New Friends...New Experiences

We're in Poland...finally. After stolen peanut butter, lost/damaged luggage, a lack of sleep and getting settled in...the fun and new experiences have begun. My first thoughts of Poland were varied. I was thoroughly surprised by amount of greenery in the city. Most cities back home that I've visited don't have as many trees and grass. I really liked this about Warsaw. I was also surprised by the amount of graffiti in the city. It apparently is one of the biggest crimes youth commit in Poland today. I saw several homeless people on street corners. This surprised me as well. Although there are very apparent differences between an American city and Warsaw, Poland, Warsaw seems like a typical city.
I wasn't expecting such a communication barrier. Without our amazing guide to help me translate, I'd be lost in the city. It was hard today when me and everyone were walking around by ourselves. No one understood us. The people who asked us questions, we could only answer "We don't speak Polish." It's odd, but I guess I should have expected it. I wish I had more knowledge of the language. I'm afraid to to use a little bit of Polish, too. I'm afraid that people will think that I know more Polish than I do. I really only know a few words.
I am jealous of the amount of history that Poland has. Our tour guide allowed us to visit his home yesterday. He told us about the young girl and her Jewish fiance who hid in his house's loft during World War II. I don't know any American's who have interesting stories like that about their homes.
I won't lie, I was up late last night. The girls and I hit up the sauna at the hotel. It was great. Then Jessica and I talked late into the night. I was not looking forward to today's activity. I was very tired. It turned out to be an amazing day. The Sejm buildings were gorgeous. Wide open spaces with elegant trim and marble floors and staircases everywhere. It was breath-taking. The guide wasn't too bad either... :)
We then were allowed to tour the Old Town. It's so colorful; I love it. We visited St. Anne's and St. Joseph's Cathedrals. They were....heavenly. For serious, I told Jess that I am moving to Poland and joining one of the parishes just so I can get married in one of these churches. I think the religious parts of our trip are definitely going to have the most impact on me.
We took a tour of the Royal Castle, which was equally as gorgeous. I think the theme for today was definitely breath-taking spaces.
Breath taking spaces...and new friends.
Today was spent a lot with my new friends. We toured the Old Town together, taking lots and lots of silly pictures (I'm sure someone will post some of them). During our free time we visited the Wedding Cake building and did some shopping. Now, we're all just sitting around and talking...celebrating Sarah's 20th Birthday (don't worry Mrs. Keesom, I think she had a great birthday). These kids are great. Parents: you raised pretty cool kids. They are making this trip so much more enjoyable.
So, here's to New Friends...New Experiences.

xoxo
Manda