FInal Post

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and I am back in Nebraska.  I have been back for a week and am back at work.  I was living out of a backpack for the majority of my last month in Europe, so I thought I was ready to come back to Nebraska, but on my last day in Prague I definitely was sad that I was heading home the next day.  It was easier than I expected it to be to get back into the swing of things back home.  I am in a summer class and am back at work, so it is kind of nice to have a routine again. 
Studying abroad was probably the best decision I've made since being in college.  Although I spent a whole lot of money, I traveled the world and met so many amazing people.  I traveled to 12 different countries in three months and I will never forget it.  I left to go on the trip and didn't know anyone, but I came back with 23 close friends.
The food in Czech Republic is one thing I won't ever forget and will always miss.  The large portions and cheap prices are something you can't find in Nebraska.  I ate schnitzel every day for lunch for close to my last month in Olomouc.  When we were in Poland, all we ate was pierogi, and that was really good too.  They were little ravioli type food that were fried.  In most restaurants in Olomouc the beer was cheaper than water, so that always gave us a good reason to drink.  There was a restaurant that was right by our school that we stopped at about once a week.  We made friends with the owner and he would give us extra food and free drinks most of the time.  He was from Croatia and moved to Czech Republic with his brother to open the restaurant.
One of the main cultural things that I found so different was that people in Czech Republic and all across Europe seem to be more active and spend more time outside.  All the parks are full of people sitting around talking or playing yard games.  There are also a lot of people who are riding bikes and running.  I liked using public transit instead of always driving myself everywhere.  It would be nice to not have to worry about buying a car and paying for gas and insurance every month.  Most people live in apartments there and I don't think I would like that at all.  I like to have my own place and have the ability to do what I want without worrying about my neighbors.