Sheep in the big city

   SHEEP!! SHEEP EVERYWHERE!!!! I love sheep and I love drawing sheep :D So I decided to make an entire page of sheep!

   Before I left for Prague, I also bought a felt kit to make a sheep. He turned out pretty good I think. The perfect about of cute and derpy

    And, of course, they have Shaun the Sheep stuff everywhere! So I bought this little guy to cuddle on while waiting for Brian to get here. Once I get home, I plan to gut him (sorry Shaun!) and refill him with scented pellets so when I get a headache or migraine he can serve as an aroma therapy buddy :D

I found Lord Vader in Prague

   Another great weekend in Prague! This weekend, Rob and I took a trip up to Prague Castle. While climbing up the steps to get to the top of the hill, we had an amazing view of the city, the Charles Bridge, the river, and Old Town Square.

   Prague Castle was amazing and there was so much to do there. However, everything costs money to do. So instead, it was a day of just looking for us. Hopefully next time we can actually take some of the tours. We did however walk into a toy museum. You have the walk up the spiral staircase hallway and at every landing there was a display with antique toys. However, at one landing, as you came around you could see tucked to the side a life size Darth Vader watching over a doll house XD It was amazing!

   There are also a lot of museums in the Old Town Square area. SO far, we have seen fliers for a museum of communism, a KGB museum, a sex toy and machines museum, a chocolate museum, a toy museum, a ghost museum, a torture museum, and a beer museum.... yeah, lots to do! Definitely want to hit up these two museums. Just look at that bear!

   So after a long day visiting Prague Castle, Old Town Square, and just general exploration of the city of Prague, it was time to return home. I checked in on my tomato and basil plant and it is finally sprouting! Hopefully before I leave they will be big enough to have tomatos. But by then, I will have to give them away. I also made an amazing sausage dish with tomatoes and garlic bread. I got home just in time to watch an amazing lightning storm and got to fall asleep to the rain. And now it is Sunday, a day to sleep in and take things easy. But I think I might run out to grab some coffee and cake down the street :) Hope to update again soon!

Sketching in the Náměstí

It was so nice out today! It was the first day were I could actually enjoy the weather without a jacket or hoodie! So after work, I decided to take advantage of the day and did some sketching out near Namesti Miru's Cathedral, St. Ludmilla Church.

Also, I found directions to Hooters!!!! :D So excited to get me some wings!

So I haven't posted in a week because I have been feeling pretty sick. Not sure what I caught but it was some sort of stomach flu I think. But now that I dont feel like Im about to die, I thought I would post about a few things going on here in Prague!

Look at this elevator! Just look at it! Its so old...and creaky...and I have to take it down 5 flights every morning and back up those 5 at night. Makes me feel like Im on the Tower of Terror at Disneyland....

Besides being sick, last weekend was really awesome. Most of Saturday it was raining, so I spent all day inside reading and catching up on some doodling. I also bought a tomato and basil plant growing kit at Ikea the week before and thought it was a great time to plant the seeds. This plant has the most amazing view. If I were a plant, I would want to be on this window ledge.

Luckily, Sunday was a lot nicer. Ended up going out to an english bookstore/cafe that served brunch. I am so lucky to have my boyfriends sister around otherwise I never would have known about this place! They served American and English breakfast and I, of course, fell into the trap of chocolate chip pancakes. This cafe is so amazing. It is inside this very old (thought very few buildings here are new) building. It had a balcony up top to sit at and enjoy the atmosphere. This is a place I will definitely return too.

All in all, a great weekend relaxing and enjoying the beautiful city of Prague. I am excited for this next weekend and hope to see more of this amazing place :)

Spring time and beer gardens

   So apparently there are things here called beer gardens (any they are, of course, super popular!). Places where you can go and sit outdoors with friends, family, and strangers and get good beer and delicious food. While at work, one of my coworkers invited us Americans out in the evening to join him and his friends at a local beer garden on top of this amazing hill. Since I have never been to a beer garden (or even heard of one until arriving in Prague) I was curious and eager to join in. We had a great time and were lucky to have such a wonderful host showing us around.

   From the top of the hill, we had an amazing view of Prague and the river! It was nice being able to see of the unique architecture on the horizon!

   The social and relaxed nature of the Czech people I have come across is definitely something to appreciate. Makes me wish it was more like this in the states! After a few hours, Rob (my U.S. coworker from Superplay) and I decided to call it a night. We walked down the hill and eventually found a metro station and went our separate ways for the evening. Once at my stop, I left the underground, grabbed a coffee at the Starbucks, and was able to enjoy my walking route home (which I had yet to see at night)

   I am excited to see what other adventures are ahead <3

The Commute

   For once in my life, I actually love my commute. Its much better then the days of driving 3 hours to and from Burbank and more interesting then driving through Irvine. The transportation system in Prague is quick, well connected, and easy! I could take a tram to the metro system (the tram picks up right outside my apartment) but I have chosen to talk the 5 minute walk to get to the station instead. Along the way, I get to see many sights and get teased by the enormous amounts of food along the route. 

   The architecture of the old buildings is amazing. I get to pass this every morning and along the path there are generally ladies selling roses or what looks like donuts. The metro stations themselves are also very lively. Food stands selling pizza, candy, and coffee fill the halls. There is also lots of street art.

   Originally when I saw this painting of the dogs, I thought it was suppose to be Samuel L. Jackson. Im not sure any more though. Either way, its a really funny painting. I have seen lots of dogs in Prague so far. Most are off leash, even in the metro trains.

   Also, for some reason, they love KFC here. There are KFC at almost every exit! I havent had KFC in a while so I am pretty excited to have a bucket or two while here :) There are also a few Starbucks (woot!) but for some reason they are far more expensive here (over $5 for a venti chai tea latte that is actually smaller then the US venti). Because of this, I am going to spend more time exploring the local cafes around my neighborhood. 

Goodbye California

   So as many of you now know, I have been offered a temporary job in the Czech Republic. It is an amazing opportunity that I could not turn down, so for the next 3 months I will be living in the beautiful city of Prague! I am keeping this blog as a way to keep my loved ones up to date on what I am doing since communication is going to be rough (9 hours time difference and no cell phone!!)

   On April 9th I said goodbye to California and my amazing boyfriend (who I am already missing deeply). It was a very long trip and took over 18 hours to arrive. I had two layovers (one in Atlanta, Georgia and the other in Paris) and they were both welcomed after being cramped on a plane for 5 hours and 8 hours! Once finally in Prague, I was taken to my apartment in Prague 2 which was fully furnished and had a warm bed ready for me to pass out in! Luckily for me, I was able to rest on the first day. 

   But day 2 was business!!! But this blog isnt going to be about work. All I will say about work is that everyone at the office is really nice (and they almost all speak English!) and I have felt very welcome.

   

   I am one very lucky duck. It just so happens that my boyfriends sister has been living in Prague for the last few months and has been incredibly warm, welcoming, and super helpful. I was able to meet up with her on my second evening and catch up, do some shopping, and get some dinner. It is so nice to see a familiar face when everything else is so unfamiliar. It is also amazing because she is only 4 blocks away :)

   SO, fast forward to today. Today was the first day where I have been able to really explore. I went out with my co-worker and did some exploring in the more touristy areas. It was amazing and so refreshing. I need to mention just how cheap the food and beer is here in Prague. The best example I have is todays lunch (which was actually probably more expensive because it is in the tourist area). I had a burger with fries and a litter of beer for 100Kc. In USD that is $5. Its crazy! After lunch, we went to the Old Town Square, one of the major tourist attractions in Prague. The buildings are just so amazing and I loved the feel of the plaza, with its musicians, food stands, and cafes. We really had no goals in mind. Just wanted to see what there was and get a feeling for Prague. 

   To all my friends and family back home, I miss you already and cant wait to see you again :) But until then, I will keep you posted on my adventures!