Happy 4th!

So yet another year, where I'm not states side to celebrate, but this year has been a complete 180 from how I was able to celebrate in Paris last year. Since we are only in Krakow for one week, we don't exactly have time to take off a day, so unfortunately we had the most depressing visit of this whole study abroad today. We went to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It definitely was a downer to our day, to walk through the grounds where over one million people were killed. The only other concentration camp that I have visited is Dachau in Germany in 2006, but this one was by far much larger. 


Tonight, hopefully we will be able to lift our spirits a bit when we spend some time at Hard Rock Cafe right down the street from where we live. 


Monday and Tuesday of this week were spent with a tour guide - a walking tour. My feet HURT! It has been almost 30C here, and with no air conditioning + living on the 4th floor it has been almost torturous at times. 

California Club Sandwich & Polish Beer at Hard Rock Cafe

Two nights ago, I soaked a towel in cold water and laid it over me as I went to bed. I woke up a couple of times in the middle of the night just hugging the towel to cool myself down. I also cannot re-wear anything here without washing it first. So that of course means time to do some laundry à la français- in the sinks. I should at least be good until I go to Finland next week. 


I am pleasantly surprised with Krakow though. It is a very cute little city with lots of history. I love the dragon stories surrounding Polish history. It also couldn't be any more appropriate for me to be reading 'Game of Thrones' with the dragons in that as well. 


I also really like the market in the center of the town, although it is more geared for tourists, but hey, I am one. I bought myself a rabbit fur hat from there on Monday night. Pupu Jonna (pronounced 'Yonah') now has a pupu hat! They also have really cute scarves, hand carved wooden chess sets, and amber jewelry! I am really tempted to go buy some chess sets as souvenirs. They come in all sorts of colors, and they aren't that big. 

Witamy w Polsce

"Welcome to Poland"

I have to write a short post about my adventure to Poland, just because of how ridiculous it was. We left our hotel in Berlin at 8:30 AM on Sunday morning. One of the girls suitcases broke, first encounter of problems. 12 of us make the train no problem, 3 make it last minute. One of those three was our professor WITH THE TICKETS! In the words of one of the grad students, "I almost heart attacked on the floor" when the train started moving in Berlin and our professor was no where in sight.

Our train ride was 10 hours and 10 minutes. At times I feel like I could've walked faster alongside the train. In one city, we attached a restaurant car to our train. Let's just say it wasn't exactly "smooth" as it seemed like the trains just simply crashed into one another.

Best part of the trip? We had no A/C. It was honestly to be expected in my opinion, but I must note it. I just rode in a sauna for 10 hours.

After we got off the train though and saw a little bit of Krakow, I feel like I am going to love this city. It kind of reminds me of Pula, Croatia.

Still surviving on one backpack 6 weeks in. 7 more to go!

The view from my hotel room in Krakow.

Already planning the return

"Everyday is a Journey, and the Journey itself is Home."

Been back in the good old USA for a couple months now, and I sat still just long enough to figure out where I'm going next...

Summer 2012

Brussels, Belgium

+

Paris, France

+

Berlin, Germany

+

Krakow, Poland

=

European Union Studies 

I can't wait! I've only been to Paris out of those places, so I will actually be able to experience new places (and even knock off two countries on my world map). I've only flown through Belgium, which I guess you can count those, but I have never been to Poland.

♥ Jonna