Last 5 Weeks in Europe

I’ve been extremely busy these last few weeks trying to soak up as much of Prague as I can! My lovely buddies and I went to Zadar, Croatia April 18th-22nd and played all weekend. We hung out by the pool, played card games (rummy), made dinner, went on a  boat ride in a rainstorm, and went into the town. Overall it was a very leisurely trip that all of us very much needed. Oh, and after that trip Camille cut my bangs!

The next two weekends I decided to stay in Prague and I’m so thankful I did. The weekend of the 25th-28th my sweet friend Annabelle Webb stayed with me in Praha. What a weekend we had! I saw her briefly in Rome, so the weekend was a nice chunk of time we got to spend together. This was our first trip together, and after this weekend I hope it’s not the last. I appreciated her energy and liveliness the whole time as we took on Prague. 

On Friday I took her to the Prague must sees like Old town and Charles bridge. We decided at the last minute to do a 4pm midevil dinner with Camilla which I’ve been wanting to do in Prague for awhile. With unlimited drinks, us three watched random performers fight and dance. It was super fun and the company made it 10x better. That night we went to the 80s cafe which was great. 

On Saturday we went to the Prague castle and sat in the garden attached to it for a long time. Now that the weather is nice all the gardens in Prague are opening up, and it has created such a beautiful element to the city. We went to the Petrin gardens and talked for a long time and then hit the town and went to the Declan McKenna concert. Even though we basically only knew Brazil, it was so much fun and we had a wonderful time. That was a perfect way to end her visit. 

I stayed in Prague the next week and a half, here are the most noteworthy parts (April 29-May 5th): 

• Sunday (29th) Letna Beer Garden during sunset with Camilla and Ava–Camila and I also got lip tattoos but they have already faded don’t waste your money

• Tuesday (30th) I sat in Letna park all day, journaled and read. Also I finally went to the St. Nicholas church which was too beautiful. 

• Wednesday (May 1st)-a Czech holiday so we didn’t have school. I tanned outside on the balcony with Camila and then us two, Ava, Camille and her girlfriend Camilla went to the island park–detske hriste–where they had street food and a band playing on a boat. We sat, drank wine, and watched the sunset. 

• Thursday (2nd) I had class and then finally checked out the park behind our apartment (Labyrint v Trojskych zahradách) which is now my favorite place to go! We sat by the pond and walked around the water and trees. We went to the Troja castle which was mythology focused–sick! That night Nate, Brennan, Skaggs and I went to Letna beer garden for the sunset and then ended up staying in the lively environment with a dj and a ton of locals. 

• Saturday (3rd) ZOO! The Prague zoo is one of the most notable in Europe and I couldn't agree more. We were there for 4 hours. It had so many different animals that I never heard of and their habitats were really cool. That night we went to My People bar, left our mark on the wall, and ended up at this random club that was filled with a lot of old people. 

• Sunday (4th) we went to Havlickovy Sady park and the Bazililka sv. Ludmily church. I’d never been to that area of Prague before so seeing that was neat. After that we went to the island again (detske hriste), got a few drinks and stayed until the sun went down. It was special and that was my favorite part of the weekend. 

• Monday (5th) radio tower, communism museum 

On the 9th we went to Mallorca, Spain for our last trip altogether. It was like Croatia but 100x better. We swam in the ocean, relaxed on the beach, cooked together, played cards and trivia, snorkeled and enjoyed each other's company. I really couldn’t have asked for a better trip.  

After Mallorca, we had our final exams. I was planning on seizing my last 5 days in Prague, but unfortunately something bit me in Spain and I couldn't walk. That didn't completely stop me--I went to the park one final time, had a roommate and whole group dinner, toured the opera house, participated in the beer boat, and got carried around during our last night out.

I can't thank these people or this place enough. And if you've read this far, thank you being apart of my journey. This chapter of my life is so speical to me, and I will cherish it forever and ever and ever.

Maya Kollme 5/23/24