District Roulette: Finding Home in the Unexpected
Meet the Wanderer
VICTORIA OROZCO | PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
A Femme Forward Flight Foundation Inc. publication
Every journey begins with a story.
Hi my name is Victoria Orozco, and I'm not quite sure who I am yet. I am currently a Psychology major studying abroad in Prague. My parents inspired me to study abroad. They studied abroad when they were younger and they later became immigrants in the United States. This is the place I call home, even if home has felt difficult to define in recent years. I began solo traveling at seventeen. My interests range from recent research in psychedelic assisted therapy to music history, eating pastries and mixed martial arts. My favorite book is Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. My favorite movie is Avatar…The one with the big blue people.
The District Roulette Experience
I don’t have class on Fridays so I'll usually spend my day doing “district roulette”. Prague is divided into 10 districts and all are connected by a beautiful public transportation system. I pack my tote and hop on the first tram that comes to the station nearest to me.
When do I hop off?
Whenever I see something that catches my eye.
Whether that's a block crowded with locals, a pretty building or a warmly lit cafe. I don’t question my instinct. I step off and begin my pilgrimage.
As I walk, I begin to create my own map, marking sites or stores that spark my interest on google maps. Unlike the United States, there's an abundance of third spaces, where people can just exist without spending money. When I need to rest, I'll sit down on a bench and people watch, observing the rhythms of people's everyday life. Sometimes I'll note my observations, of course many of these being broad generalizations, but I think that’s part of the fun.
.A picture of me by the church in front of our school.
Prague Castle.
Picture I took while doing district roulette. Thought the pastel buildings looked nice.
The Little Things Along the Way
List of things I noticed in my last expedition:
Scarves everywhere, especially when the weather drops below 60°F
A multitude of small, independent dogs who loyally follow their owners without a leash throughout the busy streets of Prague. I wonder if they all have to go to mandatory puppy school...
Everyone smokes, yet cigarette butts are not abandoned on the floor, rather placed on a special metal lid on top of the public trashcans. Cigarette penthouse.
No big yellow school buses. Everyone takes public transportation.
"Picture I took on my solo walk." -Victoria O.
Finding Perspective
Since my time is limited here, I try not to go back to the same spot twice. Instead, I save these recommendations for my friends who are here abroad or for my family members who will eventually come visit.
These “district roulettes” have taught me the value of observation. I try to pay attention to everything around me, sometimes inventing stories about the people that pass me by or the inanimate object that rests in my field of vision. After all, the best way to learn is to learn like a child. Children observe everything relentlessly. They mimic, they ask questions and all without embarrassment. I feel that the older you get, your brain tries to convince you that you’ve lost that freedom by becoming more predictable. In psychology, this is called habituation. We also become more self-conscious. So how does one stay curious while remaining respectful? I observe before I assume.
Easier said than done, because we all have internal biases, our brains constantly searching for patterns. I try to approach these days more like an alien and not an expert, embracing the unexpectedness even if it’s uncomfortable.
It’s easy to feel like an outsider, especially as a young woman living alone in a foreign country for the first time. This practice pulls me out of my own head, especially when you realize that at our core, we are more similar than we think. This helps keep your mind open as well as your heart.
I'm convinced that if more of us spent time simply observing, a lot of our misunderstandings would dissipate.
Sometimes if I'm feeling really bold… I’ll practice my Czech with the locals. Anyways to sum it up, here’s a quote by Mr. Bourdain:
“If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody."
"Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.” ― Anthony Bourdain
Stay curious,
Victoria Orozco
Until the Next Takeoff...
Every journey has a story. Every student has a perspective. And every destination has something new to teach us. Follow along Victoria's journey as she spends a semester in Prague.
Stay exploring. Stay inspired. The world awaits.
JETSETTER JOURNAL
A Femme Forward Flight Foundation Inc. publication
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