Krakow, Poland
From Athens, I flew to Krakow for a 24-hour trip. This short trip was a long day, and it started with an early morning Ryan Air flight from Athens. Although Ryan Air has a poor reputation because it is a budget airline, I’ve never had a negative experience flying. One fun experience I had with Ryan Air was my flight from Krakow to Prague this year. There were a ton of die-hard West Ham soccer fans flying to Prague for a match against Fiorentina. They were full of energy during the flight and sang their songs and chants. It was entertaining to say the least, and the flight attendants had a tough time keeping the fans in their seats.
When I landed in Krakow, I took the train to the city center. It was too early to check into the hostel, so I enjoyed a coffee at a café nearby. After checking in, I washed my face, and headed down one of the sketchiest elevators I’ve ever seen (probably typical for old buildings in Eastern Europe), and went to the meeting point for a guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau. I didn’t visit the museum when I visited Krakow for World Youth Day in 2016, and it was important for me to return to Poland to visit.
I don’t have many words to share about my experience touring the remains of the concentration camp; the eerie and somber atmosphere forces you to face the horror of what this place was and what it represented. I was most struck by the holding cell of St. Maximillian Kolbe, the underground gas chamber, Block 66 (the children’s barrack), and the piles of shoes, spectacles, and hair. It was an emotionally draining day, and I’m glad I made the trip to Krakow.
I spent the evening strolling around Krakow’s city center. I called a few friends, bought a rosary, and enjoyed exploring the city on my own. The next day, I went to daily mass at St. Mary’s Basilica (where my aunt and her husband were married 22 years ago), ate a quick breakfast, and headed back to the airport for my flight to Prague!
Prague, Czech Republic
I spent the last few days of my graduation trip visiting my friends from my study abroad who still lived in the city. I stayed in an apartment with my good friend Lydia in Zizkov (Prague 3) – right across from the university I attended last year! On my first night in town, we had my favorite Czech meal at a local pub, svickova, and watched our favorite show, Ted Lasso 🙂
The next day, we explored the trendy neighborhood nearby, Karlin (Prague 4). It was once an industrial neighborhood, but reconstruction after a flood in 2002 drew in young people. I’m glad there are parts of Prague I haven’t explored yet, and Lydia was a great tour guide (just another reason to keep coming back!) In the afternoon, Lydia went to work, and I strolled around the city center. I bought myself a trdelnik (chimney cake) and an amber ring from one of the many shops in Old Town. In the evening, I met up with another friend for an Altin Gun concert (a Dutch-Turkish psychedelic rock band). I’ve never heard of them, but when in Prague…; they sounded much better live than recorded, and I’m glad I went.
One of my college friends, Andrea, happened to be in Prague as well! I took her to my favorite lunch cafeteria the following day. It was so fun showing a good friend the city I referenced everyday after my study abroad. I also visited my favorite jazz club, the Catholic Young Adult group at St. Thomas (where I made most of my friends last year) and watched the sunset at Riegrovy Sady (my favorite park).
I’m so grateful I visited Prague again – the city is beautiful, and I loved spending quality time with the friends I made last year. That’s all I have to share about my graduation trip! Right now, I’m back in Austin working full-time in Dell’s supply chain. Looking forward to the next adventure I get to share with y’all. 😊
kira vesta 
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