There’s a Kafka quote at the bottom of the staircase at the hostel that reads: “Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” For me, volunteering at the Prague Hostel Internship project was about learning to discover the beauty in Prague and the new people that I met while I was here. And it turned out falling in love with Prague was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
The project really stood out to me because I really wanted the opportunity to explore a medieval city and learn what it was like to work in the tourism industry. My first real taste of the hospitality business came on Easter weekend; over three days, the other interns and I made over 300 beds. But between making breakfast to bartending, I truly enjoyed helping people discover this beautiful city and discovering it myself along the way.
After I got off work, I would grab a sandwich and head to Kampa Park. It’s home to the Kampa Museum, David Cerny sculptures, and is always full of people. On sunny afternoons, I would spend hours enjoying the outside, and taking candids of people. Other days I would see the sights with my friends Gaia and Janita, two other interns, like Dox, Prague’s contemporary art museum, or climb to the top of the astronomical clock to watch the sun set.
Once it gets dark, the whole city atmosphere changes and one of my favorite haunts is Chapeau Rouge, a 100 year-old bar just outside Old Town Square. On Mondays they have a great techno party with deejays mixing in the underground club all night. Other nights I would go to Usudu, a pub close to the hostel, with friends to play foosball and have a Pilsner.
The best part of this project was all of the people that I met living in the hostel. Not only did I become good friends with the people who work at the hostel but being there during my internship allowed me to spend time with the guests. One of my favorite new friends was Johnny, a writer from Sweden, who came down to the bar every night during his stay to talk about the book he was writing about the hostel and what it was like living in seclusion in the woods for more than a decade. He always made me laugh with his unbelievable stories, and he had great taste in contemporary literature.
For me, choosing this project was a split-second decision, and it turns out that living by the seat of my pants suits me; I am now an expat living and working in Prague….indefinitely!
There’s only one piece of advice that I have for people looking into this internship—make sure you get your long-term visa before coming to Prague. Chances are the city will steal your heart and you’ll never want to leave.
