Settling Into Life in Krakow

I am so glad that I arrived in Krakow this Spring before my fall internship. There was a lot to process and set up here. But it gets easier day by day. I could not have dealt with all this newness and attended a class all at the same time. It would have been overwhelming.

I finally have a routine down. I get up between 5 and 6 am and make my coffee with my French press. I found reasonably priced Espresso beans that make a decent cup of coffee. My apartment is set up. I work out at home with a rebounder and weights. I am pleased with the location of my apartment and the amount of light that floods through my windows, beginning at 4 am. Yes, for whatever reason, with the time zone here, it gets light exceptionally early, but I am an early riser, and I love the sunlight.

Getting around the city gets easier every day. I rode the Tram once with friends, but I get around mostly by walking or taking the occasional taxi. The Bolt app makes it easy to take a taxi here in Krakow. Download the app, upload your credit card info and schedule a ride by typing in the address. The app tells you when the taxi will arrive and how much the ride will be. It’s rarely more than five minutes or over $5. The driver picks you up, and the transaction is all done via the app, including the tip.

Finally found an online grocery store that delivers (which is easier than trying to read food labels in Polish at the store), and the food is so much cheaper here. Plus, the food doesn’t have all the preservatives and additives that have adulterated most US food supplies. I also like the fact that Poland food manufacturers don’t over package things. For example, foil comes in a tube without a box, and seasonings come in a paper package, not a glass bottle. Less packaging means less waste that goes into landfills. My apartment complex recycles, which I love because most consumer garbage is recyclable. I am all for saving this beautiful planet from consumer garbage.

I’ve been hanging out with work colleagues and got to know the bar scene here. But I’ve backed off that a bit as I am not a drinker. I have no desire at my age to get tanked into the wee hours of the morning on a weekly basis. Although, that can be fun on occasion.

So, I am trying to find a more like-minded friend group that likes to dine out, share a bottle of wine and do the cultural scene here in Krakow. That will come in time. I’ve only been here a little over two months now. It seems longer, though.

I have stopped trying to convert Celsius into Fahrenheit because my brain doesn’t function well to convert numbers in my head. I just set my smartphone to Fahrenheit instead. I have figured out what temperature to set my convection oven to cook, however. So, that’s all good.

Purchasing things is very easy here. I usually use my US credit cards which are accepted virtually everywhere with the rare occasion of flea markets and the like. And the currency is pretty easy to figure out. The exchange rate is about to $1 to 3.88 PLN. That conversion I can do pretty well in my head. So, if something is priced at 25 PLN, it’s $6.43.

The park is just a mere block away from my apartment and I love walking around the city center.

Finding service personnel that speaks English is a bit of a challenge, but it’s not impossible. And if everyone spoke English, I wouldn’t have a job as I came here to teach English. Plus, there are speaking apps that help translate Polish to English and vice versa.

I also find that men find me attractive here, whereas I hadn’t resonated with American men in years in the states. It was as if I was invisible. Here it’s the complete opposite. I find men want to talk to me and engage with me. Perhaps it’s my vibration? I really don’t know, but there is definitely a huge difference. I haven’t started dating yet, but I see that coming soon. Possibly, I may meet someone with a new writing gig or during this fall internship. Who knows? I am remaining open to the possibilities.

I’ve gone to two doctor’s appointments, have had prescriptions refilled with ease. So, things are really falling into place.

I still write for a US client. And I am currently looking for a freelance writing gig here. I have gotten some hits on my resume and via LinkedIn for writing jobs. However, they’ve been in subject matters I don’t care to write about or learn more about, primarily finance, tech or sports.

So, things will happen when they happen. I bring in more than my monthly bills and have no credit card debt, so things are flowing nicely. I may take a trip to Vienna in August. I came here to travel, so that’s what I plan on doing. I researched COVID testing requirements for travel. Most countries in Europe now only require the rapid test for entry or reentry, which most airports have testing onsite. It’s usually a 30-minute wait for the results. So, you can take the test before your flight if you arrive early enough. I have no intentions of getting vaccinated.

Well, that’s it for now. I thank you all for following my adventures. Blessings to you all.