Closing Time

On Tuesday night after everyone finished presenting, we had a big farewell party for all of our host families, advisors, etc. It was more fun than I expected, but I was exhausted and got back to the house at like 11. Simon ended up staying afterwards with some of the people from the program, which is cool. After I got back I talked to my mom on Skype and did some emailing, then went to bed.

The next day my fellow students and I left for a retreat in a northern region of the Czech Republic called Ceske Svycarsko, or Czech Switzerland. More on that in a bit. That night, I saw that I had a message on my phone from Elena. It read (and I quote exactly), “Claire are you ok? I heard desperate cry from your room on my way to bed last night. Why? Can I do something for you? Was Simon reason of sad? Big hug. E.” I of course could not figure out what she was talking about. I might have exclaimed or something while talking to my mom, but certainly I did not utter any sound worthy of the description “desperate cry”. I texted her back saying that I was fine and didn’t know what she heard but thanks for the concern, to which she replied, “Ok. Just tell me if problem will sometimes appear. Maybe homesick. Take care.” I have no idea what any of that is about, but I thought the whole situation was pretty amusing, and again, it’s nice to know that someone cares, even if they are hallucinating things to be worried about.

In any case, the day we left was pretty terrible, weather-wise, and because of the rain and the low-30s temperature, we didn’t have any of the snow I was hoping for, even in the mountains. These mountains, which I would classify more as large hills, were gorgeous nonetheless, and the drive up through huge pine trees, small rivers, and winding roads bordered by idyllic little cottages was amazing. Our pension was also adorable- everything was wood, yet it was fairly modern. There was a pub downstairs where we spent a lot of time and a lounge where we played a lot of games. I didn’t do much on Wednesday, but on Thursday I went for a long hike with a few friends. We basically climed a mountain and ended up at a pretty famous rock formation which looks like a gateway or a bridge. (Pictures are coming, I promise.) It was a great afternoon which ended with a quick jump across the German border, since we suddenly found ourselves right on it.

That night, we had a big end-of-the-program (most students leave on Monday, and this was our last organized activity) feast which featured goose, dumplings, saurkraut, pickled cabbage, and wine, all of which was delicious. Then I was the star of a mini graduation ceremony which they organized to celebrate my completion of college. It was really cute, and I appreciate their congratulations. I donned a paper hat and received a delightful Czech diploma and a fortune teller which predicts my future. Though it was sweet, I was a bit embarrassed, so to my delight it was a short event, followed by a nostalgic slideshow of pictures from our time on the program. It was a little sappy for my taste, but I have found myself feeling pretty sad lately when I realize that the semester is already over (perhaps I did let out a desperate cry...? Naw...).

Today we wandered around the tiny town we were in. I’ll have to show you pictures, but for now just know that all of the cottages were adorable, old, and looked very German. It was strange to see so much German writing, too- almost as much as Czech. It gave the German forth of my blood a pleasurable tingle. The town looked extremely deserted, probably because most of the houses were Czech families’ weekend cottages, but also just because everything is so old and half run-down.

It did start snowing as we were leaving, though by the time we got to Prague we were treated by a gorgeous sunset and there was no snow in sight. On my walk up the hill back to the house, I noticed a sudden influx of Christmas lights in the neighborhood. By this I mean that about every third house now has a single strand of lights displayed outside. Sometimes it is around a window, sometimes decorating a tree, but there is never more than one strand per house. Though the effect can’t compare to the spectacles of US Christmas lights, the modest twinkling somehow seemed much more Christmassy tonight. It’s going to be hard to leave.