Home Is Where I Build It: Finding Belonging in Prague

Prague was never supposed to be more than a destination on my map. Instead, it became a sanctuary where I discovered what home truly means. As a biracial, first-generation college student who has moved between a small town in Germany and a military base in the U.S., I’ve always understood home as something more fluid than a physical space.

Growing up, I became an expert at adapting—a chameleon shifting between cultures, languages, and social expectations. Each move taught me to read unspoken rules and find connection in unfamiliar spaces. In Prague, I continued this adaptation, but with a crucial difference. Here, I’ve found moments where I don’t have to work quite so hard to belong.

Transformative friendships

My journey here has been unexpectedly healing. By some miracle of timing and connection, I found friends who feel like they’ve been part of my life forever. Though I still navigate the world as an adapter—this isn’t something I can simply turn off—there are precious moments with these friends where the effort lessens. From teaching my roommate how to use the difficult door key to being an open harbor for conversations, these connections have transformed my experience.

What touches me most is how they always extend invitations, genuinely wanting me to be there. My friends ask if I can make it to events, check if I’m free for dinner, and invite me to join their weekend plans. This feeling is strange yet heartwarming—to be so actively included by people I’ve only known for two months. When they came to my basketball tournament, taking time from their busy schedules to support me, I felt a profound sense of belonging.

These friends have become my safe haven. When we gather in cafés, walk along the Vltava River, or share quiet evenings together, I feel glimpses of a home I’ve rarely experienced before. Our conversations flow between laughter and deep reflection, creating spaces where I can reveal more of myself.

Bonding through travel

Finding a group I enjoy traveling with has been a bonding experience. Weekly sauna trips and “family dinners” have created rituals that anchor me. Soon, they will be the first friends to meet my grandparents in Germany. As the first biracial person in my small German town, I’m excited to bring home people who understand parts of me and show them places that connect me to my childhood.

Prague has transformed from a temporary stop to a significant chapter in my life. The city’s ancient streets have witnessed my ongoing journey of finding home, not in its cobblestone alleys, but in the connections I’ve forged. My friends here have become anchors that give meaning to my nomadic existence.

Finding home

I used to think home was something you searched for. Now I understand it’s something you create—brick by brick, conversation by conversation—even as you continue to adapt. In Prague, I’ve learned that home is not a place, but a feeling. And right now, that feeling is sitting with friends who see me clearly, sharing stories, and knowing that I belong even as I continue to navigate my complex identity.

Juno S. | Berea College | IFSA Tech Career Accelerator in Prague | Spring 2025