At this day, one month ago, I, coming alone with the huge suitcase, arrived in Prague. Because I waited for 1 year to join the YEE team, I hardly believed that it finally happened. Only one month has passed, but I actually have a feeling that I live in Prague for years but can't help admiring it again and again.

It is interesting how fast people get used to something unusual for them, for example, there is no recycling system in my home town and I have never did this before, but now after just one month I can't imagine not separating  trash. I also got used to this “magic” of Prague's public transport which always comes according to the schedule. 24/7.    

During this month practised  working with some new softwares and due to doing some research on ecological topics I learned a lot of new things. Did you know that pumpkin seeds have shown to fight diabetes? So, now I know it:). To be honest, I haven't felt such an urge to learn since being in primary school. I can remember feeling that my brain is really “full” by the end of the first week,  but I still feel very excited and I want to learn more and more every day.  

But of course it was not all about work. I was hiking with a group of 18 people around Prague (everyone from different countries), I tried myself as a Russian language teacher at the language exchange meeting (probably I failed). Thanks to the great weather in Prague during the first two weeks of September I was swimming in the Hostivař lake and visited the city centre as much as I could.

On my third week of staying I attended the on-arrival training course held in Vrchlabí. They said it was a perfect opportunity to meet other volunteers, to summarize first impressions of ours project's conditions and it was so true. There were 22 of us in Vrchlabí, nice small town close to Krkonoše  – the highest mountains in the Czech Republic. We experienced some non-formal way of learning and learned about the best practices of time management, some habits and culture of Czech people, and even how to travel around the Czech Republic without having much money. Then we went hiking to Žalý and could observe Sněžka - the highest mountain of Krkonoše and the Czech Republic - but unfortunately only with binoculars:) It was so amazing to meet other volunteers with similar interests, hopes and wishes, to the end of the training we felt like a team already.               

Every time I can remember about two things from former EVS volunteers: first, you have to catch all opportunities and possibilities, use every single day to enjoy as much as possible your EVS time and second, EVS is all about new experience. And well...I am trying to follow these items.  

Diana