EXCHANGE A Guide

Through
HANDBOOK Your
Exchange
Experience

by Monika Motanová
 CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
DECISON TO STUDY ABROAD!

“Your 20’s are your self-

ish years. It’s a
decade to immerse yourself in every single thing
possible. Be selfish with your time, and all the as-
pects of you. Tinker with shit, travel, explore, love
a lot, love a little, and never touch the ground.”

Kyoko Escamilla

Packing all your belonging to lug-
gage and travelling to explore an-
other country, with its culture, peo-
ple and educational system is the
greatest decision you could have
done. It might be a bit scary at the
beginning, but hey, it’s so worth it!
useful tips and tricks with you. If you’re
asking yourself what (not) to leave at
home and how to make the most out
of this amazing opportunity to spend
almost half of the year abroad, just
keep reading this handbook, you’re
going to find some answers in here.

Since there are so many things to think I truly hope, and believe, you’re go-
about when doing this courageous ing to have a great time on your ex-
step of studying abroad, I decided to change, and I wish you a lot of cour-
create this handbook, so I could share age and unforgettable memories.

Monika Motanová

www.monikatheexplorer.weebly.com
www.instagram.com/monikatheexplorer/

2 3
 France?

Spain?
Estonia? Choosing your
Destination
England? is an important decision and there’s a
lot to consider:

Greece?
• Do you prefer to find a high-class
university and focus on studying or
is a rich social life more important to

Portugal?
you?
• What study programs does the university offer?
• What free-time activities do you like to do?
• What are the life-expanses in the chosen country?

Neatherlands? •
•
How far is it - would it be possible for your friends and family to visit?
What about the weather - do you prefer warm or cold temperatures?

Sweden? Making your preferences clear is a great help when it comes to choosing the
country and the university to study at because it will be a strong determinant

Romania?
Norway?

of your stay. For instance, south countries such as Spain or Italy are known
for their nightlife and great beaches, Scandinavian countries might be a great
choice, if you want to experience more practical educational system and if you
Estonia?

choose to go to Great Britain get prepared to write a lot of essays at school.

Switzerland?
Czechia?

But then the place you choose might shape your experience considerably, but
the true decider of how much you’re going to enjoy the stay is the attitude
Italy?

you’re going to bring along.

Slovenia? Poland?
Latvia? Belgium?
Slovakia? Malta? Germany?
4 5
 Before you go
At
Choosing your accommodation is there is a lot of e-mailing involved, re

ti
certainly one of the first things to sponses from universities sometimes

tu
focus on. Most universities offer stu- take longer to get and you want to
dents dorms, which are a great choice make sure you don’t miss anything.

de if you’re looking for a place allowing

you to easily socialize with other stu-
dents and they usually have quite a
Having contacts on the locals is a very
useful thing. Before you go, try to

is
reasonable rent. Don’t forget to check get in touch with people in the area
if there is cutlery and other kitchen you’re travelling to, especially oth-
th
e
equipment at disposable and if you er university students can give you
need to bring your own bed sheets. useful tips on what to bring and what
Sometimes living in a rented house to expect from the school. Where do
might save you some money, but you you find them? Try to look if there are
have to put more effort into finding a some Facebook groups you could join,
suitable flat and your flatmates. You Couchsurfing is also a great app that
will have to search for local websites can help with getting in touch with lo-
or facebook groups offering accom- cals.
modation in the area.. You might have
a chance to ask former students from Try to google a bit about the place
your university who studied there, or you’re going to as well. It might give
you can also contact locals via Airbnb. you an idea of what to pack but main-
ly, it will make you even more excited
There’s a lot of paperwork involved. about what’s awaiting you!
Your school coordinator should in-
form you about all the steps you need
to do before leaving, but from my ex-
perience, you will have to be the one
checking all the deadlines. So don’t
leave making Learning Agreement
and other documents last minute as

6 7
My Expectations and Worries

“ Take ev
chance yo ery
ug
because s et in life,
ome thing
only happ s
en once.”
Karen Gib
bs

8 9
 When you start packing
it suddenly becomes real. It’s here, I’m leaving for almost half of the year and I
need to pack all my belonging to this one luggage, you realize. At this point it
takes a lot of courage to go through your wardrobe and pick up the few pieces you
will be taking with you as:
a) it’s not an easy choice (especially for picky girls :)) and b) you might start
questioning if you’re really that keen on leaving as everything at home suddenly
feels so much nicer and more familiar than usual and you know, you’re going to
miss this all - your room, your friends and family, your dog, there’s plenty…
But filling luggage does not take forever and soon you will find that you can’t fit
any more in it and you’re ready to go!
• Your favourite teddy bear or small talisman.
• Calendar with photos of your family and friends.
• Buch of photos that you can decorate your room with.
• A jar full of notes from your friends - ask them to write you a small note
for every week of your stay.
• A book you’ve always wanted to read but never had time for it.
• An e-book reader is even more practical option as it’s not too heavy
and you can keep buying new e-books during your stay.

Few useful packing tips

It’s never a bad idea to weigh your
luggage at home to avoid the airport
dilemma of what to through away
when having an overweight at check-
in - btw from many students’ experi-
ence I know that hairdryer is usually
the one going.
you’re going to sincerely thank your-
self for not having to care about where
to buy breakfast for the next day.
Take a roll of toilet paper with you,
you might not find one at your accom-
modation.

Don’t forget to pack enough food.
Not wanting to induce it, bare in mind
the journey might be longer than in-
tended and we all know how having
a full stomach helps when it comes
to maintaining well-being. And if it
should happen that you arrive late in
the evening instead of the morning,
Don’t forget to pack a bag with med-
icines - having a pain killer, nostril
spray or plasters might come handy.
To help you feel more at home in
the new environment, taking some
of items suggested on the following
page might be a good choice.

10 11
 ”

Packing list

rd
Passport, ID ca
sh
edit card + ca
Wallet with cr
Insurance card
ol
ents for scho
All the docum
Hygiene
Medicines
nk)
ger (+ powerba
Phone + char
ger
Laptop + char
d notebook
Pencilcase an

” There are no foreign lands.

It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

12 13
 When the day D comes Before you shut your home door
it’s time to head on your exchange adventure. Stepping into the unknown is not Know that you have all the papers
an easy thing to do and it takes a lot of courage to say goodbye to your family at ready! Acceptance Letter, Learning
the airport and leave your home behind. Suddenly everything is in your hands Agreement, Confirmation of Arriv-
and the weight of responsibility might scare you. Together with the feelings of al, Housing Contract, Flight tickets
loneliness that often occur, travelling can be difficult not only physically but also there’s a lot you want to have print-
mentally. But don’t let your fears frighten you too much, it might be a new ex- ed out with you in case a situation will
perience for you that seems a bit scary, but it’s certainly nothing you couldn’t occur when you’ll need it and there
manage and with the right preparation, you can avoid a lot of stress on the way. won’t be any internet connection or
you run out of battery on the phone.
It’s also a good idea to upload all
these documents together with pho-
tos of your personal ducuments and
an insurance card on Google Drive,
so you have access to them whenever
you need.
Not wanting to call it out, it does
sometimes happen that the luggage
get’s lost. So it’s not a bad idea, to
have some cash, food and phone
charger as well with a toothbrush
and a set of spare underwear in your
hand luggage.
I also find very useful to have all the
documents and my purse at one
14
place in a transparent envelope.
Every time, I get anxious about losing
my wallet or passport, I just dig for
the envelope in my backpack and find
that I have everything safely stored in
there.
Have the connections from the air-
port to the accommodation figured
out in advance. Know what busses
or trains you have to take, where the
stops are and at what time they leave.
You also want to have the exact ad-
dress of your accommodation written
down.
Be informed about what the accom-
modation process will be like. Will
you need to pay in advance? Will you
need to have cash? Have some papers
prepared? Especially if you’re arriving
at night make sure, they will be some-
one awaiting you to hand you the
keys, you don’t want to sleep on the
street your first night :)
15
 First days are the hardest
you´ll find yourself in a completely strange environment with no familiar ground
and people. It’s OK to come and feel lonely, it’s even OK to cry the first night, but
don’t isolate yourself from others. Go explore the place, engage with new people,
share your feelings. Once you do that, you’ll find out that you’re not alone in that
situation, all the other exchange students are going through a similar process and
it’s very easy to bond with them as you can start exploring your new life-style to-
gether. And step by step, the place will become your new home and soon it might
even win a special place in your heart.
Feeling homesick is OK
it’s a natural feeling when being away from your family and friends for so long.
The good news is that with modern technology, fighting loneliness got way easier
(although nothing is black and white and there’s a lot of truth in the saying that
social media brings us closer to those that are far and further apart from those
being close). When it comes to keeping in touch with the loved ones living far
away, technology is certainly a great tool. And although sending and receiving
postcards might also be a very good idea as it’s a clear demonstration of how
much time and effort someone had to put into writing them, it definitely is a lot
quicker to get in touch by WhatsApp or Skype calls.

First weeks advice

Don’t stay closed in your room, in-
stead use them to explore the area,
see, where the school is, what shops
are around, walk the roads direction-
lessly to get familiar with the place.
Dedicate some time to decorating
your room to make yourself feel more
comfortable there. You can do so by
buying a small flower or a candle and
a nice touch to the room could also be
sticking some photos and postcards
on the wall.
Engage yourself in social activities
even when you if you’re usually more
inclined to spending time alone. It’s
the easiest to make new friends at
this time as all new students are look-
ing for someone to hang out with.
And having people you can rely on is
always a great advantage, especially
when being away from your family.
Universities often offer voluntary
activities that you can join and there
might be various student groups ac-
tive offering a membership as well.
Take advantage of that. Exchange
study program might not equal holi-
day and studying is a big part of it but
it’s mostly about gaining experience
and creating unforgettable memories
and joining various groups is a great
tool for acquiring them.
Tips for dealing with homesickness
It’s a good idea to set up regular
Skype calls every week with your
family and friends. It helps you and
your close ones to always reserve
time for talking and you will have
something to look forward to every
week.
What can be especially hard, is keep-
ing a long distance relationship. The
new environment will give you a lot
to share with your loved one but liv-
ing away from each other can also re-
sult in becoming alienated. There’s no
general advice on how to handle the
separations. Skype calls can definite-
ly help and if it’s possible, you can try
to arrange a visit as well. A nice act is
also getting a jar full of notes, that
you can read throughout the whole
sta, from your special one.
If you enjoy writing, you should con-
sider starting writing a blog, it’s a
great way to note all the memories
and also instantly share them with
your relatives and friends at home
and keep them updated about what
you’re up to. Also don’t forget to take
photos, once they will be the ones
that remind you the stay the most and
can give an insight to your close ones
as well.

16 17
Activities I Want to Participate in

“ Traveling is brutality. It forces you to trust

strangers and to lose sight of all that famil-
iar comforts of home and friends. You are
constantly off balance. Nothing is yours ex-
cept the essential things. Air, Sleep, Dream,
the sea, the sky - all things tending towards
the eternal or what we imagine of it.”

Cesare Pavese

18 19
 Conversation manual
Do you sometimes find yourself struggling with how to approach strangers and
how to initiate the conversation? I’ve collected a couple of tips, that could help you
with that.
• The first impression isn’t actually made when you start
the conversation but when you first spot the person. To
make a more welcoming impression, try to be aware
of your body language - set yourself up right, have
your hands visible (out of pockets and not behind your
back), your shoulders down and back and most impor-
tantly - smile, it’s the best opening line.
• It might sound a bit harsh, but the truth is that we, as
human beings, don’t care about others, until the mo-
ment connect. So better tactic than starting by asking
about the other person’s name is focusing on creating a
connection - if you want to be important to somebody
else, start by making them the star of the show and
relate topics to them and their experience.
• For sparkling interest and finding a mutual ground, you
can use one of the following topics:
• Family - people feel significantly closer after sharing
related family matters. “See that guy over jogging over
there? He reminds me of my brother so much...” Direct
the conversation towards family and open up first.
• Occupation - Asking about someone’s study program
is a great starter as other questions regarding studies
can naturally follow. But try not to lead the conversa-
tion on the surface informative level. Not to stay in an
interview mode add a comment, your own opinion or
experience, before you ask another question.
20
• Recreation - Asking about other people’s interests, hob-
bies, and passions with a simple question “What do you
like?” might sound like a cliché, but it can sparkle an
interesting conversation. And it’s even a great chance
to learn something new if people bring up something
you’re unfamiliar with. Ask, what they enjoy the most
about their hobby and use it as a chance to broaden
your knowledge.
• Dreams - sharing dreams and life goals can be very in-
teresting, but you should already have a lot of rapport
before leading a conversation towards them. Once you
have created the trust, you can lead deeper conversa-
tions about your dreams and cravings and support one
another on the way towards them.
• Apart from those four topics, general advice would
be to try not to stay in your head so much, but rath-
er pay attention to what’s happening around you. No-
tice things happening in your surrounding and have
an opinion about them - opinions are great engagers,
they also help to get other people out of their heads
and they can spark a natural discussion.
• Look for the moments, when people raise their eye-
brows in the conversation. It’s a signal of their interest
and excitement for the topic being discussed.
• If you’re looking for a way how to naturally end the
conversation, shift the focus from present time to
the future by asking for instance “What are you up to
today?” or “Do you have any plans for the weekend?”
Goodbye comes natural after these topics.
21
 New place, new life
Being on an exchange is a great opportunity to adopt healthy habits in your life- A great way how to taste other cul- can cook for the whole group a tra-
style. The only thing that dictates your timetable here is your school schedule so tures is to organise gatherings over a ditional dish from their country. That
it’s up to you how cleverly you will spend your time. Don’t waste it sitting in your meal. You can arrange a meeting with way, you can establish a close group
room watching Netflix, exchange stay can be great fun, but you’ll have to step out fellow exchange students every now of friends you’ll be seeing regularly
of your comfort zone sometimes. and then and each time someone else and also taste some delicious dishes.

Throughout your stay tips

Try to set up a routine as soon as you
can. Having a functioning routine re-
ally helps with feeling comfortable.
Of course, you probably won’t be in
bed every day by 11 pm, but starting
a day with a short yoga session, going
running every week or meditating in
the afternoon are healthy habits that
will keep you fit and will enhance your
mindset.
Being in the new place will bring
you new opportunities, take them.
I, for instance, joined students radio
and together with my friend Nati, we
made a radio show Volda? Well, duh! It
turned out to be great fun and I found
my new hobby in recording podcasts.
(You can even check podcasts we
made here https://monikatheexplor-
er.weebly.com/podcast.html) Look for
things you’ve never tried but are cu-
rious about. You might find your new
passion in them.
Keeping a journal is a great tool to ar-
range your thoughts, free your emo-
tions but also note all your experi-
ences and fun stories, you experience
during the stay. When sticking some
photos into it you can make your jour-
nal into a unique personal memories
book.
You are going to meet a lot of people
from different countries with unlike
backgrounds, beliefs and lifestyles.
Look for what inspires you in others,
seek different approaches, educate
yourself about life in other countries
and engage in discussions. Don’t
judge others for being different, re-
spect the unlikeness and learn from it.

22 23
My Echange Bucket list

“Travel opens your

heart, broadens
your mind and fills
your life with sto-
ries to tell.”

Paula Bendfeldt

24 25
W I ?
hat will cook today I bet you will have to ask yourself
quite often. If you’re like me, you might experience your cooking premiere at
the exchange program (because scrambled eggs don’t count :)) and you might
have to spend some time on the phone with your mother giving you cooking
advice or on the internet googling beginners recipes. The truth is, cooking is
actually not that hard, trust me, it will take some practice but if you focus on
simple quick meals, you’ll soon get into the routine.
My favourite super simple (almost) vegan recipes
Muesli
muesli, water/milk (I use the plant ones), fruits (bananas/ blueberries/blackber-
ries/kiwis/apples), dried dates/plums, peanut butter, hemp/lin/chia seeds
This is my very favourite breakfast. It’s simple, variable and it fills you up for
the whole morning. First, you fill half of the cup müsli and pour it into a pot then
you add 1 full cup of water, milk or mix of both and you boil it. While you have a
boiling pot on the cooker, you cut a couple dried dates or plums and other fresh
fruits you’re going to use (you can also use frozen fruits, but in that case, put a
bit fewer liquids at the beginning as they contain water as well). Once müsli and
liquids turn into a mash (after about 3-5 mins), you pour it into a bowl and add
prepared fruits, seeds and one big spoon of peanut butter and you can enjoy
your delicious breakfast.
Garlic bread
wholemeal bread/baguet, butter (I love vegan one made of coconut), garlic, basil,
oregano, thyme, cherry tomatoes
Super simple yet super good. All you have to do is preheat the
oven on 200 degrees, then you spread the butter on the bread, sprinkle it with
herbs, you cut the garlic and lay the slices of it on the top and you can also cut
cherry tomatoes in half and lay them on the slices as well. Then you place it into
the preheated oven and wait a couple of minutes until the edges are darker and
the bread is crunchy. You can eat this bread by itself or with a salad.
26
Salad
salad mix, red reddish, chickpeas/red lentils, tomatoes/dried tomatoes, pepper,
cucumber, eggs, pumpkin seeds, extra virgin olive oil
There are honestly hundreds of variations you can do. I always mix various veg-
etables, but I also try to always have legumes or boiled eggs (put for 8-10 mins
into boiling water) contained to add some protein, whereas seeds and a final
sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil add some fats to the meal as well.
Falafel with Potatoes and Tahini Sauce
falafel, seeds, potatoes, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, salt, 3 garlics
To prepare tahini sause crush 3 garlics and mix them with pinch of salt, then
add tahini and juice from one lemon, mix everything well together and in the
end add a spoon o olive oil. Set aside Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
For making falafel and potatoes, preheat the oven on 200 degrees.You can buy
falafel mixture in the shop, at home, you just mix it with water (I also like add
various seeds and seasoning). Form the matter into small balls which you put on
baking tray lined with baking paper and add peeled and sliced potatoes sprin-
cled with olive olil on the tray (I also recommend using potatoes seasoning).
Then put the tray into the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Once it’s ready, I
like to add salad on the side of the plate and the meal is ready for serving.
Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
spaghetti, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, corn, kidney beans, seasoning.
First start boiling spaghetti in a pot, then chop one half on an onion and put it
into a heated pan with a bit of oil after 2-3 minutes add chopped garlic as well
and let it fry for another minute than add tomato sauce, corn and kidney beans
and blend it together and wait until it starts boiling then you can also add some
seasoning like basil or oregano and easy yet tasty student dish is done.
27
My Favourite Recipes

“ No one is born a great cook,

one learns by doing.”

Julia Child

28 29
 An exchange will teach you a lot
You will become more independent
and you’ll learn a lot about yourself.
Even if it should be finding out what
you don’t enjoy at all, it’s still an im-
portant lesson to learn. Changing
your lifestyle completely will make
you realise what is important for you
and what you can easily live without,
it will teach you what matters to you.
Maybe your stay won’t look exactly as
you planned, at least it was like that in
my case. The best you can do is take
what comes and make the best out of
it. Do something that you value every
day. Even if you feel like you’re hav-
ing a shitty day and it can’t get better,
force yourself to overcome yourself
and do something, you will be proud
of - go running, do the school home-
work you’ve been postponing for a
few days already, clean your room,
just make the day count. You might
think that one semester is a long time,
but with always staying occupied it
will come to an end with an eye blink.
30
Having to struggle with health issues
along the way I couldn’t do everything
I originally planned. It was tough
sometimes and in the end I had to pri-
oritaze my health over the experience
and come back earlier to fully focus on
my well-being. Hoping that you won´t
have to go through any hardship like
that, I do think that there is always a
lot you can learn from your stay from
gaining the practical skills like cooking
or doing laundry through learning to
fully acknowledging the importance
of family and caring friends. And it
might even help you decide which di-
rection to go after coming back from
your stay.
Despite my health struggles, I’m still
thankful for having the opportunity
to experience studying abroad and
grow from it. Don’t take it for granted,
Make friends, memories, have your
eyes wide open, Observe things and
learn, at school, but mostly outside of
the school walls, learn about yourself,
about others and about life.
Laudry advice
Doing laundry for the first time can
be a bit of a challenge. I’d recommend
starting by devideng clothes into
groups - one should be made of un-
derwear of light colours. This group
can be washed on 40 degrees 900
rpm, but make sure not to have white
and black pieces toghether as the
dark ones could potentionally dye the
rest - if you want to avoid doing two
seperate cycles, you can wash them
all together but make sure to test the
dark pieces before.
31
Another group can be made up of reg-
ular clothes and also clothes made of
natural materials, like sport’s moira
underwear, should go here (but with
sport’s clothes make sure to always
check the clothes tag to see specific
instructions as you can do with any
piece of clothing). This pile can be
washed on 30 degrees 900 rpm and
all colours should be safe to put to-
gether as it’s not a high temperature.
Last group contains towels, bed
sheets and dish towels and can be
washed on 60 degrees and 900 rpm.
And if you should still not be hesitant,
why not call your mum, she will know
for sure :)
What Exchange Taught Me

“ Travel is more than the seeing of

sights, it’s a change that goes on.
Deep and pernament, in the ideas
of living.”
Miriam Beard

“ Don’t tell me how educated you

are, tell me how much you have
traveled.”
Mohammed

32 33
Exchange Nikola Šumerová
students Edinburgh University
Share their
Texas University
Niki spent one semester at the pres-
experience
tiqeus Edinburgh univesity and was
blown away by the beuty of Scottland.
Not going on an exchange during my
study proram would be a waste of a
great opportunity, she explained to
me her motivation to study abroad.
And not just once, after spending
one semester in Scottland during her
Bachelor program, Niki decided to
spent another one even further from
home in Texas during her Master stud-
ies.
As she says, both of her experienc-
On the previous pages, I have shared lots of tips with you. But the advice given is es were quite different as she would
not just mine, during the process of creating this handbook, I met with couple of find herself not only in new schools
my friends to collect their studying abroad experiences as well. I spoke with them and study approaches but also new
about their stories and marked, what made their stay special and exiting. environments and cultures in general.
But a link can be found in both stays.
Niki, as a passionate traveller, would
always rent a car and go see as many
34
places as she could. Doing roadrips
with her fellow students, taking loads
of photos and properly enjoying the
youth is simply what she is good at.
But although she didn’t forget to
have fun along the way, she also ac-
knowledged the importance of being
well prepered for school. Don’t leave
things last minute and stay informed
in general would be Niki’s motto. What
this teacher values? Is the presence
strictly required? Is there a job oppor-
tunity? Is there a party going on to-
night? She would always now what’s
going on and would take a proper ad-
vantage of that, not being shy to ask
pays off, she knows and she adapted
this attitude in her day to day life.
35
Bunch of photos
from nikola’s
exchange

36 37

When Rául came to Volda for the
first time, he was shy, self-confid-
ance lacking boy spending most of
the time in his room. Still the place
managed to captivate him. When he
came back home, he realised, how
much he loved all the outdoors ac-
tivities, that Volda and its surround-
ings had to offer and acknowledged,
he feels the most himself when he
is on a fresh air in the wild nature.
Knowing that this is it, Rául desided
to come back to Vodla a few years
later for the whole ountdoors study
program. With the right attitude,
38
Raúl Graul
Volda University College
Experiencing Volda changed Rául’s
life he found his passion in out-
doors activities, fell in love with the
place and decided to stay there.
he managed to step out of his shelf
and finally he was able to dive into
an interesting comunity of interna-
tional students and many of those
became his life-long friends who he
shares countless experiences with.
Rául also succesfully passes the
passion for outdoors on to new stu-
dents coming to Volda. He organ-
ises various trips and information-
al worshops for them and altought
he is originally from Spain, Norway
has become his new home which
provides him with the joy from na-
ture, that he couldn’t live without.
Hana Fridrichová
University of Valencia
Hana’s studies are her passion. She
already loved studying to become a
dentist at home, but she wished to see
a bit of the world for herself as well.
Hana made it challenging for herself
from the very beginnig as she de-
cided to go to Spain althought she
has never had Spanish at school be-
fore. It was only possible through
her self-discipline that she man-
aged to learn Spanish well enough
to be able to study in the new lan-
guage. She also had to deal with
having Spanish speaking patients on
the dentist’s chair, but as she says,
where the dedication is a way is.
As she told me, she also had to obtain
a lot of dentistic equipment in Spain,
which was not particulary cheap, but
thanks to the support of her family
and also Erasmus funds, she was able
39
to get all she needed and she also
managed to get some money back,
when selling it at the end of her stay.
Coming from a big family and hav-
ing lots of friends, she appriciated
having a place for them in the flat to
accomodate many of those visiting
and she properly enjoyed exploring
Spain with them as much as spend-
ing time with her fellow students. She
aknowledged that Spaniards are a
bit different from Czechs, more laid
back and very friendly and open and
she was inspired by the welcoming
atmosphere she experienced there
and brought some of the Span-
ish sunshine back home with her.
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