Hi everyone. I have officially been in Prague for 2 weeks now and have finally settled in. When at home and school, I find it so important to establish a good routine. For me, this includes balancing my studies with my social life, taking care of my body both physically and mentally, and making time for my friends and family. When I’m at school, this routine looks a lot different than it does in Prague which is why today I’m going to talk about how I have had to adapt and recreate parts of my routine so I can stay both happy and healthy while abroad.
A big thing I had to change when I got to Prague was my exercise routine. At home, I would like to lift weights, usually after dinner and then do some sort of cardio at the gym. Here in Prague, our program is lucky enough to have access to the local high school’s weight room. This gym is available to us at no extra cost which is very nice. This weight room has all the equipment needed to get a good lift in, but it does not have any cardio equipment. This has caused me to take up running which I have actually started to enjoy. It is fun to explore new parts of this wonderful city and is a great way to decompress after a long day.
Similarly, I have started to take an interest in hiking. Being that I have only been here 2 weeks, I have only had the opportunity to go on one hike so far. It was about an hour train ride outside of Prague and it is called Svaty Jan pod Skalou. In total the hike was only a mile, but the view from the top was very rewarding. I cannot wait to go on another one.
I also have had to change when I exercise because since the gym we have access to is a part of the high school, it gets used by classes throughout the day and is closed at night. Therefore, I have had to adapt and have started going before classes in the morning.
Overall, my new exercise routine has been the hardest thing I have had to get used to. Being across the world from my home means that communicating with my friends and family looks totally different. Most of my family is in Chicago which is 7 hours behind Prague. This has meant that I can only talk to my family in my afternoons and in the evening. I do my best to talk to them before and after my weekend trips and at least twice a week. I have found that texting pictures of my different experiences has helped me make this time difference feel lesser. It has taken some getting used to but overall has not been too hard to adapt to.
Although I have faced some obstacles while adjusting my routine, I have found that these changes have helped me grow and adapt to life abroad, making my experiences even more rewarding. Now realizing how much I enjoy hiking, I am excited to come back to Knoxville where I can find some hikes to enjoy in the smokies. Overall, I am excited to bring some of my new habits home with me and try new things in the United States.
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