Ahoj z Česka! I'm back to share some of my favorite moments from the past month. My life has been pretty busy and full of adventure. I can't wait to show you all what I've been up to!
In early November, I moved in with my second host family. Below are some pictures of my last week with my previous family. We decided it was not a "goodbye" but a "see you later," because I plan to continue to visit them throughout the rest of my year.
Adjusting to my new family was quite easy, because they have been a part of my exchange pretty much since the beginning. My host parents Jiří and Kateřina have been driving me to school every morning since the second day, as I became friends with my host sister, Tess, on the first day. I spent many afternoons and weekends at their house and got to know the family pretty well. Tess is the oldest (17), then I have a brother Vojta (14) and sisters Anežka (11) and Marianka (9). We also have many animals including a dog, hedgehog, turtle, bunny, chameleon, lizard, and 2 cats. It is a very fun family and I'm extremely happy to be living with them.
I've continued to take the train to Prague twice a week after school for Czech lessons. The language is still extremely hard for me, but I've noticed great improvement- especially now that I have a little sister who is constantly speaking to me in Czech! It's helpful for me to have a set time to learn Czech each week. I also look forward to the lessons because I get to see my exchange friends living in Prague. They're great.
On November 11th, Czechia celebrates Svatomartinské or "Saint Martin's Day." I celebrated the holiday that weekend with my YEO and her family because they have a second house in a wine vineyard in Moravia. Svatomartinské víno, a young wine from the recent harvest, can first be poured at 11:11 on the holiday (11/11). It is also traditional to celebrate with a goose dinner, called Svatomartinská husa. We were there for 4 days so we also got to visit the surrounding cities, including Vienna.
I've been spending a lot of time with my Czech friends from school this month, too. Having them makes my life here so much better; we have lots of fun.
I also celebrated turning 19 this month! I was a little worried that I would struggle with homesickness on my birthday, because I wouldn't have my friends and family here to celebrate with me. I also knew I would get lots of messages from distant relatives and friends I haven't been in touch with much since I left, which can be overwhelming. Of course it was nothing worth worrying about though, because my friends and family here did a great job of making it a special day for me. Also I appreciated all of the birthday wishes from back home so much; I felt especially loved on that day. Thanks to everyone who reached out to me.
This past month was really great for me. When reflecting upon all of these memories, I am reminded again how fortunate I am to be here. I am so thankful for my Rotary Club (both here and back home), my friends (both here and back home), and my family (both here and back home). I couldn't be having such a great year if it weren't for them. I'm especially thankful for the unconditional love and support from my parents back home. It isn't easy having your child live on the other side of the world, but they are doing such a great job. If anyone sees them (or my baby brothers 😉) please give them a big hug from me!
The last thing I want to say is that I have a super exciting trip coming up. This weekend my host family and I are flying to Dubai! We will be there for a couple weeks. I’m really looking forward to the beaches and warm weather, as well as the fascinating technology and architecture. I‘ll be sure to take lots of pictures and write about it when we get home.
So much love for all of you❤️
Čau!
Elsa (Eliška)