Jenna's Magical Adventures

Ever since I was young, a major goal of mine was to go to Europe. In High School, I became best friends with a foreign exchange student and was even supposed to attend her wedding, until 2020 happened. I am so excited to say that I will finally be able cross this off my bucketlist in less than a week!

I have received a scholarship through HDYO to attend their International Young Adults Congress. I have been an ambassador for this amazing organization for about a year and a half and I am so excited for this opportunity. I find so much benefit in attending in-person Huntington’s Disease events, and I can’t wait to meet more people my age that has been affected by it.

Location

This year’s HDYO’s International Young Adults Congress takes place in Prague and is the reason why I am even able to make this trip. I also have layovers in Zurich, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria. My family has strong roots in Central Europe, so I already have researched the history and even experienced some of the culture.

Step One: Research Location

This might not have been my first step if I didn’t already know some basic information about the Czech Republic or if I was going to pick the location myself. I started by searching for “Top Things to do in Prague” on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. This gave me an idea of the top attractions or places to visit. As I saw places I liked, I either wrote down a note on my phone, saved the post, or saved the Google location. For all of these, I created a folder on each platform that I named Prague. I felt like this gave me a really good idea of my options and things to look into more. It also helped me to narrow down where I would be spending most of my time.

Step Two: Research Transporation

I started researching public transportation to see if it was affordable and easy to navigate. While I still haven’t gone on my trip, it does seem pretty easy to get around and I plan to use it. I also looked up if they have apps like Uber and what locals use. I discovered that Uber and Bolt are used there and was even able to get estimates on how much it would be to use their services. This has really helped with budgeting for the trip.

Step Three: Research Lodging

After researching places I wanted to visit and my transportation options, I realized that maybe a split stay between hotels might be my best option. The hotel I will be staying at for my event looks amazing, but I decided to pick a hotel closer to the airport and to everything I want to see for the first few days of my trip. I also really like to find a hotel with breakfast included to cut down on some of the costs. I noticed that most of what I want to see was around Old Town Square or Prague/Praha 1. I specifically looked for hotels or other vacation rentals around there. During this trip, I will be staying 2 nights at Charles Bridge Palace and then 4 nights at Clarion Congress Hotel Prague. I will also be staying in Austria for 1 night during my layover.

Step Four: Research Language

Upon receiving the scholarship, I immediately looked up words and phrases to learn. Two months is a pretty limited amount of time to master a new language, but I am trying to learn as much as possible. I have been watching videos on important phrases and started using Duolingo and Pimsleur. I also love using Pinterest for the basics. My top tips are to create flashcards. I also listen to either my Pimsleur lessons or youtube playlists while doing everyday tasks to help get more accustomed to the language. I am mostly learning Czech, but I am also learning some phrases in German for my layovers in Zurich and Vienna.

Step Five: Research Culture

While traveling, I have always tried hard to not be rude or disrespectful. It’s not always intentional, but it’s something I try to avoid. An example would be that during my trips to the Caribbean, I realized that most people from there walk on the left side while those in the US walk on the right side. I know it is a small detail, but it is something I am mindful of when traveling. I’m sure I will still make mistakes, but I feel like I have done a lot to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Over the years, I have discovered so many different every day customs that I am not used to living in the US. Again, I have not actually been to Europe so some of these could change after my trip. One thing is that ordering water at a restaurant is not free. You will get bottled water and not tap water. I also read that not all public bathrooms are not free. I need to do more research on this before I go, but many bathrooms charge a fee unless you were already a customer. In Prague, tipping is considered more normal and many people tip about 10%. I also read that restaurants tend to charge for things like ketchup and other condiments which is something I am not used to. I plan to do an update on topics like this after my trip.

Step Six: Research Local Cuisine and Delicacies

Part of this has to do with culture, but I always recommend trying dishes and drinks that that country or area is known for. While my family isn’t specifically from what is known as the Czech Republic today, I grew up eating many central European staples. I have a list of foods I really want to try. As a vegetarian, this can be particularly hard and why I look into restaurants and menus before traveling. I have quite a few places saved and I can’t wait to try some authentic Czechia food.

Plan Reservations

In my research, it seems people in Prague tend to rely on reservations for meals. For this reason, I plan to make reservations to make sure I can try everything I want to. I also plan to buy tickets to get into museums and also plan to attend a concert/ballet.

Plan Airfare

Due to my scholarship, I did have to book my flights through a specific site. This may have influenced some of my decisions. I knew that I wanted about 3 hours or more between connecting flights to avoid too much stress. With this in mind, I booked a flight that has a 6.5 hour layover in Zurich, Switzerland on the way to Prague and then a 22 hour layover in Vienna, Austria on the way home.

Research Airports

I tend to look into airport maps and videos of the airports to make it easier to navigate once I land. I also look into what documents are required and what I am and am not allowed to bring and into laws of the country. While wearing camo in the Caribbean isn’t always technically illegal, it’s definitely not accepted in most places. I plan to look into examples like this for the countries I plan to visit in March.

Research and Plan Layovers

While 6.5 hours is a decent layover, I am not sure if I will leave the airport in Switzerland or how far I will actually go. Ideally, I will go into Zurich, but that may not be an option if my original flight gets delayed. For now, I am researching places near the airport to explore. I also know that one of the official languages of Switzerland is German so I plan to learn some basic phrases for there.

22 hours in Vienna, Austria is a pretty amazing amount of time. Austria is where my family is primarily from and why I am so excited for this layover. I think that just being in Austria will be a meaningful experience for me and I hope I can return to Central Europe soon.

Research Daily Life and Locals Favorites

Another way that I have been preparing is by looking into what daily life looks like to people in Prague. I like to try to see where locals like to go so that I can get the most authentic experience.

Advice

Please reach out to me for more information, tips, or questions as I plan my trip! I am so excited and can’t wait to share more of my trip with everyone!