9/3/2023- First week

My first week in Czechia has been so much more than I could have hoped for. It started out with the Eva Farna concert that I already posted about, and then the day after that I got to see my first castle, called Hrad Helfstyn. It was huge and there was a blacksmith show going on, so I got to see metal sculptures and art, along with live demonstrations of how the structures are made.

On Monday, I went to a small music festival where I got to see two bands of students from my school play and sing. I went bowling with my host family on Tuesday, and the day after that I went on a hike with my host sister and her friend (I learned that the Pennsylvanian "hike" was nothing in comparison; I was not prepared to quickly hike up a (very) steep hill through the woods for an hour and a half).

On Thursday I went with my host brother to his ice hockey tournament (they won), and then took the dog for a walk. Friday morning I went to see my school for a meeting with the principal; I didn't understand most of it but I found out that I will be able to take Spanish classes! (I'm very glad because the alternative would have been German, and I'm already busy enough learning Czech!)

After the meeting, everyone except my host brother packed our bags and drove for about two hours into South Moravia, a village famous for its wine production. I got to see the beautiful vineyards and architecture as we toured the village, and that night my host sister and I went down to the village square to watch a play. It was in Czech, but I could kind of understand what was going on. On Saturday, we went to Zámek Milotice, another castle in South Moravia. There were people dressed up in clothing from that era, and it was very fun to watch them all and to see the castle. We got a tour and the rooms inside were amazing. The tour was in Czech but I was given a handbook in English that explained the history behind the Castle. That evening, we toured a huge historic wine cellar, my host sister left to visit her friend, and I had a wonderful dinner before going to yet another concert!

This morning, my host parents and I went to a beautiful cathedral, and I learned about the two people who first brought Christianity into Czechia. Then we got back into the car, and finally, returned home.

My host family has been amazing to me so far. My host siblings have bonded with me and become my friends, and my host parents are so supportive. They teach me Czech words and help to enable me to feel confident in doing things that are out of my comfort zone (like ordering ice cream!). They have learned of my interests and have been trying their best to help me achieve my goals this year. I told my host mother about my love for music and some of my other hopes, and within the week she has given me so many opportunities for the future year. I'm grateful to my whole host family for helping me adapt.

The hardest thing so far has definitely been the language. It is very overstimulating and overwhelming sometimes to hear what sounds like gibberish 24/7. Trying to translate and figure out what people are saying around me can be mentally tiring, and sometimes I feel invisible because I can't participate in the conversation around me. I think this year I am going to learn to be a wonderful listener! Even though it is hard, I already am improving bit by bit. I learn more every day and I hope that soon I will be able to start deciphering the conversations around me, and then learn to talk back!

I start school tomorrow, and I am a little bit nervous. I don't really know what to expect and I have already learned of some ways that it will be different from what I am used to. A teacher is supposed to meet me tomorrow and help me through my first day, and I hope that everything goes smoothly and I can figure out what I am supposed to do!

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me and following along with my journey. More to come!