Sunday, January 19, 2014

Winter Break!

It's been ages since I've written anything on here, so long that I really have no idea where to start. I guess right around winter break is where I left off so that's where I should pick up again.

 Before I left my friends and I all went to the Christmas market in the convention center and then Copper and I went down to the Rynek to see all the stuff there. I was looking for gifts for everyone and found some awesome Polish pottery plates for my step mom and some equally cool other pottery things for my Mom and Grandparents. The gifts actually took up the majority of my two suitcases. After that everything happened pretty quick- Copper went to the kennel and I was going home!!!                                                                                                                                                                                    So my flight home was awesome- the lady next to me got really drunk (because apparently there are free alcoholic drinks on transatlantic flights) and she spilled beer all over her seat so the flight attendants moved her meaning I got a whole two seats to myself! Once the seat dried of course! 

So back in the US I spent a few days at my dads house and then made the seven hour trip up north to see my mom. Once my sister got there we went on the traditional tree hunt- during which it rained HARD. We were all very wet after, but it was the quickest we have ever all agreed on a tree ever.  My parents threw a christmas party at the house and I got to see loads of family and friends which was really nice. We also went skiing (several times) and I got to see some of my old ski patrol friends- I can never seem to get my fill of subzero temperatures and snow. If anything it just made me wish I could be there forever.

The day that I left they had a major snow storm, so my step dad and I got up nice and early and headed out to the ski hill for one final ride before I had to go. The snow was amazing, perfect powder skiing, no one on the hill except for us, a little bit cold, but hey with those conditions it's totally worth it.








From there my sister and I drove to my grandparents house back down south. My grandmother had just gotten back from Australia so listening to her adventures was really exciting. Of course we all gathered around the piano too and sang random songs sometimes in our worst singing voices. My grandfather as he usually does just sat in the background and made fun of us. "Are you crazy" "Well I'm happy I don't have to listen to this all the time." You know the usual. My dad and step mom were there as well and my cousins and Aunt all came to visit (they live quite close) so we all had dinner together - just the once- otherwise the typical family fight might have broken out.


My dad and step-mom left the day before I did and then I rode down to their house with my grandparents. I have to say there was quite a weather difference! It was so cold up at my moms but where my dad lives it was super warm!

My step-mom had some free tickets to go to Mount Vernon (George Washington's House) so we went as a group down there. She also had free meal tickets so we had to use all of those because they were going to expire which meant stocking up on some pretty random foods...other people probably thought we were pigs. The highlight of the day was probably trying to convince my grandfather to take his false teeth out and hold them next to George Washington's so I could take a picture. He would have done it if he hadn't just set the alarm off in the place for touching one of the displays. We can't take him anywhere! haha.

My grandparents only stayed for the weekend so the rest of the week I spent with my Dad and step-mom. Meaning I spent New Years Eve watching the ball drop on the sofa in the dark by myself. But on the up side my dad and I went skiing on new years day, which was loads of fun. It was a pretty small place though so there were tons of people, many of whom had no idea what they were doing so it made the hill a bit like an obstacle course near the end of the day. It's was neat to go to this particular place because when I fly in at night I can see it all lit up!

My time in the U.S. quickly came to an end and it was time to go back home to Poland all too soon! On the way back I got to fly on my first ever 747- as lame as it is, I was ecstatic. We made it to Frankfurt in record time too, even if it was one of the bumpiest rides I've ever been on. The flight attendants were stealing barf bags from peoples chairs to give to three people in my section who had some issues with the turbulence- one of which was behind me. It smelled 'great.' On the up side there wasn't anyone in the middle seat next to me!

And then I was back in Poland. Copper was thrilled to come home from the kennel and I was not so thrilled to start classes again (cardiology). It's really bad, but I've only been here for 2 weeks but I'm already thinking about the next time I can go back!!!