Friday, May 19, 2006

Suffering from random downpours, I spent my last days in Prague running between the raindrops. Tuesday I wrapped up all my business at the fortress, like getting my transportation refund and returning my Czech cell phone. After a nice nap (during the rain that peeled the plaster off the walls of my flat), I met Jaime at Svandovo Divadlo to see the Vaclav Havel play "Zebracka Opera" or The Beggar's Opera. It was performed in Czech but had English subtitles. It was quite funny but a little long. Since it is difficult to watch a play with subtitles, I want to read it if I can find a good English translation of it. Havel is my hero. Playwright turned first president of Czechoslovakia after the Soviet occupation. Who knew?

At the play, Jaime told me that she lied to everyone about visiting a friend in the hospital in Vienna last weekend and on Tuesday. She actually found a cyst in her uterus and went to Vienna to have it removed. I don't know why I'm blogging about this but I thought it was strange but I'm glad that she told me the truth. She is one of my favorite people on my program and I'm glad she trusted me with the truth.

That night was our last night at Nebe for 80s night. I messaged John about it and he and his friend (who knew a girl on my program) showed up. It ends up it was John's 21st birthday and I drank as if it were my own. I had an amazing time up until I got the spins and eventually got sick. I didn't properly say good bye to either of the guys but I will see John in the fall.

I have no idea what time I got home that night but all I know is the next morning was awful. My last day in Prague, which consisted of graduation from my program, lunch on a boat in the Vltava, the last supper and karaoke at Meloun, I was more hung over than I have ever been in my life. Graduation was fine, especially seeing everyone dressed up and receiving a diploma and shirt from Charles University. However, the boat ride was awful. If I didn't not have my head in my hands or was sitting in the bathroom, I was contemplating jumping ship. I didn't even eat because I was so nausiated. After the boat ride, I jogged in the rain to my flat and passed out. Then I went to Villa Incognito for free wireless and nachos for the last time. The last supper was with Jaime, Allie, Mary and Jessica at Mozaika, the restaurant with the best burger I have ever had in my life. It was nice spending it with these girls because after so much social awkwardness and, apparently, being intentionally excluded by Mara and Rachel (Jessica made a large-scale apology to me at Nebe to my bewilderment for being so mean to me during the semester. I'm not sure I forgive her but I appreciated the apology I never expected), I could have fun with them without being self-conscious. The last few weeks have been amazingly fun for me, like the Chateau night that Doug, Ben, Jessica, Luke, Abby and I ate a ridiculous amount of McDonald's burgers at 5am when I.P. Pavlova was bright with sunshine. Anyway, after dinner we went to Meloun for karaoke. I was completely sober (and finally not hung over anymore) and Tori asked me to sing Michelle Branch's Game of Love with her. It was great singing for so many people in my program because I had not done that before. The rest of the night consisted of random goodbyes, dancing to off-key renditions of Livin La Vida Loca, and contemplating the finality of this night. I wanted to leave hours before, but I did not leave until after the last karaoke song of the night, the CIEE-dedicated Leaving On a Jet Plane. We all rushed the stage, held each other, and sang at the top of our lungs. Then I knew I had to leave. Saying goodbye to Dyani and Abby was the most difficult because I can't imagine I will see them again. Abby's face just melted into sobs and I could not hold it back. Saying goodbyes to everyone, even those who I was not friends with, took so long and emotionally taxed me. I was happy when I finally got out of the bar, hugged Jaime "see you later," and got on the tram to go home.

I arrived at home around 3:30am and got in the shower. I got dressed, finished packing, cleaned up a little, ate my last Vitalean yogurt and went down to Mary's flat. We took a cab together to the airport. 24 hours later, I am home, watching Law and Order SVU and feeling as if I made up this entire semester in my mind.

I only suffered from a few small symptoms of culture shock but I feel like reverse culture shock is going to be more pronounced. I have already felt strange being around such a diverse span of races, using soft water on my face, and turning off lights with small switches.

Study abroad is such a strange concept. It is such an isolated experience in my life that whenever I see anyone from my program or return to Prague for a visit I will never be able to recapture the same meanings that they and the city had for me. I'm not excited about talking about it, even though I want to. Nobody, unless they were there, will understand why certain things were important to me. Even people who studied in other countries did not experience what I experienced. However, I would not take any of it back. All the bad and all the good came together to create this blip in my life that I will always remember. I can't believe it's over and that I'm back at home (I erupted in sobs when the flight attendent announced on my final flight that "If you live in Grand Rapids, welcome home"), but it will hit me soon enough.

Na shledanou Praha. Goodbye Prague.