…it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” –  Miriam Beard

It’s honestly a little hard to believe that this trip is over. The last 10 days have been some  of the most amazing of my life. It’s almost hard to articulate how much I’ve learned and how much this trip has changed me.

I believe, that if done right, travel changes a person in innumerable ways. This trip was absolutely some of the most amazing days of my life. When you combine a beautiful country, great friends and add in some great food, there’s really no way to go wrong.

I went in to this trip expecting the unexpected, ready for cultural differences and excited to take them on. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Yes, the students in Brno have the same interests, yes, I still get as lost in Prague as I do in anywhere else (I’m terrible with directions). But, at the same time, the feel, the look, the sights, the sounds, the culture, it’s all different and beautiful. The Czech Republic is a country that is still in the process of shaking off the last remaining cobwebs of Communism. The country is a parliamentary democracy, but just when you think the country has moved on, you catch the faintest trace of the Communist era. But, as we learned from the Brno students, the country is rapidly changing.

Besides learning about Czech culture, I was able to learn about the politics of the country, how Google operates in another country, the way the news is run and how advertising firms have to adjust to their surroundings.

I was lucky enough to do all of this with some of the best people I’ve ever met. It amazed me everyday that 13 very different college kids could spend every day together and still get along so well. We all clicked in a way that’s hard to define and even harder to replicate. We are all, at our very cores, globally minded and infused with wanderlust. Together, we pushed each other to be better, think deeper and experience more. We all had different majors, different interests, different personalities, different life experiences. This diversity allowed us to broaden our perspectives and think about questions and problems in new and critical ways.

It will be absolutely impossible for me to go back to “normal.” Every day, I will carry those 10 days in the Czech Republic with me. The Czech Republic sparked a longing within me that won’t be satisfied until I return (multiple times). It’s hard to say what it is, but something about that country connected with me. Not to sound too out-there or existential, but I felt it in my soul. I truly can see myself spending an extended period of time in Prague. Yes, I’ve been back in the USA for one day, and I’m already planning my return trip. I’m looking into internship opportunities in the Czech Republic and planning on how I can get back to Europe in the fastest way possible.

It’s one thing to talk about media in Comm 419H, but it’s an entirely different matter to experience it firsthand. We can talk about news in class, but it’s an entirely new matter to actually visit CT24 and see how they’ve been able to become the most dominant news station in Easter Europe all while using computers and equipment that is ancient by technological standards.

I truly hope this program becomes a permanent fixture in the Communications Program at Penn State. My 10 days in the Czech Republic were some of the most meaningful and educational of my life. I can only hope other students can be as lucky as I am and experience this program.

In Omnia Paratus.

…is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

It’s been a whirlwind of a trip, and it’s hard to believe we only have a day and a half left in the Czech Republic. It’s hard to put in words how much I’ve learned and what I’ve gained from these 10 days.

Saturday was our “free day.” With it being our last day in Prague, we couldn’t let the day go to waste. Of course we needed to make it count. The morning was spent finishing up some souvenir shopping for friends and family. We all remarked how we were mostly buying gifts for other people because our memories and pictures from the week were more than enough.

But, because we’re all globally-minded, curious students, we wanted to make sure we still squeezed in every drop of learning.

My free day began with a bit of souvenir shopping, which besides being fun, is also an interesting phenomenon. I’ve noticed that, no matter the place, souvenir shops are all pretty much the same. Everywhere I’ve traveled has had some kind of shop with t-shirts, hats, shot glasses, postcards, and other little trinkets with the country or town emblazoned across the front. Of course, there are also country-specific variations. For example, many stores had the marionettes that Prague is famous for, along with beer steins and decorative sets of Pilsner and matching glasses. It’s interesting to observe how souvenir shops cater to tourists and how easy it is to find the same gift in nearly every country. (Of course, this didn’t stop me from still buying souvenirs for myself and all my friends).

After a morning of shopping, I heading over to Our Lady of Victory Church, where the Infant of Prague is housed. The Infant of Prague is a wax-covered wooden statue of the infant Jesus. It belonged to St. Teresa of Avila and is supposed to hold miraculous powers, especially with expectant mothers. As a Catholic, I’d grown up learning about the Infant of Prague and seeing renderings of it, so it was really interesting for me to see the real thing. The church was surprising because it was so plain and unassuming. It took me several tries to find the church because many people didn’t know where it was. With directions from Prof. Elavsky and a little help from various shopkeepers, I found the church, which turned out to be on the block about two minutes from our hotel.

Seeing the infant of Prague and visiting the church was really the only thing I wanted to make sure I could do before leaving Prague, so I’m glad I got the chance. I don’t like to proselytize about my religion (I feel it’s more of a personal matter), but I’ve always viewed my faith as a way to connect with someone across boundaries such as language or cultural norms. Especially in a country known for its atheism, it was interesting to see the church and learn about its history right alongside visitors from all over the world. The Roman Catholic faith is practiced by about 1.2 billion people across the globe, so (like much of this trip), I was able to draw parallels and realize that, no matter the country or language, people are much more similar than one would initially think.

The next stop in our day was the Museum of Communism. This was a particularly interesting stop (especially since we were given a student discount by flashing our PSU ID cards). The Czech Republic is an interesting country to study because, as of 25 years ago, it wasn’t even a country. Although the younger generation is making the largest moves away from the Communist influence, there are still vestiges of the old culture present around the country. As an example, Czech people are extremely wary of credit cards and many stores don’t even take them. The older generations (influenced by a culture of lack) are skeptical of the idea of buying something without having the cash to immediately pay for it. The Museum of Communism was particularly interesting because it provided a Czech context for the Cold War and Communist era. As an international politics double major and history minor, I’ve extensively studied Communism in my classes, but it’s always been from an American, Russian or general perspective.

The Czech Republic is fascinating because it was one of the few countries that didn’t have much bloodshed when transitioning from Communism to democracy (hence the Velvet Revolution).

Our dinner on our last night was spent at an off-the-beaten-path Czech restaurant. We talked extensively about all we’ve learned and how it would be impossible to simply leave this beautiful country. My friends and family have been following my blogs, pictures and Facebook posts, but I know that there is no way for me to come close to totally describing what I’ve gained this week. It’s one thing to show my friends a picture of a view of the city at night from the Charles Bridge or Cesky Krumlov Castle, but it’s another thing entirely to articulate the sense of awe, wonder, gratitude and pure happiness I felt when standing on Czech soil taking it all in.

There are also plenty of moments I don’t have immortalized in film. I’m a big believer in experiencing life in front of the lens, not behind it. There were many times when I simply put the camera down and fully experienced what I was seeing because my tiny camera lens isn’t nearly adequate at capturing feelings and those moments that take your breath away.

Sure, I’ll tell my friends about the sights and sounds, but it’ll be hard to explain the pure magic and happiness and camaraderie I felt our last night when I stood on the Charles Bridge with what have become some of my closest friends and toasted our last night in Prague. Moments like that will stay with me forever.

In Omnia Paratus.

…a place where a man can lose himself.” – Dhammapada

Unlike the last few days, Friday began with a later start. After spending a long night on Stoldoni Street, we were able to sleep in Friday morning and spend some time relaxing before leaving Ostrava and heading back to Prague.

As much as I loved Brno and Ostrava, I was excited to return to Prague. Even though we had only been in Prague for a 5 days before departing, it had already started to feel like home. And of course, I was excited to take another train ride. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always loved trains. My dad, who has a touch of wanderlust just like me, also loves planes and trains. Growing up, he would share his National Geographic magazines with me and we would pore over the glossy photos of exotic places. We would also talk about trains and the golden age of train and plane travel.

Part of my fascination with trains is a result of the lack of public transportation in my hometown. Growing up in the most suburban of suburbs meant that I drove everywhere or caught a ride from a friend or parent.

Our trips to Brno and Ostrava were my first experiences with long-distance travel, and despite the very unfortunate things the seats did to my neck and spine, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world. I think train travel is one of the best ways to see the country and I enjoyed.

In all honesty, our trips to Brno and Ostrava were exhausting. But, again, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, and the opportunity to see basically the entire country was an experience I wouldn’t want to miss. It was great seeing different parts of the country, especially places that didn’t have as many tourists as Prague. It was an adventure attempting to communicate with people who didn’t speak English after we had gotten used to a lot of English speakers in Prague. I definitely felt that I was seeing even more of the “real” Czech Republic after begin away from the commercial and tourist-oriented center of Prague.

It was interesting drawing parallels between Prague, Brno and Ostrava. Prague is extremely cosmopolitan and European. There is influence from all over Europe and plenty of tourists. Brno is more of a college town (which was fascinating to compare to State College) and Ostrava is a city still rebuilding from the Communist era.

Although it’s impossible to pick a favorite moment from the trip, train travel was definitely one of those “bucket-list” moments I’m so excited to “Czech” off (sorry about the pun…it was too good of an opportunity).

In Omnia Paratus.

…we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

Well, our suitcases were piled on many a sidewalk these last couple of days, but instead of a road, train tracks were our life these last few days (I’m actually typing this up from a train right now).

After a stop in Brno, we were off to Ostrava. Another early train ride and a few hours later, we were in Ostrava, a small city not far from the Polish border. After getting settled at our hotel, we had about an hour to explore the surrounding area and get some food.

About an hour after arriving, we headed off to a mine tour. Ostrava is a former mining city. Like my hometown of Scranton, the city was built on top of and around the very resource that provided the economy for many years.

As we toured the mine, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Ostrava and Scranton. Ostrava, like Scranton, was wholly dependent upon the mining industry for many years (and still is, in some regards). But, after the mines were exhausted, Ostrava succumbed to a depressed economy. In recent years following the Cold War, the city is in the process of being revitalized and rebuilt as it sheds the last vestiges of Communism. This is extremely reminiscent of the general feelings and traits of Scranton (but without the Communism). Also on a more superficial level, like Scranton, Ostrava mines anthracite coal.

Visiting the mine was fascinating. I grew up in a coal mining town. I know a pretty decent about mining procedures, history and culture, However, seeing that from a Czech view is great because it was like receiving the same information in a completely different way.

After our tour and some relaxation time (actually, we didn’t do much relaxing. We went shopping instead), we walked over to Stodolni Street, a famous spot for nightlife in Ostrava. We watched a friend of our professor’s band, which, surprisingly played mostly American music. Interestingly enough, we Americans were not the only people singing along. It speaks to the power of the American media system and the way in which our media and music have become completely globalized.  We spent the night interacting with both our group and the citizens of Ostrava. Talking with the locals and learning about their culture is definitely one of my favorite parts of travel.

Going out on Stodolni Street was a completely different experience than a typical night out in State College. Usually, I’m a very low-key person when it comes to going out, meaning a lot of the time, I don’t. But when I do go out, it’s nothing like Stodolni. When I go out in State College, it’s always in a big group of friends to another friend’s apartment where I know almost everyone in attendance. Going home is a simple affair because I know exactly where I’m going and the fastest way to get there. I was much more hesitant to “let go” in Ostrava than I would be in State College. Even at home, I’m always cautious about walking home at night, but there’s still an innate sense of security that comes with walking around one of the safest cities in America. Stodolni was completely different. I was more aware of my surroundings and making sure we stayed together and in a group. I was more wary of the people around me, knowing that if a problem did arise, the language barrier might very well prevent me from diffusing a delicate situation. The entire night, I was on the lookout for pickpockets and the possibility of a confrontation.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the easiness of our night. None of us were pick pocketed, and the patrons we met at various bars were extremely welcoming and just as interested in our American culture as we were in their Czech culture. Overall, it was a great experience, and even though I was tired out the next day, our time in Ostrava was something I wouldn’t miss for the world.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the traveling or the tourist spots that people forget to really appreciate all the little things that makes each city completely unique. Despite some initial hiccups with the language barrier, we were able to have sue great opportunities and conversations and learn a lot about the region we were staying.

Right now, we’re on our way back to Prague, watching the beautiful Czech countryside roll by through the train window. When we arrive in the city, we’ll begin our final lego f the trip. It’s crazy to think we’ve been in the Czech Republic for 7 days already. I can’t wait to make the most of my last few days in Prague.

In Omnia Paratus.

…I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

After an amazing few days in Prague, we ventured outside the city and headed to Brno, Czech Republic. Brno is about a three-hour train ride away from Prague. As someone with a serious case of wanderlust and adventure, train travel has always been a novelty and source of excitement for me. So, I actually enjoyed the long ride.

After arriving in Brno, we were given a tour of Masaryk University, one of the top universities in the Czech Republic. It was extremely interesting to see the school and draw parallels and comparisons to my own experiences at Penn State. We saw a lot of the media studies department, or faculty, as it’s called in the Czech Republic.

One of the most superficial differences is the fact that Masaryk doesn’t really have a campus. Like many schools in New York City, the dorms and classroom buildings are spread out around the city, unlike Penn State’s more traditional and contained campus setting. But, in other regards, much of it was the same. The university student radio and editing labs looked almost exactly the same as what we have at Penn State.

However, I noticed that universities don’t have the same culture or school loyalty as what is evident at Penn State. While the university culture at Penn State is unique many aspects, many American college kids have extreme loyalty to their schools. They identify as a part of a larger whole. At Masaryk, I got the feeling that students went to university and were a part of the school, but that feeling of extreme and almost blind loyalty was not present. For example, at Penn State, a person can purchase almost anything with a Nittany Lion logo emblazoned on the front. Everything from t-shirts to pasta to duct tape is available. That sense of branding is not nearly as present at Masaryk.

Later that night, we joined a media literacy class taught by one of Prof. Elavsky’s Czech colleagues. Earlier this semester, we wrote back and forth with Czech students, so we were at least familiar with the people we would be having “class” with. Over the course of an hour and a half, we discussed the Oscar-nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street.

There are many things that can be said about this movie. I was preparing for the over-the-top inundation of sex, drugs and violence. Surprisingly, the film lost its shock value after the first 10 or so minutes. It got to the point where everything was so over-the-top that it wasn’t even shocking or surprising. I can’t help but wonder if that is the purpose of the decadence of the movie. We’re so accustomed to the prevalence of sex, drugs, greed and money that we’ve become desensitized to the point where we don’t even find it shocking, even when it should be shocking.

Discussing the film with our Czech counterparts was fascinating. In many ways, we are both products of capitalism and share many of the same values. But at the same time, we have completely different ideas and cultural tropes and values. For example, we spent a lot of time talking about the American obsession and celebration of celebrity. Even though Jordan Belfort is a deplorable person who makes terrible decisions, there are points where the American audience is rooting for him and impressed with his stratospheric ascent to fame and fortune. With the backdrop of the “American Dream,” American audiences revel in his success because we identify with the idea of starting with nothing and making success.

But, our Czech friends brought up so interesting factors. The Czech don’t have that obsession with celebrity. Rather, our friends told us that the public watches celebrity and roots for them to fail or they feel envy. Unlike American culture, the Czech people don’t have television shows that glorify the lives of celebrities. The only examples they have are American imports such as “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or “Real Housewives.”

Personally, I thought one of the most interesting facets of the movie was the power and corruption of money and its affect on the group dynamic. The employees of Belfort’s company completely bought into the mob mentality. Even though Belfort was obviously engaging in blatantly illegal and inappropriate activities, the employees accepted it with unquestioning loyalty. The power and allure of money was so strong that even when separated from the group and questioned by the SEC, the employees still bullishly defended and protected Belfort.

I think the movie was a fascinating commentary on American culture and presented many thought-provoking ideas. At the end of the film, Belfort spends three years in “rich-people prison” and becomes a motivational speaker. In the grand scheme of things, his punishment seems merely like a slap on the wrist. It’s a commentary on the American people’s obsession with money.  We give money power and allow it to take that power. It’s almost as if we accept Belfort’s actions because he had a lot of money and was, by traditional standards, “successful.” While I found the movie a little gratuitous and entirely too long, I still like the film because of the conversation it provoked.

It was especially interesting critiquing the movie with our Czech colleagues because, despite the similarities between our cultures, there are still inherent and very significant differences between our cultures and values. Seeing the movie through their eyes made the impact of the movie even more significant.

Following our wonderful discussion, we were able to spend time with our new Czech friends in a more casual setting. So far, Brno was one of my favorite stops. I really felt immersed in the culture, and it was obvious that even though we grew up in different worlds, we really are all the same as people.

In Omnia Paratus.

…without really living for a minute.” – Logan Huntzberger

Today was by far one of my favorite days in Prague. Before we head off to Brno and Ostrava, we spent today at CT24 and Ogilvy. As a journalist, these two excursions were some of the most interesting we’ve had.

Our day began at CT24, the largest news station in the area. As a point of comparison, CT24 is often called the CNN of Eastern Europe. I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the news station because, no matter the country, journalism is, at its core, the same. A newsroom is a newsroom whether it’s in New York, Prague, State College or Dubai. I immediately felt at home in the newsroom at CT24, even though I was merely an observer. I found it fascinating that CT24 maintains such an extensive network of foreign bureaus. My experience with journalism in the United States is a culture of cutting back and cutting expenses loose. CT24’s coverage is definitely enhanced by its ability to basically have a reporter in any corner of the world. As one CT24 executive put it, “the sun never sets on our empire.”

I find it interesting that news organizations in the United States are cutting back on foreign bureaus while Czech news is embracing them. One can’t help but wonder if that is a commentary on the United States’ tendencies to be isolationist or report news from a strictly American perspective.

Also interesting was the way CT24 strives to provide what one executive called “important and interesting news.” For example, the station reported on the Czech parliament elections as well as the missing plane in Malaysia. The Czech elections are “important” because they directly affect the audience. The missing plane in Malaysia Is “interesting’ because it is a global story that has an effect on many countries. Although journalism is objective, the station is, in a way, curating what the people see and how they consume news. For example, the Czech elections would be covered on the main station while coverage of the missing plane would be found online.

The Czech Republic is in an interesting position to present the news, especially in examples such as the upcoming referendum in Crimea. Czech reporters can give a unique perspective that recalls to mind the Cold War era and relations between Russia (then the Soviet Union) and what was then Czechoslovakia.

I was also intrigued by the way CT24 has to work for their share of the market. The demographic of CT24 is of the older generation, but the station must continue to draw in new viewers. Paralleling the struggle of news outlets everywhere, the station must strike a delicate balance between their older, legacy audience and their newer, younger audience. Part of that balance is the increase in online content. Online content allows the station to cover more news events, both domestically and internationally. One point of interest was the lack of paywalls found on CT24’s online content. It’s internet content is completely free. That was a bit of a shock to me, because most news outlets in the United States operate behind some type of paywall, whether it be a strict wall or one that is porous.

While CT24 is attempting to make a movie toward increased online content, news executives seemed hesitant in making a switch to more user-generated content, which draws me to an interesting parallel to our second stop, Ogilvy. Ogilvy is the largest (and arguably most famous) advertising and PR firm in the world. During our visit to Ogilvy, we learned that Twitter is basically a nonexistent platform in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. That is a dramatic change from the United States where Twitter users number in the millions.

CT24 news executives said the station was  wary of user-generated content and verifying its truthfulness. User-generated content is much more prevalent in the US, with hashtag banners running on a continuous loop on each public transportation system and sometimes online. It is certainly easier to identify and question someone who submitted UGC in America. However, as Ogilvy executives stated, Twitter is simply not a part of the normal culture.  While most Western companies are told to utilize Twitter to build a brand and interact with customers, the Czech Republic is different. Twitter is simply not a part of the culture, which brings me full circle to my previous point. Similarly, it is difficult to produce and curate user-generated content if your audience doesn’t use the social media platform intended to spark conversation.

Our visit to Ogilvy was also informative because we discussed using Google and Seznam to track customer information and pay for ads. Last night we visited Google, so it was interesting to see some of the programs we discussed on Monday at work on Tuesday night.

It was also fascinating to learn how Ogilvy basically runs the same business moved, but changes its more specific strategies to fit the country and climate of the people. For example, ads with gratuitous credit-card use would probably not go too well. The country is one that hates debt, so commercials involving credit cards would not connect with the people.

All in all, to day was an exciting day and by far one of my favorite experiences.

In Omnia Paratus.