I am now halfway through my time here in Slovakia. It has been a whirlwind of adventure and emotions in these last five months. When I first arrived in Slovakia, I did not know what to expect about this country, my teaching, the local people or my Fulbright group. Even though I was nervous about this new adventure, I also wanted to be courageous and have as many new experiences as I could. In the first month, I took one day at a time. I didn’t set too many expectations for my school or my colleagues because I did not know what it all would be like. I am happy to say that my journey has already exceeded my expectations. Little did I know that within my first week, I would meet friends for life, a mentor who has taken me in as her own family and a new place that I can call my second home.
Besides wanting to learn about the education system in Slovakia, I also wanted to connect with my family’s ancestry. Within the first couple of weeks of living in Slovakia, I met our cousins and visited the town where my great-grandparents are from. It was wild to hear people pronounce my last name correctly on the first try! I always knew about our connection to Slovakia, but I never knew how deeply rooted our family tree was in this country. I can already feel a greater sense of pride in my family’s culture.
