On my last full day in Prague, I was up at the crack of dawn to shoot some final sunrise photos. I decided to venture in the opposite direction of downtown from our apartments, hoping to discover some new morning activities that only take place when the sky is pink. Turns out, I got lucky.

Just past the Želivského metro stop, buses on buses were pulled over at what could only be described as a resting point. Some of their drivers were sleeping, slumped over the wheel to catch some last-minute snoozes. Others were wiping windows and windshields, making sure their buses were in tip-top shape. The man above, however, sat quietly reading a book. He was shy and almost confused when I stopped and asked to photograph him, as if he didn’t understand why I would want to capture a moment like this. I wish I could have communicated to him how grateful I was to him for the humble job he performs each and every day. I had to settle for a blog post.

Bus, tram, and metro drivers are some of the unspoken heroes of Prague. Without them, none of the experiences I got to enjoy the last several weeks would have even been possible. I will miss the simple life I’ve gotten to live here in Prague, where my only worries have been making photos and choosing which place to eat for dinner. Here’s a big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make these last few weeks some of the most impactful of my life. I’ll never be able to repay you.

Mornings in Prague are quiet, especially at 5:30 a.m. Yet the early hours of the day have proved particularly good times to encounter locals, as tourists aren’t typically early-risers. I’ve found that, while there aren’t many people walking the streets of the city, there tend to be a good amount of folks gathered at tram stops in the morning on their way to work. Such was the case with the two men above.

I first approached them because, from a distance, their bright red uniforms reminded me of fire-fighters. They spoke next to no English, but I was able to communicate my desire to make their picture well enough through gestures. After attempting to chat with them again, they were able to communicate that they worked for a construction company and were on their way to work. The one on the left was eager to see the photos I had taken, while the one on the right kept to his cigarette the whole time.

There’s something intriguing to me about the emotionless stares they are giving in this photo, and I can’t quite put my finger on why I like their vacant expressions so much. Maybe it’s because they are fairly accurate representations of the demeanor of Czech people as a whole. On the other hand, they also look kind of scary. Anyhow, I’m grateful the two were up for a photoshoot at such an ungodly hour.

We had the opportunity to visit Prague’s train station as a group during our architecture tour a few days ago, but this morning a few friends and I got to witness the hustle and bustle of the station as 5 a.m. travelers. Right after we loaded our bags on a train to Salzburg, a large Asian family overwhelmed the remaining seats in our car. The chatter on the train immediately multiplied by ten, life pouring into a previously quiet place.

After the family got settled into their seats, which itself was a whole ordeal, they began to unpack and further make their presence known to the rest of the train. They had an entire box of pastries which they passed out to each other, as well as distributed several cups of coffee to keep them awake during the early hours. The couple pictured above seemed to be heading up the food distribution, and drank several cups of coffee themselves.

While it was slightly jarring to be forced into a close proximity with such a lively group when I still felt half asleep myself, it was somewhat nostalgic to see a large family traveling together. The excitement for their trip showed in their eyes; they hardly slept at all the entire four-hour train ride. It made me think of many of the sweet trips I’ve lived through with my family, which are always the best memories from every summer. I’m excited to be back and exploring new places with them soon.