I switched hostels. I was at The Old Prague House. And I liked it at first. Kind of. Mostly. It was charming and the bathrooms were nice and a private room wasnt too much. And free breakfast and wifi and pretty clean. But the 1st room I was in was smaller than their bathrooms and it was freezing!! The heater was only warm if you stood right next to it. and the locker was broken. I got sick and I think its because of ho cold it was there. I switched rooms and the 2nd room was way better for the same price. The place is run by a russian? German? family and they were really nice especially the tall woman with very short blond hair. She was awesome. But the old lady was so rude to me and then the guy at their restuarant charged me $20 for a $10 meal and that wasnt cool. He gave me some back when I figured it out the next day but still not enough. like half but I didnt care enough anymore.. 5 bucks.. but i guess that was his game.. to drag it out until i didnt care. O well. He had perfectly fine english yesterday and today he couldnt even speak it and had to have the lady translate. A lot of these people do that. But why not take advantage of me.. everyone else does.

This hostel is weird. Hostel Homer. Everything is simpsons themed heh. But not like cool.. just pieces of paper with lame jokes. I mean if you're going to do the whol theme thing at least do something cool with a hue wall mural or a couch that looks like same couch.. or something. paint the walls yellow? put a sign over the kitchen area that says quicki mart or whatever it is on the show. thats 3 off the top of my head and i dont even like the simpsons. I only ended up here because i randomly walked by this one hostel and asked for a dorm but they said they were full and she just started looking for a place for me :) When I walked in and askd for a room there was a couple or couple of people idk if they were together and the guygoes.. "um.. are you just outl looking for a hostel?" or something to the effect that its crazy i didnt have a place lined up and I was like "yeah" And he's like "badass", haha. I guess. I just figure I'll find something eventually. Anyways, no one is here but an old spanish speaking couple. Or they were. Im in the louge. I was sitting on the couch and really comfy but went up to get my laptop and they took my comfy spot grr. So I was in a chair on the other side and it smelt all weird.. like cat pee. I kept smelling it every once in a while. i smelled me.. my bag.. my jacket. my hair.. its not me.. i smelled the chair and table and flowery thing on the table.. nothing. my hands smelled like soap. the soap smelled weird but not the same. It was definitely cat pee... BUT WHERE. I moved back to the couch and dont smell it anymore.. weird.

Its been a hard.. month.. week. and especially 2-3 days.. But today I forced myself to try and do everything on my list and I kinda did it and it was good. And I actually had a good day. Busy day.

First I actually had breakfast. Listened to these douchey guys discuss douchey things while I ate and drank coffee :o yeah I totally drank coffee cuz I drink it now. One guy was in the room next to me and he had a girl with him and they made weird sex noises all night and it gave me the weirdest dreams. Not sexy dreams.. just weird. Its sad. to me it sounded like he liked her. I mean.. from what I heard. And with the 2 guys at breakfast one asked what they were doing today and he said "I dunno we were pretty busy yesterday so we'll probably take it easy today." And the other guy said "YOU were pretty busy yeterday.. or last night anyway." And the other guy goes "Oh yeah? " And i think he asked who or idk something like that and the sex guy goes "Some crazy bitch". Geez.

Then I packed my stuff. Put it in the reception area (they keep it there while you go out). I walked to Prague Castle. Nearly broke a sweat running up the castle stairs to make it in time for the changing of the guard. Which I didnt need to do because it was right around the corner but I didnt know if I would have to find it. I had to take off my jacket I was so hot.. everyone looked freezing and I was ready to take off my fleece pullover too. So I took pictures of that and video too and it was pretty neat. Then I took random pics around the castle. I know its lame and I didt really want to but I went to the starbucks on the cliff because I had to.. the view was amazing and the starbucks was actually cool.. it was down these circular stars and idk.. felt better than a typical starbucks. I got a white chocolate mocha.. because again, I drink coffee now. I think Europe changed my taste buds. Maybe it happened on the plane ride. heh idk. But I drank it out on the patio and the view was awesome. And I was sad because whenever you go on a trip the second you leave it feels like it didnt happen. And I didnt want to forget how it felt. And what I was seeing.

It was a little cloudy today but even a dreary day in Prague is more beautiful than a sunny day in most places. Well most places Im used to. Did I mention I love Prague? Then I got lost.

And ended up walking back up the castle stairs.. good work out. And went through and found St. Vitus Church and St George Basilica and I walked on the golden lane and took pictures of the towers and stuff. I didnt find Lobkowics Palace :/ I wanted to eat at the cafe because I heard it was good.

Then I stopped at this little souvenior shop. I had seen a lot but I liked this one. I got a few postcards for my family and a little tin case and 3 pins. 1 is awesome because it says Praha and has a pic of a pink converse shoe and I have been wearing nothing but my pink converse around this whole place. So it was kinda cool.. like they knew! How did they KNOW?! Seriously though.. sounds stupid but that alone would have made my day.. and then it got better.......

I walked out of the souvenior shop and across the street a ways and down a small hill was the river and TONS of swans! This was my favorite part of my time here and I think I'll go back again tomorow. I sat by the river to the left of charles bridge watching/feeding the swans stale chips. They were so pretty and funny waddling around on their little feet. Idk it was good. I love swans. Sent a pic to my mom. She said I am a swan and not to forget. Oh mom. I dont know what makes me sigh more.. the fact that its pretty cheesy haha.. or that she couldnt be more wrong. Anyway that same feeling came back about being happy but sad that as soon as I left it would start to fade and theres nothing I could do but continue to take picture after picture to preserve it. And then put my camera down and just appreciate where I was.

I am so thirsty. its almost 1am and I want to go out and find food and a big bottle of water. Im in a busy part of town now so i dont feel too weird going out late alone. I think i will. its probably easier to find beer than water at this hour but that willjust make me more thirsty.

The front des dude is in here making something and it smells so good. its just a sndiwch. dammit. Im going to get food or I will dieeee.

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I didnt end up getting food or water. I went to the dorm and the 3 other girls were already sleeping. When i woke up they were gone. I got up and booked another night. Might actually do another too. So 2 tonight and tomorrow night. Idk idk idk i just love it here and the more i see the more i feel i haven't seen.

STILL need to go to st francis of aussi church.. keep getting there to late deapite how close it is. I want to go to tv tower too. Righr now i am charging my phone before i go out. Going back to that spot with the swans. Just packed a lunch. Got SO much again from the supermarket.$13 for a bunch of atuff and the other day it was $10 for lots of stuff but i think i wrote about that already.

Its weird in this hostel.. its so dead. No one is here. Not like out exploring.. just not here. Butni dont mind. I like having some alone time right now. Although it would be nice at night to have someone to go to dinner with.

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More to write about from prague... been here so much longer than I thought but again.. i like it. Stay away from karvola street though So just.. grrrr.

the other night these girls invited me to this 5 story club. i mean.. it was interesting. clubs are clubs. i felt out of place for so many reasons... feeling old but looking too young. weird feeling and then the girls i was with knew theywere going to this so they brought skirts and heels and honestly they looked a little too dressy but there i was ith my jans and converse ha. we didnt look like we belongs together . but it was fun dancing with them.. after a few drinks. It made me think of that joke I heard by dane cook about how girls and guys reasons for gonig to clubs are so different and how you never hear guys say "I just need to dance.. f*** chicks man... I just ned to dance" He obviously never met the guys in this club. They were dancing with girls but also by themselves and with each other. They were good too. It was cool because they had like radio hits and stuff but then they had "oldies" but they played like 90's songs and everyone sang them at the top of their lungs... reminded me a little of the 80's club i went to with brett and sal. idk. clubs are lame. But traveling alone is nice and everything but once in a while you just want to be around people and those girls were nice. And they spoke english..well. Lots of people speak english in europe but its broken and hard to follow most times and it was so easy with them.

I met another girl from japan and we went out for drinks on v day. she was cool and funny. We were walking and saw a sign that said "non stop hot dog" and i dont know why but we both couldnt stop laughing.. we hadnt even been drinking. She was going to slovenia? I think thats it and then to vienna. And I am going to vienna then venice. So we decided to meet up in vienna tomorrow. I typically wouldnt do that.. but she said she was lonley to the canadian girls and I thought it would be nice to have someone to hang out with. Esecially since i wont be stayng in vienna long.. 2 days. and it'll be easier to get things done with 2 people. Were staying at the wombat hostel. Cheap for vienna at only $14/night.

I didnt go to any cemetaries.. I was in prague over a week. I want to kick myself. i kinda of want to go not.. its 10:30pm. haha. but what the point of going to a cemetary if not late at night... but i shouldnt..alone and everything. Although.. Ive felt really safe in prague so far. Even late at night down narrow alleys.. i dont feel creeped out. well i mean a couple times but i think it was in my head more than being an actual problem. So I think it'd be fine... but its freezing. Decisions.

Just booked my hostel and bus ticket.

Everyone I meet tells me I am brave for traveling alone... I dont feel "brave". I feel kind of dumb actually.

The girls today were saying that they had a horrible day because they couldnt figure out the train and got lost and had to walk a long time with their huge suitcases and had trouble finding the hostel... and then the other girl here is also traveling alone and she got here telling us she left her "document" (I'm guessing passport) in the last ocuntry she was in.. oops.. and she had a hard time figuring out the train and they made her pay the fine and she just broke down crying. I havent done so much yet. Well not over that stuff. Although I've found myself in similar situtions... I got super lost for a long time a few times. I walked far with my pack a couple times. My phone died more than I'd like to admit when I really needed it to be alive. I got ripped off a couple times.. that hostel restuarant and again at the bridge (write about it in a sec) But I dont know. I think I expected all of it. Especially being me... haha. Never been on my own or done everything 100% for myself so.. its been challenging but I knew it would be. Having to ask people for help was the biggest challenge.. beign "shy".. not just shy.. being me. Awkward and clumsy but now add in sef concious about the language barriers. But its okay... most people have been really nice and happy to help. Some of my favorite moments traveling so far werent seeing sights but while I was lost and being helped by the coolest people. That lady in berlin who wanted to help soo badly but she didnt speak ANY english so it was impossible. but then I just felt it would be ok to ask the guy next to me and he spoke english pretty well and he was so sweet. and he helped get my ticket for me and we walked onto the train and he grabbed my ticket and ran off, punched it and ran back on.. i wouldnt have known to do that and would have missed the train.. he almost missed it himself doing that. And the nice older fellow from the first berlin train station was really helpful and smiley. Idk some of the waitors and service people here (and in berlin) are rude. Idk if its because they ca tell i am american or if its anyone. Although maybe its how you present yourself because they are always s nice to me at the supermarket but i guess they were super mean to the canadian girls.. which is ironic... but they were nice when you get to know them but they both sort of talk snobbish sometimes and a little... entitled? So that mightve been the problem. But today I met the nicest guy making trdelnik that rolled pastry thing they have everywhere. He said it would be about 2 minutes and i asked if i could take ppictures. He said ok. And I took 2 or 3 but i didnt want to be annoying. But he was sweet he said to me "camera ready?.. this is picture.." and motioned to move to the other side of the counter and then opened the thing cooking the pastries and smiled and I took a picture and smiled and he winked at me. Its little gestures like this that can make a good day.

And sometimes break it.. although... negative attitudes havent affected me at all since being here like they used to. Actually.. negative attitudes or other people in general (mostly) havent really affected me since August. Like there have been some RUDE waitors but meh doesnt matter. And the other day i was walking and couldnt find where i was and just needed to know my location real fast and there was a starbucks so i went in and used the wifi real fast and this coupl walks by right as I am walking out and the guy goes "douche bags". lol. The other day I got starbucks because it was the view and the only coffee place near by. But i wouldnt get coffee from starbucks in europe when there were about 5 other local ones a couple blocks away. but he didnt know. i would have said the same thing. i hate starbucks. and then i was walking yesterday and this old man just says "bitch" under his breath. And i know he was tlaking to me cuz no one else was there but i wasnt doing anything. Just walking. I didnt even see him or give him a weird look becuase i was looking at the sidewalk. and thats not rude because people dont smile at each other when they walk by here.. i tried.. and I'm met with stange looks.. that imply "wtf is wrong with you... why are you smiling at me??" But it doesnt really prevent it.. the corners of my mouth have just been trained to lift awkwardly when a stranger happens to meet my gaze. idk.

im hungry.

i should do laundry before i leave.