Feels Like A High School Routine

When I was in high school at St. John the Baptist D.H.S. on Long Island, I was in the prime of my studies.  I woke up around 5:45am just so I could get going and be on time for school.  My day consisted on 9 periods, most of which were subjects in the honors, advanced placement, and elective courses.  I'll never forget how junior year was the hardest year of all. I came home after a long day, and did homework non-stop. It was a busy routine for me, trying to balance after school clubs, organizations, community service, soccer, and seeing my friends.  Since those high school days, college has been a bit easier.  The workload is more dense, but I'm not spending 3/4 of my day with school and work.  Prague is a bit different.

This week really kicked my butt into gear.  I find myself waking up at 7:30am to get ready and commute to class.  My commute takes me a while, so I put on my headphones and read books that are assigned to us on a weekly basis.  I get to class, and I don't stop until later in the day.  The previous post contains a brief class schedule throughout the day.  By the time I get back to my home stay, it's about 5:00pm.  So I go say hi to my host family, ask them about their days, and walk upstairs to my room where I really don't come out until later in the night.  Most of the time I'm writing and reading, other times I'll take about an hour to relax and catch my breath (a.k.a. Facebook, Gmail, PerezHilton, NYTimes, the social/gossip/news update).  Then it's back to work until 11:00pm rolls around and I'm done with most of my work.  I don't mind the routine, it's just something that I haven't been used to in a while.  I'm happy that I'm being much more productive, and it may inspire me to keep the routine going when I return to Providence.  Since my papers are complete, my reading is done, and the homework assignments are completed for the week, this upcoming excursion couldn't have come at a better time.

Tomorrow, Friday, I will be heading to Nové Mêsto pod Smrkem, a community in the northern region of the Czech Republic and only a couple miles away from the Poland border.  It is 4 hours away from Prague by bus and train.  Below is a picture of the location, just to give you an idea:

This is my first excursion here in the SIT program, and my colleagues and I have been separated into three groups to be sent in different regions of the Czech Republic.  So tomorrow, Taylor, Emily, and I will be going to this location until Wednesday.  The objective of the regional stay is to incorporate the cross-cultural knowledge and experience in and around the community, and to observe the communication within the community.  To get an idea of what Taylor, Emily, and I will be doing, here is a direct description from our coordinator: 

"The program includes taking part in workshops for the little Beekeepers, mainly boys who take part in the ROROS programs; attending a local wedding; hikes in the local mountain area; leading an English class at a so-called, Special school - primary school or younger kids; as well as the regular school where you will have lunch at the school canteen; and a dinner at the home of the boys. Research the Jizerky Mountains to get a sense for the physical environment of the northern borderland."

I look forward to this excursion and experience (especially getting away from the center of Prague for a while).  I will try to update if I can, but technology is not recommended while I'm there.  I will have my international phone (420 775 545 194) and my iPhone (only gets WiFi) just in case.  So for now I won't have an update until later, but I hope to come back with a lot of stories and pictures from my regional stay. Ahoj!

P.S. Shoutout to my Mema! It is her birthday this Saturday and I love her and miss her very much! Guess I'll celebrate with you, Mema, when I get back! Babylon Express drinks on me!