there was that "if you hear the bell, run like hell" and this saying could not have more truth to it. You absolutely must be aware of your surroundings at all times in this city because you never know when a bicycle will appear out of nowhere and nearly knock you down.
There is so much history in the city of Amsterdam, and this history greatly impacts on why Amsterdam is so different than anywhere else in the world. Amsterdam is a city that is hundreds and hundreds of years old, and has played a major role in world trade throughout history, and was even the headquarters for arguably the most powerful and influential company ever, the East Dutch India Company. Now because of how important global commerce has been to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, the people that live here have always been very tolerant of other people, no matter how different. They respect all people regardless of who they are, and as an American I thought that our country did a spectacular job with this, but simply put we don't even come close to comparing to the Dutch with how tolerant and accepting of a society that they are. Its honestly really quite mind blowing how incredible Dutch society is. However, there are some dark sides to Dutch society. Prostitution is legal in the city of Amsterdam, as well as shrooms, and while other hardcore drugs are technically illegal, they can be very easily found. No other place allows as much as Amsterdam does, and while the vast majority of people around the world would view this as wrong, the Dutch actually have what I think is a pretty valid reason for why they allow so much.
During WWII the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, and with it came their oppressive laws towards everyone, but especially towards the Jews, homosexuals, political enemies, as well as some other targeted groups. Amsterdam was one of the only places occupied by the Nazis in the entirety of the war where the citizens of the city peacefully rose up to protest what was being done to the Jews and the other targeted groups. While their efforts actually resulted in much harsher laws and treatment in the area, I think that this is a great example to show that the Dutch really do care about everyone in their society. Now after the war, the Dutch had to rebuild their government, and with it they decided that they thought it was better to error on the side of having too much freedom than not enough, and they really have the mindset that as long as you are not harming anyone else than you can do what you want to do. While personally I do question some of the more extreme results of their very liberal policies, I do very much so respect the fact that put such a high value on freedom. Also, there is currently a huge momentum to end prostitution and to work on curbing back the hardcore drug scene in the city, and we were told that these things could very well be a thing of the past in the next 5-10 years.
The last place we visited over our spring break was Berlin, the capital city of Germany. Berlin was the most historically rich place that we have visited yet. I really think that Berlin could be the most historically important place in the world when looking at recent history. We saw so much history relating to World War II and the Cold War. We saw places such as the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, as well as the place of the bunker that Hitler and his wife committed suicide in. We also saw the Holocaust memorial and other monuments that have been important throughout history. We also met a lot of really cool people in our hostel that we ended up hanging out with quite a bit while we were there. One other thing I liked about our Berlin was that there was a restaurant in our hostel that served THE BEST American food that had free ketchup and free water! And by free ketchup I mean like there was a bottle of ketchup on every table... you can bet that I took full advantage of it! It was almost just like eating a good meal back home at like an Applebee's, it was so good!
These last 17 days of backpacking Europe have without a doubt been some of the best days of my life. I really hope that someday I will be able to come back here and travel to even more amazing places. I truly hope that my trip will inspire other students to study abroad, as it is truly a completely life changing experience. Adventure is out there, go and find it.
Krakow, Vienna, and Venice (8)
This post is for the category of field trip number two.
These last two weeks have been crazy! I have been to so many incredible places. On Friday April 3rd I left for Krakow, Poland for the weekend with a couple of friends. It was Easter weekend, and Easter there is so different than it is back home. Easter is a much bigger deal there than it is back in America, and it is celebrated Friday-Sunday, and some places were even still closed on that Monday. It was a really cool experience to be there over Easter weekend though! We left Krakow on Monday, April 6th, as we had to be back in Olomouc the next morning so that we could catch our 9 am bus for Vienna, Austria with our school group.
A little after 9 am on Tuesday, April 7th, my school group and I departed Olomouc for Vienna, Austria. It was a really nice, scenic drive on our way there, with us passing by many vineyards and small towns. We finally arrived in Vienna a few hours later, and we checked into our hostel, which was more like an apartment building. After our check in we brought our luggage to our rooms and then we went on to explore the city. We explored many different places while we were there, we saw many different palaces and cathedrals, beautiful gardens, a horse training show, and the crown jewels of Austria. My favorite part about Vienna was just walking around and seeing the huge palaces, cathedrals, and gardens that are remnants of the power this city had when it was the capital of the Austrian-Hungary Empire. Today this city, I would say, is still thriving, but it is definitely geared towards the older and wealthy populations. When I think of Vienna, I think of a very high class society. Classical music is huge here, and I would say that the majority of the city is already closed by 9 or 10 pm. I had a lot of fun touring this city, but I think I would appreciate this incredible city even more if I was older. We left Vienna early Thursday morning by bus to leave for Venice, Italy.
Venice was the most beautiful city that I have ever been to in my life. Everything about this place is amazing. We arrived during the "slow" season, as "not that many" tourists were there when we arrived. IT WAS SO CROWDED! We were told that it was not busy at all compared to how it gets in the summer, and I am so grateful that we visited during the slow season. The weather was super nice while we were there, it was a really nice break the 45-55 degree weather that we have had since we have been in Olomouc. Venice is located on the north-east side of the Italian peninsula, and the city sits on hundreds of islands that are a couple of miles offshore. Boats are the primary source of transportation, with walking being the only other mode of transportation available for the majority of the islands. However, there is one large island, which is relatively empty of tourists, where they have streets and use cars. We accidentally discovered this island, and we also discovered a beach on it. That was the first time that I have been to an ocean beach since I was a little kid, and I cannot wait to return to one! We had roughly two hours to explore this island, and I really wish that we would have had more time with it. The main island of Venice is amazing, but just being around all the tourists kind of takes a lot away from how amazing of a place it is. Me and a few friends woke up early almost every morning to explore the main island before all the tourists came out, and those early mornings were by far my favorite time in Venice. I also rode in a gondola... twice! It was such a cool experience! I absolutely loved this city and I highly recommend visiting Venice, it’s a place that you just really need to experience for yourself.
These last two weeks have been crazy! I have been to so many incredible places. On Friday April 3rd I left for Krakow, Poland for the weekend with a couple of friends. It was Easter weekend, and Easter there is so different than it is back home. Easter is a much bigger deal there than it is back in America, and it is celebrated Friday-Sunday, and some places were even still closed on that Monday. It was a really cool experience to be there over Easter weekend though! We left Krakow on Monday, April 6th, as we had to be back in Olomouc the next morning so that we could catch our 9 am bus for Vienna, Austria with our school group.
A little after 9 am on Tuesday, April 7th, my school group and I departed Olomouc for Vienna, Austria. It was a really nice, scenic drive on our way there, with us passing by many vineyards and small towns. We finally arrived in Vienna a few hours later, and we checked into our hostel, which was more like an apartment building. After our check in we brought our luggage to our rooms and then we went on to explore the city. We explored many different places while we were there, we saw many different palaces and cathedrals, beautiful gardens, a horse training show, and the crown jewels of Austria. My favorite part about Vienna was just walking around and seeing the huge palaces, cathedrals, and gardens that are remnants of the power this city had when it was the capital of the Austrian-Hungary Empire. Today this city, I would say, is still thriving, but it is definitely geared towards the older and wealthy populations. When I think of Vienna, I think of a very high class society. Classical music is huge here, and I would say that the majority of the city is already closed by 9 or 10 pm. I had a lot of fun touring this city, but I think I would appreciate this incredible city even more if I was older. We left Vienna early Thursday morning by bus to leave for Venice, Italy.
Venice was the most beautiful city that I have ever been to in my life. Everything about this place is amazing. We arrived during the "slow" season, as "not that many" tourists were there when we arrived. IT WAS SO CROWDED! We were told that it was not busy at all compared to how it gets in the summer, and I am so grateful that we visited during the slow season. The weather was super nice while we were there, it was a really nice break the 45-55 degree weather that we have had since we have been in Olomouc. Venice is located on the north-east side of the Italian peninsula, and the city sits on hundreds of islands that are a couple of miles offshore. Boats are the primary source of transportation, with walking being the only other mode of transportation available for the majority of the islands. However, there is one large island, which is relatively empty of tourists, where they have streets and use cars. We accidentally discovered this island, and we also discovered a beach on it. That was the first time that I have been to an ocean beach since I was a little kid, and I cannot wait to return to one! We had roughly two hours to explore this island, and I really wish that we would have had more time with it. The main island of Venice is amazing, but just being around all the tourists kind of takes a lot away from how amazing of a place it is. Me and a few friends woke up early almost every morning to explore the main island before all the tourists came out, and those early mornings were by far my favorite time in Venice. I also rode in a gondola... twice! It was such a cool experience! I absolutely loved this city and I highly recommend visiting Venice, it’s a place that you just really need to experience for yourself.
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