By jfbarszcz
Today is Sunday, December 9th, at about 2:30 PM CET. Exactly six days from now, I will be boarding a plane and leaving the city I've called home for the last three months, with no idea when I'll return. I definitely have mixed feelings about having to come back to the States. On the one hand, I'm very excited to be able to see my family and friends again, and there are many comforts at home that I simply do not have here. On the other hand... I desperately want to spend another semester here. I feel like the amount of time I've spent here hasn't been enough to really, fully explore and experience everything I've wanted to just in Prague, to say nothing of the Czech Republic and Europe as a whole. While I spent my first couple of weeks here practically overdosing on new experiences, as classes started, the weather got colder, and the days got shorter I inevitably had to slow down. If I could do another semester in Prague, I absolutely would without question. Unfortunately, my academic obligations make this impossible. But I'm not sweating it, since in all likelihood this won't be my last time in Europe.
As for more practical matters... I'm afraid of having to pack. Very afraid. It's one of those things I've always just kind of sucked at. It was hard enough getting it done on my way here with my mom helping me, and now I have to do it on my own, and of course since I've bought some things here, I'm going to have to pack those along with everything else... Not excited to figure this out. I'm considering packing up a box of stuff I'm not going to need right away when I get home (all my summer clothes, for one) and have it shipped to my house, since that could lighten my load a good deal. The problem with that is that shipping it would cost me upwards of $30... Still, that's preferable to having to pay god-knows-what to do something like buy a second suitcase and then have a second checked bag. Or maybe I can fit everything after all... We'll see. The other thing is having to do all this in the midst of finals and papers. My last exam is on Wednesday; I have a paper that's technically due on Sunday, but I'm trying to also have that done by Wednesday so I can have a few relatively stress-free last days here. (Famous last words.)
All this being said, I'm still looking forward to being home. Food-and-drink-wise, I can finally once again have nice, home-cooked meals (not that I haven't been cooking here, but most of the stuff I've been making has been pretty simplistic; hoping I can branch out a bit once I have a full-size kitchen in Amsterdam, yay FOFAC!). Bagels made by people who know what they're doing. DINERS. I'll be reunited with all my coffee-making implements, so I'll no longer have to go across town and pay upwards of $3 just for a cup of coffee worth a damn (though I'm going to miss that place). More variety in beer (as we know, the Czechs make some awesome lagers, but man, do I miss a nice hoppy IPA... I mean oops I'm only 20 what is beer???) As for non-gastronomical stuff, I'll be able to take a shower without having a claustrophobic panic attack (kidding, but really those kolej showers are cramped). Same goes for my bedroom: more space = less mess. But of course, what I look forward to the most, as already mentioned, is getting to see and spend time with all my family and friends again, both at home and at GW. I won't go on about that, though, because I think it's self-explanatory.
There is plenty about Prague and Europe I'll miss, most of which I've discussed previously on this blog. Cheap, delicious beer that I can order at a bar or restaurant without anyone batting an eye, much less asking for ID (two more months... two more months). Also on that note, good nightlife that I don't have to be 21 or have a fake ID to experience. Public transportation that's actually comprehensive, efficient and inexpensive. Getting to see the beautiful sights of a millennium-old city every day. And, of course, the great people I've befriended here. My program is a pretty tight-knit group, so in all likelihood this won't be the last time most of us see each other. I'm grateful for that, at the very least. Prague definitely won't be easy to leave, but I'm definitely ready for a return to the US... I only wish I could come back and do it all again!