Riko wrote:

Then there were about 35 excited exchange students on a plane to Singapore. After about eight hours we landed in Changi Airport and it was time for us to split up. On the next flight to Frankfurt, Germany there were about 25 students and then there were only two of left on the flight to Vienna, Austria. When we arrived we were happily greeted by our host families, and I was off for the last 45 minute drive to Bratislava, Slovakia.

During my first night in Bratislava and it snowed for the first time this year. It was such a beautiful sight to wake up to, white trees and white snow everywhere on the ground. I went for a little walk along the street with my host mother and father. I had lots of fun stomping around on the snow.

On Monday evening, I went to my first Rotary meeting and I was able to meet the president of Rotary Club of Bratislava, my YEO and many more members. I also did a quick little impromptu introduction speech and I tried to use as much Slovak as I could which they were quite happy with.

On Tuesday, I had my first day of school at C.S. Lewis Bilingual High School. I have to wake up at about 5:30am as my school starts at 8:10am. I catch two buses and travel for about one hour to get from my house to school. After school, I went with the other exchange students in Bratislava to a Cat Café. It was my first time walking around the city and it was so beautiful.

Wednesday was my first day of getting lost. I caught a different bus to school, and I got off at the wrong stop which was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I had to walk through a paddock, through a little tunnel in the mud and along the side of the road until I found another bus stop that has the bus that I usually catch to school. I had to wait for about 25 minutes in the -3 degrees. That was not fun.

Friday after school, I went with the other exchange students for a little tour around Bratislava and we visited Bratislavsk Hrad/ Bratislava Castle. The view from the top was beautiful, you could see most of Old Town, the UFO bridge and the Danube River but it was a very foggy day. Apparently when it's clear you can see all the way into Austria. We walked around the Staré Mesto/Old Town. It looks like a completely different place compared to the rest of Bratislava, especially parts of the city such as Petrazalka which has a lot of tall apartments from the communist era. I also got to see the famous 'Man at work' and the Schne Nci statues. On the weekend, I was taken on a few hikes in the mountains near Zahorska Bystrica.

I have started Slovak Folk dance classes which are awesome. The teacher does not speak English, so the girls were helping me by translating and teaching me how to do certain moves. The footwork and timing is very hard, but practice makes perfect.

I am also taking Slovak language classes outside of school time. The teacher is great and really funny but it's a very fast-moving class, so I have to quickly write all the new words down.

Riko Fitzgerald