Flying to Krakow was...long...I went from Indy to Charlotte, NC, but was in Charlotte over 5 hours before my flight, then my flight was delayed about 45 minutes thanks to snow in Germany. Then in Munich, my flight was delayed to Krakow because of snow. But I made it. Surprisingly only about an hour or so later than I was supposed to get in. On my flight to Munich, I sat next to a German woman in her 50s or 60s who, on hearing I didn't know Lufthansa served free alcohol, proceeded to order me Bailey's on ice. Twas tasty. She ordered for me because she figured since I was under 21 and American, I'd be nervous ordering, and I HAD to have a drink, so... :) Munich was foggy. I don't know what it looked like, but they had free tea at the gate, so that was exciting. And I figured out the phone, so I made some late night/early morning calls to the US. On my flight to Krakow, a Polish man next to me kept asking about statistics on the American economic situation. All I wanted was sleep, so I mumbled this and that to him and then conked out the second he took his attention off me for more than 10 seconds.
Flying into Krakow, well, the outskirts, reminded me a lot of Indiana and rural Massachusetts...mostly flat, a little rolling, scattered homes and apartment complexes, but not much happening. I didn't get my passport stamped or my bags rummaged through because they'd already done that in Germany...good ol EU.
My dorm is a dorm. Cement. Yellowish I think on the outside. Piast. My room is smaller than my single at home, and it's a double. I'm living with an Erasmus (European foreign exchange student) from Portugal. Our room is attached to another room with two guys from my program (one American, one Canadian), and we all share a bathroom. I managed to fit all my clothes into one closet. Be proud. Be very proud. That's winter and summer clothes. And its me. And I like options. Win.
On Saturday, I managed to stay up the entire day, all the way until 2 a.m. to combat jetlag. I walked around the old town, which is really pretty, a park, and lots of other snowy places, but i was lucky and the sun was shining :) It's going to be gorgeous in the spring I bet, once the snow is melted and the mud is solid ground. On Saturday night, we went to a party in someone's flat. There were a ton of French people. And drunk people. And fondue because it was a fondue party. I was feeling homesick, but Althea was her awesome self and made me feel better while she and all the rest of you Mohos were at drag ball partying the night away.
Sunday was spent with more walking. My legs are gonna be like rocks and super strong by the time I leave here. We (2 Americans from my program, my roommate, and a British Erasmus student) walked all over town, through Kazimierz, along the river, I ate real pierogies for the first time...they taste almost like the ones on campus, aka most people would love em but they don't quite do it for me...perhaps they'll grow on me though. We will see. We then went to see Benjamin Button. I'd seen it before, but left during the middle because and missed half. I was bored and quite unhappy about not being in Boston for New Years that day. This time I slept through the first half (thank you jet lag and ridiculously comfy seats at the cinema) and then watched the second half. It was pretty good, but still made me sad and miss the same things. Humph. We then couldn't catch the bus, it was late and we just missed it, so we walked back to the dorm. It started to snow while we were in the movies, so it was a snowy 30 minute walk home. Then I got back here, ate Nutella and peanut butter (yum!) and fell asleep.
Today orientation began. We went to see where our classes would be held (right across from Wawel Hill, see below), get our handwritten student IDs, handwritten transcript books, and so on. Funny thing: I had to send in pictures for my student visa and also to the program. This picture is now on my student ID, tram pass, visa, transcript book, and dorm card...and I look like a boy (comfy waffle shirt with my threadless 3 birds on a wire and what is that bat doing hanging on the wire next to us? shirt)...sooooo, that is everywhere and I will never escape it, hahah. We then went out to lunch and the portions were HUGE and my stomach is small. I didn't finish, but the soup and kielbasa was amazing, and I couldnt even barely touch the other part of the meal.
Then we went on a tour of Old town. St. Mary's Cathedral was incredible and had so much detail. I couldn't take pics, but you should look it up. We then went to more churches with more beautiful stained glass windows and sculptures. Then to Wawel Castle. Really pretty. I climbed a bell tower overlooking the whole city. You can place your left hand on the bell, which is connected to your heart, and make a wish. And so I made a wish. It was a really good one, but I can't tell what it was, because then it won't come true. Then we went out to a bar and I had hot spiced ginger beer, and man o man it was good, like hot apple cider. Yum. I couldnt finish it though, so I had help. Then we went back to the dorm, I finally got internet, played some phone tag, with people in the states, finally unpacked, laughed a bit about the loud crazy Russians partying next door, lost my passport, found my passport, ate more pierogies, then sat down here to write.
I miss you all very much. It's pretty here, and I think I'm going to like it, but I still miss a lot of things about the states. It was particularly difficult on my flight leaving the US because we flew right over Massachusetts and swooped past Hartford, Worcester, and Boston and I wanted to scream, hey! let me off! that's home down there! I want to be at Mount Holyoke. Obviously there was nothing I could do to stop a plane flying around 600-something MPH, so they didn't stop to let me say ello. Basically, I miss you all.
I should get to bed...tomorrow is another crazy orientation day with morning business dealing with passports, registration, getting around town, safety and so on, then a lot more walking and a tour of the Jewish quarter, along with plans for pizza and perhaps going out to a club with some Erasmus students in the evening. We will see if that actually happens, but that's the plan. It should keep me busy, which is good, because my brain is annoying me thinking too much right now to the point of silliness. And I know ;)
G'night! Comment on my posts purleease, because I love hearing from everyone and staying connected to home. Internet is wonderful.
did you go to mama's kitchen in the old city? is that the place with the big portions? because that place is amaaazing.
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