Written by Molly Egar (University of Minnesota),Student Correspondent for CET Prague, Fall 2022
About a year ago I decided I wanted to study abroad. I was sitting in my dorm room researching different programs and I found CET. My study abroad advisor suggested this program because it was welcoming to LGBT people and had a great reputation in that regard. I was anxious because of my appearance and sexuality and I wanted a program that would welcome me and so far my expectations have been exceeded. Everyone has been so welcoming and Czech people are very nice in terms of being LGBT.
In all honesty, nothing specific drew me to Prague except for the need to explore and learn about a new culture. Now that I am here though I am glad that I chose Prague and let me tell you why…
To give you some imagery connected to Prague here are some photos I took:
Prague near Charles Bridge and Ujezd Station
Praha near Malostranske Namesti Station
Praha Next to Charles Bridge
Now that you are able to picture the beauty of Prague let me explain my favorite parts so far. The baroque architecture featured in these photos, for example in the second photo, is one thing I love about Prague. Before coming to Prague I could not point out the differences between art nouveau, Baroque, renaissance architecture, etc and now I feel like an expert. There is so much beauty in this city and every time I walk around it feels like I am in a movie. Additionally, the art and fashion here are amazing. I am not used to walking around and seeing people dressed so aesthetically.
Before coming here I was scared because as an American it is hard to get the European perspective and there were many things I did not know. For example, a few days ago I was attempting to turn on the stove with my roommate, we were both staring at the stove very confused because it would not turn on. I had a Czech friend over who said “no, you have to click the button next to the stove because the gas turns off” which we do not have in America. This blew my mind because there are so many fun differences that I get to experience on a daily basis.
Another example of something different between America and Prague is that in America everyone uses air conditioning and everywhere you go people love to turn it up so high you freeze. However, in Prague this is very different, if someone were to have air conditioning it would barely be on and that is if they were to have one. I have only been to about three places that have air conditioning one of them being Palladium (the huge mall) and a few newer trains. Basically, this means that if you go to Prague in the summer, you will be sweating, so be prepared.
This past week in Prague has been so fun-filled and interesting and I am excited to keep updating you on my experiences this semester! So please turn in to my next article coming soon.