Warsaw

I live just outside of Warsaw, Poland. From my apartment, it takes 30 minutes by car and last night it cost me 30 PLN which is $10 Canadian by Uber. I split that with another Canadian teacher so my commute into the city and back cost me $10. That is a deal people. Poland is not expensive. I spent under $40 last night going out which included my taxi, drinks, cover, a hamburger and water. I think I will do just fine here.

I’m into Poland. I did a great job managing my expectations and it has been a pleasant surprise. My school is very clean, safe and organized. There is an American couple and 3 other Ontario teachers teaching at my school. My apartment is big enough for me, clean and a 15 minute walk to my school. I live essentially in a beautiful and potentially enchanted forest. Polish people speak more English than people in Thailand so that has been beneficial. I haven’t noticed how beautiful the women here are because I’ve been busy getting ready for school but I can only imagine that they are around and like having foreigners to gaze at. They have English movies with Polish subtitles so that is another win. Beer is everywhere and cheap. Bicycles are all the rage and buying one was on my list today but a series of poorly executed plans on my part hindered that mission being completed. 

Other things that stand out from my first week in Poland are: they love rollerblading; not as much smoking inside and drinking on the street as in Prague; Polish men seem to love drinking and fighting. I can only imagine that will turn out badly for me one night this year; Warsaw has a metro system that seems to work quite well; they actually do love vodka shots; instead of using a symbol for a man or woman for the washroom, they think that having a triangle and a circle instead clarifies things better.

I won’t get into the details of the story (nothing terrible happened) but whether living at home or abroad, if you are faced with a decision that could have potential negative repercussions, trusting your instincts is primordial. It doesn’t matter what the potential upside might be, once you start deviating from what you think/know is right, trouble will surely follow.

Overall, I feel as if the right choice was made coming to Poland. The next year will surely be an adventure and I’m excited to actually start teaching and having two classes to call my own. If you are ever in Europe, let me know and we can try and make something happen. I’m also missing my Jays hoodie so if anyone knows its whereabouts, I miss it very much. Enjoy the remainder of your summer, stay thirsty and out of the headlines.

“Trust instinct to the end, even though you can give no reason.”

Ralph Emerson