2013 Review/ 2014 Resolution

Well it's time. Time for that much overdone yet much needed end of the year reflection/ beginning of the year resolution.

2013 is going to be one of those years that I look back on and say, "That one. That's the year my life changed."

Too often, we forget all of the great things that we are blessed with by being blinded by the ordinary each day. Just to review some of the blessings that happened this year:

-my first ever Dance Marathon and signing up for my second
- building houses in Peru
-teaching English in the Czech Republic

-finding another home with all of the other EPs

-being rendered speechless repeatedly by Europe (Italy, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Slovakia)

-PA camp& Wildcat Welcome
-signing up for an apartment with Sanchita& Mel
-meeting new people & reconnecting with those who I wanted to

-spending more time reading life forming articles and reflecting
-starting to pursue creative writing more seriously

-having another crazy Christmas with 29 people 

-gaining more confidence in myself and my abilities

And then there were the blessings in disguise. Tragedies that ended up bringing my family closer together or waking me up from by robotic trance:

-Daddy's seizures

-Grandma passing on New Year's Eve after over 90 years

Life is... amazing. It's painful and uplifting, silly& serious, clear& obscure, and so much more. As this new year begins, I want to continue to surprise myself and continue to do things way out of my comfort zone. I want to meet interesting people and have conversations bigger than myself. I want to tell people what they mean to me, speak openly and boldly, kiss someone and mean it, and create at least one unforgettable story per month. I want to stop being classified as quiet and speak my mind wisely. I want to find where I'm going after college, love it, and pursue life with nothing holding me back.

Really, the new year changes nothing. It's another day following the last and continues in that pattern for yet another 365 days. Yet, the feeling of renewal that comes with it, is special. I want to, and I believe everyone should, take advantage of that. Even if it's only within themselves. May 2014 be another one for the books. Tomorrow's the first page.

Jim Rohn

Living an Exceptional Life

Remember How We Forgot?

Remember How We Forgot?

Make it Happen.

I dare you.

Re-evaluating

I am so done. I am so done with 20 year olds acting like they're 13. I'm so done with having the same conversation at every meal with people that I've known for a year. I'm done with fake smiles, forced conversation, awkward silences, and spending time with people because I feel like I have to.

I'm sorry. Normally my blog is positive and happy but not today. Actually, you know what? I'm not sorry! I've always been told not to burn my bridges but maybe some of them should be burned-- those to places and people that I never want to go back to. People who cannot have a conversation without talking about smoking, drinking, etc. are not people who I want in my life.

Alright, rant over.

But in all seriousness, I think it's about time that I meet new people. Don't get me wrong. There are a few people that I love with my whole heart. Mel& Z are my everything. And there are other's who are pretty up there as well. But on the flip side, I feel as though life is being dragged out of me based on some of the people who I feel like I have to hang out with. It's no longer out of desire. It's out of habit. And I'm done.

They say you're the sum of the 5 people with whom you spend the most time. Which makes sense. But only if those 5 people have aspects of themselves that you aspire to see reflected in your own life. I need people who want to learn for learning sake. People like Alissa who travel halfway around the globe to change the world. People like Dylan who is living for life's sake and not trying to impress anyone. People who are actively looking to grow and who's conversations mold you into a better and more interesting person.

I used to be a firecracker. I used to make people feel alive by my constant energy and wonder and desire to do more. To be more. Now, I feel like that spark has died down significantly and is now hidden in fake smiles and forced friendliness. As a whole, I love people. But specifically, in my life, I need a break and a re-do.

Summer 2013 Playlist

Friends Theme
Anna Sun- Walk the Moon
Anything Could Happen- Ellie Goulding
Everything at Once- Lenka
21 Guns- Green Day
Daylight-Maroon 5
Just Give Me a Reason- Pink
Good Life- OneRepublic

8/24/13- And Then There Was One

Well, this is it. This is my last day. It actually came.

Joly, Ling and Omar left yesterday. Joly for home, Ling for Germany and Omar for France.

As I sit here in CrossCafe, atop the tallest skyscraper in the city, looking over all of Pilsen, I can see memories encapsulated in buildings. Pilsen tower/church, where we climbed the endless amount of steps to see the city in which we would be living at the beginning of the summer. Angliskke Navreji Tram Stop, where we finally found David after an hour of confusion.  The synagogue  the ice cream store, the square.... I truly love this place.

I'm actually glad that I have this day of solitary relaxation and reflection before going home tomorrow. This morning, I ran from Slovany to Bory and back just soaking in all of the places that I may never see again one last time.

How do I even begin to describe this summer?

It was... unreal. A few months ago, traveling the world was only a distant dream. With Peru in March, I thought I was lucky enough. But now, after only 8 weeks, I can add the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, Hungry, Germany, and Austria to that list. How many people, let alone beginning sophomores, can say that?

As I return back to real life, I just want to take the time to remember this feeling. This feeling of knowing that I am blessed. Of feeling confident, unstoppable, and unwritten. I am 18 years old and the possibilities that the world has to offer are limitless. I just need to have the strength to actively grab hold of my life and steer it in the direction that I want it to go.

This summer I've met so many amazing people, seen breathtaking places, lost 10lbs, and surprised myself daily. I've learned to lead people both older and younger than me through teaching, increased my confidence by making decisions and sticking to them, and learned that anything, anything, is possible.

6 months ago, if someone had told me that I would have a summer like this, I would have laughed. Openly. And here it is, already over. Although I am glad to go home to the friends and family that I have missed so much, there is no question that I will miss the freedom that Europe has given me.

One thing's for sure: Europe will always have a special place in my heart. This is the place where I had the opportunity to explore myself, and my desires while exploring the world. I have no question that this summer will shape the remainder of my youth and my life.

Thank you, Pilsen. Miluji tě. 

8/12/13

David visited today! He followed through on his promise and came to Pilsen. I can never get tired of that guy.
            As today was the first day of class, we were able to end 15 minutes early and book it down to the bus station to meet David when his bus came. The only problem was that he never got off the bus. From 1-1:50 we searched all over Pilsen for him only to find out that his phone was out of credits and he was stranded at Angliskke Navrejy.

When we found him, it was the biggest relief ever. Joly, Omar, Ling and I had sleepily planned the “Best-Of-Pilsen Day” after our arrival back home and wanted to make sure that David got one of the best days ever. Sadly, we had to cut the brewery off of our list after the bus mix-up.
            Still, the day was great. After we picked up David, we went to our favorite ice cream place followed immediately by the best Indian restaurant in town. Following, we went home to change and chill for a bit then took the bus up to the lake. It was really relaxing until a strange fog began to spread all over the water and we decided that it would be best to stick as close to shore as possible. Finally, we went to Delish for dinner then took David back to the bus station to catch the Student Agency back to Prague. Simple pleasures but the best ones today. It’s hard to believe that I may never see him again. I may never see a lot of the friends I’ve made here ever again. Still, I’m glad they’re in my life and that they were able to open my eyes so much this summer. Even if our lines never cross again, they have had an infinite effect on my life by changing my path as I changed theirs.

Love always,
Sowa

8/11/13

With an ending this perfect, I can scarcely describe my love for this weekend. Vienna. The city of music. Beauty manifest in architecture and gardens. A place thriving with history and legends.
            I think Vienna has officially topped the list of my favorite cities. Like in Prague, we got to blindly explore and see the parts that we wanted to. Like in Budapest, Vienna was full of somewhat hidden surprises around each corner. I can’t even count the number of times I walked into a church or opera house or palace and thought I was walking into a painting. Before Vienna, I thought places that beautiful only existed in story books.

            When we arrived on Friday, it was raining and so well just called it a night and stayed in our hostel. Saturday morning, we woke up to a really nice, all-included breakfast and marked the map for our self-guided tour.

            On the list:

-       The Ringstrasse

-       Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square)

-       Volksgarten

-       Parliament

-       Burgtheater

-       City Hall (where there was a film festival!)

-       Main University

-       Votvkirche

-       Berggasse/ Freud’s House

-       Danube Canal

-       Graben

-       Steffl

-       Mozart’s House

-       Opera House

-       Schonbrunn Palace

And for once, we actually checked off everything!

But these beautiful sights are not what made me love Vienna so much, although they clearly helped. Vienna went above and beyond to become my number one. Saturday, after we finished our walking adventure, we decided to go to a Mozart concert and hear the music that the city is so famous for. As far as decisions go, it was one of the best. The program featured all of Beethoven’s best-known symphonies and operas. At the end of the concert, the conductor even got the audience involved in keeping rhythm for the last song. Visual and auditory beauty was enough to make the evening perfect.

Of course, however, Vienna had more to offer. Directly after the concert, we made a last minute decision to go check out the ferris wheel that we had seen from the bus station when we first arrived. And that ferris wheel? It turned out to be a FULL THEME PARK.
            The turnover was amazing. There we were, still in our high buns and dresses from the concert, sprinting from ride to ride and dancing to the music all over the park. Lucie, Joly, Omar and I rode the trippiest ride ever called ‘Extasty’. If that’s what drugs are like, I get why they’re dangerous now. After, we went on the classic swings ride but amplified. In Wien, the swings were 117m above the ground and let you see the Vienna skyline while basically flying around in the air. Breathtaking.
            Honestly? My writing sucks right now. I can’t do Vienna or this past weekend justice. But let’s just say, it feels good to end on top.

Love always,
Sowa

8/8/13

We actually had a good class trip for once! Today we went to Domaclizce instead of class. Originally, we were meant to go on Saturday for the festival that they will be having but after deciding that Vienna was the more attractive option, we convinced AIESEC Pilsen to change the date.

After the Karlovy Vary and Cesky Krumlov fiascos, I wasn’t expecting much. Joly’s buddy Maggie was leading.
            And, well? I was wrong. Even though we didn’t do much, today was a perfect way to find down term 3. Once the bus dropped us off, we climbed the tower to get a better view of the city and find things to do. There were so many stairs but fighting our exhaustion together was fun. After, we headed to the “castle”/ museum. At first, I attempted to read a few of the English captions but eventually, we all met up and decided that it was more fun to play pranks and take silly pictures around the museum. Veronica, Jakub, Adam and I broke into the museum’s tower (the door was open so I’m still not sure if it was allowed or not) and saw more of the city. Probably one of the more amusing museum visits I’ve been on.
            After we headed to lunch and , after hopping from restaurant to restaurant trying to decide where would be a good place to eat, chilled there talking and laughing for an hour or  two. Earlier in the day, from the tower, we saw a sort of fair being set up pretty close by so we went on a journey to find it. Though we were successful in locating where the fair would be, we discovered that it wouldn’t start up until 4pm. Our bus was to leave 20 minutes following that. Still, we chilled on the trampolines for a while. When we were finally kicked out, we went to the nearby playground.

This was the part of the day that made today so much fun. We all went crazy running around and playing with the see-saw, swings, spinning wheel, castle, etc. I felt like I was 5 in the best way possible. Even the parents who were there with their kids were laughing with us. Set to Omar’s music, it was the perfect summer day.
            Eventually we left but not without one last strawberry/lemon ice cream. On the bus ride home, we played Zoo and made fun of each other’s faces in pictures. I really underestimated this group! Tomorrow’s the last day and I really think it’s going to be great. Then Vienna! This summer is really winding down fast. I feel so blessed to have been able to come here but now I’m a bit worried about coming home.  I get the feeling that I will be psychologically incapable of staying still.  I guess we’ll see!

Love always,
Sowa

8/7/13

An ordinary Wednesday turned extraordinary.
            I love it when perfectly random days like today happen. So as usual, we started off the day with class from 10-1. Well actually my day started earlier with a 3 mile run. Yeah. I run now. And I like it. Picking up good habits for once!
            Anyway, back to the day. Class ended and Joly, Ling, and I were deciding what to do for lunch. (Omar went to play squash with Jakub to celebrate the last day of Ramadan). The problem was that one of our good friends Jrka had invited us out to lunch at an Indian restaurant and I was out of money.
            So we went our separate ways. Joly and Ling out with Jirka and me back home to make rice and watch Project X (a movie recommended by Honza and Jakub). 
            After lunch, I left for the exchange office to get some Euros for Vienna this weekend. As timing would have it, I ran into Ling, Joly, and Jirka walking back to the square after lunch. A quick wave and I continued to the office.
            Strangely enough, on my way back home I decided to stop for ice cream and ran into them again. Joly looked distraught. Apparently, this could be the last time we would see Jirka. He is leaving for a 3 week badminton camp this weekend and coming back to Pilsen after we’ve all returned to our respective countries.
            My heart broke. I’m terrible at goodbyes. Especially with people as wonderful as Jirka.

Let me first explain the ray of sunshine that is Jirka Louda. Jirka is one of our students from term two (aka the greatest group of students you will ever meet). During class, he and Omar were the only two guys so we all liked to harass him. Still, he kept everyone smiling and laughing with his constant jokes and smiles that encompassed his entire face. He smiles so much that I can’t even picture him with a straight face when I think of him. Even after his session ended, we continued to hang out. He comes to our flat to chill, we meet up for lunch, we’ve gone boating, clubbing, etc. Basically he’s amazing and has transitioned from a student to one of our best friends here.
            And saying goodbye to best friends… well it just sucks.
            So obviously my next reaction was to try to plan as much time with him as possible before he leaves. We all got ice cream together and I asked if he wanted to come chill at our flat for the day. He couldn’t come since he was going to visit his grandfather.

Jokingly, we asked if we could come too. It was kind of a face off of dares. But Jirka, sweetheart that he is, called his granddad to ask. And he said yes.

            Ling, Joly and I thought it was somewhat of a joke at first but as we got closer to Mr. Louda’s apartment building, I got increasingly more nervous. Even if we are just friends, I wanted his family to like me. People who raised such a great guy must be worth getting to know.
            After a quick stop to pick up cake for our visit, we rang the doorbell.

            Grandpa Louda was just as great as his grandson. Despite the fact that we were being strange and visiting him on a whim, he welcomed us into his home with open arms and plenty of stories. I was impressed with how good his English was despite how much he kept on insisting that it was bad. Jirka was so cute trying to make sure everyone was comfortable by getting us chairs and tea while simultaneously translating when his grandfather couldn’t quite come up with the word that he needed. It was one of those relationships where you can tell even just from a glance that they are extremely close.
            First, Grandpa Louda started by showing us his postcards. 264. He was so well travelled! He could speak Czech, German, French, and English with confidence even at his 85 years. What most impressed me was the fact that he had taught himself English by reading his giant collection of National Geographic magazines. As the afternoon progressed, we heard stories of his late wife with whom he had studied medicine with in his youth. Their love continues long after she’s been gone and it made me happy to see how warm his voice became when he spoke of her or looked at her old pictures.
            After we finished talking about travel (he made sure to emphasize that we should continue to travel in our youth because it truly expands your mind) Grandpa Louda said he wanted to show us something “very, very special”.  He came back clutching two manila envelopes and opened them to reveal some of his most precious belongings. There, we got to see Grandpa Louda as both a child and as a handsome young man with his wife at his side. They looked so blissful together.  He also showed us several pictures of Jirka and his brother Honza growing up over the years. The whole situation was adorable. Jirka even said that his granddad had never shown him the pictures until we came yesterday.

            There’s something about people opening up their past to you that makes you feel infinitely closer. For the 3 or 4 hours that we were there, I felt so honored to be considered trustworthy enough to momentarily peek into the private life of the Louda family.

The experience solidified the fact that friends are family. Chosen members. Unless we open ourselves up, we cannot truly know one another.
            Grandpa Louda left us with one final note: “Study, study study! Study as much as you can before age 35. You will be thankful the rest of your life.”
            I am so thankful that I got to get closer to Jirka and his family. The entire visit, I couldn’t stop smiling as two very different generations shared their stories and laughed together. This is one of those moments that I think I will hold dear in my heart forever. This summer, travelling has really opened my mind but I thank Jirka for opening my heart to true friendship. I’m really going to miss him.

Love always,
Sowa