I'm getting ahead of myself and have already started packing my things. I think tonight I'll set out everything I need to get me through Sunday when I head to Krakow. I might end up having to ditch my suitcase with the broken wheel. That would be okay - one less piece of luggage will make my life so much easier when it comes time for the train ride and hauling my ass to the airport.
My host siblings have gone away for a two week camp near the Baltic Sea. I said my final goodbyes to them yesterday afternoon. I had walked into my room and had just applied a dallop of zit cream to the pad of my finger to take care of the newest crop when the whole family walked in and told me they had something to say to me. It was like being broken up with by my first boyfriend in 6th grade. They gave me the labored thank-yous and sad, solemn hugs goodbye and then handed me a little box with some jewelry. It was a pair of earrings - roses carved from amber and a silver stem on each. Probably way too fancy for me to wear, ever, but I'll wear them Sunday on my way out the door.
Later that day I had a meeting with Important People. It was supposed to be a thank-you to all the volunteers, and the Important People turned out to be the administrator of the village schools. We drove about 30 minutes out to some party arena place. I was glad I went because about 7 or 8 of the other volunteers were there and we made plans to go out on Friday night. Anyway, this place was odd. They had goats. And those giant inflatable bouncy things. There was a dinner in this cabin structure and it was so ungodly hot. The dinner was some bread and tray after tray of meaty meat. Big sausages, fried chicken, and other charred blocks and blobs of salty muscle fiber that I'm too ignorant to know the name for. We asked for something vegetarian and they brought us bowls of pickle spears.
There were lots of awkward pictures. The other volunteers and I sat together at a table, and every so often someone would come up and stand behind one side and have a photo taken, and then go over to the other side and take have another picture taken. We'd be eating only to look up and see some random woman with spiky blond hair jabbing her camera phone in our faces. Cheese?
It was so damn hot in there, but we waited and waited, knowing there would be dessert. Eventually I couldn't handle sitting there so I got up to leave, just in time to see two big carts of cake being wheeled out. We had already said our goodbyes and were headed for the door so I ultimately decided it wasn't worth it and we left anyway. A few calories saved, right? Actually not, because after we went to the sklep and I bought like 725323 things of candy and ate them ALL that night.
I'm going to go lay in the sun and read and indulge my lethargy.
Oh - and see you in 5 days!
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