Prague

Our first big weekend trip was to Prague in the Czech Republic. We walked around the historic center of town and saw all the main sights. Wenceslas Square, located in New Town, was the site of many demonstrations during the Cold War when Czechoslovakia was behind the Iron Curtain. Old Town Square is a colorful quarter of the Old Town, featuring a variety of architectural styles, two churches, and this awesome Astronomical Clock. We made our way through town over to the famous Charles Bridge. The bridge was full of vendors and people playing instruments it was really cool. The Charles Bridge is the oldest bridge that crosses the river and connects the castle with Old Town. The bridge itself is beautiful, with big gothic towers at both ends and statues lining the balustrade.

 

Our first night there we went on a Pub Crawl with most the interns and we had a blast! I have never met so many different people from all different parts of the world. It was a great experience. That night I also stayed in my first hostel. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but it ended up being really nice! Probably one of the nicest ones I will stay in while I am here. We spent our last day doing some more wandering around the town and checked out an amazing church. It was unfortunate we couldn’t go all the way through it, but being able to step inside and see the sun shining through the stained glass windows and leaving an array of colors all over the walls was spectacular. It was a great way to end the trip. Czech was the first place I had visited that didn’t use the Euro, they used the Koruna (pronounced “crown”). It was so confusing to use. 1 American dollar is worth 18.6 koruna. So, a basic meal at a restaurant would cost a couple hundred koruna so you always felt like you were spending a bunch! It made me appreciate the Euro that much more J

Switzerland

Beautiful Interlaken, Switzerland.  I have never set eyes upon a prettier place. 8 of us interns hoped on a train at 4am on Saturday October 9, 2010 and were headed to Switzerland. I had always heard it was a beautiful place, but I didn’t imagine it as it was. We were surrounded by mountains , lakes and rivers and the water was a the prettiest blue I have ever seen. The town was smaller so we were able to drop our stuff off at our hostel and cruise around the town. We walked to the lake and took pictures and played in the leaves and stood in awe at the view we were witnessing. I was so happy to be there and so happy that most of the girls were able to make it.

The part of the trip we were looking forward to was Canyoning. Sunday afternoon, 6 of us headed to Outdoor Adventures to strap up and get ready to go. 1 wet suit, 2 wetsuit jackets, a life vest, a harness, some sweet water shoes and a silly hat and we were ready to go. This was going to be an experience I would never forget. 12 of us hopped in a bus and headed up the mountain. We rappelled, slid, and jumped down rocks and waterfalls into the beautiful white water filled Saxteen canyon. It was a half day trip that I never wanted to end. I was exploring nature in the best way possible. I loved every second it.   After Canyoning, we were exhausted. We headed for a hot shower, a cold beer and a yummy Thai dinner (it was my first time trying Thai food). It was the perfect ending to our trip. It was our last night in Switzerland so after dinner we decided to go walk the town. We played in a little park, tried to pet some cows, bought some last minute souvenirs and headed back to the hostel for bed. Monday we had a long train ride home only to have to face work again on Tuesday.

 Every time I go on a trip, I always say to myself “this was the best day or the best weekend” but honestly they just keep getting better and more interesting. Every country we have visited has something amazing to offer and a story I will never forget. I can’t wait to continue my traveling for the last two months and see what else I can get myself into J