It probably all started in July 2024. For my best friend’s birthday, I planned what felt like the perfect gift, a trip to Georgia. But the flight got cancelled, and suddenly we had to rethink everything and choose a completely new destination. After a long TikTok research session, we ended up choosing Prague. Honestly, I had zero expectations. But the moment we arrived, it was a total match. Beyond the stunning beauty, amazing food, and craziest nights out, Prague caught me with this incredible feeling of safety, like I was finally in the right place. For the first time in my life, I had a dream – to move here.
Fast forward to December 2025. I’m a crossmedia student, sitting in my tiny studio apartment, chaotically finishing my thesis and thinking about what to do next once my studies are finally over. My university refused to offer me an internship abroad due to budget limitations, and jons available in Tallinn felt far from what I actually wanted to do. Prague was still stuck in my head, refusing to leave.
Like a mature adult, I complained about my situation to my mom. I told her I couldn’t stay in a place I didn’t feel mentally connected to anymore. She decided to help and typed three words into Google: “media job Prague.” And the very first result was an ESC volunteering position at INEX as a PR assistant.
I applied on the deadline day, with no real expectations and no backup plan. After that, everything felt like a blur: I get a response, a creative task with a 24-hour deadline, full day of filming, then an interview invitation, endlessly rehearsing answers in my head, doing the interview, nervously waiting for two days… I open my email and see the message: “We choose you!”
In January, I defended my bachelor’s thesis, and the very next day I was already sitting in Prague, in my new, still empty room. I wasn’t scared, just very curious. Everything was happening so fast that I didn’t really have time to worry, so my adaptation – both at INEX and in the city – went incredibly quickly. By the first week, I was already going to concerts, and by the second, playing pool with locals.
The months flew by one after another. February – rediscovering the city and tonsillitis. March – on-arrival training and my first Estonian friend visiting. April – trip to Vienna. May – tonsillitis again, 35 years celebration of INEX, festival in an abandoned stadium, solo trip to Budapest, and new friends in Bratislava.
While choosing photos for this article, I realized how much I’ve already managed to do, experience, and feel. And now, I honestly can’t even imagine how much more is still ahead of me.
Láká tě také vyjet do zahraničí na 2 až 12 měsíců? Evropský sbor solidarity (European Solidarity Corps, ESC) je program Evropské komise, který umožňuje mladým lidem ve věku 18-30 let získat zkušenosti v zemích Evropy i mimo ni.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
