Polska (Poland)

So I had this bright idea a couple weeks ago that I wanted to see Poland. I had many reasons, including my current proximity and my unsatiated curiosity, and so I tried to get some friends to come with me. Some were busy, but most seemed uninterested - either because they had already been there or because they'd rather see someplace else. So the very next day I got online and did some research. Where exactly did I want to go? What did I want to do? I settled on a town called Poznan (around 600,000 people) about three hours by train from Berlin. It was the closest big city and I needed to see Poland.

I arrived Friday afternoon and with a bit of wondering around I found my hostel. The Frolic Goats Hostel, it was called - don't ask me why. Everyone there was welcoming - the staff and even other guests. Someone even offered to help set up my bed. So I set off on my first adventure - I had so much to see with only three days to do it. Without really knowing where to go, I decided to walk aimlessly through the streets and check out the local architecture and see what the people were like. After about 30 minutes I came to a monument to this guy named Adam, who has a university there named after him. Directly behind the campus there was a park with a huge fountain in the middle and flowers all around - a place I just had to examine closer. I think it's great how cities can grow so quickly but still preserve greenspace in certain places. I lay on the grass for a bit watching the kids run around and the clouds rolling in.


After dinner it was getting a bit late, so I decided to return to the hostel to see what was going on. As I walk into the room, much to my surprise were 5 Polish people pouring vodka into glasses! (I stayed in a room with about 15 beds - all of them bunked. We had a full house that night, so I had a chance to meet all kinds of different people.) One offered me a glass immediately and said, "Welcome to Poland!" I knew immediately that I was in for a great night.

After a few shots they were all hungry, and I in all of my tipsy-ness tell them that I know of a good place. Actually, I had just arrived myself 6 hours prior, but when you drink your confidence seems to escalate a bit. As I was guiding them I tried my best to focus on where I had seen a Turkish restaurant, and when we got there one of them ordered something for me and wouldn't let me pay. I guess he really wanted me to feel the "welcome" part of "Welcome to Poland!" Afterwards we returned to the hostel and did more shots. I probably shouldn't have drank that much, because in the morning I woke up with a nasty hangover. I had a great night though, thanks to the hospitality and company of my new friends.


The next day I talked to an Austrian girl I had met the day before, and because she was a bit sick she didn't want to do too much walking around. I ended up running into her later that evening as I was sitting in the town square enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. We sat for a while and talked, then got some ice cream. Later that night we had a really good conversation, part English and part German, about our respective lives. She told me about her hometown in Austria and her travels through Poland, and I told her about my family and friends. The next day as she was leaving, she cried as she gave me a hug goodbye. It made me sad that she was leaving, because I feel that we made an important connection as friends. She's a real person and isn't afraid to show it, and I hope we can meet again someday.


Do I want to return someday to Poland? Of course! I'd love to see Krakow and Warsaw, and even to go back to Poznan. The architecture and the atmosphere are stunning, and it really is a nice place to visit during the summer. Transportation and lodging are relatively inexpensive, so it's possible on a student's budget to have a good time. Next time I want to travel with friends so that I can have others with which to share the adventure.

So this upcoming weekend I'll travel to Dresden, a city in Germany about 1.5 hours south of Berlin, with some friends to do some sightseeing.