Happy Friday everyone! Today marks two months since I left and holy buckets has time flown by! I am currently awaiting the arrival of my family who I am beyond excited to see!! Let the #SwensonFamilyEuropeanVacation begin!! The last week and a half has been crazy busy. I had a visit from one of my very best friends, finished up in lab, and had to say good-bye to many new friends.

This last weekend one of my favorite people came to visit me: Emilie! She has been staying with family in Germany all summer and we of course had to meet up while we were both in Europe. So I told her to hop a train and to come and see me in Prague! We spent the weekend wandering around the beautiful city; seeing beautiful views, cathedrals, and of course, enjoying a beer or two.

On Saturday we ventured out of the heart of Prague to the town Kutná Hora. This town is home to the Sedlec Ossuary, which is a chapel that houses thousands of human bones that date back to the 13th century. The story goes that the bones were discovered and needed to be put somewhere, as this cemetery was said to contain holy soil and was therefore a desirable place to be buried. So they gave the job of stacking the bones to a blind monk who built what we see today (for the most part).

This town is also home to the gorgeous St. Barbara’s cathedral. This cathedral is probably in my top 5 “Most Amazing Buildings I’ve Seen.” It was very very impressive, and once again, the pictures do not do it justice.

Having Emilie visit for the weekend was such a fun experience! I am so thankful that we both had the opportunity to spend our summer in Europe and that we got to see each other. Thank you for coming to visit Emilie! See you in Duluth in a few weeks for some pie!

This week was my last week in lab (yes, I did work this summer, I promise). This summer my project was focused on developing a biosensor to detect pollutants in the environment. It was research that is very very different than what I do back home and involved learning a lot of new things. I expanded my technical skills tool belt as well as learned a LOT about electrochemistry and how it can be applied for a wide range of research interests. I am so grateful for the opportunity this summer to try out a different area of research and to expand my education. I can’t thank my mentors enough for being so patient with me when things didn’t work and for taking time to teach me so many new things. While I did enjoy this research, I am very much looking forward to getting back to my work on dirt and fungi!

This experience has been one for the books. It would not have been the same without the people I met along the way. Thank you to my fellow students that were on this adventure with me. Thank you Sarah for being such a great roommate! While I will be happy to not have to hear your alarm every morning 😉 I am going to miss our life chats and the wild adventures we shared. I also want to give a shout-out to the grad students at my university! You all were so welcoming to Andre and I and you made work so much fun! I hope to see you guys again at some point!

Speaking of Andre, I have to thank him the most. Andre has been my travel and work buddy all summer. Thank you for being such an awesome person to travel with! I will never forget the trips we took and the experiences we shared. It’s going to be so weird not seeing you everyday and not going to like Rome or Vienna every other weekend. But, I hope to see you in Duluth at some point and we’ll grab a beer (which will be so much more expensive but oh well) and of course some wafers.

Thank you all for following along with me on my adventure! I will have one more post of course relaying the #SwensonFamilyEuropeanVacation. See you soon!

Hello! I know it’s been a while, but goodness I’ve been busy! The past couple weeks have been full of lab work (because yes I do work) and birthday celebrations. This past Wednesday a group of graduate students from the university I work at took me out to celebrate! It was a really fun evening full of surprises, including a restaurant wide rendition of “Happy Birthday” and a delicious cake!

This past weekend, my travel bff Andre and I journeyed by train (7 hours one way) to Kraków, Poland. This trip took us back in time as I got to wander the streets that some of my ancestors wandered. Saturday night and Sunday night were spent walking around Kraków and eating lots of perogies. The city itself was beautiful and felt a little less busy than the other cities we have traveled to. It felt like home in a way! It was really cool to be able to walk around the streets and think about how some of my ancestors may have walked up and down those same streets.

Our journey also took us back to a darker time. Along with visiting the city of Kraków, we journeyed to Auschwitz. I was hesitant to go to Auschwitz at first as I didn’t think I would be able to handle it. After talking to some people about it, I decided that they were all right: it is one of those things that you won’t be able to handle, but you should go anyways if you have the chance. I am glad I went because it was a very powerful experience and one that needs to be had, if possible. I would like to share my experience at Auschwitz as best as I can and as real as I can. I would like to warn you that the experience was not a light one. Read it if you wish, and I strongly encourage you to; otherwise, I will leave you here and see you for my next adventure.

An Experience I Will Never Forget

Sunday we began our journey by visiting the Oskar Schindler museum. What was inside this museum was not what I was expecting. The exhibition told the story of Kraków and what the citizens went through in the time the Nazi Regime occupied the city; a little over five years. I couldn’t believe how long that was. For over five years people walked the streets in fear, whether they were Jewish or not. For over five years they had to wonder if they would have enough food to eat (they never did) or the correct ID so they wouldn’t get shipped away or if they would be arrested for going to school. I never really understood, and still can’t, how much fear and terror was present in this city. A city that was just like any other.

Following the museum we headed to the bus that would take us to Auschwitz. There are two parts to Auschwitz: Auschwitz I, the original camp, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the camp that was built later and designed to carry out the mission of the Nazi Party. We went to Birkenau first. It was expected to rain that day, but it had been sunny up until we arrived at Auschwitz. When we stepped off the bus at Birkenau, the winds picked up to about 30 mph gusts with dark clouds threatening a storm. I have never seen a sight as eerie as that. We walked through the brick gate, with barbed wire on either side, into a prison larger than I ever could have imagined. I couldn’t believe how massive this place was. We wandered aimlessly along the gravel paths, following the train tracks that brought 1.5 million people to their deaths. We reached the back of the camp, to a pile of rubble that was clearly once a large structure. I wandered up to the sign to read what this building once was. It was one of the five gas chambers and crematoriums. I walked to the edge of the rubble and stood there, taking in the most evil sight I have ever seen in my life. It was at that exact moment that it not only began to rain, but to pour. Buckets of water pelted me and my umbrella as I stood there, trying to comprehend what lay before me. We continued to walk along in the pouring rain. We felt as though it would have been wrong to stand there and wait it out; for how could we possibly be miserable, or complain about our situation? We couldn’t. We wandered on through the rain and puddles to the barracks that looked like horse stables. Shacks that had beds for not even 100 people, but that housed 400 at a time. Our final stop was at the back corner of the camp, at a seemingly beautiful grove of trees. Another pile of rubble lay underneath them and another sign. The sign told of how the rubble was another gas chamber and crematorium. The grove of trees was where people stood while they waited to enter. The trees were no longer beautiful, but instead made me sick. There was a field just past the rubble where thousands of ashes lay buried. Where thousands of people that were senselessly murdered, lie scattered together. I cried then, and I am crying now as I write this. I still can’t wrap my head around the immense evil that was present there.

After our visit to Birkenau, we went to Auschwitz I. This camp was very different than Birkenau. It was restored much more than Birkenau and much more of a museum. Inside the buildings were artifacts from the time and pictures of people that were murdered there. It was a different kind of horrible. However, Auschwitz I did hold the most terrible sight of all. In this prison still stands a building that was used for storage as well as shelter for air raids. It also was the first functional gas chamber at Auschwitz. We walked inside to this dingy, stone bunker; the sight that was the last for millions. The emotions I felt in there are ones that I can’t name because I have never felt them before. They were so much more than sadness and horror.

While I have put some of my experience into words, I can’t convey what it feels like to visit this place. I learned that pictures and stories do not convey the horrors that took place. After visiting Auschwitz, I feel like we will never be able to fully understand the evil that took place. We can, however, make sure that a horror like this never comes to this Earth again. We can spread Love and Hope and Acceptance for all people. We can take action to stop the evil we do see in our everyday world. We can speak up for those that are oppressed and terrorized. Because it does not matter where you come from, the color of your skin, your sexual identity or orientation, or your religious affiliation. A human is human. And every human deserves to be treated with Love, Respect, and Kindness.

Happy Monday! Grab a fresh cup of coffee and settle in because I am very excited to tell you all about my 5 day adventure in Italy!

The adventure began last Tuesday morning when my new travel bff Andre and I flew from Prague to Bergamo airport. We hopped a bus to the city center of Milan where we were greeted with the most intense heat either of us had ever felt. Luckily we figured out the public transit quickly and got to our Airbnb where there was AC in the room!! I cannot stress enough how amazing this was. AC is almost nonexistent in Prague and is not common in apartments or places of residence. We shared our Airbnb with a couple from Poland and got to chatting. This encounter finalized our decision to book our final trip this summer to Krakow, Poland (coming soon!). We really only had an evening in Milan by the time we got settled, but we got to go out with a local! Andre’s research mentor here in Prague has a very good friend that lives in Milan so we took her out to dinner! Giovanna was easily one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and she had such a positive outlook on life that it was difficult not to smile the whole time. After dinner we walked around for a bit and met her friend Alessandra who took us for gelato at her favorite local place. We didn’t see much in Milan, but we had some incredible food and some excellent company!

The next morning we took a train to Florence for our second stop in Italy where the temperature would climb to 100 degrees. Our Airbnb did not have AC, sadly! Don’t worry though, we have learned that drinking lots of water and taking a cold rinse in the shower can do wonders. Wednesday evening we wandered around the city, traveling down to the river and to the best gelato shop in Florence thanks to recommendations from a few travelers before us (shout out to my cousin Gaby and my friend Marissa for the tip)! We ended the night by wandering up the hill to see a gorgeous view of the city!

The next morning we woke up early, grabbed a croissant and espresso in true Italian fashion, and got to the Accademia Gallery 45 minutes before it opened to ensure we got to see the David as tickets ahead of time were sold out weeks ago. Thanks to the internet we learned if we got there early enough, we could probably get in. And it worked!! We got in the minute the doors opened and got to see the David before it became packed with people. Guys, I can’t express how incredible it was in person. The pictures truly don’t do it justice, so if you get the chance, go see it for yourself!

The rest of the day we spent milling around leather markets and in and out of shops. We then caught our train to Rome in the late afternoon. The minute we left the transit station in Rome to go to our Airbnb I realized how special Rome is. There are ruins everywhere and you can feel the immense history of the city.

Friday was spent walking (17.6 miles to be exact) all around Rome. Our tickets for the Colosseum were for 8:30 am when it opened, and again, we got there early per the advice of the internet and it was worth it! We got into the Colosseum before everyone else and got to experience it before the crowds. Again, the pictures don’t do it justice. It was absolutely incredible!! Our tickets just let us in for the basic access, but it was incredible to be able to just wander around and take in the ancient history that is there. The structure itself is thousands of years old which I just can’t quite wrap my head around. Following the Colosseum, we quickly visited the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, both of which are home to many ruins. The Roman Forum was amazing to walk through as there are so many skeletons of structures still there that it almost feels like you are taking a walk through time. It was so cool to be able to visit these places that I’ve learned about in school so much. The middle school Jenna in me was freaking out just a little!

Friday evening took us to the Vatican City where we had 8:30 pm tickets for the museum and Sistine Chapel. Before we did that though, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica. This was the most beautiful space I had ever been in (until we got to the Sistine Chapel of course). The Basilica was massive and full of incredible architecture. I may not be Catholic, but I could feel the magnitude of this space as a Christian. We also got to go into the grotto where many of the Popes are buried. The AP Euro was coming back to me yet again! After a dinner of incredible pasta, wine, and tiramisu we got to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. We thought with these special night opening tickets we scored that it would be less busy…we were wrong. It was pretty packed through the whole museum so we just shuffled along and worked our way to the Sistine Chapel. Now, I don’t have any pictures of inside the Chapel as it is forbidden to take pictures in there as it is a Holy space. I completely agree with that though and let me tell you, pictures wouldn’t do it justice. The artwork is unlike anything I have ever seen. The detail in each and every person depicted and the expressions are just spectacular. The color is so vibrant, it looks brand new. I really don’t have words to describe how incredible it is, so I will just say that if you get the chance to see it, you should!

While we only got 5 days in Italy, we still got 5 days in Italy! It was a short trip but one that was full of new experiences, good food, and amazing sights. I am so so thankful for the opportunity to do something like this. Now it is back to work (yes, I am still doing research don’t worry) and getting ready for birthday celebrations this coming weekend!

Happy Thursday! I hope it is a lot cooler where you are reading this! Yesterday the temperature heated up to an aggressive 96 degrees. I don’t think I have ever sweat as much as I did yesterday! Don’t worry though, I am drinking LOTS of water to make up for it. Everyone was telling us yesterday that that was the hottest day of the summer. Well, the forecast for Sunday is saying 98 degrees, so we will see about that!

Last weekend, two of my new friends, Andre and Sarah, and I went to Vienna for the weekend. We took a 4 hour train on Friday and arrived in the evening. That night was pretty much grabbing some schnitzel (and beer of course) and hitting the hay.

Saturday was a full day! We started early in the morning at a cafe. From there we just decided to wander the streets and see what we could find! The method of the day was to find a spire (because they are everywhere) and walk until we run into it or something else along the way. This method led us to a lot of beautiful palaces and cathedrals.

It started to rain later in the morning so we popped into an art museum that had a Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso exhibit on display. I’m not really one for art, but I can acknowledge that it was quite a cool exhibit and experience! We also stumbled upon some Michelangelo sketches in another part of the museum.

The afternoon took us a little out of the city center and to the beautiful Schönbrunn Palace. This was by far my favorite palace that we visited. This palace is a bit more recent (to European standards) as it was built in the 18th century. While the architecture is fairly modern, this palace is MASSIVE. When you walk through the gates you enter a massive courtyard with fountains and a view of the front of the palace. We sat on a bench for a while to take it all in and ended up meeting a fellow Midwesterner! Around the back there is a maze of botanical gardens that are very impressive. The gardens are straight out of a fairy tale. It was a scene that I would love to go back to for a romantic walk (hint hint Michael ;))! The gardens open to the back side of the palace that is just as impressive as the front. It opens up into another grand courtyard that ended with a magnificent fountain. Behind this fountain was a hill that we of course climbed. The top of this hill gave a gorgeous view of the city from above. If you ever get the chance to visit Vienna, I would recommend spending the afternoon at this palace!!

The rest of Saturday took us to dinner and a nice night out with another great view of the city!

Our journey ended on Sunday, with a rainy morning spent in cafes and another 4 hour train ride back to Prague. Vienna has definitely captured my heart! The amount of history that surrounds that city is just incredible! I would absolutely love to go back some day and spend more time there! Next week it is off to Italy!

Hello again! My first two and a half weeks in Prague are officially in the books! I honestly can’t believe that I have been here for two and a half weeks already. Time flies by when you’re having adventures! Overall, I definitely feel like I am settling in to the city life here. I would say that I am pretty much a pro now when it comes to the metro. While I do miss Duluth in terms of fewer people and cars, as well as cooler temperatures, I really like the public transportation around here. It is very easy to use and super efficient!

This past weekend we went on our first weekend get away! We took a bus to the small village of Zahrádky. We stayed in an AirBnB above a pub that had some of the best Czech food I have had here! The food and beer were also very cheap! I got 0.5 L of beer for about a dollar. Below is one of my new favorite dishes called Topinka or Czech toast. It had a very similar flavor to a chicken fajita dish. Very tasty!

On Saturday we traveled to a castle not far away from this village, Castle Bezdez. This castle was built in the 13th century and a large part of the structure still stands today. It was a bit of a hike up to the castle as almost all castles were built on hills. The climb made for a gorgeous view at the top! When you stand in something this old, it is very difficult to comprehend what exactly that means. It’s quite difficult to wrap your head around the fact that you are standing in a spot that was constructed centuries ago.

After the castle on Saturday we just relaxed at our AirBnB. There was a lake right there which made it feel a bit like home! On Sunday we went for a hike through the woods to a place called “Czech Peklo” or “Czech Hell.” I don’t know why it’s called that but it was beautiful! Until it rained on us the whole way back, but what’s a hike without a little adventure!

This week has been full of work in the lab, but this afternoon begins our first adventure outside of the Czech Republic: Vienna, Austria!

Hey there! My first week and a half in Prague is in the books! It’s been an exciting and adventure filled time. I learned very quickly that jet lag is a very real and not fun thing! But don’t worry, I am finally on a normal sleeping schedule and no longer feel exhausted all day!

I was going to start in lab last Thursday, however, Thursday was the faculty of Chemistry’s annual hike outside. Because of this, instead of starting in lab we got to take our first trip out of the city. We took our first train and got to see a bit of the Czech countryside which is BEAUTIFUL!! Our 8 km (~5 miles) hike took us through the woods and ended at a pub, in true Czech fashion.

This past week was my first official week in lab! I’ve been learning a lot about electrochemistry and am very thankful that I was just a TA for a class that talked about electrochemistry and analytical chemistry! My project is a lot of both! This week has been a lot of training on learning how the electrodes work, how they detect the compound I’m looking at, and troubleshooting when things don’t go right! I have a lot of work ahead of me but it’s an excellent opportunity to expand my tool belt of chemical instrumentation.

Of course I have done some of the touristy things as well as the science. We’ve explored Old Town which has been around for hundreds of years. We’ve also walked a lot of streets and admired the beautiful architecture. My favorite place in Prague so far is Vyšehrad. It is one of the oldest castles in Prague and is by far the best as there are very few tourists. It’s also about a 15 minute walk from my university and I see it on my way to work!

Among other tourist attractions we have climbed to the top of the Petrin tower which gives a very nice view of the city, including Prague Castle.

And finally we found the most interesting tourist attraction in Prague: the two men peeing, also know as “Piss.”

It has definitely been an adjustment living over here but I am having a wonderful time! I think my body has finally adjusted to the constant 85 degree temperatures! Everyday I am incredibly impressed by the architecture that is throughout this city and the beauty that lies throughout. I am also gaining an immense appreciation for the Czech people that deal with our inability to speak their language and the patience that they have for us. For now, best wishes from Prague!

Hello from Prague! After +24 hours of travel, we arrived in Prague on Monday afternoon at approximately 1:00 pm Prague time. (Prague is 7 hours ahead of Minnesota). We took 3 flights, had a very long layover in Minneapolis including a delayed flight, followed by a short layover in the JFK airport which then led to about a 2 hour delay on the runway due to weather. Finally after a 7.5 hour flight, we made it!

Following the congestion of customs we made it to our dorms where we will call “home” for the next two months. Below is the nice view from our 9th floor dorm.

The one thing that has surprised me most around this city is the amount of vegetation and greenery around. Also, it’s been very warm! The past three days have all been around 85 degrees and there is not really air conditioning around here.

The past couple days we have spent touring the institutions we will be working at and meeting our mentors. This week a lot of testing is going on so I won’t really start in the lab until next week. But I am very much looking forward to it! Here is one of the teaching labs at my university. Apparently it is used to film historical movies due to the older look of it. Who knows, maybe I’ll become a movie star while I’m here!

Finally, we have of course been learning about the local culture. Beer is pretty much a staple around here! Since I am not quite 21, I got to enjoy my first legal beer on Monday when we went to dinner! Also, it is very very cheap. A typical beer here costs around $1-1.50 in US dollars for about half a liter.

Over all, I am enjoying this beautiful city! We haven’t had much time to explore yet and the time that we’ve had off has been used to rest and try to get rid of our jet lag, but we are hoping to explore more in the coming days!

Hello everyone! As you may know (or not), I am about to begin my stay in Prague where I will be conducting chemistry research at Charles University. I anticipate staying very busy for the 8 weeks that I am there. Because of that, I have heard that a blog is the way to keep everyone in the loop (that wants to be!) while abroad. So if you would like to keep up to date on all things Science and Adventure related, please follow along!

Currently I am in Grand Forks, North Dakota where I am staying until I fly out tomorrow. Along with me are 4 other fantastic college scientists from around the Midwest who I will be sharing this adventure with! Today is a day of preparation for a full day of travel tomorrow. I am incredibly excited to be in Prague as I have heard many wonderful things about it! It is going to be quite a change from home, but one that I think will be quite amazing! Here’s to three flights tomorrow and hopefully a little sleep somewhere along the way!