I recently had the opportunity to travel to Poland. The printing company I work for in Kentucky was asking for volunteers to train press crews in Krakow, Poland. Although this division had been in operation for a while, they had under gone rapid expansion and needed help. It was around the first of February 1998 when I volunteered to go and by February 10th I was in Poland. I had very little time to prepare for such a journey and was a little nervous about the whole thing. I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know if I could even communicate.

What I experienced in Krakow was an experience of a life time.

Krakow and it's people are probably the most peaceful on earth. From the moment I stepped off the plane in Krakow I was made to feel at home. My perception of the people was very positive. Never once did I feel like someone was trying to be something they were not. People were just naturally themselves and excepted others for what they were. This was quite a drastic change from the highly competitive society in the USA where people are overly concerned about the image they project.

The city of Krakow is probably the most beautiful city I have ever seen. The old part of town has beautiful buildings with unbelievable architecture and people with a zest for life like I have never experienced. Poland has lived through a tremendous amount of hostilities in the past and I did not expect what I found. My very limited perspective of Poland was formed by high school history books and what I read in the newspapers about the political turmoil. Maybe the people appreciate life more now because of what they have been through in the past. What ever the reason, it was something I was proud to be a part of. Going to Poland was a positive experience that has changed my life for ever. Krakow will always be with me.

Many thanks to the people of Krakow for making me feel so much apart of their community!

~~~~~

Please take a moment to view the pictures links below. I think you will be impressed with the history and beauty of this great city. Many of the pictures are high resolution and may take a while to load but I think you will find them worth waiting for.

The city of Krakow and surrounding area.


Back to my home page


Email