…we all had a few words to say. Grant Zhao says, “Happy Birthday, Elaine!!!” “Amy asked us to describe you in a few words, and I guess the best thing I could come up with is cherished. Senior year has been very different without your company around, and often times I find myself wishing you were still here to crack jokes, gossip, and get late night food with. Nevertheless, you’re still always there for me when I need to rant or ask for advice, and I’m so so grateful for that.

The fact that I’ll be spending this Thanksgiving far away from home feels weird. The fact that I’ll be spending it in Rome feels even weirder. That fact honestly just epitomizes the fact that I have much to be thankful for. This semester, I’ve had some extreme highs and lows. There have been times where I’ve thought no one could be luckier than I am and times where I’ve felt too stressed or angsty or exhausted or self-centered to realize how lucky I truly am. Actually, as I’m

“Hello from Praha” (“Dobrý den, Praha”) will be my series of weekly blog posts about my study away experience. Days will be longer or shorter depending on what happens (and how inspired I am to write). Some days will be only pictures, others only words. Some won’t even be in Praha! I’ll be updating the blog as the days pass, so some posts may be “incomplete” until the end of the week (Friday this time, but every Wednesday from here on out since I’ll often be traveling from Th