Fall-ing for Czechia

Spending my second month in Czechia has been a whirlwind of autumn colors, community events, and unforgettable moments as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. From quiet days in Třebíč to helping prepare a village celebration and exploring Brno’s historic landmarks, October was full of growth, culture, and new beginnings. Here’s how Czechia is slowly becoming “home.”

Finding My Footing During My Second Month in Czechia

How to begin my second Blog after such an eventful first entry…well I don’t know, so how about we begin with a fact. I have officially been in the Czech Republic for 2 months, marking 8 months left in my exchange year. In just two months I can already see such massive growth in myself and my mindset now. The first month contained the most intense learning curve of my life. I wasn’t sure what to eat, the language barrier was at its peak, I was adjusting to a new school system and so many new people, it was challenging. However, the wonderful thing about a learning curve, a challenge , is that eventually you begin to overcome it.

Slowly but surely you find your footing again. October has marked the beginning of this “overcoming”, allowing for quiet, simple moments as well as the exciting, the new, and the nerve wracking.

Autumn in Třebíč: Parks, Bookstores, and Too Much Coffee

The Month started off with a quiet two weeks of enjoying Třebíč and the beautiful fall atmosphere found within it. Soon the fall will be gone and replaced with the grey, bitter cold of winter so I’ve made a point to take in all the colour. My favorite falls activities have included walking through the park with friends, meandering around bookstores only to not buy anything and copious amounts of coffee.

A walk in the park after class!

Coffee Coffee Coffee

When I was little my mom told me that coffee stunts your growth, and at this rate there’s a solid chance I will return to Canada a foot shorter (sorry mom). Overall Třebíč has made getting into the fall spirit no issue for me at all and I have a feeling that I’ll miss it quite a bit when the leaves have finally concluded they’re display.

Helping Prepare Senorady’s Children’s Day

The weekend of the 17th held plenty of excitement, beginning with preparations for Senorady’s children’s day. It would take place on the 18th so sadly I was unable to attend however I was glad to be able to help with set up. This event would feature different interactive educational stations outside based around the 4 elements. The children would take the lead visiting each station until reaching the final checkpoint with food and drink. Together with my host mum and other families in the village we cleared brush along the children’s path and crafted interactive components for each station.

Senorady’s Childrens day poster featuring the “senoradsky” an elf like creature

While neither of these activities were things I was particularly skilled at, I still am so glad to have gotten to participate. I find I always end up having a lot of fun when I get the chance to help with these types of things. Not only is it a way to show appreciation for their hospitality without language but I love getting the chance to talk with everyone , even if I don’t always understand what we’re talking about. I really admire everyone’s initiative and teamwork in putting together these events and am glad to be able to help with that even if in a minor way. Community is so important and something I find is often taken for granted, it really makes me so happy to see the exact opposite is happening in Senorady.

Celebrating 30 Years of Rotary Club Třebíč

The 18th was even busier as this day marked the Třebíč Rotary Club’s 30th Anniversary. Me, my host mum and host aunt dressed in our best and made our way to Třebíč to celebrate with other club members, Rotex and exchange students. At this event we listened to presentations on the history and impact of Třebíč’s Rotary Club, followed by a trip to the Třebíč theater to see a performance of Il Congelatore – Zmrazovač and finally a dinner.

Il Congelatore – Zmrazovač

Me, Anna (middle) and Nastia (Left) at the theater!

My favorite part was definitely the performance. Although it was in Czech (which I can’t understand quite yet) it’s humor easily broke the language barrier. Me and the other exchange students in attendance nearly cried laughing. It was definitely a memorable performance despite the fact I haven’t a clue regarding characters or plot points.Despite the fact that at the time of writing this entry it’s been a couple weeks since the anniversary, I’d like to officially wish the Třebíč Rotary club a very happy 30’th birthday!

A Host Brother Birthday

Rotary Třebíč weren’t the only ones celebrating an October birthday as the following week my host brother Vojta turned 20. To celebrate , my host family and I had lunch and cake together, gave gifts and went on a hike. Again, this entry is coming a bit later than the birthday but despite that I’d like to also wish a very happy birthday to my amazing host brother who has always been there to help, whether that meant translations, explaining Czech traditions and customs or just chatting in English when I didn’t have the words in Czech. Much love , I hope 20 treats you well!

A Day Trip to Brno: Cathedrals, Castles, and Life‑Changing Waffles

Lastly, as an amazing conclusion to the month, my host mum, aunt and brother planned a day trip to Brno so I could see all of its sights. Brno is Czechia’s second biggest city under Prague and served as the Moravian capital up until 1948. Brno is known for its extremely rich history as well as its large student population. We saw and did so much this day so here’s my highlight reel. Our first stop; The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul , one of south Moravia’s most important pieces of architecture (built in the 14th century). Getting to visit this stunning, gothic-style cathedral was one of my bucket list items for my exchange year and it did nothing but exceed my expectations.

View of Brno’s old town

A life changing waffle

I simply don’t have the words to describe how much getting to see this church meant to me and although I’d hate to lessen the other activities of the day, this was definitely my favorite sight of the day. Some of our other stops included the historical Špilberk Castle, The stunning old town hall, Zelný trh where a vegetable market is held every morning, the stunning red church, The Moravian square and a stop at a local cafe for coffee and some of the best waffles I’ve ever had. It was such an amazing day and I have nothing but glowing reviews for the city of Brno.

How Czechia Is Slowly Becoming “Home”

As mentioned in the beginning of this entry, October made way for both quiet as well as loud moments , but both definitely held an impact. Slowly but surely, Czechia, Třebíč, Senorady and the amazing people I’ve met here are becoming “home”. Slowly but surely, I’m breaking through the language barrier. Slowly but surely, I’m finding my footing.

The Red Church ( Červený kostel)

Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul

My concluding statement should probably be in regards to the length of this entry. “Such a length will not be consistent as I plan to post more frequently than once a month.” – Emily 2025 Okay so maybe I was just a little bit optimistic in this statement . There is a very real possibility these entries will continue to be monthly and incredibly long winded, depending on how well you know my incredibly talkative self, this won’t be a surprise. Feel free to scroll through the pictures and lie when I ask if you’ve read it, no offense could reasonably be taken. That being said, much love to everyone who’s managed to make it this far. I cannot wait to see what November holds in store!