Lucky to have been where I have been

It’s been about two weeks since we left, and we have pretty much settled into the Czech Management Center. We have had two different occasions to spend time in Prague, and I have really enjoyed exploring the city. I haven’t had time to really SEE anything, but I have gotten my bearings and have a good idea of things I want to devote time to as the semester goes on.

Class is ridiculous – I didn’t think it could get more difficult than last tri, but RBE was insane. Ten hours of lecture every day for six days, and then a “final exam” that took 7 hours and ended up at 9 pages. I learned a lot, and I really enjoy the subject matter, but it was too much at one time for my little brain. We had quite a celebration to be done with it this weekend!

Then we jumped straight into finance last night. There were five of us packed around our little kitchen table, reading and working through problems, and it is nice to be able

to settle into some sort of routine. Even if it means conversations alternate between where we are thinking about spending the weekend and how much it would cost to buy a put option on Apple stock.

The food has been decent – there are lots of local restaurants nearby that we have tried.

There is a Czech traditional one across the street that is pretty good. You have to be hungry, and in the mood for some fried meat and beef gravy though!

There is also a Greek place and a few places you can get pizza – which is always reliably delicious. And it is not expensive! I can get a full meal for less than 150 Ckz, which is about $7 with the current rates.

The weather has been crummy. It has snowed a few times and we have had several wet gray days. Wandering around the city isn’t as exciting when it is so chilly, but our professor seems to think that spring is right around the corner.

Dependence Day

Self-discovery #1:  I am fiercely independent.  It is extremely challenging for me to be in a position where I am reliant on other people.  However, I have surrounded myself with amazing friends, who have gone out of their way to ensure my sanity!

Ich Ben Ein Frankfurter!

After a sleepless, wildly entertaining weekend packed with four final exams and a dozen goodbyes, I got loaded up into three suitcases and made it to the airport. Brian was incredibly generous to haul two of them home with him(affectionately referring to it as My 95 lbs of crap). After such a crazy week leading up to this momentous departure, I was expecting rushing adrenaline and a pounding heart, but was surprisingly numb and exhausted. Alas, we said goodbye at gate A10 and I was the last passenger on the plane to Philly.

Our layover in Philadelphia was uneventful. We whined about the plane, enjoyed our last American meal, and visited the World Series trophy that was on display in the food court. Then we boarded our second plane, and settled in for a short night.

The dampness of the morning rush-hour in Frankfurt reminded me that I have spent the past month living on a few acres of paradise, and made me miss the intoxicating scent of the orange blossoms. But then I realized we were in Germany, and snapped out of my short-lived moment of missing Glendale.

We have been graciously welcomed into the family home of Phil, another student in our section. This place would inspire the purchasing department of Williams-Sonoma, replete with floor-length silk curtains, fresh tulips on every surface, an extra-large tiled waterfall-style shower, line-dried towels packaged with gross-grain ribbons, and an adorable miniature Cairn terrier named Molly. For breakfast we feasted on fresh breads and cured meats, cheeses and jams, and Italian espresso. It was amazing, and we are definitely counting our blessings.

We hopped on an early afternoon train downtown and Phillip showed us around Frankfurt, combining a history lesson with some cultural highlights. We walked through most of the downtown area, and took lots of pictures. We sampled a local restaurant and ended the afternoon with 3 litres of apfelwein, a regional beverage which I found to be quite harsh in contrast with the cider we discovered in Nantes.

Overall, the day was a huge success, and we are all struggling to make it past ten when our hosts say it will be acceptable to allow ourselves to sleep, in order to adjust to our new time zone. Tomorrow morning, we will be picking up one more Praha-bound Thunderbird at the Frankfurt airport and heading to the train station to catch the 8-hr train to the Czech Republic. I’m sleep-deprived and perhaps a little slap-happy, but find myself marveling at the fact that I am on a different continent than I was 12 hours ago. And this is only the beginning…

Ready, Set, FINALS!

I now have a great appreciation for why people winter in Phoenix. It is paradise! Especially compared to the triple-digits we had through October - the pool is actually enticing. Unfortunately, my professors think we should have other priorities. This first module consisted of 6 weeks of classes and a week of exams. Guess what, one more week of classes and it's time for finals! Four exams and a presentation, and then I am taking off to the Czech Republic for the second module, in Celakovice(a suburb of Prague).

Being back on campus has been very different than living across the street. My room faces a beautiful courtyard, with a pool and a bbq pit. It's landscaped, and quiet, and I am so productive in my room! It has been a revelation to me about how independent I am used to being. Leaving my car in Boulder was an easy decision to make, but every time I have thought, "It's only a few weeks," it gets a little more restrictive. In general I don't really NEED anything that I don't have access to here, but being restrained by the food and hours at the Commons has been oppressive.

Nonetheless, this semester has been eventful. Since the end of Jan I have been involved with seven group projects, founded the Wine Club on campus, been sung Happy Birthday in 7 different languages, made time for three French movies, helped Brian

do our taxes(on Valentine's Day, how romantic!), become a "beginner" at Czech, helped organize Asia night, and joined the Tower Restoration Project. All that, and only one all-nighter!

Here is the view from my room:

So now we're into preparations for review, and thinking about leaving in two weeks is a very scary thought. I'll get one more visit with Brian, and he gets to take me to the airport and send me off. Wish me luck!

DECEMBER

In a whirlwind weekend of studying, packing boxes and trying to unload furniture on some locals, Brian and I finally checked out of Glendale late on Friday Dec 12. We left with a VERY full Corrolla, including a little dog named Tash curled up on the passenger's lap. She lived with the teenage boys who had the apartment beneath us, and they neglected and abused her. At some point animal control got involved, and we both had soft spots for her so we rescued her.

We drove through Jerome and spent the night with Jack and Lisa, and the four of us got up and hit the road at 7am. They headed to California, and we headed to Denver. We pulled into the driveway at 10pm and the snow started at 10:30 - and continued for about a day!

It was great to see Bosco again - he was surprised to see us, and even more surprised to have a little playmate! Brian had to work for a few days, and I crashed. I had no idea how deep the exhaustion ran, but it took at least a week of doing absolutely nothing besides sleeping and eating before I felt human again.

The next week was full of friends and family and adjustments. Bosco and Tasha got along fairly well, even though she HATES snow and tends to antagonize him with his own toys. For Christmas I got a fantastic piece of luggage that is essentially a hiking backpack with wheels, a sister-in-law, and a new camera that should make it easy to post video clips from Europe. It was quite a week. We had a quiet New Year's and a few ski days, and all of a sudden it was time to sart packing to head back to school.

Being home was very refreshing, and definitely made me question whether or not this grad school experience is worth the sacrifices. With as much time as we have spent growing into our own routines and habits, it was very comfortable to be back in the same house, and be together. I decided that if I can, I would like to find an internship in the Boulder area for the summer, and will look forward to my next return.