Work hard. Travel harder.

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I really like this quote because without my hard work in school and at my job I wouldn’t be in Poland. I worked hard to get good grades so that I had this semester free. And I worked hard to save money so that I could travel. And my hard work isn’t over. This semester will challenge me in different ways, but I’m ready to face it head on.

This semester is very different from all of my other semesters because:

1. I am away from home for the first time.

2. I have no science or math classes which is out of my comfort zone and feels illegal.

3. My schedule changes every week. Most weeks I only go to school 2 or 3 days. A few weeks, I go to school 4 days. And the times aren’t always the same.

4. My support system is back in Michigan and Ohio.

5. I have to write papers. It seems silly, but I’d rather take a test than write a paper.

BUT, there are 12 other people who are going through the same struggles.

Today, Jan. 14th, was my first class, Exploring the Great Art and Architecture of Krakow. I am really excited for this class because over half of the class we are out in the city seeing the art and architecture. I’ll actually get to see and apply what we are talking about in class! The class is three and a half hours long, BUT the nice part is that it ends right at dinner time so my classmates and I all walked to a milkbar in Old Town for dinner. Of course, I got the pierogies and they slapped.

Tomorrow, I have Polish Language for Daily Communication and The Holocaust: Twentieth-Century Jewish Studies. And Friday, I have Polish Culture, Heritage, and History.

I’m most excited for my language class because then I’ll be able to say more than Dzień dobry (good morning/afternoon), Dziękuję (thank you), and Złoty (the name for money). And soon, I’ll be able to understand others and respond back in Polish instead of hoping they speak English.

I’ll update at the end of the week after I’ve had all of my classes. Also, check out the pictures tab, I added pictures from orientation, the street art tour, and the first day of school!

Live your life by a compass, not a clock.

Stephen Covey

Y’all…I MADE IT TO KRAKOW.

On January 7th, I said goodbye to Michigan and hello to Krakow…with a pitstop in Frankfurt.

Saying goodbye to my friends and family was really hard but saying hello to Krakow, new people, sights, and adventures made it a little easier.

I met Scott in Detroit. Then he and I met David in Frankfurt. The three of us flew directly into Krakow, loaded our stuff into a taxi, and arrived at our dorms together. When we arrived, we unpacked, met Ethan, and went on the search for dinner.

I slept very soundly that night since I hadn’t slept for 30 hours because of the traveling.

January 9th was the first day of orientation where we met the other USAC students, had campus orientation, and a public transport how-to.

There are 13 USAC students: Me, Cassandra, Brian, Bree, Cedric, David, Bella, Ethan, Lily, Mae, Savanah, Scott, and Sydney. We all have different majors ranging from Information Systems to Pre-Med to International Business to Civil Engineering. Some of us have been out of the country before and multiple times and others have not. We are diverse group of kids and I can’t wait to see how our strengths play together.

The University of Krakow Economics in located close to the center of Old Town. It’s about a 15 minute commute there using a bus and a tram. It will most likely take me longer to get to campus because I’m directionally challenged but I will learn quickly.

On January 10th, we had the second day of orientation. Anna and Łukasz took us around Old Town Krakow and Kazimierz, the Jewish district. In Old Town, we saw Wawel Cathedral, Wawel Castle, Rynek Główny, the Cloth Hall, and much more. We ate lunch in Kazimierz.

Yesterday, January 11th, Savanah, Sydney and I took a walking tour of street art in Kazimierz. We saw all kinds of beautiful street art and heard the stories and meanings behind all of the pieces. My favorite was a mural of Helena Rubinstein. Helena was “The Empress of Beauty”. Helena was born into a poor family in Kazimierz but moved to NYC and worked her way up to being one of the richest women in the world because she was the founder of one of the largest cosmetic companies. L’Oreal now owns her brand. Helena is inspiring to me because in Poland, Helene is Helena and she is doing EXACTLY what I want to in the future. I plan to visit a Sephora here to find some of her products.

After our tour, the three of us found the best pierogi place. We smashed 40 pierogies. I have no regrets, I probably could have eaten 10 more. Then we went back to our dorms and spent the night looking at our class schedule since school starts on Monday.

My school schedule is not normal this semester. Most weeks, I go to class only 2 or 3 days. There are only 2 weeks, I have to go 4 days. Classes aren’t always on the same days or same times every week either. And some classes will skip a week or two. It’s going to be really weird to get used to. But it looks like I will have a lot of time to travel around Poland and surrounding countries…which is just what I was hoping for.

Today, January 12th, I will be relaxing and truly settling in. I have some chores to do and a few things to catch up on (like my blog).

You’ll be hearing from me again sometime next week after my classes start!

Also, I am using a Polish sim card so the best way to reach me is Whatsapp or Snapchat. I check Email and Facebook but not constantly throughout the day. If you download Whatsapp, use your normal, American phone number and when you go to start a new message my contact information should be there. If you use iMessage or try calling you might be charged international rates.

All you need is love and a passport.

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OH WOW! There is a lot to write for this post.

First of all, I started my Quizlet on food and locations. While it’s important to know what you WANT to order, I think it’s more important to know what you DON’T want. For example, I found the word for Polish meatloaf, klopsiki so I will not be ordering that. But I will be ordering kawa, coffee.

On Friday, my sweet second mom, best friend, sister, and mom planned a surprise going away party for me. I thought I was going over for normal dinner with the Salewske’s but I was wrong. I went to grab salad dressing in the basement where all of my favorite people were waiting to surprise me. We ate Polish food and some of my favorite foods. We played pool, listened to Polish music, and enjoyed each other’s company.

I felt SO loved. Mary, Sarah, Marie, and my mom are so incredibly thoughtful.

The past few days I tried to do something individually with each family member. So the last few nights my mom and I have stayed up to watch Live PD. And today, I ate lunch with my dad at our favorite sandwich place by his work.

As I was finishing my packing, I found out that one of the other Americans going is on my flight to Germany and then, another American joins the two of us on the flight to Poland. I feel relieved.

I cannot believe I leave tomorrow. It seems unreal. I’ve been planning and talking about this trip for 7 months and it is finally here. Wow.

Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.

Asian Proverb

The guide book is getting read! The bucketlist is getting made! And the packing has begun!

As I read my guide book, I keep adding to my bucketlist. I’ll be uploading the bucketlist when it’s finished so anyone who follows this blog can cross items and places off with me.

My suitcase is a rough draft right now…I’ll keep adding and subtracting stuff until it’s just right. I think I’m getting close to the final draft.

Yesterday, I had breakfast with two of my best friends, coffee with another, and dinner with old coworkers to say goodbye. Goodbyes suck.

Today, I am spending quality time with each of my siblings by doing some of our favorite things. My sister and I made brownies and my brother and I ate smoothies. In the evening, I have dinner with my best friend and her family. I’m looking forward to spending time with them but not saying goodbye.

Tomorrow the goal is to learn a bit of Polish. I’m going to start with food and locations so I can order meals and read signs. You can find me making a Quizlet all day tomorrow.

“We only make this trip once and we really should make it count.”

Nancy Reagan

I cannot believe I leave for Poland in 7 days. I am unbelievably excited. I have so much to do…

Today, my sweet aunt took my mom, cousin and me out for a goodbye lunch. She gave me a bracelet that says “Oh, the places you’ll go!” How thoughtful!

I wanted to start packing tonight but packing is not a job to do at 1am…so I will start that in the morning. Earlier today, I bought a new suitcase. Super exciting, I know, but it’s light blue, rolls on four wheels, and has a lock, so it’s pretty nifty. I am worried about how much I will be able to fit and staying under my 50 pound limit. But I will make it work…somehow.

On my list of pre-departure things, I need to:

• Finish reading my guide book
• Make a Poland bucketlist of everything I want to do
• PACK

I hope that tomorrow is productive and my suitcase gets a little fuller.

Travel: [travəl] noun. The only thing you buy that makes you richer.

Hey, I’m Helene, a Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design student at the University of Toledo!

I’m starting this blog to remember and share my experiences while I spend a semester abroad in Krakow, Poland.

I picked Krakow for:

• Delicious pierogies
• It’s central location in Europe
• Rich World War II history
• I had to be different than my family members that ALL studied in Germany

Follow me to stay updated:

• Instagram: helene.seaver
• Snapchat: leneybutt
• VSCO: hseavs
• TikTok: hseaver21