No matter how I explain that I am just a college graduate who decided to move to Slovakia, people always ask me 'why', like it's such a crazy thing to do. But honestly why not? I'm 23, I'm uninhibited. I'm not the kind of person who wants to do exactly what everyone else does like I'm coming down an assembly line. I don't want to be tied to my desk, striving for the monotony of normalcy because it's the path most traveled. I don't want to be normal, I don't want to live like everyone else, or follow anyone else's path. Following the path of your parents, idols, or mentors is a fantastic way to live if that's what you choose. You can have everything you want in life this way and be completely fulfilled and happy. But for me I know I'll always feel a longing for something more adventurous in a place that I haven't heard the story of yet. Slovakia was that for me.
I didn't see myself getting a job in the field I want to be in right out of college. I didn't think that I was good enough yet. My education was tremendous and I did everything I needed to do in college, but I knew I needed to feel a sense of purpose and I wasn't going to wait around in order to feel it. For me personally, going to Slovakia never seemed scary. I saw it as a new way to experience life that few people got and I had the chance to help kids doing it. To be honest I just sat down one day and told myself to let go of all of my hesitation and worry, and I trusted myself. I knew in my heart this was the best thing for me and I was unwilling to let it pass me by.
While I lived in Slovakia no one had to depend on me, and I didn't depend on anyone else. I got the freedom I've always wanted, and I really got to grow up. I knew living here would mean I was completely on my own. Normally that also scares me, but I just felt in my heart that I could do it. If that's what courage is then I have no idea where I got it. Maybe it was a confidence in myself, it might have also been recklessness. Like I said, I was 22, I didn't see anything holding me back. I saw this opportunity in front of me, so I just took it.
Am I going to be a teacher when I get back to America?
I'm not qualified to be a teacher in America because I don't have a teaching certificate, so I couldn't even if I wanted to. I also just don't want to. Teaching is really hard, and there are much more qualified and talented teachers who should do it before me.
So if you're not going to be a teacher, what are you doing when you go back?
I am passionate about the non-profit community and am working toward a career in development/event planning. I don't expect to get that job immediately, but it is a goal I am working toward. When I return home I will be visiting with friends, family, and churches, and will fly to Las Vegas to spend time with my boyfriend who is a Park Ranger at Lake Mead in Boulder City, Nevada.
Are you coming back to Kosice?
Yes, I will be coming back to visit as soon as I can, but likely not as a teacher. I would love to come to school events and see how all of my students are doing, but it would be a short-term visit.
What is Slovakia like?
I've made many observations, but I don't like to generalize a nation of people into stereotypes so I will focus on the physical aspects of Slovakia. I would compare the weather to Chicago. Four full seasons, VERY windy.
There are so few Slovak flags here versus the U.S., I don't think Slovakia is unpatriotic, but America just has flags everywhere. Have you been to an American car dealership? Just one American truck dealership has as many flags as I've seen this entire time I've been here.
The infrastructure is difficult to explain, but I know much of it is the direct result of the influence of Communist rule. The roads are generally nice. I would say as nice if not better than roads in an upper middle-class neighborhood. Potholes get fixed and city workers are completing projects around my house all the time. The sidewalks are sometimes nice, but generally ignored, and there are quite a few overgrown, weed covered areas.
There are many streets in Kosice I feel totally safe walking down, but others I wouldn't go anywhere near.The buildings go one of two ways, They're either ignored and falling apart, graffiti everywhere, but decent yet outdated on the inside, or they're pristine with graffiti and outdated yet decent on the inside. 80% of the time they are falling apart. But the graffiti doesn't discriminate much on the buildings. The main street of the city is the only place I don't see much graffiti, and that's just the front of the buildings, the sides of every single building with the exception of one cathedral, the mall, and the train station, are solid graffiti. The thing that bothers me most about it is that it's not graffiti art, it's gibberish tagging. I know I wouldn't understand the Slovak anyway, but when it's just shapes and nonsense lines it's pretty obviously not the next "I love you so much" sign.
I still get the sense of imminent stranger danger all the time here. Almost every single time I sit down in a public place (the park, the mall, a bus stop) a man (usually drunk and smelly) comes up and stands very close to me and starts badgering me with questions in whichever language he chooses. This isn't the same park bench each time, these are completely different places on different days all during daylight with many other people around. The only way I get out of these situations unscathed is by waiting for a young man around my age (best chance of them speaking English) and motion for them to help me. It has worked every single time, I just wish it didn't have to.
What about the food?
This culture is very meat and potatoes the way the surrounding cultures are (like Germany/Poland), but they embrace foods from all over the world just as Americans do where I live. There is pizza, sushi, Chinese, Indian, Kebab (a lot of Kebab actually), Burgers, and traditional Slovak food.
Many people ask how the pizza is- it's more true to Italy than American pizza is in it's construction and simplicity, but America is more accurate about the ingredients. I don't really get it but here and in England they're always putting corn on the pizza. Like canned corn.
What is something you're not looking forward to about coming home?
There are many things, but the biggest, which I've come across with Americans before I even left, is that everyone thinks Slovakia is completely identical to the Czech Republic. I used to think the same way, and Czechoslovakia split before I was even born. I could tell you a bit about the Czechs, but nothing about Slovaks. Now it is the opposite. So many people I know are proud Czechs (congrats, you're from a beautiful, peaceful nation with fun art), and they talk to me about the language, the food, everything. We have some of the same food here, and it's awesome food, good job there, but the language is completely different. Can I tell the difference? No.
What is the best thing about Slovakia?
The people.
Do I miss Slovakia?
It has only been three days but I do miss Slovakia very much. The cars were quieter, the people didn't stare so much, the buildings are historical and (sometimes) beautiful, and the coffee is always so fancy. Of course I already miss my co-workers, students, and friends very much.
