CZECH IT OUT: Prague

I fell in absolute love with Prague! Even more so than Budapest, which is surprising because I went into it with high expectations - it is crazy that they were actually met. Upon leaving I was SO exhausted from the two weeks (and even before that) prior, but I REALLY did not want to leave. Although it was a lot like many of the other European cities I've visited, there was something else about it that I cannot put my finger on. I wish I had the words to describe how amazing it really was. While we were there for at least three nights, there was one (amazing) thing that we did that really took up the whole day outside of the city - but I will get into that later.

We somehow really lucked out on the weather again, because it was completely gorgeous the whole time we were there. Kelly and I decided to try out a bike tour so we could enjoy the weather as well as everything the city had to offer! And I would also like to add that I wore a voluntary bike helmet - in preparation of my mom's repercussions of what I was going to do the next day... The tour was about 3 hours and we saw SO MUCH. The streets alone are amazing in Prague. Everything is beautiful...it's like Paris but not as big, and not as stuck-up. On our tour we saw the new and old town squares, the infamous clock tower and trumpeter, theaters, parks, the Petrin Tower (mini Eiffel), the GORGEOUS Charles Bridge, and the John Lennon wall. Sigh. Everything was so nice. I wish I were there right now!

After a much needed siesta Kelly and I went on a microbrewery tour. Apparently the Czech Republic is  the biggest beer drinking country in the world. And while over the past few months I've heard a LOT about brewing beer, in various countries, it was nice to visit 3 of the city's 17 microbreweries. Kelly and I met some hilarious people and even got nice little "Czech Beer Expert" certificates. We went home and went to bed after, in preparation for the next day's festivities!!!!

The next morning, after meeting in the city, Kelly, Emily, Meredith, and I (along with three others) took an hour ride into the country to go SKY DIVING. I had come to Europe really wanting to do it - a few months ago I looked it up in the UK and found it to be almost the double the price here, which initially  really crushed my dreams! But, upon arriving in Prague, and seeing the brochure in the hostel Kelly and I knew it was fate. And with lovely Eastern European prices, it was only about 200 US Dollars (for the jump and the DVD!). I actually wasn't scared AT ALL. Normally, I either get nervous right away and find myself fine before doing something OR I am fine initially and SUPER nervous before I do something. NEITHER HAPPENED. I think I was still so shook up from the caving that sky diving was a piece of cake. I REALLY want to do it again already, it goes by so unbelievably fast that you really don't have time to think about it.

I wanted to be the first to go, in fear that I would get nervous, and somehow, I actually was. Unfortunately, due to taping needs, I was separated from the rest of my friends and went up in the first plane. It was really cool to see them all in their orange jump suits waving at me on my way down. though! While there was really only 1.5 people that spoke English, I felt completely safe the whole time I was there. The instructions (mostly including "banana") were clear, and they kept everyone at ease in 15min plane ride up in the air. Then, all of the sudden, the door was open and I was sitting on the edge strapped to this guy, thousands of feet in the air hanging out of a plane! Then, we were free falling - 4000 meters to be exact, at 130 miles an hour - and then the parachute shot up and we were flipping and floating back to the ground. SO HAPPY I DID IT. SO HAPPY. I am also really happy I paid the extra for the DVD video and photos - they are probably the absolute UGLIEST pictures of me that have ever existed. But man are they funny! Maybe if you are lucky, I will show you them (some are on Facebook, but I am really talking about the video).

Paradise - Coldplay