It’s not quite 5 am in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland, where I just woke up.  For the past 21 months, it is the place I have called home.  One of many places I have called home in recent years.  I thought about going back to sleep, but I knew that when I woke up again, I wouldn’t feel as refreshed as I do now.  I got up made a cappuccino and decided to put the pen to the paper.  I’ve had a few thoughts rolling around in my head this past month.  One stemmed from a conversation I had with Guy, a co-worker from my summer experience at Z-Camp, a youth language camp on the Black Sea in Bulgaria. We both said that we don’t like (I hesitate to use the word hate) when someone says, “oh, you’re so lucky”, in reference to our lifestyle.

Then, I was interviewed by Burton Cole from my hometown newspaper last month.  One of the things he asked was, “what do you want people to know?”  Finally, I was on a Zoom call with friends from the states.  Talking about my life in Poland, I remarked that I had fallen into a great job.  Marla quickly reminded me that I didn’t “fall into it” that I worked/planned to be where I am right now.  In other words, it wasn’t luck.

I made a conscious choice for my current lifestyle in 2013.  Although, most of my life I have had a goal of living life abroad even for a short time.  I started to put this goal in motion in 2012 by researching ways to live/work abroad.  Teaching English seemed to be the best option for me, and in January 2013 I started classes with the University of Miami of Florida to get my Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certification or TEFL.  The course was more intense than I expected and along with working full time, it consumed much of my after-work energy.  That TEFL certification was the first step in finding a teaching job abroad.  Of all the cities, in all the world I have for most of my life dreamed of living in Paris.  So, that is where I started.  I found 2 agencies and interviewed via Skype with one and a girl’s trip to Paris with my friend Teri to interview in person for the other.

Thrilled to have been offered a job with both, the research and planning began.  What does it take to live in France and the EU?  It isn’t so simple; you can’t just pack a bag and move to Paris.  Ah, immigration laws, which I won’t get into here.  Just know you need to apply for a special visa or temporary residency (rules differ between countries) to live and work in the EU.

I have a job in Paris, but what about my job back home?  I have a place to live in Ohio, but where will I live in Paris?  Will I need other insurance?  How much stuff will I need to take with me?  I had already decided this was a trial and planned to stay for 6 months.  Still, that is at least two seasons, what should I pack?  What part of the city do I want to live in?  Each job offer would require me to travel to people’s homes, so I had no idea what arrondissement would be best.  How much money should I have in reserve as a security blanket?  As I researched the answers to these questions, I put a plan in place so that in August 2014, I was able to board a plane and start life in Paris.  Was I lucky?  The dictionary tells us that lucky is something that results from good fortune and chance.  Chance didn’t land me in Paris.  Over a year’s worth of research, planning and further education landed me in Paris.  Everything didn’t quite go as planned in Paris, but that’s another story.  The point is, I made it happen.  I also came to the realization that this was the lifestyle I wanted at this point in my life.  I returned to the US but, I needed to find another path to travel and live abroad again.  Soon I was researching what I needed to do to live and teach in China.  A far cry from life in Paris, but it was something I wanted to do, I just had to figure out how to make it happen.  At least a lot of the research I had already done for Paris was helpful in this venture.  A few months later I was boarding a plane for China and what I thought would be 6 months studying (I applied for a student visa), living, and working in the Middle Kingdom.  As my 6-month visa was expiring, I knew I wanted more.  Which is how 6-months turned into 4 years.

After 4 years of working and traveling the Middle Kingdom and other parts of Asia, I was ready to give up my China life.  My next destination of choice was Bali.  After 2 short visits, I knew I wanted to spend an extended period on the Island of the Gods.

I already had friends that I considered my Balinese family, but I had to find out how I could stay past the 60-day tourist visa limit.  I also knew it was difficult to work in Indonesia as a foreigner, but I could volunteer and possibly apply for a social visa.  In the end, I discovered it was easiest to purchase a visa on arrival.  This is different from the visa on arrival that is free.  The free one cannot be extended beyond the 60 days whereas a purchased ($25) VOA can be extended 4 times for 30 days each time.  Also, customs and immigration are diligent about checking that arrival date stamp when you are leaving the country.  Every day your visa is overstayed will cost you 1 million rupiahs or about $70.  I can vouch for this as I personally know someone who overstayed their visa by not thinking about the fact that some months have 31 days.  See what I mean about it taking a lot of research and planning?  Was I lucky I was able to spend the better part of 5 months living in Bali? I will let you answer that.

Leaving Bali, I had already committed to a job in Poland but took a couple of months to return to the USA for the holidays.  Fast forward to February 2020.  I boarded a plane to Poland with a notebook of information on things I had to do after I arrived.  I had a company, English Wizards, I would “work” for who would provide job leads, but it was still up to me to get hired.  I contacted a language school (my company had sent them my CV) before leaving the USA, but they wanted to wait until I was physically on Polish soil before moving forward.  Which basically meant that I would arrive in Poland with job opportunities, but no guarantee of a source of income.   After landing a job, before I could be paid to work, I had to obtain a PESEL number.  It is like a Tax ID as I would be paying taxes in Poland.  You can’t get a PESEL number without a bank account.

I arrived in Warsaw on February 3, 2020.  Checked into my Airbnb (I wasn’t sure if I would stay in Warsaw or move to another city).  It was also 40 minutes from the city center by bus, not exactly ideal.  I landed a job the first week so I would need that PESEL number so I could get paid.  I was able to open a bank account and then I needed to apply for my PESEL which needs to be done in Polish.  English Wizards provided me with a step-by-step document to help me complete the paperwork on my own vs hiring someone to do it for me.  All is good now, right?  Not exactly, I arrived with a tourist visa which is only valid for 90 days.  I have a job, a bank account, a PESEL number, an Airbnb to stay, what else could I possibly need.  Again, EW had provided me with documents detailing the further steps I had to take to continue to live and work in Poland.  Before my tourist visa would expire, I had to apply for a Karta Pobytu or temporary residency permit since I didn’t have time to apply for a working visa while I was in the states.  It must be applied for in your home country, it was the holidays, I would have had to go to the Embassy in New York City. So temporary residency it would have to be.  To apply for my Karta Pobytu, I had to have a rental contract and it couldn’t be an Airbnb.  It had to be an official contract with a landlord. Now along with working, I had to apartment hunt in a city I wasn’t familiar with.  After some research, I knew I wanted to live in the city center.  Also, my job, teaching Business English at 3 different companies, was in the city center, so it just made sense.  I found a shared flat that I liked and signed a 6-month lease in case I decided I wanted to move.  It’s been 20 months and I am still in the same flat. Rental contract signed, now I could get my TRP. Wrong!  I also had to have medical/emergency/accident insurance that met all the criteria of the government requirements for a foreigner.  Next, another small task, haha, I had to have copies of all the pages in my passport with entry and exit visas for the last 5 years.  For me, this means copying 2 passports as I had just renewed mine.  Then, as part of the Karta Pobytu application, I had to list all the countries with the entry and exit dates in chronological order in Polish.  Honestly, for me, it was kind of a nightmare if you have ever seen my passport.  I also had to provide copies of my work permit (which I had applied for before arriving in Poland), a work contract, and the list went on.

Feeling satisfied, thanks to detailed instructions from EW, that the application was filled out correctly (in Polish, blue ink, all caps) I went online, paid my filing fee, and was ready to submit the paperwork.  BOOM, the global pandemic hits in Poland and we are on lockdown.  Everything would now need to be submitted by post instead of in person.  I got my package of documents together and sent everything in and requested proof of delivery.  Because of the pandemic, everything was at a standstill, and it was months before I heard anything.  I finally received notification that my application was denied as it was missing a document.  I could appeal or start a new application.

By now I had a roommate, Valeria,  who worked in a company that helped people obtain their Karta Pobytu, so with her help, I decided to just reapply as some of my other documents would need updating.  I had signed a new lease agreement, my work permit would be expiring, and I would need to submit my new one, etc.  So together we prepared a whole new application, sent it by post, and played the waiting game.  Finally, notification, I had the submitted wrong insurance.  I could appeal and send in the correct proof of insurance.  Valeria to the rescue, wrote my appeal since she speaks not only her native language of Russian but also Polish and English.

10 days ago, after 21 months in Poland, I finally received my 3-year temporary residency or Karta Pobytu.  Was I lucky?  Nah, I don’t think so.  Maybe I would say I was lucky to have Valeria as a roommate, but luck didn’t land me in Paris, China, Bali, or Poland!

This has turned into a longer post than I expected, but I do ramble a bit.  I mentioned I was recently interviewed by my hometown newspaper, the Tribune Chronicle. Burton Cole asked me what I wanted people to know.  Simply put, I want people to know that Aldous Huxley had it right when he said,  “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”  When you immerse yourself in a culture and open your eyes, your mind, heart, and soul to their culture, foods, traditions, and differences,  you just might see your own eyes looking back at you.  People are mostly good.  They want to be happy, enjoy their family and friends, eat good food, feel balanced, feel important to others, be free from social judgment, make a difference in the life of others, and live each day without regret.  I want people to know that my lifestyle isn’t for everyone.

Yes, I have seen amazing places, met amazing people, but not everyone wants to squat over a hole for a toilet.  Not everyone wants to travel/live abroad independently leaving behind the friends you have just made to have to start over in a new city or country.  It isn’t always easy dealing with language barriers.  Everyone can’t live without certain modern conveniences.  In my over 7 years abroad, I have never had a clothes dryer.  I must hang all my laundry to dry.  For 2 years in China, I had to take my sopping clothes out of my “washer” and put them in a spinner before hanging them to dry.  In my first 6 months in China, I had an electric conduction pad and a rice cooker to prepare all my meals.

I spent 6 months in a flat with only a squat toilet.  Not everyone can pack up and leave family and friends behind in their home country and start over with only the things you can carry with you.  I could go on and on about some of the perceived negatives of why living abroad isn’t for everyone.  More importantly, I want to say if you think it is for you or you want to try it even for a short time, don’t make excuses, plan, do the research, pack a bag, and go.   As this unknown author’s quote says, “it will be the scariest, most liberating, life-changing experience of your life.  Try it at least once.”

I want people to know that luck didn’t get me here.  If you still think I am lucky, well, don’t be surprised if I say, “I have made my own luck”.

It used to be when I thought of Morocco, I thought of an exotic country with desert, sultan tents, camels, incense, mint tea, busy market squares, tajines, and couscous. 

Not that it isn’t all of that, well maybe not so much the sultan tents (but, they did exist on the rooftop of my Riad), there is so much more to this country. 

I was continuing my journey coming from Cairo to Casablanca.  The only thing I knew about Casablanca was Rick’s Café. I know, I know, Rick’s Café is entirely fictional and was nothing more than a Hollywood set for the movie “Casablanca”.  So what, it’s been recreated in the city and how could I be in Casablanca and not visit Rick’s…??  My first evening I had a lovely meal and of course a gin Martini, “of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world…”.  Truly a night to remember…I know, I know…different movie.

My only other goal in Casablanca was a visit to the Hassan II Mosque.  It is the second-largest functioning mosque in Africa and the 7^th largest in the world.  With an estimated 4 million mosques in the world (2019), number 7 is a big deal. Inside, the mosque can accommodate 25,000 people, and the outside another 80,000 worshippers.  I was blown away by this mosque.  Its location directly on the North Atlantic Ocean isn’t too shabby either. 

Casablanca is a large busy city and 2 days there was plenty.  From Casablanca, I took the train to Marrakech where I had booked a Riad (guesthouse) in the heart of the Medina (historic old city).  Unfortunately, due to covid, tourism is almost non-existent. Although visiting sites like Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace were quite enjoyable being mostly tourist-free, the great square Jemaa el-Fnaa was empty. 

Normally filled with thousands of people watching magicians and snake charmers, eating, shopping, listening to storytellers and bands, or getting henna tattoos, it was virtually empty.  I did see one guy with a monkey.  Although this was a bit disappointing especially after reading my friend Cheryl’s experience in her book, “Morocco: A Journey Through the Sands of Time”, I found Marrakech every bit as exotic and entrancing as I imagined.

After that long introduction, on to the naked truth….

Although it had slipped my mind, my first introduction to a Moroccan Hammam was in Cheryl’s book.  Hers seemed a bit harsher than my experience.  Most recently my friend Tertia told me of her trip to Marrakech and said whatever you do, visit a Hammam and then plan to do nothing the rest of the day as you won’t have the energy.  So what is a Hammam? 

In Arabic, the word hammam means, “spreader of warmth”.  A hammam is a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. There are public and private hammams.  One of the “Five Pillars of Islam” is prayer. It is customary before praying to perform ablutions. The two Islamic forms of ablution are ghusl, a full-body cleansing, and wudu, a cleansing of the face, hands, and feet. You will almost always find hammams in the vicinity of mosques as public cleansing is part of the weekly ritual/lifestyle of the Islamic culture.  While many Islamic women are covered head to toe in public, they are naked in the hammam.  It is a place of gathering, bathing, and maybe even a little gossip.  People of Islamic faith often visit the hammam on Thursdays before Friday prayers.

Okay, so there are public and private hammams.  I’m at the point in my life, after living in China and squatting over a hole with numerous other women to do my business, getting naked in a public bathhouse is no big deal.  BUT (with one t, haha), since I had been warned I would feel like a jellyfish after, I decided to take advantage of the hammam treatment offered by my Riad.  Not only that, but it has been hellish hot here (108°) so the thought of traipsing back to my Riad in the heat, dust, and chaos of the Medina after a bath didn’t seem appealing.  Having been on the road for 11 weeks (secret meaning; I haven’t shaved in 11 weeks) I decided to also get waxed.  I mean if someone is going to wash me head to toe, I may as well get smooth before getting exfoliated.  She explained that since the scrub is also a skin treatment (because of the black soap and rhassoul), I should have the waxing done prior.  Yes, waxing at times can feel like putting duct tape on your skin and ripping it off…not that I’ve ever tried “waxing” with duct tape, but it’s what I imagine.  And yes, it does hurt a tiny bit in the more sensitive areas.  Waxing is over it’s time to get scrubbed….

The young lady gave me a pair of disposable bikini briefs to put on.  Honestly, they reminded me of an old fashion maxi pad without the padding but enough visuals.  She then gave me my robe and led me to a marble “bath” room.  Inside the room were several sizes of brass bowls and buckets along with smaller bowls, one filled with black goo or “beldi” and one with a reddish-grey claylike substance, “rhassoul” which eventually turned to a soft paste. 

Moroccan black soap or beldi soap is a high-alkaline Castile soap made from olive oil and macerated olives with a gel-like consistency. This gives the soap its characteristic dark greenish-black color.  Rhassoul is a cosmetic made of natural mineral clay mined from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It is combined with water to clean the body and has been used by North African women for centuries to care for their skin and hair. Rhassoul contains silica, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium, and trace elements.  There was also the kessa exfoliating glove. It is traditionally used with black soap to help promote soft, clean, and beautiful skin. At one time they were made from goat hair.  In a large marble sink, she had water running so the air was steamy.  There was a long marble bench with a pad and after she took my robe, she instructed me to sit on the bench. 

She then says sit for 5 minutes…. okay, the temperature is perfect, the sound of the running water relaxing (water should be flowing as standing water is seen as unclean), and I am alone with my thoughts and breathing in the steamy air.  After 5 minutes, she returns.  She has changed into leggings and a t-shirt and pulled her hair up.  I guess it’s time to scrub me down. She gets the small bowl of beldi.  She has me touch it and smell it.  I must be honest here, although it is made from macerated olives, I thought it had a bit of a barnyard smell.  Not that it’s all bad because I rather like a leathery barnyard smell.  I did a bit of research later and found that sometimes amber musk is mixed into the black soap so I may have been picking up that musky undertone.  Back to my bath…I am sitting on the marble bench; she fills one of the medium brass bowls from the marble sink with the flowing water and gently pours many bowls of perfectly warm water over my body. That was heavenly.  After I was sufficiently wet, she takes the black soap and rubs it all over my body.  She then told me to lay on the bench for 9 minutes.  I have no idea if there is a significance to the 9 minutes or just part of the calculation in the length of the bath.  Anyway, just as I was thinking she was never returning, and the soap was beginning to congeal on my skin the door opened, and she began pouring warm water on me.  It didn’t wash the black soap off but just remoistened it.  She then had me sit up and she took the kessa glove and began scrubbing my body. She had me lay down again and scrubbed me back and front before taking pumice and caring for my feet. Again she had me sit up and took bowls of warm water to rinse the residue from my freshly exfoliated skin.  It’s an invigorating sensation and I still think it smelled mildly barnyardy.  Next, she had me smell the clay-like substance which was very floral.  She then proceeded to rub this all over my body and was instructed to lie down for another 9 minutes.  The warmth, the sound of the flowing water, and my slightly tingling skin…. heaven on earth. When she returned, she had me sit up to be rinsed and then asked if it was okay if she washed my hair.  Are you kidding me? In my opinion, one of the most relaxing things is having someone wash my hair.  She washed my hair and then came the buckets full of warm water poured directly over my head. When my hair was sufficiently rinsed, she had me stand and braided my hair down my back.  Again I was asked to sit, and she took lavender-scented soap and again washed my entire body, rinsed me with warm water, and then cooler water.  She said the lavender was for me to relax before my massage. 

She then handed me my robe and led me to a candle-lit room with soft music playing and an infuser filling the room with a lovely scent. I then got on the table, she dried my body and proceeded to give me a 90-minute massage with perfectly applied pressure using argan oil.  After my massage, she told me to relax for 5 minutes, and then I was given some mint tea.  After which, I stumbled in a daze back to my room. 

That time I let a stranger bath me ranks up there with one of the top experiences of my life and I’m no rookie when it comes to spa treatments. 

All joking aside, the bathing ritual is an important part of the Islamic culture, and I learned a lot from this experience and would not hesitate to use a public hammam.  I only hope that my stories help bring to life the cultures, traditions, foods, and experiences that are so foreign to what we are used to. I may use a bit of humor when I write, but I have the utmost respect for the people I meet, the places I visit, and the experiences I have.  Peace Out!

I am currently sitting at my guesthouse in Giza, Egypt sipping my morning coffee and staring at the Giza Pyramid Complex. On the Giza Plateau sit the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Three pyramids dominate the landscape and each one was built as the final resting place for a king from the 4^th Dynasty also known as the “Golden Age” of the Old Kingdom.  The 4^th Dynasty lasted from 2613-2494 BC.  It was a time of peace and prosperity.

I have been in Egypt, for 6 days.  These magnificent structures are the first thing I see in the morning as my guesthouse (which I highly recommend) gave me a “pyramid view” room. They are also the last thing I see at night as each evening I go to the rooftop and watch the sunset over these structures.  I still have trouble grasping the fact that I am looking at and have touched something over 4000 years old…. it’s mindboggling.  The smallest of the 3 great pyramids was built for King Menkaure, his son, and his grandson.  Don’t worry ladies, the queens got their own pyramids.  The middle pyramid was built for King Khafre.  The largest and oldest of the three was built for King Khufu 2589–2566 BC and is also known as the Pyramid of Cheops.  At an original height of 146.5 (481 feet), it would take 3,800 years before another building would exceed it in height.  This building would be Old St. Paul’s Cathedral (1300) in London.

The other structure that stands out and is right before my eyes is the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Sphinx is a limestone structure, and it appears to have the face of the Pharaoh, Khafre.  The mythical creature also sits in from of the pyramid of Khafre. Not only is it one of the most recognizable monuments in the world, but it is also the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt.

The most amazing thing about this view is looking at the Great Pyramid and realizing it is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one mostly intact. I will say it again, it’s mindboggling. There are other structures on the plateau, and I will talk about my experience later.  I have always been fascinated by Egypt, hieroglyphics, the pyramids, and the Pharaohs, especially Tutankhamen. So, how did I end up ticking this bucket list item?  I want to take a minute to say again, “You’re Never Too Old To Make Your Life a Story Worth Telling” or for that matter too young.  A little over 7 years ago, I packed up my life and moved abroad.  I have lived in Paris, China, Bali, and my current place of residence is Warsaw, Poland.  In February of 2020, I got on a plane and landed in Poland to work for English Wizards. It is because of English Wizards I am fulfilling a dream.  No, they didn’t send me to Egypt.  They did however ask me if I was interested in working at a summer youth language camp in Bulgaria.  You can read about that here. I jumped on the opportunity and started thinking about where I might go after the 7 weeks of camp finished since I had booked only a one-way ticket to Bulgaria.  Greece, Turkey, Georgia, back to Romania were all thoughts passing through my wanderlust infected head.  I even considered taking the train from Bulgaria to Istanbul.  After a lot more thought, I realized the opportunity to add a new continent to my list was enticing.  I looked up flights to Cairo and on impulse hit the button to buy the ticket.  No looking back now.  A week or so later, I hadn’t made any plans (ticket) to return to Warsaw from Cairo.  Another bucket list crossed my mind.  It must be easier to get back to Europe from Morocco than Egypt, right?  Bingo…plane ticket to Casablanca booked and a return flight to Warsaw from Marrakech booked.  I could figure out how to get from Casablanca to Marrakech later.  By the way, I haven’t worked that out yet. Okay, I know I have gotten way off track from the Pyramids, but the point I really want to make is don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.  You are never too old, trust me…I spent 7 weeks remembering what it is like to be with kids and seeing their energy 24/7.  I turned 59 years young at Z Camp. Some nights I fell into bed exhausted and felt every one of those years and more.  But it was an experience I will never forget and might even repeat.  So, if I’m not too old, neither are you and you’re never too young.  Take that gap year, take any opportunity thrown your way.  I promise you won’t regret it. I also realize this kind of life isn’t for everyone.  I just happen to love it.  That’s how I ended up waking to the only remaining wonder of the ancient world.  I’d like to tell you a bit more of my experience walking in the steps of pharaohs, the land where it is believed Moses was pulled from the Nile in a basket…it is indeed holy ground.

I arrived at my guesthouse in Giza just in time for sunset.  I went straight to the roof with a bottle of water, trust me when I tell you it is hot here.  I sat in awe as the sun dropped perfectly behind the Pyramid of Khafre.  I was mesmerized.  I decided at that moment that I would start the next day exploring the Giza Plateau.  After a lovely Egyptian dinner of lamb chops and rice, my head hit the pillow and I had dreams of ancient Pharaohs.

My guesthouse sits directly across from the ticket office and entrance to the pyramids.  The price for the initial ticket is 200 Egyptian pounds or about $13.  Entrance to the Great Pyramid and any camel or carriage rides are extra and paid on site.  I have to insert a warning here, once you have your ticket in hand, you will be bombarded by locals wanting to ride you up the hill in a carriage (for a price of course) or wanting to be your guide (for a price of course).  They will tell you it is no cost, just tip what you feel.  I was warned by the staff at the guest house not to fall for this.  They have ways of making you part with more money than you wish.

For example, if you decide to ride a camel, get the price for on and off the camel.  You may think $10 to “ride” a camel is a good price, but if you didn’t negotiate to get off the camel, you may be in for a surprise.  “Ahhhh, $10 to ride madam, but $20 to get you down”.  Since I rode a camel when I was in the Gobi Desert, I didn’t have a desire to repeat the experience.

I had already decided I wanted to walk from the entrance up to the pyramids and was able to call everyone and their offers off after many stern “Nos”.  For the ones that were particularly persistent, I used the “maybe later” line.  With tourism just starting to come back, everyone vies for your attention.  Me with my light-colored hair (not to mention the colorful braids) stood out in the crowd a bit.  This did bite me, when I left the guesthouse the next day and someone yelled, “Wendy, (everyone wants to know your name) you said you would come back for a carriage ride in the afternoon.”  To which I replied, I am sorry, I was just too tired.  Not entirely a lie as I was exhausted, although I had no intention of finding him later that day for a carriage ride.

As I started walking towards the Sphinx, I was approached by an older gentleman in what looked like traditional garb and an official-looking identification around his neck. He started up a conversation with me. He had a soft, gentle voice and asked me how I felt being here.  After I answered him, I went on to explain, I was warned of all the “tricks” people will use to get your money.  He said he wasn’t there to take my money.  Yea, right.  I continued walking and he continued with me telling me different things about the pyramids and again asking me how I felt.  He then said I looked like someone who would like to meditate somewhere near the pyramids.  He told me he would show me a spot I could sit and be with my thoughts.

Okay, I know it sounds hokey, but his conversation with me was pretty much exactly what I was feeling.  I agreed to let him walk with me around the area.  I also said again, I wasn’t paying him.  He said, okay, just let me walk with you, show you some things, tell you some things, and at the end, I will walk away.   I spent about 3 hours walking the complex and talking.  I was the only “tourist” in the area we were walking in the beginning.  He showed me some new excavation sites, some minor monuments and did indeed take me to a spot where I could put my hands on an ancient object with hieroglyphics and left me alone for several minutes with my thoughts and a few tears.

We left this area and went to the pyramids.  I told him I wanted to go out into the desert to see them from afar.  I knew I would have to pay for either the camel or a carriage.  I explained I have already done the camel thing.  We negotiated the carriage ride, and a young Egyptian boy rode me out into the desert.

The view was spectacular, and I took amazing photos and he returned me to the pyramid of King Menkaure. The pyramid was not open for viewing but I did take some photos at the entrance to the tomb.

I met back up with my walking companion and he took me up close and personal to the Great Sphinx. I even took some fun photos.  It was starting to get very hot; it was just hot when we started out, a mere 93 but the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was climbing.  I was hot, thirsty even though I had a bottle of water with me, and tired. As fascinated as I am with the pyramids, I knew it was time to end my visit.

We started walking toward the exit and he asked me if I was as happy.  I was ecstatic but I also have learned that if asked if I am happy means I should make the person responsible for “my happiness” happy in return.  In other words, a tip without asking.  I had planned from the beginning to give him something as we parted.  I handed him a generous tip, he smiled and walked me a bit further.

As we parted ways, he handed me a small ceramic scarab.  The scarab is a symbol of renewal and rebirth. My visit to the Giza Pyramid Complex was complete. My soul was happy!

A few other pointers for a visit to Egypt:

It’s hot.  Even if you think you can handle the heat, it drains you.  You’ve heard it before but drink a lot of water.  Rest in the shade when you can.

It’s hot.  It drains the battery on your phone more quickly than normal.  It’s wise to have a power pack.  I didn’t and my phone died late in the afternoon before I could call an Uber.  This also means no google maps or google translate.  I had to rely on the kindness of strangers to help make the hour trip from downtown Cairo back to Giza.  It’s only about 14 km but Cairo/Giza traffic is mad.

It’s hot.  Your laptop battery drains quickly when you are sitting on a rooftop looking at the pyramids while getting some work done.

Uber is easy to use and reliable.

Learn a few words in Arabic.  Shukran = thanks  La Shukran = no thanks

Don’t expect to find alcoholic beverages/cocktails.  Places are few are far between where you can get alcohol.

Try the local food.  Don’t be tempted to just duck into that KFC or Pizza Hut.  Local food is inexpensive and tasty, give it a try first.  If you don’t like it, there is always American fast food to be found.

Take your time.  Don’t rush to see as many things as you can cram into a day.  You will only end up, hot and exhausted and probably won’t recall half of what you saw. Take your time, read about what you are seeing, realize the magnitude of what you are seeing.  Some of these structures are over 4000 years old.

Don’t count on air conditioning.  May Ubers and taxis either have no air or don’t use it.  The Egyptian Museum didn’t have air-con.  Although, the newer museums do.  My guesthouse had ice-cold air and cold water always available.  This was a plus.  Just don’t assume everywhere will have air conditioning.

Finally, get caught up in the crazy, chaotic, colorful Cairo scene.

And remember, you’re never too old or too young to make your life a story worth telling!

Summer 2021 has found me in the seaside town of Kiten, Bulgaria situated on the Black Sea.

It is a resort town near the mouth of the Kiten river. It boasts two beaches, Atliman and Urdoviza.  So what has brought me from Warsaw, Poland to Kiten, Bulgaria?    Z Camp.

I was contacted by English Wizards and asked if I would be interested in working at an English Language and Sports Camp in Bulgaria. They had me at Bulgaria…

18 years ago, 4 young people from Gabrovo, Bulgaria came to Warren, Ohio USA, and the Trumbull County YMCA to spend one month working at the day camp.  I was privileged to host one of the teens in my home.  Of course, working at the YMCA and hosting, I got to know all 4 quite well and my partner and I even took them on a weekend excursion to Niagara Falls. Their time with us flew by and soon they returned to Bulgaria.  Despite promises of a visit and taking many trips to Europe, I never made it to Bulgaria.  However, one of the guys ended up coming to the states for university.  Here he met his future bride and is now living in Virginia, so I have seen Pavel in recent years.   Yani is currently living in Germany.  Hristian is in Bulgaria and will hopefully be able to visit.

Tony is married with a son and another on the way in August.  She is living in Gabrovo.  Her husband and 6-year-old son were attending a karate camp near where my camp is located.  When she found out it was the same weekend I was arriving, she made the 3.5-hour trip to spend the afternoon with me.  They picked me up at my camp and took me shopping for a few items I needed. Then we walked around town, had some pizza, and video chatted with another very special friend, Margie back in the states.  Her husband Steve made all the arrangements to bring the kids to the Trumbull County YMCA. We then returned to my hotel and spent some time sitting by the pool catching up.  I can’t tell you what it meant to me that she made this happen.  Our visit ended way too soon, and they had to get back to their camp and mine was starting the next day.

When this opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t say no.  So here I am…country number 38 of my travels and currently in week four of Z-Camp in Kiten, Bulgaria.

What could be better than spending part of your summer on the beautiful south coast of the Bulgarian Black Sea?  This year since we kicked our summer camp off on July 4th, which just happens to be American Independence Day, our first weekly theme was “The USA”.  As the campers arrived on Sunday, greeting old friends from prior camps, and meeting new friends who are experiencing Z Camp for the first time, the American Folk Song, “Make New Friends” came to mind.  “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. A circle’s round it has no end that’s how long I’m gonna be your friend.”  Eyes lit up, and smiles formed as campers saw friends they hadn’t seen in a year. Shy glances and eyes filled with wonder from new campers as they looked around and saw their home for the next couple of weeks.  Luggage was stowed in assigned rooms, phones were turned in, money was put in the “bank” and kids were in swimsuits and jumping in the crystal waters of the camp pool. I should mention here that this isn’t a typical camp you think about in the USA. Camps in Bulgaria are housed in hotels and make use of the hotel facilities and grounds.

Soon it was dinnertime.  Everyone was famished because swimming can certainly make you hungry.  Old friends sitting together catching up, new campers getting accustomed to the routine and meeting other “newbies”, staff trying to make everyone feel welcome and laughter filled the air. After dinner, we gathered at the classroom area and everyone received their phone so they could call mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or whoever they needed to let know that all was great at Z Camp.

Z-Campers turn their phones into staff at arrival and have access to them once a day, in the evening after dinner.  As the days went on, it was interesting to see that many didn’t even use their allotted time. They made their necessary calls, turned the phone back in, and got on with whatever activity they were engaged in.  Of course, there are some addicted to social media and had to post a daily tik tok or Instagram shot, but for the most part, I was surprised to see how easily they parted with their treasured smartphones.

The first evening activity was ice breakers.  This means time for fun!  Z Camp’s super-fabulous activity staff had plenty of great games planned.  We heard more laughter and saw more friendships being made. We even set off “sparklers” and shouted, “Happy 4th of July”.  However, the long day and excitement was catching up with our campers and yawns started becoming contagious.  Time for our first night’s sleep at camp.

Welcome to day one. Since Z Camp is an English and Sports Camp, one of the first things we did was test English levels.  Campers were split into four groups and one of the teaching staff administered the test.  Instructions were given in English and Bulgarian to make sure the campers all understand what they should do.

Everyone was happy when the testing was behind them because they knew that meant they would go to the beach in the afternoon. Lots of fun in the sun was followed by dinner and then evening activity which was a quiz night.  Time to see how much they knew about the USA.

We woke to rain on day 2 of camp.  By the way, wake up is 07:20 with breakfast at 07:50. After breakfast, it is usually beach time.  When it rains the itinerary is switched up a bit in hopes that the weather breaks and we can go to the beach or swim in the pool in the afternoon.  On a typical day, we have one English lesson in the morning and two after lunch.  This rainy day we had two lessons in the morning.  The testing the day before allowed the academic director to divide the kids into appropriate classrooms for their age and English level.  Also scheduled in a typical afternoon are sports activities, after all, Z Camp is a language and sports camp.

Anyways, you get the idea.  We get up…we have breakfast…we go to the beach…we have English lessons…we have lunch…we have two English lessons…we have an afternoon snack…we do sports…we have dinner…we have phone time…we have an evening activity…bedtime is 21:30 with lights out at 22:00.  There is a security person on duty overnight on the wings of the 2 floors boys on one, girls on the other) occupied by Z Camp and staff. Then on occasion, some of the staff sit at the outdoor pool bar and relaxes a bit after very active days.  As a side note, all staff isn’t present at all activities, we do have some needed downtime.

Since we have a rolling enrollment with some kids leaving on Saturday mornings and a new bunch arriving on Sunday afternoons, we have a new theme each week and switch up the activities as much as possible.  Kids stay two, three, or four weeks at a time so we do our best to keep it interesting.  Time certainly flies by at camp which is how I have arrived at week four in the blink of an eye.  We also take 2 off-site excursions each week.  I’ve taken you through a couple of typical days but now a little about some of our activities and excursions.

Did you know Bulgaria has a prehistoric rock formation just a few kilometers north of the city of Primorsko?  It is a natural rock formation consisting of megaliths of hardened magma that erupted from a Mesozoic era volcano.  If you don’t know what a megalith is, Z campers can tell you because they have been there.  A megalith is a large prehistoric stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. … Most extant megaliths were erected between the Neolithic period. The site is an open-air museum maintained by the Burgas Historical Society. Beglik Tash is visited annually by 40,000 tourists and is affectionately called the Bulgarian Stonehenge by the locals.  It’s cool we could visit while at Z Camp.  It was great fun trying to squeeze through the crevices and climb around the rocks.

After leaving Beglik Tash we arrived at the Strandzha Nature Park, we had lunch, and then boarded a boat for an hour-long river cruise on the Veleka River. If you didn’t want to cruise you could paddle kayaks up and down the river. After the boat ride, we did some rifle shooting and then back in the boats for a water gun fight. Everyone returned to shore soaked to the skin. Veleka River is part of Sredna Gora Tectonic Zone in Strandzha Natural Park. It empties into the Black Sea.

During the week the campers can also choose from a variety of sports activities, including volleyball, windsurfing, football, tennis, horseback riding, and swimming.  Evening activities range from movie night, karaoke, board games, and quizzes to a murder mystery night.

Four weeks have flown by.  I started this blog with a story from 18 years ago.  I had just had a visit from one of the four “kids” who came from Gabrovo, Bulgaria to Warren, Ohio.  It seems fitting that I should end it today with a visit from another one of those kids.  Hristian and his girlfriend Dessi decided to take a holiday at the sea.  They were staying in the nearby town of Sozopol so Hristian would be able to visit.  We shed a few tears and shared a lot of laughs.  It is amazing and I am blessed that after 18 years it feels like yesterday.  We met up in Kiten and had lunch at the seaside. We then went for a cocktail and had a video chat with Margie back in the states.  I’m good at catching her just as she is waking, sorry Margie.  I think she forgives me.  We didn’t say goodbye but see you soon as we made plans for me to visit Veliko Tarnovo and stay with Hristian before going to Sofia to catch my flight to Cairo.

I am truly blessed to have met these young people 18 years ago.  I am fortunate to have traveled to 38 countries of this beautiful world and met people I may never see again but consider my friends. I have met people I consider family.  I never thought I would get to Bulgaria yet here I am at a summer camp teaching English.  I have great co-workers and have shared laughs and tears.  I think of my friends and family back in the states and sharing these moments with them.  As Nishan Panwar said, “Sometimes it’s not about the journey or the destination, but the people you meet along the way.”

 “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. A circle’s round it has no end that’s how long I’m gonna be your friend.”

I have struggled with this blog. Most people would give the big FUCK YOU to 2020, but as I look back over my year, I have much to be thankful for, a lot of happy memories and good experiences.   I think we can all agree that 2020 was, well, different…2020 the year the world stopped turning…but perhaps Charles Dickens explained it best over 160 years ago… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

The theme of duality in “Tale” certainly carried through 2020.  While Dickens’ characters simultaneously reflect the mirror images of good and evil, the story also shows us how human emotions, religious intensity, and a political situation set apart 2 countries.  These same themes in 2020 not only set apart countries, but we saw families tore apart and friendships shattered, not just in the USA but across the globe. 

The struggle being, how do you talk about 2020, a year in your life that was pretty damn good without diminishing the trials and tribulations it gave to so many?  November 17, 2019, I had just returned to the USA from living abroad and celebrated the holidays with family and friends I hadn’t seen in nearly 2 years.  I started the new year new decade also surrounded by family and friends. My brother and sister-in-law gave me one of the best nights of my life in January.  In February, I moved to a new country, Poland, to live.  I have a job. I have been travelling. I am healthy.  Meanwhile, I have family and friends losing businesses and jobs.  I know people who have quarantined themselves for 10 months.  I know people who have been sick and people who have died from Covid-19, yet I am saying 2020 was a good year…the struggle is real and no 2020 wasn’t always, “the best of times” but it certainly wasn’t “the worst of times”, for me.  With no further ado, my year in review:

December 31, 2019…I have been back in the USA for about 6 weeks. The first time in 6 or 7 years I have been spent the holidays on “home” soil.  I had a beautiful condo overlooking courthouse square in my hometown.  Family and friends had helped me move in and make it mine.  My cousin Bob pointed out that It would be the perfect place to gather to kick off a new year, a new decade. Well, that’s not exactly how it happened, but it was the place to be to welcome 2020.  I had an early dinner, which turned into a longer than planned dinner, with family and friends at a beautiful wine bar on the river in Warren.  While I was wining and dining, my good friends, Teri, and Michael were preparing my place for the big bash.  I finally arrived home and soon my place was wall to wall people.  Some ready to put 2019 behind them and others talking about plans for the new decade.  00:01 January 1, 2020…. champagne is flowing, laughter, hugs, kisses, pork and sauerkraut, shots, reminiscing about Y2K and here it was 20 years later, excitement for the new year, and most of all happiness and joy. 

Soon it would be January 9, 2020.  The reason I was in Warren Ohio…the Grand Re-Opening of The Robins Theatre.  I came because my brother Mark and sister-in-law Lori had turned a dream into a reality.  The historic Robins Theatre in our hometown…opened in 1923…. closed in 1974….sat vacant for 45 years….was re-opening.  The night was like the Oscars.  The marquee was lit and flanked by spotlights seen for miles.  The red carpet was laid because all of Warren, Trumbull County, and NE Ohio were the stars. Swag bags were passed out by the high school football players.  It was a black-tie night, and I was in my gown.  I live just around the corner from the theatre, a one-minute walk at most. 

At about 6 pm, a white stretch limo pulls up and Mark, in his tuxedo, gets out of the car and walks to me.  He puts his arms around me, and I immediately start to cry.  This is the night he has been waiting for.  He escorts me to the limo and once inside, pours me a glass of champagne and says, “here’s to mom and dad”.  The limo pulls away and drives around the block and Mark, Lori, and I, along with our family and friends walk the red carpet to the most amazing night of my life.

January flies by at warp speed.  Over a year prior I had committed to working in Poland (that would be in Europe, not Ohio).  As much as I loved my new condo and being home for the festivities, it was time to move on. 

I left for Warsaw, Poland on February 2, 2020.  I left with a commitment to a company called English Wizards. I arrived in Warsaw February 3^rd and checked into my Airbnb I had rented in the suburb of Ursus for 3 weeks.  I arrived with no job placement and not knowing what city I might end up in.  Within the first 2 weeks, I had 2 job opportunities in Warsaw city center teaching Business English.  I decided I would stay in Warsaw so now I needed to find an apartment closer to where I would be working.  Little did I know that by mid-March, it wouldn’t matter my location as my work would become remote.  By the 3^rd week of February, I was teaching Business English at 3 different companies and had found a flat in the Wola District of Warsaw, walking distance to all my classes. 

March 13, 2020…Poland announces it will close its borders and go into a strict lockdown for 14 days. This means all my classes will now be remote.  Hello, Zoom…not familiar with video conferencing, I had no choice but to be a quick study. I thought I would hate remote teaching, but I soon discovered it wasn’t that bad…until you have Wi-Fi/internet issues. Remote teaching also gave me the opportunity to pick up more classes than if I had to travel between companies. The last two weeks of the month weren’t anything to write home about, just teaching, walking to nearby restaurants for carry-out as they were closed to dine-in and trips to the supermarket…until March 28^th when I learned that a person that was once near and dear to my heart was in ICU with coronavirus.  April 1^st, coronavirus claimed the first victim that I knew personally, someone that I used to love…. A virus unknown to the world until a couple of short months ago. A couple of short months that changed the world. A couple of short months that changed me.

I never dreamed I would see Vatican Square in Rome…vacant, Times Square in the city that never sleeps…silent, or the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris…empty. What I did see was YoYo Ma virtually offering a daily song on his cello, yoga instructors offering free online classes, museums giving virtual tours, adults taking time online to read books to children and friends getting together for virtual happy hours. I saw kindness, love, compassion, and joy.  I saw people making the best of the times but before the year ends…it would be the worst of times.

April brought a continuation of restrictions in Poland, but not the strict lockdown of March.  As I got out and walked around the neighborhood, spring was in the air.  It was also encouraging to see restaurants setting tables up outside as indoor dining was still restricted. Even COVID-19 restrictions didn’t let me off the hook from obtaining my Temporary Residence Permit.  I got my documents submitted by post and waited.  Luckily, since I arrived prior to the lockdown and Poland was considered in a state of emergency, the normal 90-day limit on my tourist visa was extended until the state of emergency is lifted. April also brought virtual happy hours.  This meant virtual trivia with my friends at Jacked Steakhouse in Warren, Ohio.  It was something I looked forward to every week.  Restrictions were eased by mid-April and I was looking forward to May in Warsaw. 

Although many restrictions had been lifted, most of the museums were still closed so I spent my days walking around the city.  One museum that was open sits on the outskirts of Warsaw.  I hopped a bus and visited Wilanow Palace. 

I was also contacted by a friend in the states I met while deep sea fishing in Florida.  She said she had a friend that was living in Warsaw and hoped we could hook-up.  That’s how I met Tamara.  My walks took me to Lazienki Park, the Chopin Monument, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Rondo Tybetu which has artwork dedicated to the “Free Tibet” movement painted under an overpass, the Keret House which is the narrowest house in Warsaw, various locations of Mur Getta or the walls of the Jewish Ghetto of WWII, and the outdoor markets.  I met Tamara a couple times at the Vistula River where we enjoyed strolling along the river and stopping for drinks at the various bars and cafes along the way.   It was announced that most of the restrictions in Poland would be lifted on June 6^th.

June often found me heading to the Vistula to meet up with Tamara or just to walk and enjoy the views.  Frequent visits to Old Town and since the museums were now open, I visited several, including the Neon Museum, Pinball Museum, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and the Palace of Culture and Science.

I also went to the Warsaw Zoo which played a big role in hiding and transporting Jews during the war and the Jewish Cemetery.  I discovered one of my personal favorites, the Vodka Museum.  The Vodka Museum also has a rooftop bar, Koneser Bar ¾ which became a regular weekend hangout for me.  It was announced that on June 13^th Poland would open its borders which had been closed since March 15^th.  I finally went to a Bar Mleczny or “milk bar” which were popular eateries during communist times. I discovered an Indonesian restaurant in Old Town and the dishes took me back to the flavors of Bali. One of the highlights of June was receiving my first letter from the USA, from my cousins Buddy and Joey.

As you can see, June was a busy month which I spent exploring Warsaw.  I also finally took my first trip out of the city.  Not far from Warsaw is the city of Lublin.  Auschwitz, in the city of Oswiecim, is probably the most well-known and widely visited “concentration camp” in Poland.  When reading the book “Lilac Girls” I learned of Lublin and the Majdanek Concentration and Extermination Camp which sat on its outskirts.  An easy day trip from Warsaw, I decided to pay a visit.  The camp had seven gas chambers, 2 wooden gallows, and approximately 227 structures making it one of the largest Nazi-run camps. 

The camp operated from October 1, 1941, until July 22, 1944.  It was captured nearly intact because the SS had no time to destroy it due to the rapid advance of the Soviet Red Army. Most of the incriminating evidence of war crimes remained.  The building and grounds are now known as The Majdanek State Museum.  It is a memorial museum and education center founded in the fall of 1944. It is devoted entirely to the memory of the atrocities committed in the network of camps during World War II and was the first of its kind in the world. Visiting Majdanek is an experience I will not soon forget.

Wow, how did we get to the middle of Summer?  July in Warsaw brought beautiful weather and many trips to the river and Old Town where I finally visited the Royal Castle.  I discovered the night market which was the happening place to hang out on weekend evenings and a mere 10-minute walk from my flat.  I wandered the Praga District across the river and strolled galleries in Plac Konesera, which also happens to be the location of Bar Koneser 3/4, so of course, I stopped in on occasion.  I became a regular at the Tapas Gastrobar next to my house. 

I found out that Poland had beautiful lavender fields and took a day trip to Zyrardow to visit a lavender farm.  I still didn’t have my temporary residency, so it would have been difficult to travel outside of Poland in the EU because of my “expired tourist visa”.  This turned out to be a good thing because I was able to visit so much of this beautiful country.

August 1,1944 5:00 pm…the “W” Hour – the codename for Operation Tempest in German-occupied Warsaw.  In Warsaw, the month of August kicks off with remembrance of the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising.  Every year at 5pm alarm signals and sirens blare, public transit, buses, trams, cars, and pedestrians stop in silence.  It was quite the experience to witness this.  Also celebrated in August is Polish Armed Forces Day.  I got to hear President Duda speak and had the opportunity to walk around the displays and meet current and former military personnel.

I treated myself to a birthday lunch at the Michelin rated U Fukiera in Old Town.  I dried lavender I got at the lavender farm in July and infused some gin and made lavender simple syrup.  I took a day trip to Sochaczew and visited the narrow-gauge rail museum which included a train ride to the Kampinos Forest and a picnic.  On the coronavirus front, Poland banned 45 countries from crossing its borders.

September found me on a “class trip” to the city of Lodz.  A trip organized by my students at AXA Insurance.  What a great day we had touring the city, eating, drinking and even a tuk-tuk ride. The first weekend in September, I caught a train to the northern city of Ketrzyn. From here I took a taxi to Gierloz, the location of Wilczy Szaniec or Wolf’s Lair which is the abandoned site of Hitler’s Eastern Front Headquarters.  I stayed on-site in a renovated bunker and explored the area for a day and a half.  Then I returned to Ketrzyn for another day of exploration.  Here I visited a Christmas Bulb factory and accidentally crashed an office party at my hotel.  After crashing the party and a few nips of vodka, I was led on a 20-minute trek to see some street art. Piotr told me it was a Banksy…not likely, but it was a fun evening.  Before the month’s end, I had discovered Kilometer Zero in Warsaw, went to a Viking Festival and sampled mead, visited the POLIN, and viewed “The Poisoned Well” at the National Museum. 

The Poisoned Well was a controversial temporary exhibit featuring Pope John Paul II holding a massive rock and standing in a pool of red water.  Tamara and I spent a rainy Sunday eating hot dogs and watching the Warsaw Mets play American Football.  I also took on several more classes to start the fall semester. Most importantly in September, I voted and took my ballot to the US Embassy to be sent to the Trumbull County Board of Elections.

Welcome to October and the 4^th quarter of 2020.  October started out with a fabulous trip to the Baltic sea.  The tri-cities of Gdansk, Sopot, and Gdynia kept me entertained for 5 days.  I enjoyed strolls on the beach and sipping wine at cafes in Sopot. I also walked the longest wooden pier in Europe and saw the crooked house. I took a train from Sopot to Hel Peninsula and then a ferry boat to Gdynia where I wandered the waterfront.  I spent a half-day in Gdansk Old Town and took a bus to Westerplatte, a peninsula in Gdansk which is the site of the first battle of WWII.  I witnessed glorious sunrises over the Baltic Sea and hope to return to the tri-cities.  I guess you could also say October took me to “Hel” and back.

Returning to Warsaw my classes were in full swing, and I had new roommates, Valeria, and Nikita from Belarus.  Vish from India has been my roommate since I moved in. Well, Valeria had a small incident that ended up bonding us together. She decided to clean the exhaust screen from our stove and figured the best place to do was the bathtub.  Next thing I know, I hear someone (Valeria) crying.  I leave my room to investigate and she is on the phone to Nikita explaining/crying in Russian that she “broke” the tub.  She didn’t really “break” the tub, but whatever combination of chemicals she was using kinda sorta started to make a hole in the bottom of the bathtub. By now Vish has also come from his room and we are trying to tell her not to worry that we will figure it out.  Luckily, Nikita works in the construction industry and he was able to repair/patch the area, repaint and seal and you would never know anything ever happened.  That little incident formed a bond between us, and we have all become great friends as well as roomies. 

But this is where October takes a slight downward turn. We have another roommate, and he came home one day and announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.  The only symptoms we noticed were a slight cough.  He also informed us that he had to quarantine for 10 days and would turn our phone numbers into the health department.  He stayed mostly in his room for the next 10 days and well that is pretty much it as far as our quarantine.  No one else developed any symptoms or got tested.  I did have one day I felt like I had a hangover, but I did have a couple drinks with the other roomies the night before…so, who knows.  I wouldn’t think a couple drinks could give me a hangover.  Things in Poland are about to get a little worse as the number of infections took a steep upward swing as it was in most of Europe.  Restrictions were once again tightened.  Then an announcement regarding a ruling on abortions was made and this triggered protests across the country.  It was called a Women’s Strike and marches took place.  The largest one was scheduled for Friday, October 30th in Warsaw.  One of the starting points was just a few blocks from my house, so I decided to go and check it out.  I witnessed a peaceful march but did not go with the crowd to their destination. 

November rolls in with controversy.  All Saints Day, November 1^st is a National Holiday in Poland and people go to the cemetery to lay flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones. With the Women’s Strike protests still going on (they started October 22^nd) and coronavirus infections increasing, the government, at the last minute decided to close the cemeteries from October 31^st to November 2^nd which affected flower producers and vendors.  This sparked more protests on November 1^st.  Protests/Marches continued through December 13^th protesting not only the women’s issue but also protests by farmers and teachers, protests against the church, and protests regarding coronavirus restrictions. I’m not sure why or how they finally ended.  Between the weather getting cold, the protests, and the restrictions, I had a quiet November. I spent one Sunday afternoon walking around Fort Bema.  It was a perfect fall day, and the trees were still changing their leaves.  During the month, I also went for a couple massages.  I got invited to and attended a Thanksgiving Dinner. We also prepared a turkey dinner in our flat the weekend after Thanksgiving and had a few people over. 

November 30^th, I returned to Wilanow so I could see the Royal Garden of Light display.  It did not disappoint, but oh my it was cold and that cup of grzane wino (mulled wine) sure did hit the spot. Meanwhile, in the USA, the presidential election is turning into the worst of times….

December arrives and it seems like most people are counting the days until they can kick 2020 right out the door.  At my flat, we started doing a little Friday night thing. We would pick a cuisine and prepare a meal together and then enjoy some cocktails. Sometimes just us and sometimes with friends.  Warsaw was starting to prepare for Christmas and lights and decorations were going up all over the city.  I was considering a trip to Istanbul over Christmas, but one day Valeria came home and said, “Let’s go to Zakopane” for Christmas.  So, I booked the train tickets, and she booked our rooms.  We would take an overnight train and arrive Christmas morning.  The first couple of weeks of December were quite temperate, and it was fun getting out and seeing the city become festive.  I even saw a Salvation Army Red Kettle and bell ringer. 

I made it a priority to get to Old Town to see it in all its festive glory.  Of course, I picked the coldest, most windy day we had.  Again, the grzane wino was just what I needed.  We continued our Friday night cooking and cocktails. We put up a few decorations.  I continued my massages. 

The next thing we knew, it was time to leave for Zakopane and Christmas.  Zakopane was the Aspen of Poland.  The mountains were beautiful.  We trekked 3 hours up the mountain and back on Christmas day in light snow.  I fell twice coming down and the next day thought I had been hit by a truck.  Massage when I got back to Warsaw.  We had a beautiful Christmas holiday in the Tatra Mountains.  Sadly, the week of Christmas, I lost 3 friends.  All non-covid. 

We finished the year out by having a small New Year’s Eve party…champagne, pork & sauerkraut and old lang syne as we welcomed in 2021.  

2020, truly… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”