Home Safe and Sound

I am FINALLY caught up on my sleep!

Sorry about the lack of blogging, but for some reason my account would not let me log on overseas!

Tomorrow I plan on updating my blog day by day, but let me just tell you now this was by far the best two weeks of my life.

Words cannot describe the beautiful cities I visited and the people I met....

more tomorrow! :)

Upon Arrival

I'll spare you the details of a first timer's luggage pickup and jet lag and just skip to the next week when I actually started to feel normal.


This trip was truly the trip of a lifetime.  I wish I could fully explain everything that happened and everyone we met, but I would be here typing for a year.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience.  From the first flight seating to the wonderful hospitality we received; everything was perfect.  Sure the trip had some ups and downs and it was a roller coaster for all of us, but I think we all learned a little something about how other places in the world are.  Not to mention, we all learned more about ourselves.  

All of the juniors on the trip have already made plans to go on Poland 2013 :)

The Last Goodbye

Saturday morning was hectic!! We had to pack everything for one last time and be waiting on the curb for our taxis!

We knew it would be quick to getting in our taxis so we tried to say goodbye before they arrived.  Saying goodbye to the students that had been with us since the beginning was a hard thing to do.  Without them, we would have been so lost in the city.  They really had become our best friends.

While reminiscing and trying to stay happy, we were also trying to figure out how to pay the cab drivers.  You see, we had all spent the rest of our money on food and souvenirs, and we were splitting cabs between two people.  Luckily, we all figured it out and we all arrived without debt at the airport!

There, we waited for several hours until we could board our flight.  We ate some food, played some card games, and anxiously awaited our plane.  


Unlike the first time, we had no flight delays and everything worked out.  We were on our first plane for about an hour and then we had to run to our second plane in Germany.  Our layover was about 25 minutes long, but we had to run from one end to the other.  


Needless to say, we all made it on the plane and buckled up for our nearly 10 hour flight home. 

A Morning of Tears

Friday was the dreaded day of departure...
We all knew it would happen, but it seemed to go by so quickly. 

We woke up, finished packing, and before we knew it we had to be on the bus.  There wasn't much time for long goodbyes so we hugged the few we wouldn't see anymore.

We took a bus to Wroclaw, where we would stay for the night and the next day.  When we arrived, we had a wonderful Hostel waiting for us.  It was cozy, comfy, and 6 of us girls shared a room.  After settling in, we went around the city and looked for food.  What we found along the way was much different then what we were expecting.  There was all kinds of frames and stadiums being built in the town square.  We later found out that that was all a part of the Euro 2012 games that would be happening soon.  It was so neat to see all of the building happening right in the middle of everything.

We went to eat, and then we went off to explore.  Wroclaw is known for gnomes.  Apparently there are over 100 gnomes hiding across the city.  I find that hard to believe due to the struggle I had just to find 10!  

Here are some of the gnomes I was able to find:

 Some gnomes were harder to see than others due to some of the streets being blocked off.  In some pictures you can see the frames being built.  

For the rest of the night, we enjoyed the free wifi, free TV, Foosball, tea, and snack and just relaxed.  It was all a little bittersweet because we knew it was our last night in Poland. 

Student Take Over

Thursday morning our lecture was cancelled, so we didn't have to be up and ready until 1 pm for the student parade.

Somehow communication was lost, and our American group did not make it to the parade.  We went to eat and then spent the rest of the day exploring the city.  Of course we went to the mall for a bit, but then a few of us went by the river front and walked around.  It was such a nice day out!  

 After we walked around for a bit, we decided to go start packing since this was our last night in Opole.

To celebrate the last night, we went out to dinner with the guides and the students to thank them for all that they had done for us.

Everyone was crying before 9 o'clock!

Visiting the Medical College

We found out Tuesday night that we would have a lecture on Wenesday morning to make up for one that was cancelled earlier on in the week.  I was pretty excited because this lecture was prepared especially for us.  The only downside? It was at 8:30 AM!!

Oh well.  We were all up and ready and on time for the lecture.  It was actually the most relevant lecture to my major as it talked a lot about public health and the P.E. Health Educator debate.  Poland is going through the same ordeal that the U.S. is in regards to having certified school health educators teaching P.E.  Even though I am a community health educator, I still see the importance of this issue.  The lecture also touched on a few other key health issues like nutrition and fitness.  It was a lecture good enough to keep us all up at 9 AM! :)

After the lecture, we ventured off the the medical college.  It was a very pretty campus.  Unlike the technical university, this campus had more greenery and bright red brick buildings.  All of the buildings had a lot of windows which was really nice.  After a tour and a brief presentation, we went off to an active rehabilitation class.  Again, the name of the class was unfamiliar to us, so we didn't know what we would actually be doing.  

We ended up walking into a class full of wheelchairs and we were introduced to a woman who was wheelchair bound herself.  I am still not quite sure if she was a teacher or just a student/faculty member, but she taught us some of the most amazing skills.  Not only did we learn how to do exercises, tricks and help others in wheelchairs, but we also learned of the everyday difficulties first hand.  Some of us practiced falling over in wheelchairs, doing wheelies, and going up and down stairs.  It is truly amazing to see what strength it takes to live in a wheelchair.

After the exercises we were able to play wheelchair basketball.  I know I keep saying this about everything, but I honestly think this was my favorite activity.  It was so much fun!  I felt like I was really good at it, but looking back, I don't even think I made a shot!  The experience of playing a sport we all know but taking away your mobility is an interesting sensation.  The picture below is me trying to do a wheelie with a helper.  I am literally wearing the face of true terror!  The loss of balance was so scary!

 This was the woman that taught us all of the tricks.  There are also a few younger students that helped us.  In this picture, Sebastian is practicing falling over and getting back up in the wheelchair.

 This is one shot of wheelchair basketball.  The most challenging part was wheeling yourself and keeping hold of the ball at the same time!

FENCINGGG!

OH MY GOSH TODAY WAS THE DAY WE GOT TO TRY FENCING!

I'm pretty sure this was the girls' favorite activity because we all wanted to be Lindsey Lohan from The Parent Trap.  Sadly, only Natalie ended up being that good!

We all arrived at the fencing class and they were not messing around!  We had to run a few laps for warm-ups and then do some more intense leg workouts.  I sat out for about 10 minutes due to the pain in my leg.  After the warmup, we began learning how to pose and move around in proper fencing ways.  It was a lot harder than it looked!  I thought most of the moves were free formed, but you really must think about what you are going to do before you do it!   After a few practices, we watched two Polish students fence.  After that, it was our turn.  Natalie and Sebastian volunteered and the showdown started!  To everyone's surprise, Natalie kicked Sebastian's butt!  Normally Sebastian is good at EVERYTHING, so it was funny to see him lose!  He really tried hard and fought well, but Natalie was just very good.  I give a lot of props to both of them because I know I would not have done well at all.

The is the Polish teacher showing Sebastian how to hold his sword.  The outfit for the sport looks a little uncomfortable, but it is very protective!

 
When we were done with our fencing class, it was time to try Goalball.  This is a Polish sport for people with disabilities.  When I saw this, I immediately thought of an injury or someone in a wheelchair.  Instead, these sports were for those who were visually impaired!


Our first step in this lesson was an obstacle course.  We had to do many normal tasks like walking on a balance beam, hula hooping, and a somersault without vision.  Once this course was over, we had to run to people who were clapping without looking.  This was scary because the people were standing close to walls and poles.  The last step was to chase a ball that had bells in it and grab it as soon as possible.  Tyler was my partner during the whole thing and he was great!  I was so scared because I couldn't see but he was a great leader!

Even when she can't see, Brooke still manages to pose for the camera! :)


After these activities, we went to play the real Goalball sport.  it was a big court, like a basketball court but there were lines that you couldn't cross.  There was a defense line you couldn't cross which was about five feet away from the goals and there was a offense line you couldn't cross about three feet in front of the other line.  It was hard to catch the ball because the other team would throw it so hard.  The ball did have the bells in it so it helped us in hearing where it was.


Lastly, we went to the rehabilitation and tourist center in Kamien.  This center was a beautiful spa like place with areas for massages, warm baths and other items to help with circulation, injuries and other issues with one's body.  I found this center to be very relaxing and inviting.  

 Pictured above is a very cold pool that goes a little above the knees.  It helps with blood circulation in the legs.  It was shocking at first, but I really enjoyed being in the pool for a few minutes.
 

After the tour of the center, we had a BBQ in the forest behind it.  It wasn't a traditional American BBQ of course, but it was delicious!  I still can't believe the hospitality we witness in Poland.  This whole meal was free for us and the experience will last a lifetime!

Surprises!

Monday was a busy busy day!

Our schedule was presented to us as this:

10:00 AM Visit Town Hall (Meeting with Vice President of the City of Opole)
12:00 Zumba
1:15 PM Lecture on Biomechanics
4:30 PM Visit to the Opole Public Library
5:00 PM Surprise!!

We all arrived at the Town Hall very excited to meet the Vice President of Opole.  Everyone was so nice at the hall and there was a presentation for us.  it was very informative and it gave a nice history of Opole.  After the presentation, the Vice President was able to spend some time with us.  He gave us a brief description of his duties and what he was doing to fulfill his time in office.  It was a really unique opportunity to be able to sit down with him, because we would never experience that with the U.S.  leaders.


After the meeting was over, we were all ready to dance in Zumba!  The teacher was so energetic, that she almost made me feel like I was good at dancing....

 ALMOST! haha


We had a brief lecture on biomechanics that was a little confusing to me, but I appreciated it non the less.

There was a lot of information related to statistics and exercise.


After lunch and a bit of down time, we all met at the library for a tour.  It was a really neat facility that had a modern flair.  The outside of the building had a poem in giant text on it.  It was in Polish and English which was nice because we were able to read it.  The library was pretty new, but it had a lot of books and resources already!  There was a huge room for younger kids that actually had games that you could rent for a night.   Monopoly, Risk, Shoots and Ladders and other board games were in the room.  I thought this was a great idea because board games can actually be around $20 a game now which is expensive when you kids want 20 different ones.


The tour guide knew a lot about the library and knew how to convey it well.  In some tours it can drag on, particularly if it's about a building that may not be the most exciting.  However, in this tour I really found myself interested to hear more.  The library just seemed like a hang out place more than somewhere you have to go for school.  

Once the tour was over, we found out from our guide that there was a surprise in store for us.  We had already heard what it might be, but we still weren't 100% sure.  Turns out, we were split into 2 teams and it was a race around the city!  The scavenger hunt took us to places we hadn't really been before which was really nice.


We ended up having to climb rocks to find a clue, workout by the river, sing to everyone in Opole, and perform a Zumba dance.  It was so exhilarating that we didn't care who won or lost (my team won).  :)

 For one of the clues, we had to write sayings on a painted wall in Opole.

We Found the Mall!!!

Sunday was our last day in Krakow so we got a free day! 

WE FOUND A MALL! I mean, it wasn't that hard for 8 girls to find a mall.
We literally went shopping all day, stopped for a quick snack, and kept shopping.  We also went into the square where they had more town-like shopping.  

 As you can see, the malls in Poland are a little nicer than what we're used to in Illinois!

After our shopping spree, we headed back to Opole where we had dinner and passed out from exhaustion!

Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wielizcka Salt Mine

We all knew that this day was going to be very emotional, but I'm not sure that we truly realized how much of an impact Auschwitz- Birkenau was going to have on us.  

The entire site was just unbelievable.  To be walking where so many innocent people died for no reason was a heavy weight.  The items that were still at the concentration camps were unimaginable.  In several rooms they had items behind glass.  Glasses, luggage, hair, shoes, and pans could all be found on the camp.  The amount of items at Auschwitz were incredible.  And to think that those items probably didn't even account for half of the people that were murdered there.


An interesting thing I found out on the trip was that the two camps are actually not on the same grounds.  We had to take a five minute ride to get to Birkenau.  I had always thought they were connected.  Honestly, I also thought that Auschwitz was in Germany.  Seeing these historical sites and realizing how little I knew about them set heavily with me.  I don't know if I should blame my middle school and high school teachers for not teaching me correctly, or blame myself for the little interest I probably showed in my history class.  Either way, I wish I had known more about concentration camps before visiting one just so I would have had a better idea of how they were run, who was involved, and exactly how they were set up.


When we arrived at Birkenau, the grounds were set up much differently than Auschwitz.  It was more spaced out, and there were hundreds more buildings.  However, they had to tear down two-thirds of the buildings to preserve the front portion of the grounds.  

 Pictured above is a crematoria that was blown up at the end of the war.  Although this is all that remains on the grounds, there are many diagrams to be found that shows just what the building looked like.  Around the building there are monuments, in 3 languages, that symbolize the lives lost in them.

Imagine sleeping in one of these barracks with 4 other people.  Hard to believe isn't it? Well it is even harder in person.  Although I had seen pictures like this before coming to the camp, in person they are so much smaller.  When you are standing next to this an imagining yourself sleeping without any heat, blankets or bathrooms in the middle of winter it is easy to imagine how uncomfortable that must have been.  


The trip to Auschwitz- Birkenau was a solemn one, but I honestly wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  Upon being home, so many people have asked me about it and wished they could have went.  It is truly something to see.  It is hard to imagine that some people believe the Holocaust didn't even occur. 

Off To Krakow

Friday morning we had the opportunity to visit the museums inside of Opole University.  There were multiple museums consisting of automobiles, x-ray machines and other lenses.  There were pieces that were trials in NASA tests as well as detailed x-ray pieces that are no longer used.  The car museum was small compared to what we would consider a museum in the United States, but it was chocked full of information that you wouldn't believe!

As I mentioned, all of these museums were actually part of the university.  There was a small section of the entryway of the museum that showcased memorabilia about the university itself.  I found this most interesting because it really painted a picture of who the founders of the university were, and why they decided to form it.  Below are a few pictures of the Chinese Tea Room, the Automobile Museum and the Opole University Exhibit.

The picture below is of the Chinese Tea Room.  As you can see, the room was full of beautiful China, a silk screen worth over $20,000 and Chinese written on some walls.  It was nice to see a Polish University embrace another country's art and language.  America seems to be lacking some appreciation for those types of things.

 The machine pictured below was a part of the x-ray museum.  Although we were not able to know exactly where it came from, it is obvious that it was a very high-tech machine back in it's day.

 Here is a close up of the Chinese language, translated to Polish, on the walls of the Chinese Tea Room.

 This is the group of us viewing the Opole University Exhibit found in the museum building.

American Football

Thursday was a busy day!
The weather was a big windy and gloomy, but we were all ready for the activities!

Our first class was a soccer class but unfortunantly, they don't allow women to play.  This seemed a little strange because in America we never even have to think about whether we're allowed to play a certain sport or not.  It was also strange because our group consisted of 8 females, so we would have all had to sit out.

I say 'would have' because we actually didn't have to sit out of anything!  Two of the students who were traveling around with us brought their own ball and they said we could play our own game on a nearby field.  Although I personally couldn't play because of my leg, it seemed like everyone really enjoyed it!  The thing about the classes there is that it doesn't matter who wins as long as everyone is enjoying themselves.  I know that sounds cliche but that's really how it was.  I wish America could incorporate those thoughts a little more because I'm sure more people would eagerly participate in sports, PE and extra curriculars if they knew they wouldn't get made fun of for not being the best.

After soccer, we were scheduled to go to a basketball class.  I was also unable to participate in this class, but it was so fun to watch!  Again, the theme of fun overrode the ideas of winners and losers.  After a warmup, the teams were split into Americans and the Polish students.  We knew they would be better than us, since they're taking the class, but we still had high hopes!  Our team actually didn't fall too far behind, and it was a blast to watch!  A couple of our students managed to give themselves small injuries.  One girl rolled her ankle on a practice shot while another ran into the bleachers trying to fight for the ball.  Here's a few pictures of the injuries:

Another thing that stood out to me was the sportsmanship.  Even when we made a basket, the other team cheered just as much as they did for their own team.  I thought that was very interesting because we would never think to do that in America.

We had a short lecture after basketball on taping.  It was an interesting lecture and it was neat to see how everything worked.  When I've seen it done before it looked like the tape didn't really go in a specific area.  After learning a detailed description about the tape I learned that it is actually a precise method to applying the tape. 

It was coming to the end of the day and all of the students were ready to have a few hours off.   Then we found out we were going to watch football.  We were all thinking, "okay, we already played soccer today" but it turns out we were invited to watch American Football!  Once we heard that, I think the group was a little more excited to go.  We drove about ten minutes and arrived at a field where a warmup was happening. 

Every one of the players were so friendly and eager to learn all that they could about our style of football.  We watched the practice and some of us even joined in.  On the sidelines, myself and a few others were just tossing the ball and learning a few basics about football.  I think this was one of my favorite sports because it was so fun to watch people try to learn a sport that is idenifiable to the U.S.

Here are a few picture of the football practice and players:

In the Illinois State hoodie is Sebastian, one of our students.  He was the only one that actually went through the entire drill with the players and he was worn out after!!  We have no idea how he found the energy to do it!

Becoming Immersed

Wednesday was the first full day of classes and activities

We woke up and got dressed in business casual attire to meet the future President of the University as well as a Dean.  When we arrived at the campus, I tried to absorb as much as I could about the appearance.  It was very different from Illinois State on the outside.  It was not as colorful, alive, or inviting.  However, as soon as you walk through the doors of a building, the inside mimics U.S. colleges.  The halls are filled with classroom doors and there are a few main places for students to sit and study or relax.  It was nice that we were given a tour of some of the building on the first day because it really laid out the ideas of how the University ran.  It was interesting just to compare and contrast the facilities and how they function.


Here is a picture of the campus:

As we made our way to the room where we would meet the future President, I was a little anxious.  Inside the room, china cups and saucers awaited us to fill them with tea or coffee.  Many of us practically fought over the coffee due to the jet lag and overall lack of sleep.  The meeting was a lot of formal information.  There was a powerpoint followed by many thanks from our group for allowing us to come and stay in their town.  After the meeting, we went to a lecture that was done by the Dean.

This was probably my favorite lecture because it really showcased the Dean's intelligence.  It was our first lecture in Poland, but I could already tell that the Professors have a very high standard for learning.  I also took note of how difficult it must have been to put together a lecture in English.  The lecture was so easy to understand and had about as many errors as any American would make just due to typos.  I was really taken aback with the thought of how much time this might have taken.  

When the lecture was finished, we went to eat and change clothes for our next class.  Our first physical class was on a cloudy and windy day.  We were going to participate in a track and field class outdoors.  I wasn't the most thrilled about this simply because I have a sciatic nerve issue in my left leg.  However, this was the first opportunity to mingle with the students, and I didn't want to be the only one sitting out.  Right before we went to go on the field, we were stopped by two people with a video camera from a news channel.  We were asked to give small interviews and to say a few lines for the camera.  This was a very unusual experience, but I got used to it as the trip and interviews went on.  So, after the interview, we went to the class.  The teacher spoke in Polish, but a few students translated for us.  He was also good about showing demonstrations so we understood just by the demos.  I have never done track and field so this was a fun experience.  Although I couldn't do every move because of my leg, but the end of it I felt very accomplished.  I did what I could and I even had fun doing it!  At one point in the class we got split up into teams for a relay.  Oh my gosh I was so happy that Katie (my roommate) was also on my team.  If it hadn't been for her I would have had no idea what to do!  


I know this post is starting to get long, but this was a LONNNGGGG day in Poland!


After the class, we had a little down time to shower and get ready for the evening.  We were to meet for a tour at 6:30 that would lead us to our dinner.  At 8 pm we had a dinner with some of the University members and the students that were with us.  We were given four Polish students to travel with us which was amazing!  If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have had half the experiences that we did!  Anyways, so the dinner was at 8 pm.  We went on an hour long tour beforehand, and it was so beautiful!  Piotr, our guide from the University was giving the tour to us.  He knew a lot about the city which was an advantage to us.  We found out a few little things that normal tours don't know just because of his knowledge.  After the tour, we arrived at the restaurant and to my surprise, wine was included free with the meal!  Now I don't really drink that much, but I was just shocked to see that what would be $8 in the U.S. was free with a nice dinner!  After reading the menu, I was very excited to try dinner!  The appetizer was a beet soup (pictured below) and we got to chose from three main courses.  I chose pasta with salmon, sun-dried tomatoes and a sauce.  It was amazing!!!  I also enjoyed the soup, but only in a small amount.  The dinner was nice because everyone was truly talking to one another like we had known each other all of our lives.  

After the dinner, I was talking to a few people in another room when I noticed the restaurant was a little too quiet for 10 Americans.  Come to find out, the whole group had left and I was the only one there!  Luckily, a few of the professors and our guide were still there.  Piotr took me home and I called it a night!  This night was filled with so much confusion and distress because I just couldn't figure out how the entire group could somehow forget about me and leave me in a city where I know no one. 

Losing Time

I had conquered takeoff! 

Tuesday was an entire day of traveling.  We had a four hour layover in Munich, Germany and then we were off to Poland!  The airport in Germany was so fancy that we really couldn't purchase anything.  I did buy some German chocolate, and let's just say that never had a chance to make it home!


As we were about to board the second plane, I was a bit shocked when I saw how small it was!  I'm sure it is an average sized plane, but compared to our Airbus before, this was a baby!


I decided it was not a big deal and buckled up!


Five minutes into the flight we had slight turbulence!!  I honestly thought I was going to die!  Worst feeling ever.  Luckily, we did not die and we landed safely in an hour.  I was pretty lucky that the second flight was only an hour because I don't think I could have handled much more of the shaky plane!


Upon landing, it was my first experience of finding luggage and finding the group!  I also conquered all of that, and we were in POLAND!

It seemed like I was never going to be able to say that!

Now, once we got our group together, we made our way to the bus that met us at the airport.  We also exchanged $20 which gave us almost 60 Zlote (Polish bills).


I was really surprised that the University sent someone to get us in a bus...I mean this wasn't like a school bus or city bus, it was a nice charter bus like we have in the U.S.  We found out that Opole, the town we would be staying in was about an hour away from the airport...let's just say everyone was asleep in 10 minutes. :)


Once we arrived in Opole, we said goodbye to the man that met us and the driver and made our way into our hotel.  There were a few mix ups with rooms, but everyone ended up with a roof over their head and all was good :)  

After about 10 minutes, everyone met up so we could make a quick stop at the store for some water and other snack foods.  I will just preface this story with saying that this was my worst experience within my whole trip.  It is sad that it happened on the first night because it really made me feel unwelcome despite the numerous times that I had been told Polish people love Americans.


So, we get to the store and people start to split up.  I don't understand why that happened because only two of the people in a group of twelve knew a hint of the language.  Oh well.  I stuck with my roommate and a few other girls and we tried to find some type of dinner.  The problem was, the store was about to close and they didn't have pre-made sandwiches and such like we do in the U.S. After much confusion and searching, we decided it was time to go checkout since it was closing time.  I managed to purchase 3 waters and some chips.  As we were checking out, we couldn't understand the U-scan and we didn't know how their money worked since it was only the first night.   Sabrina tried to use a plastic bag to put her items in and we got yelled at by a worker.  In Poland you have to pay for a bag, like Aldi.  Another woman finally came over to translate but as soon as she did, both women were speaking in Polish and laughing at us.  I know we were the ones who didn't know how to do anything and were probably a hassle for the store, but the feeling this experience made me have still sits wrong with me.  The whole group reminisced about this throughout trip and we discovered that it was store clerks that were the only individuals that seems disgruntled with us.  I understand why, and I don't hold it against them because it must be difficult and annoying if you can't communicate with someone.  


Overall, I think the first night really showcased the worst communication issues, and did prepare us for the trip.  Although nothing like this happened again, it kept us on our toes and we were more cautious about what we did.

A Day of Firsts

After the hectic day before, I was not exactly looking forward to hanging out at the airport all day.  Someone had an idea to take advantage of the free day in Chicago.

I've never been around in the city, so I was actually really excited!

We all got up, ate a free breakfast and walked to the CTA

Doesn't that look intimidating?
It sure did to me!  Riding the CTA might seem like something small, that millions of people do, but in some odd way it symbolized the beginning of the trip for me.  

The rest of the day was filled with exploring the city (mainly shopping malls) and meeting up for dinner with the group.  Like clockwork, it was time for us to head off to the airport for our three hour wait.  This time, it was much more talk and laughter and not so much worrying.  I think we all came to terms with the fact that we were ready to go to Poland.  We shook off our nerves from the night before and wanted the adventure to start.

Around 7:45 I shut my phone off and said goodbye to America.  9 hours later I was landing in Europe.

A Bit of Delay

As my parents frantically drove me to the airport, I was focused on keeping calm on my first flight.

9 hours on a plane was a scary thought.

So I tried to keep my mind off of the flight, and on the group of people I was about to spend the next two weeks with...

I arrived at O'Hare about half an hour late, but I still wasn't the last student! (a very proud accomplishment!)

The group of us sat around for a few hours like every international flight, but right as we were supposed to board, something seemed a little off...

One of our leaders went and talked to airport supervisors and the bad news set in.

Our plane had engine troubles and our flight was cancelled.

To save you all of the frustrating details, let me sum up the next three hours:
We waited in line with everyone else that was supposed to be on the plane (around 300 people)
We found out the next flight was the next night, Monday, at 9 pm
and we found out that the airline was paying for a hotel and meals for the entire group

By the end of the night, the entire group was tired and frustrated so we went to our free hotel, ate some dinner, and went to bed.

Let's just say I was feeling a bit discouraged on my first flight, international adventure, and study abroad trip.



 

24.4 lbs

is what my luggage came out to be...I'm quite surprised myself!

Tomorrow's agenda includes adding my toiletries to my luggage and preparing for the fun that lies ahead..

so lucky to have this opportunity :) 

my next post will be from EUROPE!

nervousAnxiousEXCITED!

I leave for Poland in two days.
two days.


I have no idea what to pack.

I have no idea what I'm going to wear.

Everyone, here's my confession:

I've never been on a plane.

WHEW! 

this is going to be an adventure :)