Two members of the West Point Polish Club took a trip to Krakow Poland this summer. Here is a wonderful first-hand account from Cadet Isabela Vargas ’19 about their trip! “Krakow is such a beautiful, historical city with a rich culture. I had the privilege of spending almost two weeks there this summer. Two years ago I was fortunate enough to visit there with my family but was not able to fully integrate and be on my own as I was this Au-gust. This time, I was a less tourist and a little more of a local. Mornings would start with a traditional Polish breakfast (rye bread and lunch meats with pickles) and tea. Sometimes I would stop at a café and order coffee before classes. Ordering a cookie crumble frappe in Polish was not easy. Cadet Matt Watts ’18 would have Polish classes until the afternoons. I thought I knew some Polish, but taking those classes made me realize that I knew NOTHING (besides cat, or “kot”). Surprisingly, learning some simple grammar rules and vocabulary has actually been very helpful for my first week of Russian classes. It was our responsibility to navigate to and from classes using public transportation on our own. I learned the word for “lost” the first day.
After classes, we had lunch and extra lectures about Polish society and history. One moment from the trip stood out: it was Friday night, and we were coming back from climbing a hill that overlooks the city. Passing some food trucks, I decided to try the French fry vendor. I successfully ordered a large fry with no sauce and a water in Polish, and handed over the money. The cashier asked me something else that immediately lost me, but it was my first real transaction in Polish, which felt great. From then on, in shops and restaurants, I’d ask cashiers and waiters how to pronounce things that I would point to. It was wonderful to stay connected to my family’s culture and share some things with older members of the family. For example, my grandmother went to school a few minutes away from Krakow’s central market square, and I got to see the street where she lived. I also met students from Germany, Ukraine, Netherlands, and elsewhere. It was interesting to learn about different cultures and see how their education systems work. I plan to go back to Poland to keep learning more Polish and learn more about Polish holidays and traditions. Matt and I would like to thank the Irene Buynoski Trust, which supported in full our travel to Poland.”