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So, I’m home now. Alas, I finally got on my blog to update my journey since arrival home. So, let me bring you back up to speed.
Upon arrival in the states on the 18th, I was able to feel a contrast after making it through: passport checks, baggage returns, and customs at the end. All these were suprisingly fast in a post-9/11 USA. All, but one of our friends had problem with their luggage. It was remarkably good to see my parents, and I could tell they had missed me from more than a month away. It has been awhile since they’ve known me to be gone for these long periods since they’ve moved back at the end of my sophomore year. That night, I spent at my aunt and uncles. Unfortunately, while being so jet lagged, I collapsed on the prepared bed for me around 9 o’clock. That has to be the earliest I’ve gone to bed in half a decade.
I awoke to a very blackened sky outside, and a clock that showed 5:15 in gigantic, vibrant, crimson numbers. I spent time eating breakfast and researching information on the world and the EU with the Lisbon Treaty. After it was about 7:45, I decided a jog/run was in store. It felt amazing to be outside in the USA. The warm sun was shinning down on me, while I strided across the hilly land. As I saw many hispanics doing lawn care business, I was all too reminded how ethnically tied together we all are. No matter where we’ve all originated, it is everywhere. Ideas of ethnic and racial superiority have shattered their false chains, forever, in my mind. Being raised in a virtually, all-white town of Spencer, IA, these ideas coud somehow sink their subconscious ways into your life. However, looking around, I felt overcome by ideas of equality in each human. Genetically, we may have different dispositions, but we are equal in God’s eyes. Politically, religiously, culturally we have so much to learn from each other. If only we put down our cell phone, stopped our car, and maybe said “hello” or waved at each other.
As, a week has past since then, I find myself somehow slipping back into the “all too familiar” routine of who I was pre-Poland. It’s interesting how these old habbits can sink back into our lives. Poland gave me so much, I hate to see all this go to waste. In the mean time, I’ve helped my brother-in-law and sister move back here to Cedar Falls and volunteer fixing up a house for a person who has MS. It reminded me of a quote I have heard all too many times: “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.”
-Edmund Burke
A voice, a vision, feels like it is gripping my life with something more powerful than words. A vision of repair, healing, hope that people globally need. So, I have been researching into options of what I want to do post-China. It looks like I’m considering options of learning Spanish in either Spain or Latin America. This would provide me with the chance to go into humantarian work or other NGO work that I feel the world and USA coud use. The goal to get a job doing this line of work through learning spanish, peace corps for 2 years, and then get a job (maybe with the Red Cross, I’m looking into right now, or something similar). It’s a long road, but a road which I feel will be worth the journey. I have to decide come Monday on what I want to do. Time is rapidly depleting and I need to accomplish much before I leave besides this.
As, I’ve played some Soccer with old college friends, watched Euro 2008, and helped volunteer for some work, I realize my life is leading elsewhere outside Cedar Falls. A long, a long way maybe away from here, but so much is out there to be experienced. It all calls my name somewhere away. I know many people who love and care for me don’t want to always hear these things, but it’s the truth. I’m 23, and it’s time for me to go out there and do these things I may never otherwise do.
Wish me luck my friends, it’s time to buckle down.
PS – Hope you enjoy the new China header that will be coming momentarily to now.
(Conquering the Zakopane mountains)
These last 3 days couldn’t have gone by any quicker. When everything seems to be just about over, you want to make every minute count. You want to make sure you do everything you wanted to do, but you had no time before. However, in the end, our time is limited. Our choices sometimes can’t be the most maximizing of our time. Lastly, when there is other friends involved, anything is subject to change. So what has been the theme of this entire trip to get you through: “you roll with it.” These quotes are only echoed too many times by Chris. Let me reflect for a few moments though.
Krakow has been an amazing city. I’ve probably seen more of this amazing, inner city than some people who live here for their whole lives. I’ve been subjected to new experiences and environments that complement my past experience or create a new. It seems that this has constantly occurred during my stay here. Study Abroad for UNI definitely has this program well planned. I will miss this city, and I could see myself coming back in the future, depending on many factors. In a larger sense, to Europe in general. For now, I know I must move on. This is only the first ending (“Koniec”, polish word for “end”) to a two part series, or three, or four if you will.
Secondly, I will come back to the states, which will add a lot of value to what I’ve been exposed to over here. Constrasting ways of life, history, education, foods, etc. will be crucial for my development. Third, I will head to China. Upon, the ending, begins an entirely new slate of opportunities for me to explore in my fourth phase. This phase is far more open, far more flexible, and with that comes stress and uncertainty. However, I’ve already been exploring options for my future.
So, what have I been doing in these last 3 days, let me bring you up to date. Tomorrow, I leave on my plane back to the states, and I know I’m going to be jet lagged and unprepared for this.
As I’ve reflected more and more on my experiences here, it is hard for me to sit idly and not reflect on the current situation in Iowa. I saw a figure today that about 55 of the 99 counties are currently in a state of emergency by Gov. Chet Culver, and that speaks loudly to the devastation occuring right now. I’ve seen many of many of pictures, and have read the news, but I’m sure nothing compares to those experiencing it right now in the state of Iowa.
Just today, one of my friends who lives in Cedar Rapids is currently experiencing the devastation of the flood. Her family has already evacuated the town, and her car was vandalized during these periods of mass flooding. Now, my car was hit by a trampolene and had to be repaired due to the back window getting blown out, but her’s was vandalized on purpose. It really brings a sense of what Katrina was like close to your home. Not to compare too much, because they are different in many ways. However, this is the most flooding Iowa has ever had by about 3 times. My heart really goes out to you back in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, and beyond. After going through a class like the Holocaust, the last thing I want is to come back home to devastation and destruction. However, we do not control the weather, nor do we control when it happens, we only control how we handle it.
That is why, I want to really help when I get back. I mean it. Please let me know anyone who has information on how to get involved. This is going to start once I return because this is my home. I might need a day or two for re-orientation into the Country due to jet lag and cultural factors, but I really feel I owe my family and community atleast something.
In the grander scheme of things, I hope this will bring people closer together, families closer, God close to those who don’t know him, and neighbors helping neighbors in complete symbiosis. It’s not every day your home town and state gets in the national news, unfortunately, it’s not in the way you want it. Nonetheless, we carry on.
PS – Croatia beat Germany last night 2-0, huge upset, and Poland tied Austria 1-1 (with a PK in the 92+ minute which I really didn’t agree with.
Tonight is the symphony and to celebrate Chris’s Birthday thereafter.
Eventhough I am here in Poland, my heart is truely in Iowa.
God bless you all, and godspeed for answers to all your anxieties. You are all in my prayers and thoughts.
Picking up from the 7th. I saw the Polska game which puts most sporting events to shame. The crowd was amazingly enthusiatic for the game with phrases which all the people knew. The sight next to the mall, which we were at with 32 LCD screens. The ending result was 2-0, Germany won. Regardless of the outcome, it was a great environment to be around for the 1st half, but the 2nd half was much better somewhere more tame.
7/08: Saw an Opera tonight called Rigoletto. It was amazing, and I had front row seats. The voice of Gilida or something close to that was so amazing, I thought glass would literally shatter. I have never witnessed such a voice! I would highly recommend this Opera if anyone doesn’t really like Opera, generally, like me. Saw the Netherlands destroy the Italian soccer team 3-0 after the game with Konrad too.
7/09: Marta, came down to Krakow today. She’s a friend from Krosno to and I went out with some friends from Texas A/M to see the river and the legendary Krakovian Dragon. We had a fun time going to a club called Prozak and dancing as well, ironically it’s the name of an anti-depressant in America… Weird, huh?
7/10: Vladik had a lecture and we got to see another University where Copernicus attended as a member of the University. The museum was amazing here too, and our tour guide was halarious!
7/11: went out for a Banquet tonight and had a blast at the Jewish Quarter and thanked our professors for all the work, and the Professors thanked us and the Supervisor of the University for all their work. They also played some
7/12: heading out to see the Croatia vs. Germany then the Poland vs. Austria game. Got to grab some pizza and watch the game! Sorry for the quick entry, more to come later, probably tomorrow.
Love you all,
my thoughts and prayers to all of you with the flooding going on in CF. I plan to help out with the relief effort once I return.
POLSKA, POLSKA, POLSKA!
Gdansk is a city of 800,000 people and is a city that basically has three cities all jammed together. This would be Sopot, Gdynia, and Gdansk. By far, the most beautiful spot we visited was Sopot because it shared the Baltic Sea with Finland. If only there was more moeny and time, maybe we could have went there. Oh well, our trip was long enough. Let’s begin.
Let’s start first at Tuesday:
6/03: Day before we left for our 3 day tour. went on a tour of many, many different catholic churchs around Krakow. We hadn’t seen enough of Krakow yet! Although it really didn’t grip my interest, mainly because we’ve already seen like 20-30 synagogues and churches, there was some beautiful artwork to be seen. This also included stopping outside of a closed protestant church. One of the reasons was to show that there was actually some other people besides Catholic here. If you’ve ever been here, it’s dominantly Catholic. Considering that during the Holocaust, the Jews were all but completely exterminated from Poland, it only lead to a further dominating majority of Roman Catholics. We’re talking about 97% Catholic according to one statistic. One of the issues that has coincided with the rise of nationalism in Poland and a dominating ethnicity of mid to upper 90% being Poles. It’s one of the most homogeneous countries ethnically and religiously that I’ve seen. This is why nationalism is an important topic here. To cut this shorter, we got some food ready for the trip tomorrow and went to bed early after I watched an episode of Arrested Development on a friend’s LCD portable. We had to get up be ready at 5:00AM.
6/04: Woke up, was a pretty brutal wake up because I’m not feeling the best. This is most attributed to my nose always being constantly draining. There has definently been some problems with a cold or alergies here for me. However, do not fear, it’s nothing I cannot handle. Most of the trip I spent listening to my music, stopping for the bathroom, and breaks for the driver. Here in Europe, you cannot drive, commercially, for like 3 hours or so without taking a break. If you do, you can be fined about $5,000 dollars or 10k Zlotys. So, they highly encourage breaks, unlike the American run and gun ways. For our defense, we cannot afford to have as many stops as they have due to our spread out nature geographically which may also have the impact on our laws. On our way to Gdansk, we stopped in Malbork to see an ancient Teutonic castle.
Malbork’s castle was huge, and it was actually used during WWII by the Germans. During this time, the Germans were sieged by the Soviets during the end of the war and about 50% of the castle was destroyed from artillery fire. Renovations and reconstruction took place to help restore this artitectural beauty. It was probably one of my most favorite sites because it was literally history upon history. After this castle was captured, almost 500 germans were executed following the capture of it by Soviet troops. It gave me a flavor for how much of total war this war was. It wasn’t just about an execution of a set of people. It stretched beyond that to a question of humanity. Here’s a picture of the bullet holes:
[This was in a part that used to be a mout (sp?) during the medieval times, but turned into an air prison.]
Once we arrived, we headed down to the main square and Chris, Bree, Jenn, Abby, me, and Konrad (my professor) all went out to a restaurant and had a most enjoyable meal next to the river that runs through Gdansk. It was a late dinner, but I enjoyed the best beef stroganof I’ve ever had. This was a great night.
6/05: Wake up! Time to go on another tour! We started off our tour visiting a church in Gdansk. It contained a wonderful musical concert that had about 4 songs and had a Bach song included. It was an interesting event that was definently worth the time. The church was pretty amazing too. After this we were able to get lunch, and head to Sopot.
Sopot was a beautiful costal town to the Baltic Sea, we spent a brief tour here at the dock’s that bordered this sea and also were the seas across from Finland. I was able to get some gifts here for some lucky family members! Not to mention, I was able to dip my feet into the Sand. Here’s a picture of me:
The solidarity movement took place in the 1980s in Gdansk shipping yard. Gdansk is really known for their involvement in shipping and creation of boats, a spot in which Communists wanted after WWII. Laborers protested working conditions, and were secretly assinated following their opposition. It was symbolic in the eventual decline of the USSR, Communism, and a regime that was out of touch with what it was supposed to support: labor. Obviously, it had failed, and John Paul II commemorated this site. I will probably talk about this important part when I get back in more depth. However, it was a time I was proud to be an American to stand up to a regime that went against my founding principles as an American and humanity.
Later on we went to see St. Mary’s, after a tour of the town, a wonderful church that was the most beautiful church I’ve seen yet in Poland. I can’t even put it into words. It contained a memorial for a bishop who stood up to a Nazi and was killed. There was a shrine for him in the church. A picture was actually taken while the event was happening, and it still burns into my head even now. Along with this was an astrological clock, and other many important spots that I can only start to list. After this tour we were able to go to the dock’s for a pirate ship tour.
During this tour, our guide was able to tell us about WWII and show us exactly where it broke out. To my suprise, we had a vistor who sang us many songs and we joined in the chorus. This was a wonderful, relaxing experience for a busy day.
Following the return to our motel, we were able to stage a cook out. This was an incredibly good time joining in both colleges, Konrad, and Katya (our tour guide, not the one from earlier, eventhough she went along). During this time, somehow after the polish sausages, food, and drinks we all broke out into USA songs. It was a wondeful time of nationalism sticking its head out. I couldn’t believe how many songs we knew and could recall from memory. We all had a good time, and left once a person finally complained about 2 and half hours later. It felt good to have something American to cling onto for once in a long time. I went to bed shortly after.
6/06: headed out for another LONG trip on the bus. It was about 12 hours and got a ton of reading done. I actually read about 80 pages in my book, and it was great to accomplish so much on a boring trip. I was forced to eat mcdonalds during the trip, but atleast there were salads. I guess it’s American… I’m not sure though… Anywho, we got in late at night (around 12:15AM) and I went to sleep shortly after.
Today! Today we had a long lecture and almost missed lunch. I’m ready for the football (soccer) match tomorrow! Go Polska! I got a scarf and a shirt, plus a flag from Gdansk. I heard the possibility of face paint tossed around as well. Tomorrow is going to be a thrilling experience. I was going to get a Polish haircut with Chris but the place we wanted wasn’t open. Monday is the plan for this course of action. Well, going to supper soon. I’ll talk to everyone later. It was a great 3 day tour to Gdansk.
Only about a week and a half left. =(
(Me, Katya, and Chris on the docks of Sopot at the Baltic Sea)
