Witamy w Polsce

Welcome to Poland! The road here was fraught with 3 security checkpoints, turbulence, and a 5-hour stint at Chicago O’Hare Airport Penitentiary (where maps/signs don’t exist and internet ain’t free). But, I finally made it and was excited to be met at the Warsaw airport by my new boss. And what a success that meeting was, if you call dropping your laptop smack dab on the concrete sidewalk after somehow managing to successfully carry it through 3 security checkpoints, making a good first impression on your new superior. This little mishap would ruin the next two hours of my life as my mind obsessed about the problems I had inadvertently caused my laptop; the most probable scenario being that my computer would be broken forever and I would have no way to contact you fine people. Luckily and to my amazement, when I arrived at my apartment, my computer turned on and nothing appeared broken. Unluckily, when I tried to connect to the internet, my request was denied.

So there I sat, on my first Saturday in Poland: alone, disoriented, internet-less, Polish currency-less, foodless, and slightly regretting my recent life decisions. But as with everything in my life that I have done that was definitely worth doing, I started out with that exact same feeling. So I picked myself up by my imaginary boot straps and set out in search of a store where I could purchase food using my card. And this brings me to:

Polish Life Lesson #1: Always determine if a store takes credit cards before piling your food items next to the cash-only register. If you don’t, it will result in wandering the streets aimlessly in search of a bank or ATM because you’re too embarrassed/stubborn not to return to the small store to pay for your food.

Polish Life Lesson #2: Learn how to say “I don’t speak Polish” in Polish. In this country, you look similar to everyone around you, therefore they will automatically assume you speak Polish, which is the exact opposite of what you are used to.

Polish Life Lesson #3: Leave large bulky purses at home. A lot of stores are considerably smaller than you are used to and it is just better to avoid knocking over beer bottles when your purse falls off your shoulder and then knocking over more bottles when you try to fix the first mess you made, all the while being reprimanded by the Polish clerk, who was presumably saying something like: “Leave it alone! I will clean it up! You are like a bull in a china shop! Who let you in here? Make your purchase and get out!”

Despite my clumsy setbacks, I am learning my way around and now have a cell phone, internet, and Polish zloty in my pocket. It is really gorgeous here and the architecture is better than I ever could have imagined. I think things are going to be just fine. More stories and pictures to follow!