Ah, Poland.

This past weekend Leigha and I traveled from Tartu to Wroclaw.

One of the most memorable experiences was trying to get to and from the airports. Finding the right bus and the right stop in a different language was really challenging. For me, the actual traveling part was stressful at least that is until I got on the planes where I would normally fall asleep immediately.

My first impression of Wroclaw when we got off the tram in Grunwaldski Plac was "Oh geez this place is depressing. Where are all the cute buildings I saw on Google Earth?" Later I found out that G.P. is in the industrial part of Wroclaw. On our way to meet up with the other UNCG students, Leigha and I managed to get lost in this area. A moment that stands out for me during this time was when we had walked over the Most Grunwaldski Bridge into a run-down area. To get across the street we had to go through an underground tunnel. Normally, a tunnel does not scare me, but there was so much graffiti that the tunnel seemed really intimidating. In Tartu there is graffiti, but it is not as prevalent. That moment where I was standing paralyzed by fear of a tunnel seems quite ridiculous now after exploring the Rynek.

Once in we arrived in Rynek, I felt at home. The small size and quaintness of the town really appealed to me.

We have a couple of churches in Tartu that I've explored, but Wroclaw's cathedrals were amazing. I really enjoyed when Danielle and Robert showed Leigha and I around the churches at night. Not only were they amazing architecturally, but the lighting on the churches was unbelievable. When we came back to the churches the next day, although pretty, I was not as flabbergasted as I was earlier.

I also realized another trait about my travel style in addition to falling asleep as soon as I am on a plane. Ironically, I feel like I look more toursity when I have a map in my hands searching for a site or road then when I have my camera out snapping photos. In the future, I think I will definitely study a map before I leave and learn how the public transportation works.

Overall, I really enjoyed our trip to Poland and am thinking about going back in May to see the rest of the country.