….And it’s here. I leave for Europe in 3 days. Training has begun and I am getting more and more excited about the potential of my time in the Czech Republic. I also am nervous… beyond nervous. Everything is up in the air and as a tried and true list maker I am starting to sweat a little bit. Nervousness is always a good thing though – it gives all of us an edge and a focus which I think will be crucial to my time in the field.

Before I can even start to really sink my teeth into my fellowship, I will be in ICELAND. That’s right; volcanoes, midnight sun, and the northern lights are in my future. This program is not associated with the Advocacy Project, but instead is a University of Maryland study abroad program which will be an elective for my Master of Public Policy degree program. I will be studying Nordic Family and Child Health care and comparing their systems to the system in the United States. I hope that some of what I learn there will be applicable to my time in the Czech Republic – but who truly knows? I’m excited to have the chance to complete a class while going to a country I have always wanted to visit. Anyway, back to the main event: my fellowship.

I am hoping to be working for Roma women for my fellowship with the Dženo Association. AP has a history of quilting to tell the story of marginalized groups, so perhaps I will be able to get a similar project going to further the interests of Roma women. I still have a lot of research that I would like to get done – but I am excited to see what other organization I can contact to further develop this issue. I stumbled upon a Roma festival happening in Prague this week (check it out: khamoro.cz) and there is actually going to be a documentary presented about Roma women called Women (Re) present. So I now have my first lead on who I am going to seek out to be another resource for Roma women, and hopefully even more!

Also, I should probably mention that I have been to Prague before. I studied there in the spring of 2010 and am very excited to return to Eastern/Central Europe. It will be refreshing to be there with a purpose rather than just studying, and to be doing something worthwhile, rather than an internship where I make copies and deliver coffee. (Not to say there is anything wrong with that – it’s just not my thing.) I have to say, Prague is a GORGEOUS place. It will be hard to connect the discrimination experienced by Roma there with the picturesque beauty of the city.

Taken by Beth Wofford May 2010

I am worried about a few things. Well, more than a few, but I’m trying to be positive. First of all, I haven’t had any contact with my host organization. I’m hoping that I will be able to get an email while I’m in Iceland, because as of right now I am simply living with an American woman for the summer. I am also worried about the reactions I will get from other people in Prague. I was talking to a friend yesterday, who shall remain nameless, who studied in a country in Western Europe. When I was chatting with her about my fellowship she responds with “I’m not going to lie, I have a pretty poor opinion of Gypsies.” This left me torn. She is a wonderful human being, but she said everything that I am so concerned about. They’re dirty. They’re lazy. They want to steal money. I am still struggling with how to talk about my fellowship while remaining sensitive to everyone’s opinions. It should be interesting. And I love interesting.

Here’s to an awesome summer and bracing myself for whatever it throws at me!

EDIT: In Day Two of our training we compiled a video about ourselves, check mine out!