Moja miłość do Polski

In less than five days, I will be back in Poland again. I am so excited. Tonight I really began to pack things up. It’s hard to know how to pack for 3 weeks–21 days–in only one suitcase of under 50 pounds and a 13 pound carry-on. And to leave room for souvenirs and stuff to bring back, too. Though I imagine I could/would ship stuff back if needed too. Not sure what I’ll find but maybe a few things I’d like to find:

• Wycinanki. I found some great Wycinanki (paper cuttings) in Krakow last year and they now are framed and adorn my living room wall. I’d like to find more.
• Szopka. I found a nice but small one last year. I’d like a bigger one but would want to ship that, they are pretty fragile
• T-Shirts. Hey, it’s the “normal” souvenir, I’d have to get a few, and from Ukraine, too.
• Books and maps. Well, it all depends on what I find. Maybe some tour guides from some of the places we visit? Who knows what I’ll find.

But most of all will be the memories I take back with me, and the many, many photos I take. I sure hope they don’t mind my taking photos of everything, including food, meals, places we’ll visit, etc. A picture is worth a thousand words, for sure!

…I will be in Poland again. Wow, what a dream come true. I have high hopes for this trip. I expect to see a lot, do a lot, learn a lot, soak up a lot.

Among the things I’m hoping for:

• Meet and get to know as much of my family there as possible
• Speak and understand Polish to at least some easy level…and practice my Polish a lot
• See some more castles
• Visit some museums
• Visit other historic spots and learn more about the history of Poland
• See the towns in Ukraine where my great-grandparents come from, soak up the atmosphere, understand the country and area they loved and gave up when the left for America.
• Drive on Polish roads!
• Go grocery shopping.
• Participate in daily routine. Wash dishes. Wash clothes. Sweep. Vacuum. Normal stuff.

I’m sure I’ll experience that and lots more. So in the meantime, I am making my preparations here, deciding what I need to pack, trying to take only what I need. And getting my electronic toys in order (cell phone, Netbook).

I will be writing as much as I can to share my experiences here. So keep checking back. I may not be able to post something every day, but I plan on giving a full account of my adventure, my continuing adventures in Poland, a land and people and place that I love.

….I will be in an airplane, high above the Atlantic Ocean, hopefully sound asleep, and about ready to embark on a new adventure, exploring Poland, a land/country/culture/people/spirit that I truly love. I do not know what all awaits me. To some extent, it’s the great unknown, just like my ancestors experienced about 100 years ago when then came to America. But just as they found America to be their land of opportunity, I am sure that I will find Poland to be my land of experience, knowlegde, and growth. I am so looking forward to this trip… the second of many, I am sure!

I am busy preparing for my trip to Poland, and getting very excited about it. I have been reading about some of the many places we will visit when we’re there. There is so much history and so much to see and do, it is amazing.

I am also busy studying Polish, still. I am using Rosetta Stone and a few other things as well. It is coming along fine. I know a lot of words but do not necessarily have the skill needed to put together sentences correctly. Truly I will speak in “broken” or “bad” Polish, but then again, I am sure that I can be understood and will get along very well. Between English, Polish, pointing, gesturing, and maybe drawing, I’ll get along fine.