The Waiting Game

by madison niness

Getting to where you’re going can be the hardest part…

For all of the glory and beauty the Czech Republic is praised for, what ‘they’ don’t tell you is what a headache it can be to get there. I’m calling this blog post “The Waiting Game” because that’s what it has felt like I’ve been doing for the past 24 hours/ 48 hours/ somewhere-in-between hours (I’m not quite sure how you account for the time jump).

Everywhere we’ve been I feel like I’ve been told to “hurry up” just to be told to “wait” the next second. We waited for everyone to get to Newark then we waited in line to check in and then we moved to the the upper level just to stand in line again for security. Now, I know this is often just the nature of travel, especially of airports.

But even as we left the Václav Havel Airport, there was much more waiting in our future. We waited on the bus which took us (on the right side of the road, not the left anymore as we’d seen at the Heathrow Airport in London) from the airport to Charles University, where we will be staying in dorms while we’re in Prague. Then, we were told to wait in the lobby as Lukáš (Lou•kash), our Czech liaison, led us five at a time into a tiny room with not much other than a wood table pressed up against the wall and five chairs huddled around the remaining exposed three sides.

There were rules, papers, maps and Tram passes dealt out, agreements signed and room keys picked up. Then and only then, after what I could only calculate as far too many hours spent in the same clothes, were we allowed to trudge up into our dorms, exhausted and told, yet again, to wait. At least we could wait laying down this time!

All the waiting truly was paid off, though, when we were led to a cute Italian restaurant where we had pastas and pizzas (and french fries?) galore. The night was topped off with a quick tram ride to the square or “náměstí” where we walked to the Charles Bridge, just as the sun was setting. A totally breathtaking view.