Thank you, Prague

Tomorrow, I leave this fantastic city and move on to Slovakia, where a colleague and I continue conversations about possible faculty/student exchanges, with a university in Presov.

I return to Prague in May 2011, when the School of Communication's international media class makes a near two-week visit here. That group will consist of about 20 students and a couple of faculty, and we will explore various communication organizations in this capital city.

Of course, we will do some sightseeing, and all of us will have the chance to take in the culture of Prague.

I was struck over my five days here by the number of ex-pats who now call Prague home. Whether they've been here for a couple of years or more than a decade, my sense is that none of them came here planning to stay many years, but Prague's beauty and bright future captivated them.

I met with the management and staff of four media organizations, and I like the vibrant English-language media available here. I hinted at internship possibilities at each organization -- knowing the students on this trip might have the same idea in mind! -- and the reception at each location was positive.

The sites my colleague Chris Rolinson and I saw during our stay here were many, and there is a natural tendency to want to pick "the best" or "my favorite. I suppose if I had to do that, I would choose the majestic St. Vitus Cathedral, which along with the Prague Castle we visited today. (You can find some pictures on my Facebook page.)

But to single out one place suggests a certain inferiority of other places, and that is not my point at all. I look forward to seeing the reactions on my students' faces when they see many of the same sites I saw. I anticipate them to be the same as mine have been.

So, thank you, Prague for five days of learning, exploring, seeing and enjoying. Let's do it again in May.