3rd and Final Host Family

Hello everyone!

I am now in my 3rd and Final host family!  I got here Thursday afternoon and was welcomed with an obiad (lunch) of chicken and kurki (core-kee) (yellow mushrooms).  It was wonderful!  The mushrooms are from an area of Poland by the Baltic sea (in northern Poland), and are picked from the forest!  Kasia and Mariusz (my new host parents) got them when they were on holiday last week.

Then, Thursday night, Kasia and Mariusz had invited some teachers over for a barbeque!  We had grilled chicken, steak, cucumbers, salad, bread, and Ciechanow piwo (beer).  It was great because the sun came out finally so we got to enjoy our food outside on the patio!  After dinner, we talked and listened to some of my music, then got ready for some Bocce Ball!

My new host family has a rectangular "court" with gravel in it for Bocce Ball; Mariusz plays competitively and is very good.  I am not so good...so I must practice this week!  I must practice because they are taking me to Lithuania next weekend to play in a bocce ball tournament!!!  I am really excited to go!

Friday was a nice day as well; I had a few students for each of my lessons so it was nice and relaxed.  I hung out at the house for a while before obiad, which consisted of blueberry pierogi with blueberry cream sauce!  As always, it was delicious.  I had some time to take a nap and relax before I went on a two hour Nordic Walk with Kasia.  It was awesome!  Nordic walking consists of walking with sticks; and it's harder than it sounds!  It's a great workout for your arms because you have to kind of push yourself forward as you walk.  Kasia took me to the Ciechanow cemetery which was huge, and quite beautiful.  I loved being able to just chat with Kasia as we walked and saw the town.  Later Friday night, Kasia, Mariusz, and I watched the movie "Amadeus Mozart" and drank some Bulgarian wine (Sofia).  Overall, it was a wonderful night.

And now we are at Saturday.  This afternoon, we are going to Warsaw to pick up their son, Mikolaj, from the airport.  But, his flight doesn't get in until 11pm...so they are going to take me around Warsaw!  I am very excited because the most I've seen of Warsaw in the airport and train station...

I will update soon!

Love,
Katie