Arriving and First Day in Prague

We made it! 

We arrived in Prague on Sunday morning after what felt like the shortest night ever. Most of our group met at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday to begin our journey and then met the rest of the group once we arrived in Prague. 

The rest of Sunday was spent unpacking in our accommodations, getting a quick orientation overview of the experiences ahead, and learning about our new neighborhood. We then had a fantastic welcome dinner at Vinohradsky Parlament, a traditional Czech restaurant where students tried delicious Czech food. After dinner, we returned to rest for the next day. 

Monday came bright and early (and I mean bright and early; the sun rises around 5:00 AM and doesn't set until almost 10:00 PM) and we learned how to navigate the public tram system here in Prague. Our students will be seasoned public transit users when they leave in three weeks. We took the tram to the Arts and Design Institute, where classes will be held. The students dove into their first art class, where they were instructed to create a sketch drawing from what was happening around them. 

After class, we continued to learn how to navigate the tram and were shown different routes to get to the school, the restaurant where we would have lunch, and the CIEE Center. After lunch, we had an orientation session packed with cultural etiquette tips for navigating life in Prague. Students learned about the course curriculum, logistics, and important safety procedures. It was enlightening and set a respectful tone for our stay here. 

 A gem of an activity reserved for the students in the afternoon was a pedal boat ride on the Vltava River, accompanied by local Czech students. This afternoon’s activity aimed to help students discover Prague and its principal architecture through a leisurely ride on the Vltava. It was a novel way to appreciate Prague and its treasures while forging friendships among peers and local students. We are thrilled to have such a great group of students with us!