We're Off...

As you are reading this we are on our way to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.  We are fortunate to be meeting some great friends from Chicago there.  Looking forward to enjoying some beer and taking in the spectacle that is Oktoberfest.  We are looking forward to sharing the details of the weekend when we return.  Prost!



It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

As we experience our time in Poland we are going through various expatriate "rights of passage".  A fairly common one is the departure of friends.  Since most expat assignments are only 2-4 years people are constantly coming and going.  When meeting people Tom and I are always eager to find out how long people are planning to be in Warsaw for.  And we are hopeful that these people are not nearing the end of their assignment in Warsaw.  I am sure we will get used to the "coming and going" over time, but it simply sucks to have to say goodbye to Warsaw friends. 

Our first friends are leaving next weekend and we are sad to see them go.  Monica and Josh have lived across the street from us since we arrived and have been great, supportive friends.  They have an adorable Goldendoodle named Mia, who has become Charlie's great friend and playmate.  People have even asked us if Charlie and Mia are related since they look similar.  We knew from the beginning that Monica and Josh would only be here a short time since they were here on a temporary one year assignment.   But, it still doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye.  I am  not sure who will be more sad about their move - Tom and I or Charlie.  Although we are so sad to see them go, we are happy for Josh, Monica and Mia and wish them nothing but the best back in Houston!  We are fortuante to have met them and now have a great reason to head to Houston in the future.

BFF's

Nothing better in life than napping with your best friend!

Our Going Away Celebration for Monica and Josh!

Having a good time and lots of vodka

It isn't a crazy night out til you are on stage with the band

A Great Video on Poland....

It's about 10 minutes long, but definitely worth watching it! 

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Yesterday marked our "anniversary" of arriving in Warsaw.  Seven months ago yesterday we arrived here tired, confused and uneasy.....not sure what to expect and what our life was going to look like. 

It's amazing all that we have learned and discovered in the past months...a lot about Warsaw and the Polish people, but even more about ourselves and about each other!  We are really happy here and enjoying our experience.  Of course, we still miss our amazing family and friends back in the states so very much.  But we are grateful for Skype so we can talk to them on a regular basis.  And we will be seeing them in just about three months when we embark on our first trip back for the holidays! 

When people ask if we had to make this decision again would we have still come...I think we would both respond with an enthusiastic "yes".  This move has taught us a lot, but I think its not all about being abroad and more about change.  For someone who has always had trouble coping with changes I have come to the realization that change can be a truly wonderful thing at times...it opens your eyes, gives you a new perspective, changes your routine and allows you to see the world a bit differently.  While first encountering change can be a really scary thing I have learned that you need to jump into it and embrace it.  Thank you Poland for continuing to open our eyes and allow us to grow as individuals and as a family.  I am so grateful to be sharing this experience with my best friend and "best" dog!  

Here's to hoping that the rest of our time in Poland is just as great as the first seven months...

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #14

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #14:  Beets

Tom and I have a new love.....we love beets!  Prior to moving to Warsaw I liked beets and I am pretty sure Tom had never even tried them.  We started eating them in Warsaw at a bunch of different restaurants since they are definitely a staple of Polish cooking.  After enjoying them at restaurants, we were eager to make them at home.  So we headed to the market to buy a few.  We got them home and were a bit perplexed...how do you get these rock hard roots to turn into gorgeous, soft burgundy deliciousness?  We did some quick online research and we roasted our own beets!  We now make them all the time and always have some roasted ones in our fridge.  Our favorite way to eat them is on a salad with some feta cheese and walnuts.  And, I am always on the hunt for new beet recipes.  If you have a good one, please pass it along.  Supposedly beets are a nutrition "super" food...just another bonus for our new love. 

Now, you might be questioning if beets really qualify as something we could "love" about living in Europe since beets can be found in just about any part of the world.  But, it is our living in Europe that has made us discover and fall in love with these delicious vegetables.  Living in a new environment has definitely opened our eyes to new things or things that our "new" to us.  And it's been super fun to take in all of these new experiences!

Work Hard, Play Hard.....

Work Hard, Play Hard has definitely summed up Tom's life lately!  I could not be prouder of my husband and how hard he has been working to make the Warsaw office a success.  Change is happening little by little (not as fast as my type-A husband would like....but its teaching him a good lesson in patience) and I am happy that he can start to see the results of all of his hard work.  After a few grueling weeks at work Tom went to the southwest region of Poland last weekend for a team building outing with his entire team.  They were also joined by the team's from CH Robinson Wroclaw and CH Robinson Budapest.  They had the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous Visla mountain region of Poland and spend time together outdoors.  One of the things Tom enjoyed most was hangliding.  He got to go up in the hanglider and fly over the mountains.  I am glad I heard about it after he was safely back on the ground.  ; )

Tom prepping for his big flight

Uh oh...he's getting nervous!

The Hanglider that he flew in

While Tom was away....Charlie and I played too!

  I am not sure if it's been mentioned in previous posts, but Tom and I live in the neighborhood that was the Old Jewish area.  Wealthy Jewish people lived here prior to WWII and once the war started our neighborhood was the central location of the Warsaw Ghetto, where all of the Jews were forced to live.  It is crazy cool to think of all of the history and people that have passed through our neighborhood in the past 60 years!  This past weekend there was a great Jewish theater and music festival in our "front yard".  All weekend long we could here awesome music in our apartment from the festival.  Charlie and I spent Saturday afternoon walking around the festival and checking out the music, the people, the vendors and more!  We had a great time and Charlie especially enjoyed the love and affection he got from various Poles at the festival.  A big thanks to our friend Monica for the photos....we were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn't take any!

The Festival View from our apartment

The only two original Jewish apartment buildings left from before the war. 
They are currently in the process of restoring them to condos!

The only pre-war Synogauge that survived WWII.

The Festival at Night!



Florida Family = Fun

We were fortunate to have my Aunt Irene and her boyfriend, Ken, visiting us over the past week.  Irene and Ken made the long trip from Miami, Florida to spend some time with us in Warsaw.  We were fortunate to have fantastic weather the entire week and definitely made the most of it.  We saw all of the main sites of Warsaw, took in a concert at Lasienki Park, feated on Polish delicacies, took a city bus tour, and went on a number of walks all around Warsaw.  We even snuck in a quick day trip to Krakow!  It was wonderful to have Irene and Ken here.  We love showing people our new home and we get to spend great, quality time with everyone since most guests are here for more than a few days.  Charlie especially loved Irene and Ken because they spoiled him with love and plenty of "people" food.   Thanks for visiting Irene and Ken!

Enjoying a Chopin concert at Lasienki Park

When in Poland....

Tableside Steak Tartar at one of our Favorite Restaurants

Krakow's Old Town Square

Golf Cart Tour of Krakow

Irene wants to join in!

Charlie is going to miss his visitors.  They spoiled him rotten.