Nate Sansom - Adventures In Poland

Over this past month as I’ve been settling back into life back home, I’ve made a few observations and taken some time to take stock of all that’s going on around me.  More than anything else, I am beyond happy to be reunited, at home, with my family after 13 months abroad. With that being said, I miss living in Poland and France and I miss the friends who welcomed me into their countries, churches, and homes for a dinner or an insightful, cross-cultural conversation.  Coming back home has not been easy, I’ve realized that I can’t just easily pick up where I left off over a year ago. I have come to value time with my loved ones even more than I ever have. After disembarking at BWI, I was confronted with the reality of being home and I had to adapt and respond to all that was happening around me. From working incessantly to catch up after having missed two weeks of classes at SU, to becoming elected Chairman of our Central Committee a week after arriving back home; my...

From Salisbury to Paris to Krakow - I’ve learned it to be true, what they say - That Home is where your heart is. Oddly enough, over the course of these past 10 months, my heart has been split amongst these three wonderful places I’ve had the privilege of calling “home”. While the Eastern Shore of Maryland will always be my “real” home (if that makes sense) I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to live in both France and now Poland. (This post is a little bit of a ramble, jumping from one topic to another) Many of you have been vicariously traveling with me, through my abundance of Facebook post, and I greatly appreciate your many messages, questions, and well-wishes. As you may imagine, one of the most difficult aspects of spending a year abroad, alone, and away from home is being away from my family and my closest friends (I also have missed Maryland politics quite a bit). Planting yourself in a new land with a new language for six months is no easy feat. Not knowing anyone ...

Over the course of the past month and a half of finding my way around the city, I have been settling into this beautiful place I am happy to call "home" for next five months of my journey that are to follow. I have become comfortable living in my small apartment while enjoying my very close proximity to the Old Town center which is only about a ten minute walk through the gorgeous park that encircles the heart of the city. While I dearly miss family, friends, along with many of the simple comforts of being on American soil back at home; I have truly begun to enjoy living in Krakow and attending language courses through Jagiellonian University's school of Polish Language and Culture. The pace of life is one aspect of living here that I have come to enjoy the most. I can simply wander through the streets at just about any time of day and be surrounded by people yet never feel as if it is overcrowded. The streetscape and design of the Old Town is nothing short of beautif...

We all have various strengths and weakness. One of my weaknesses is a longstanding apparent inability to truly relax. I mean, I can, but ironically enough it takes a lot of work for me to truly take a step back and “smell the roses”. While my Facebook feed may look like my life has become one of no work and all play, typically it is the exact opposite of such an absurd notion. Although I have learned to enjoy sightseeing and encountering various cultural experiences, my mind most always seems to be running non stop as I think about everything I’ve got to do next, or of the things I need to keep working on, or about my family and friends back at home who are usually only beginning their day as I’m wrapping up mine. The reality of the matter is that, just like most things, it’s all kind of bittersweet. Now, please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I am most grateful for the adventures I’ve been fortunate enough to take part in or create for myself over the past eight months as, over ...

A fter touching down on the tarmac in Krakow on the afternoon of July 24, I began my very intensive  program the next day, on the 25th. The program culminated in a closing ceremony, which took place this past Tuesday at our student dormitory. When the Polish say intense, make no mistake- they mean it. Looking back, over the course of the almost three week program which encompassed twelve days lecture of seemingly impossible lectures (about five hours of back to back classes), I am both amazed at how much I have learned, but also very humbled by the reality that it will be a very long road ahead.  Now, I've got a few fleeting days before I begin my next intensive programs which will take place in September. I moved into my temporary apartment yesterday, and am planning to move into my "permanent" one. While I am still far from being settled in, I am starting to enjoy all of the natural beauty the city has to offer.  - There are quite a few stories relating to my E...