Happy Holidays From Poland!
It has been almost two months now since my last update because life has been pretty busy. At the beginning of November, I had the exciting opportunity to visit friends in Wales! I took a much-needed week off of work and took a short plane ride to Wales. I was greeted by my friends Derek and Margaret whom I haven’t seen for almost 5 years due to the pandemic. It was a wonderful reunion and I was very happy to meet their new puppy, Duke. The weather was very English and it rained almost every day. We were still able to make the most of the week by visiting some of the local landmarks. Our first trip was to the port and walked along the bay. We also had a chance to visit St. Fagans National Museum of History where they had buildings brought to the museum from all over England. It was a very interesting experience to see buildings that have been around since before America existed. After perusing the buildings, we ventured to the castle gardens which is was surprised to see had roses and other beautiful flowers in full bloom. We ended our day with a trip to Coffee #1 which would become one of my favorite spots. The next day Margaret planned a Christmas celebration with crackers and a lovely dinner. We enjoyed the next day at a giant antique shop that had 4 different floors and about 20 different rooms filled with interesting antiques. I found an adorable little camera that I just needed. We tried to go to the ocean again but only a few minutes after we arrived it began to rain. On Thursday, I had the day to myself. Derek dropped me off at the National Museum of Cardiff which I explored and enjoyed. They had very interesting exhibits as well as a few pieces by Van Gogh and Monet which I haven’t had a chance to see before. I then had some time to explore the city of Cardiff and do some fun shopping. I ended my day getting lunch at the Beverly which is another one of my favorite places followed of course by a hot apple cider from Coffee #1. On our last day, we finally had some beautiful sun so Margret and I took advantage of the day and went to Barry Island where we hunted for sea glass and walked along the coast. It was a wonderful day to end my trip. We enjoyed our last supper and I finished packing. The next day was a very early morning to get to the airport.
I came back to Poland and began work again. The kids were excited to have me back. A few days after my return we had our first snow! It was so pretty! It was just enough snow to frost everything outside. I took advantage of the snow and took some photos in the forest after work. The next weekend I helped with a small camp at church which was for a group of kids from a local orphanage. I helped prepare a craft for the group. Each of the kids enjoyed making a personalized box to keep their little treasures in.
December 6th was Santa day! We had a lot of fun with the kids with a visit from Santa who gave them each a present! It was so sweet to see all of the kids so happy to open their presents! When I got home from work Santa visited me too. My host family had gotten me a little gift which was so sweet! December has been full of fun Christmas activities like cookie decorating and playing in the snow. The kids had their Christmas programs and did wonderfully! The older group did a little play and the younger group sang a few different songs each of the groups also sang English songs that I taught them! And to complete the Christmas feeling it snowed for the whole week.
The last exciting thing to happen this month was my birthday! I celebrated my birthday with the kids at the preschool during the day. And then my friend surprised me with dinner in the evening! It was a wonderful way to spend my 25th birthday!
This Christmas season has been very unique compared to any other year. It has been difficult to be so far away from my family for the holidays but I’ve had other great experiences here! A few changes are coming with the end of this year. I will be moving in with other friends of mine within the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with them and the new opportunities I will have there. I’m also working on getting a car which is still in the works. Thank you for all of your continued support and messages throughout my time here.