Evan and I decided early in our relationship that we wanted to be intentional with our life instead of letting life just happen to us. He had always wanted to live in Europe, so we decided to go for it after graduation before life gets ‘too busy’. We’ve been living in Prague, Czech Republic now for about five months and, since I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how it’s going, I figured it was time for an update!
Process of Moving
Evan and I chose to come on freelance visa, which allows you to move without already having a job lined up. You can begin freelancing for Czech businesses once you get the visa, which is perfect for a graphic designer. We had to get bank statements, affidavits stating that we haven’t committed any crimes, housing verifications, and more before we were able to apply in Berlin. It’s been quite the process and we FINALLY heard that our visas were approved last week! But through it all I am SO grateful for this little business to provide some income while we were waiting to start working here. Lively Letter Co. has been such a blessing!
Finding an apartment
The hardest part initially was finding an apartment. The housing market in Prague has been increasing in price while becoming limited in availability due to the rise in tourism, immigration and companies like AirBNB. We finally found a studio apartment that is very small and just has a four-burner stove and a mini-fridge for the kitchen (see photo of the entirety of our kitchen for proof). We sacrificed space so we could live in the heart of the city and it has been well worth it – we are learning to live minimally so that we can enjoy life to the fullest!
Exploring the City
Since we have limited income and because we live in such a beautiful place, we spend most of our free time walking and exploring the city. It’s amazing to walk daily among such beautiful buildings with vast history! Throughout the city there are historical markers where events took place during World War II or during the fall of Communism in the 80’s. I am constantly inspired by all that has occurred here and how the city has remained so beautiful in the face of such tragedy and hardship.
Working in Cafés
The most that I use my very minimal knowledge of the Czech language is at coffee shops. “Jedna cappuccino, prosim!” “Tady nebo s Sebou?” “Tady, Dekuji” I’m typically ordering a cappuccino “for here” so that I can stay in one of the beautiful coffee shops in Prague and work on a design for a client. Even in America I found that I am most productive in coffee shops and I was glad to find that the coffee shops here are wonderful (dare I even say, better?) and they all have a tempting selection of handmade pastries and desserts.
My Favorite Parts of Living in Prague?
-
Meeting people from all over – Britain, Russia, Italy, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Philippines, Ghana, and Australia to name just a few. I enjoy talking to them, learning about their cultures and experiencing the culture of the Czech Republic.
-
There is beauty and inspiration everywhere, literally everywhere! Even on the streets I walk every day I am constantly seeing something new and beautiful and it has been a huge source of inspiration for my designs.
-
Beer and wine are very good and very cheap – and I love that you can take a bottle of wine to a park or enjoy the best views of the city from a beer garden.
-
It is easy to travel to historic cities. We have already been to Oktoberfest in Munich and travelled to Berlin to see the remains of the Berlin wall and the Reichstag. Trips are in the works for Vienna and other cities now that we have our visas. It’s unreal to walk in places I’ve read about in history books and seen on travel blogs.
All in all, I’m loving this time of life and I’m so grateful for the influence it is having on me. Everything from the different cultures to the minimal living and emphasis on experiences over possessions, I’ve learned so much about myself and what I value simply by putting myself in unfamiliar situations daily.
If you have ever traveled or lived in another country, what was your favorite part?
