A routine was what I craved - normality and structure. What I have learned is that routine is good, but it's the surprises and unexpected that make my days wonderful.

I'm happy to report that week 4 and 5 of my exchange have been some of the best days in Poland. No, I didn't travel the rest of Europe(though exciting news about that!), nor did I become fluent in Polish(though, it's getting better!). Really the days have been good because of the experiences I've had.

Last weekend I had no idea what I was going to do - nothing was really planned and though I love lazy days relaxing, I just needed something, anything to happen. And that's when I got the call that Sarah's host father was taking us to visit Zamek Chęciny, medieval castle ruins about 20 minutes from Kielce. Zamek (castle) Chęciny sits high atop the hill overlooking the small village of Chęciny. Built in the 12th century Zamek Chęciny has served as the home for Polish queens, a jail during the Battle of Grundweld and was the set for some of the Polish film Potop.



~ Zamek Chęciny ~



~ View from the tower ~



~ Knight Mariah ~


To reach the castle you must climb through the forest, on a winding path that finally leads to the top of the hill. It is very Robin-Hoodesque and I love Robin Hood, so I loved the hike! Upon reaching the castle I entered into the surviving courtyard and was able to climb into one of the towers. After climbing hundreds of circuling stairs, I was greeted with an incredible view - a panorama of the surrounding countryside, farmers harvesting potatoes by hand, sunrays bathing the fields and hills in a soft light. In the distance I could see Kielce, but in that moment it truly felt as if I had gone back in time. I was a Polish queen, survying the landscape and wondering where my husband was.

The rest of the weekend passed quickly. Later Saturday I went to see Dąb Bartek, a 700 year old oak tree in the mountains outside of Kielce, and explored ruins of a old glass factory with my host family. On Sunday Pan Wąsik brought us to a Polish version of Jurrasic Park. The mountains surrounding Kielce have perserved many dinosaur fossils and are well known in the palentology world. Though the park was more for younger children, I enjoyed my time there. Plus, there happened to be a horse arena next to the park and there was show-jumping happening... (: I got to see some absolutely gorgeous horses! That evening Marta, Ola and I went for a walk in a huge park nearby my home, where I saw a memorial to those murdered in that park during WWII. It's amazing to remember how much important recent history occured in Poland.



~ Dąb Bartek ~

This past week my mantra has been - nothing bad can happen on such a gorgeous day! Really, the weather has been incredible. It's Indian summer, Polish style. The sun beams and the temperature is warm. I have been walking to school everyday and every morning I'm blessed to walk through the leaves, breathing in the crisp fall air. It's been wonderful.

Though many of the other exchangers I've talked to have mentioned that their school teachers often ignore them or tell them to take naps or not to come at all, my teachers have been incredibly welcoming. They don't speak English, but they smile and welcome me into class. And this week they translated assignments, found English books and tried to teach me Polish. They are really amazing. My chemistry teacher actually took the time to have a whole convo with me, though we had to often look up words in my słownik (dictionary). It's these small moments of shared life that make my days worthwhile.

I also officially started Polish lessons this week. My Polish teacher is actually an English teacher at school, but has tutored other exchangers in past years. She is an incredible lady. She met with us everyday this week and makes class fun. She is even having us over to her house in a few weeks! After Polish I always leave tired, but happy. I feel like I have made progress. My Polish friends agree, they told me that I speak good Polish. I doubt they knew how much that compliment meant, but really it's the best compliment I've ever had!

So yes, life is good right now. Of course I still have rough moments, but that's normal. I'm taking each day individually and enjoying what happens, even though I could never have planned for them. I really thought I needed a routine to make life better, but I know now that I don't. I just need a positive outlook. A good lesson to learn.