traveling somewhere between 90s and 21st century

Last week I went to Poland. Of course there was some drama involved. This time not because of the sole fact of going to Poland but rather because of the reason of going there – my exams. Just a quick update – I am still technically a student in Poland and I should attend the classes of my fifth year but as you know I work in Belgium. By October, I had set all my exams and got all the necessary agreements enabling me to work abroad and study in Poland. Nevertheless, I had the same obligations like students in Poland – passing exams like everyone else (or even worse – passing some additional exams due to my permanent absence). Because of all of that I was pretty stressed before going to Poland and not sure whether I would pass them and whether the decision not to finish my studies in a ‘traditional’ way was right.


The fact of being a student in Poland and especially feeling like one right after arriving there made me feel as if I had travelled to the past. There were more signs of the past – being at home again and living with my parents, meeting up with some people deep, deep from my childhood or teenage hood or even traveling by bus from my home town to Sopot where I study. A few times I listened to people talking on the buses or trains and realized I lived and worked in a different reality and I had totally different values in my life – they were more into settling down, living in one place, doing the same job or not going out and socializing too often which was also the case for many of my friends back in Poland. I often noticed how frustrated they were with their jobs and they usually didn’t enjoy working with their colleagues. I would have serious troubles in readjusting to Polish reality if I had to move back to my country. This time I did not have any significant cultural shocks... or maybe I did? - isn't what I am describing above a cultural shock? For sure, I didn't feel annoyed because I had to stay there for one week only and I rather felt like a tourist than an inhabitant or a resident (in this case, feeling like a tourist was not that bad). I knew I would head back to my current life in Brussels within a few days. And so it happened. Before that, I passed my exams, I caught up with a lot of old friends (time goes by but people stay), spent some time with my family and due to the fact of staying at my parents’ place (and some other factors too) I even managed to save some money.

All in all, it was a bit stressful trip but all that I planned was achieved (including a bit of partying and meeting up with people). It was much more ‘peaceful’ trip than last summer and I was more reconciled with the country than the last time which was great. I am happy I had quite good relationship with Poland. And I think it is going to be even better once I am done with my uni for good and no trip will ever be associated with the scary vision of exams period.


And furthermore, who says that trips back to past are bad?!