Dobre Den Slovakia

I'm writing this post from the comfort of my dormitory at the Lutheran Seminary in Bratislava. The view in front of me as I type this is among the most peaceful I've ever seen. I've already eaten lunch and most of my loved ones back home are just now getting up. I think the time difference will continue to be weird for a while. 

I think it's pretty obligatory that I talk a bit about my journey over here, and how I made it to the Seminary. I flew out of Houston at about 4pm Saturday and had a very uncomfortable 9.5 hour flight into Paris despite getting about 3 hours of sleep thanks to my bizarre blow-up travel pillow (pictured below) and an unwise amount of Melatonin. 

Once I arrived I was so sore I couldn't stand up straight, and could barely walk. Reluctantly, I hobbled into a pleasant, unassuming massage kiosk near my gate. 20 minutes, and $30 (and a Pull and Peel Twizzler) later I walked to my gate feeling lighter and more relaxed than before I'd even left. Unfortunately it did nothing to alleviate the jet lag.

At about 12:30 my flight to Vienna took off, and I thought I'd try a neck brace instead of a blow-up pillow (pictured below). I fell asleep immediately after take off and woke up 5 minutes before landing. My neck felt great. However, after more than 16 hours of travel not including wait times, all I wanted was some sleep. I arrived in Vienna and within 15 minutes of landing I was already being loaded into the shuttle to Bratislava with my co-workers. 


I made it to the Seminary at about 4pm Sunday Bratislava time. I was beyond thrilled to be there because I knew I'd have two hours to sleep, but after carrying 112kg worth of luggage up three stories to my dorm, all I wanted to do was tell people I've arrived. I was so proud that I'd arrived. 

I went to dinner at a restaurant directly across the street from the President's Mansion. It is a beautiful estate, too bad the President doesn't even live there. I finally made it to my room and to bed at about 10pm, and woke several times throughout the night. I gave up and got ready for the day at 6:30, and went out on the porch. It's generally around 70 degrees here, and the breeze is divine. I couldn't get enough of it. I even kept the door open all night because we don't have A/C (don't worry, no creepy crawlers or peeping Toms where I am). 

Today was my first Slovak lesson, and man, I am struggling. We have only covered days of the week, numbers, and a few colors and it is so mentally taxing that it's giving me headaches. All of the water here is carbonated and room temperature, so staying hydrated is a battle as well. I'm forcing myself as well as I can, but that stuff is just gross. The meals have all been meat and potatoes (no complaints there), and the staff at the seminary are just charming. I'm having a great time here, no homesickness quite yet.

I just came back from an exhausting 5 mile hiking tour of the Bratislava's Old Town. It was elegant, quaint, clean, and quiet. I would recommend it to everyone. It was more peaceful that I could have ever imagined and has this appeal that makes it seem forgotten, but in a very beautiful way. None of the images I've posted thus far have been edited in any way other than cropping and sizing to accommodate the blog. I'm not speaking on my photography skills, but simply that this is how gorgeous this country really is. Please come see it, we would love to have you!

As a send-off I'd like to challenge y'all to a bit of Slovak. Look up a video on the numbers 1-10 and send me a video of you trying to pronounce it. For each video (either through Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, or Whatsapp, I will send you a piece of delicous Slovak candy! This offer ends at the end of the week so get to studying!