In Prague, as in most big European cities with extensive public transportation, you normally have (AT LEAST) three ways to move around the city: buses, subways, and trams.
This essentially triples the probability of getting lost or finding yourself on the wrong one.
Experiencing life abroad without a doubt enriches your life, but it is no easy feat.
And today, was one of those days.
One of those days where everything went wrong, where I wished I spoke fluent Czech because my life would be 10000% easier here, and one of those days I was tired of adjusting my schedule to fix my public transportation mistakes.
However, this reflection is not about how every time I got on the train I took the wrong one, or how every place I went to reminded me that life, in a lot of ways, would be more difficult than it was before.
Instead, I want to reflect on the things that did go right, despite all the things that went wrong.
I am a big believer in the idea that every wrong step teaches you something new, and that every failure is just redirection.
In my case, all my small accidents today, led me to something I would not have discovered otherwise.
After I finally had made time to stop by a gym that was being promoted for students, I was told that they only offered one-year contracts and even if I only went for 3 months I would have to pay for the entire year, no exceptions.
This was extremely frustrating because exercise is a big part of my weekly routine and it keeps me sane. Running outside on the streets around my apartment building is also not really possible because the roads in Prague are not the straight concrete roads of Texas, they are hilly, cobblestone roads…not ideal for running at all. Not to mention that this city is SO old, its streets were definitely not engineered for convenience in driving nor running.
So, as I left the gym feeling like I completely wasted my time, I once again, could not for the life of me find the tram stop. I was close to my apartment building and I could have walked the 10-15 minutes, but I was stubborn and needed to figure out the tram system.
Once I thought I found the stop, I waited. After 7 minutes of waiting, I got on the tram and we rode for an approximate of (I kid you not) maybe 10 seconds? Maybe?? And then I heard over the speaker, “This is the last stop, everyone must exit.”
Needless to say, I was livid.
I went the wrong direction again.
Disappointed, I exited the tram and looked up. I saw a lot of trees and saw what looked like a trail to the Planetarium that was close by. So, I decided I would make the detour worth it and walk around.
And I am so glad I did.
As I walked, I realized I had somehow stumbled into a huge, and I mean, HUGE, park and trail for walking, biking, and yes, running.
And let me tell you…well, I won’t tell you, I’ll just show you.
It is one of the most beautiful trails I have ever seen in my entire life and it had everything!! Ponds, chateaus, gardens, wilderness, small-cute coffee shops just in case you wanted some to-go :)
So, after a long day of catching the wrong trains, busses, and trams (literally all three of them)—I accidentally ended up finding exactly what I was looking for.
For anyone who was in the Prague 7-Holecovice area at the time, I was the petite girl running under the 2pm sun.