No, I'm just kidding.
There ARE things to do but you have to really, really think hard about it.
Earlier this week, I spent some quality time with my grandma and great uncle in a Moravian village. I took the bus after class for several hours and passed through a town called Jihlava, which I can firmly say is one of Czech Republic's hidden gems but more on that in a minute. I actually had to stop in Jihlava to get on a smaller bus to the village and when I was at the bus station, I was like "jeeze, I am seriously in the middle of no-where!" When I was coming back from my grandmother's village the following afternoon, I discovered there was a lot more to that city than just the bus station. I fell in unexpected love.
While I was at the bus station waiting (I arrived about 30 minutes early), I had to wait in the sun (thank you sky gods) and I was forced to just aimless look around.
As I was waiting, an elderly woman came up to me and asked me, in Czech, about the bus route and what not. I was able to give her an answer and have small talk with her but when the time came and the bus arrived, I got on and found a seat in the back to avoid any unwanted conversation that I would not be able to contribute to.
So, then, she gets on the bus shortly afterwards and asks me how much I paid to go my grandma's village...in my head I was saying, "oh crap oh crap how do you say 29 again?"
I had forgotten and as I response I just gave her a weak smile while sticking two and then nine fingers up. I then said I forgot how to say 29 and tried laughing it off but at this point people were staring at me with open mouths and the grandma just rolled her eyes because she now figured out I was not a full blood, native Czech.
Oops.
As I like to say, half-Czech problems.
Such a nice, relaxing break from the daily hustle and bustle I've put myself into.
Well, actually, I did homework for the next two weeks (hallelujah!) and was stuffed with food which then prompted me to sleep like a baby in my grandma's feather-everything bed. Bliss.
I remembered how lovely it is to go from a super busy, bustling, polluted city to a very small, quiet, fresh-air village.
I was laying in bed amazed at how much I missed falling asleep to absolute silence and darkness.
Well, I mean, in Prague I can close my blinds and turn off the lights in my apartment but there's still that little bit of street lights, car lights and tram lights that shine through and the loud traffic noises at all hours of the night.
It made me miss the silence of my room in America. I hope that with the new apartment next month, silence and darkness won't be an issue (my room faces a courtyard park and it's on the very top floor of the building). We shall see though, exciting stuff!
It had not been to my grandma's house in several months because I was there and I usually go with my cousin, aunt and uncle, but since I was alone this time, I had to keep myself company.
I explored the house that I went to during my childhood summers and realized that everything has stayed exactly the same. Sixteen years of no change- no new furniture, no new smells, no new anything.
It was amazing to almost go back in time, in a sense, and remember little things from my childhood.
For example, there is this one door by the bathroom that absolutely scared the living bajeebies out of me as a child, and honestly it still does, and I remembered one time going up there and further provoking my fear when I was about 6 years old.
I wouldn't remember that on just any ole day sitting in my apartment or in class but being there in front of the door was like a time-warp that brought me back to that exact moment in time when I went exploring in that attic/room.
After spending some quality time with my family, I left with an extremely full tummy, full bags of food and goodies, hugs and kisses from grandma and some spending money (love when that happens!).
My grandma is one of those stereotypical Eastern European grandmothers that makes you TONS of food and you must eat EVERYTHING put in front of you, even if you are going to explode.
Despite how many times I politely told her "no, no, I'm full", she still, she insisted that I eat more, more, MORE.
It's always nice to see family, especially after such a long time. I am really excited to see my family in America this summer after all my travels. Just a few more weeks!
I have already started the countdown to no more university and no more work, it's what is motivating me these next few weeks.
I will be posting the Malaysia post either tomorrow or Monday...but most likely tomorrow because Monday is supposed to be 21C (70F) so I will be spending the day outside with friends and a nice, cold Czech beer.
Travel on wanderlusters!
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