Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've been keeping busy traveling to the far corners of Europe before... well, before I have to return to the States (but we're not going to think about that for another three weeks). Two weekends ago I packed up and took a bus to Budapest, the city formerly known as the cities of Buda, Óbuda and Pest, with Holly (obviously) and Louise.

Needless to say, there's still a bit of tension between Europe and the New World. Europe fails to recognize the fact the Americas have taken over the world. So in order to settle the score, I organized a small competition. It was supposed to be football, basketball and volleyball but the football field fell through (I put a Scottish guy in charge of getting the fields ... just saying).

On Day Two in Poland we did not have quite the same quirky and random experience as Day One. We traveled outside of Krakow to visit concentration camps Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau. Walking through the camps and knowing that millions of people from all over Europe were brought here, against their will, and executed was incredibly sobering.

So due to some complaints about the last entry not being "entertaining" enough, I will try to make up for it in this one. Though I really don't know what you want from me, for goodness sake, I jumped out of a plane just so you would have something interesting to read.

In any case, I just got back from ISC trip to Krakow, a city in southern Poland, because really when else am I going to go to Poland?

The past couple of weeks have brought even more visitors! Holly and I hosted Meaghan and Rachael (more Bucknellians!) as well as the Renzi Fam. After we perfected our tour guide routine, we decided to do a little traveling of our own. We met up with Emily and Katy again in Interlaken, Switzerland, which is a small town known for its extreme sports and incredible scenery. But, really, is there anywhere in Switzerland that doesn't offer a spectacular view? I may or may not have gone skydiving here ... but you're just going to have to click continue reading to find out...

Since I had no international travel plans, I was able to really start immersing myself in the Czech lifestyle. Especially since most of our friends are from all over the world, it was nice to really get involved in the Czech culture. I found a good routine, some great (and cheap!) pubs and cafes and learned a lot about the culture of the Czech Republic.

Click continue reading for more on House Party Weekend, Czech Hockey semifinals, Kutná Hora, Bucknell visitors and more interesting Czech culture facts!

After arriving in Vienna at 4 a.m. (I have no idea who thought that was a good idea), Holly and I attempted to sleep in the train station. I say attempted because we were, surprisingly, unsuccessful. Viennese train stations are sleep-proof. Not a single bench in the place! Seriously? This is the ONLY time I've ever wanted to sleep in a train station. Go figure. After we got over the fact that sleeping wasn't option, we became very thankful that the Viennese are famous for their coffee houses and camped out there until daylight.

So whoever said the Viennese were brusque and harsh gave them a terribly false rep...

There are no bigger fans of Michael Jackson than the Czechs. They rock to Michael Jackson's beat almost as much as they jam to songs from the Grease soundtrack. It's so interesting to find which parts of American culture have found their way to Prague. I've literally heard "Summer Nights," "Grease Lightning," and "Grease is the Word" multiple times since I've been here. Apparently, there was even a statue erected of MJ after the Communist Era crumpled.

Unfortunately, it's been replaced by a giant metronome.

Sidenote: I've recently entered a comment war with Corey Schwitz, so you should probably skip over reading his blog and comment as much as possible on mine. (Who cares about South America anyway ...)

Well, I would love to tell you about all the classes I took this past week, but 95 percent of them are subject to change. The class structure at Czech Tech is set up VERY differently than schools in the United States. First of all, one class usually only meets once a week and lasts anywhere from an hour and a half to up to six hours! Most students take somewhere between seven and 10 classes, unless they're working on a thesis.

The professors are a whole different story...

One week off before classes have even started? But who am I to argue with the Czech educational system. So what should I do? Go to Italy, obviously. Monday morning after returning to Prague from Karlovy Vary, Holly and I set off for Italia.

You only live once, right?

So since we haven't had any work to do, the ISC has planned a couple of trips to entertain the foreign students. These trips have also created some incredible bonds among the international students.

Prepare to get very, very jealous.

I must admit, being a vegetarian in Prague has been an interesting experience so far, to say the least. The most classic Czech meals are dumplings, a heavy type of bread made from potatoes or wheat, with various types of meat in gravy. Needless to say, that doesn't exactly fit the diet of a vegetarian. I have been able to enjoy one classic Czech dish though, fried cheese and cranberries.

Being in a foreign country is more than just trying different foods though...

Well, that was just about the easiest transatlantic experience I think anyone has ever had. I flew British Airways with a fellow Bucknellian, Holly, and it was great! We were treated like first-class passengers. I mean, they supplied every passenger with a pair of clean socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste and 50 movies on demand. What more could you want?

Welcome to the first installment of Danielle Renzi's Prague Blog!

I will finally embark on my journey to this historically-rich city on Friday, the 13th. I know. It's a little spooky, but British Airways charges less on superstitious dates. I'll take my chances.

So, Blog readers, I will be navigating you through the diverse architectural feats of Prague, as well as some excursions to (hopefully) Vienna, various places in Italy and other European cities. Hopefully you'll enjoy the trip almost as much as I will!