So I'm finally here but I'm not fully settled in. I can't wait till I am though. Things are good. I'm starting to hyperventilate that I'm actually a teacher. Maja and I saw the rooms today and I can't believe I'm going to be at the front of one next week. I have to come up with some killer plans. Just breathe. Keep reminding myself.
Saw my apartment, well kinda. Maja picked me up from the train station last night and I just stayed in the extra room in her flat. I'm not sure if that's going to be my room for the long run though.
So yesterday. (Or was it yesterday and the day before as well??) I'm going into grave detail regarding my trip so I can see just how much time I spent doing whatever yesterday. I think of it as therapy, or like breaking up with a boyfriend - I think I need to relive it one more time to really let it go.
First off, my flight. I left Rochester at 2:30 on Saturday. Headed into DC at 4ish and then left there at 5:45. There was a buzz around the airline that they overbooked but luckily, I was not affected. Then it was on to the 8 or so hour flight from DC to Vienna where I was praying I didn't need a transit VISA. I didn't get much sleep at all because I stupidly crashed on the flight from Rochester and was unable to sleep again after that. I finally arrived to Vienna at 9 or so in the morning on Sunday. From there, I had to sit in the airport until 1:30 when my flight left to Krakow. I was starting to get hungry and thirsty but I'd already gone through baggage check and didn't know if I should go back. I thought twice about it and was about to gather my bags to go when I realized I didn't have any Austria $$ (Euros??) and didn't want to exchange the only US $$ I had ($50 bills) for a bottle of water. So I opted to sit at the gate (benches, not padded seats like the US) and wait for my flight.
So I flew into Krakow at 2:30 and luckily, you don't have to pay for those little wheelie things to put your luggage on. I grabbed one of those bad boys and carted my stuff to the nearest taxi. The guy spoke as much English as I did Polish and I finally figured out that he was asking me if I wanted to just have a taxi ride to Opole rather than to the train station. He quoted me 150 zl which would have been a great deal had I known someone to call when I got here and had I known he was going to charge me 90 zl just to go to the train station anyhow. Well, that didn't work out so to the train station I went with ALL my bags which was a feat in itself. Luckily, my friend Maria gave me explicit directions as to what train to take and when. I bought my ticket after not being able to understand the woman at the ticket booth (I later figured out she was trying to tell me what time the train left) and then got so frustrated that when I tried to do the little kick that I do to grab all my bags and cart them around, I broke my heel on my boots. So, I changed shoes and sat around, ate some weird hot dog and waited around some more for the train. It finally came and as I was throwing my bags onto the train (literally), a gentleman came off the train to help me with my last monstrous bag that was nearly impossible for me to throw on there. At that point, I just threw it all into the nearby cubby hole and just sat in there. It was like a little closet area on the passageway between train cars. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy but what could I do? I wasn't about to attempt bringing all my bags around just to see that there weren't any seats available.
So I rode the train from Krakow to Opole, which was about 3 hours, without knowing what was going to happen at the end. It was getting dark and the train stations we were passing were like something out of a bad movie. I was starting to get really nervous and think that I was going to have to sleep on top of my luggage in the station. When the train finally stopped, I threw all my stuff off it and as I gathered it up, saw Maja walking towards me. I almost cried. I was so overtired and just done with the day; it was nice to know I was going to have some place to sleep and shower.
Saw my apartment, well kinda. Maja picked me up from the train station last night and I just stayed in the extra room in her flat. I'm not sure if that's going to be my room for the long run though.
So yesterday. (Or was it yesterday and the day before as well??) I'm going into grave detail regarding my trip so I can see just how much time I spent doing whatever yesterday. I think of it as therapy, or like breaking up with a boyfriend - I think I need to relive it one more time to really let it go.
First off, my flight. I left Rochester at 2:30 on Saturday. Headed into DC at 4ish and then left there at 5:45. There was a buzz around the airline that they overbooked but luckily, I was not affected. Then it was on to the 8 or so hour flight from DC to Vienna where I was praying I didn't need a transit VISA. I didn't get much sleep at all because I stupidly crashed on the flight from Rochester and was unable to sleep again after that. I finally arrived to Vienna at 9 or so in the morning on Sunday. From there, I had to sit in the airport until 1:30 when my flight left to Krakow. I was starting to get hungry and thirsty but I'd already gone through baggage check and didn't know if I should go back. I thought twice about it and was about to gather my bags to go when I realized I didn't have any Austria $$ (Euros??) and didn't want to exchange the only US $$ I had ($50 bills) for a bottle of water. So I opted to sit at the gate (benches, not padded seats like the US) and wait for my flight.
So I flew into Krakow at 2:30 and luckily, you don't have to pay for those little wheelie things to put your luggage on. I grabbed one of those bad boys and carted my stuff to the nearest taxi. The guy spoke as much English as I did Polish and I finally figured out that he was asking me if I wanted to just have a taxi ride to Opole rather than to the train station. He quoted me 150 zl which would have been a great deal had I known someone to call when I got here and had I known he was going to charge me 90 zl just to go to the train station anyhow. Well, that didn't work out so to the train station I went with ALL my bags which was a feat in itself. Luckily, my friend Maria gave me explicit directions as to what train to take and when. I bought my ticket after not being able to understand the woman at the ticket booth (I later figured out she was trying to tell me what time the train left) and then got so frustrated that when I tried to do the little kick that I do to grab all my bags and cart them around, I broke my heel on my boots. So, I changed shoes and sat around, ate some weird hot dog and waited around some more for the train. It finally came and as I was throwing my bags onto the train (literally), a gentleman came off the train to help me with my last monstrous bag that was nearly impossible for me to throw on there. At that point, I just threw it all into the nearby cubby hole and just sat in there. It was like a little closet area on the passageway between train cars. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy but what could I do? I wasn't about to attempt bringing all my bags around just to see that there weren't any seats available.
So I rode the train from Krakow to Opole, which was about 3 hours, without knowing what was going to happen at the end. It was getting dark and the train stations we were passing were like something out of a bad movie. I was starting to get really nervous and think that I was going to have to sleep on top of my luggage in the station. When the train finally stopped, I threw all my stuff off it and as I gathered it up, saw Maja walking towards me. I almost cried. I was so overtired and just done with the day; it was nice to know I was going to have some place to sleep and shower.
4 comments:
Oh Ilona... that sounds like one monstrous day/two days! The breaking of the heel must've been the killer of it all too, like "go figure!" I am glad your friend was there to meet you though and that you made it there. You already have a story and there'll be plenty more to come that I can't wait to hear about! Good luck on your first day and we are glad to hear you made it ok. Love you,
Amanda
i am SO happy you are there and safe. thank you for updating, i've been wondering how you are and if you're okay.
:) i love and miss you already!
Wow! You might think it's weird of me to say it, but that sounds like fun! I love being a confused alien, completely uncertain of what's going to happen with everything to learn. My life is so humdrum right now...
So, I was thinking... what did you have to do to become a teacher in Poland? Did you need a degree or certificate? I've been to some college, but only for a one-year certificate in no way related to language or the humanities.
Anyhow, I would really love to be doing what you're doing right now. I look forward to your next transmission! Good luck!!
- Casey
Yo Ilona--how do you do it?! I'm glad you made it there in one piece. Sounds like you're going to be living in a nice place, so that's cool. I can't believe your heel broke either!! I thought stuff like that only happens in movies...when I read your blog I feel like I'm reading one of those "Sex in the City" type books. Hilarious. Love it. Keep it comin'--
I really really lumu ; )
m
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