Saturday, February 21, 2015

Hello Again, Europe! Did You Miss Me?

Just when I thought it was time to let the sun set on this blog, I'm headed back to Europe...Poland to be specific.  This summer I will be working in the town of Szczecin which is on the western border of the country.  Before 1945, this town was called Stettin and was inhabited by ethic Germans but that all changed when the borders of the country shifted west after the defeat of Nazi Germany.  The Germans essentially moved out in the post war years only to be repopulated by the Poles and one American (70 years later for the latter). 

Unlike our "Three Year European Vacation" in Ramstein, this will be different for a number of reasons.  First, I'm going there solo and the family is returning to So Cal although they will be with me over the summers. Going unaccompanied sucks.  Second, the closest American military base is 5 hours away in Vilsek in Bavaria.  Szczecin isn't exactly Little America like Kaiserslautern.  Peanut butter and tortilla chips are not exactly readily available.  Third, this assignment should be shorter than our time in Ramstein.  Finally, I've never been to Poland and don't know a word of Polish.  I know it's a Catholic country, they make cool pottery, and they get stuck in the middle of world wars but that may be the extend of it.  Looking forward to learning more about this Central European country!  More to come later--    

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