Monday night I take an overnight train from Krakow to Budapest. I will get a room, shared with 2 other people that locks, and enjoy what has become one of my favorite parts of the trip: long train rides. A friend once mentioned that he got a lot of his spiritual inspiration from transportation (Radek), and I thought he was just being his normal off-the-wall self, but now I see some truth to it. Trainrides breed introspection and perspective, as you are nowhere at that very moment, but the world continues around you. Departing and arriving are magical things too, as you show 2 opposite emotions during the span of the trip: sadness and excited anticipation.
As you can see, I've been pretty introspective already, without the trainride. Last week marked the one-month anniversary of the beginning of my trip, so 1 down, 2 to go!
I went to Zakopane, the beautiful ski resort in the Tatra Mountains, and although I didn't ski, I did climb down the mountain and through a dense forest. There was about 2 feet of snow, which is hard for those of you with 70 degree F weather in December to imagine, but it was incredibly beautiful. The mountains were breathtaking, and at the top of one of the tallest I stood with one foot in Poland and the other in Slovakia.Entering the mist halfway down the mountain, I was engulfed in mystery. The terrain was dangerous, and my slightly painful new Doc.Martin boots were a godsend, as I needed the traction. People would come up from behind and then dissapear in front as if they wre ghosts, and everything was eerily silent. It reminded my of Kurusawa's "Dreams", a magical japanese movie, where he often used mist and clouds to conjure dreams.
Abrupt transition: Yesterday I went to Auswitz. On the trainride back to Krakow, I wrote fervishly in my journal about purpose and intention and human character, and motivations... I felt, well, here's an excerpt: "I don't know what to think anymore. Ought I to want or desire anything? What is the point of existence? development and advancement? They sound like deluded ideals. Ascention to godliness? A higher power gives a sense of place, but every ideal and theory can be twisted and converted to some form of self-aggrandizement."
So, that was a very different experience than my journey through the enchanted forests, but one which has affected my psyche more deeply. I'm sorry, but I can't give any visual descriptions without cheapening its reality.
I've also been to many old castles here and a ballet, all of which had rich ornate interioriors. The concert hall that held the Ballet was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was unbelievably fitting as I have recently finished "The house of mirth" by edith wharton. The book totally encompassed my world as I read it, and it only served to throw me into another exquisite bout of depression, which climaxed to a fit of anger and tears after reading the second half of the book in one day.
Alright, this is plenty. This is such a growing experience! the whole coming-of-age, young person's travelling the world to discover themselves is holding true for me. Of course I haven't really discovered myself, but I did get a job offer recently to represent a Polish networking company in NewYork City. mm, life.
well, holiday cheers to you all, and much love!
-Angelica