November

This month was filled with ups and downs. I began it, however, with a delightful road trip to Prague with my roommate Laura, her boyfriend Bailey, his roommate Jeff, and our friends Kailyn, Conal, and Terri. We rented a huge Volkswagon van and headed off to the Czech Republic. We were driving at night, so we weren't really sure what the country looked like until we left our hostel the next morning. However, before we went to bed, Laura, Bailey, and I decided that we would try to find the famed Cross Club. After a few wrong turns (in very sketchy part of town, I might add) and pit stop for me in a dark alley (yeah...), we finally stumbled upon one of the most fascinating scenes. The entrance was a light show behind what looked to be an Erector set on crack. As we coursed our way through the "cozy" (and I use that term loosely) bar, random surprises were around every corner. This place definitely plays to the disgruntled punk youth of Prague, but pulls others in just the same. Random metal bits were cemented into the wall, and each room had its own lighting scheme. The entire bar walked a fine line between a masterpiece and a junk heap. Even though we didn't stay for too long, it was an experience that I will neither forget nor regret.

When we finally made it in to town the next morning, I was awestruck by the beauty of the city. I can honestly say that Prague is one of the most gorgeous cities that I have ever seen. From the peacocks in the random park that we found, to the Charles Bridge, to views from the castle, to the astronomical clock, to the Museum district, to the Jewish quarters, just about every place we went left me breathless. Since winter was just around the bend, there were stands that were serving Grog and Gluhwein. Since Grog (hot water, rum, and sugar) is a Czech specialty, I decided to try that. If you like your drinks to taste like hot rubbing alcohol with a dash of sweetness, this one's for you. I can go ahead and write that one off of the list.

That night, we randomly stumbled upon the best Italian food place any of us had ever eaten at, hands down. We then made our way to a little underground jazz bar where we met another group of Americans that were studying in the city. Here, we also took shots of Absinthe (another Czech specialty)--not too shabby. From there, we made our way over to a five-story club on the river to dance the night away.

Our last day was filled with sight-seeing and eating authentic Czech food. We headed back to Garmisch full, happy, and exhausted.

Shortly after I returned home from Prague, I got the news that my grandmother was going downhill rather quickly, and it was time for me to start deciding what I was going to do. Well, I ended up having to make a game-time decision and I flew home on the 13th of November. As most of you know, Nana passed away on November 19th with her family around her. I was able to spend a nice 3 weeks at home with family and friends, which really helped ease me back to reality. Even though this quite possibly the hardest thing I've had to go through, it was made better by all of you who were there for me. THANK YOU.