10/4/13
This morning I felt horrible. I stood up and felt extremely dizzy. My stomach is also turning inside out. All I want to do is throw up. I couldn’t possibly go to school feeling this way. My host dad made me mint tea and let me sleep instead of going to school. I then had a fever so I turned on the heater next to my bed and bundled up with blankets. At 8 am (my time) I called my mom which was 2 am her time. All I did was cry to my mom because being sick in a foreign country without my mom is very upsetting. She told me to take the medicine I brought from home, drink lots of fluids, and sleep. Around 11 am I was feeling a little better so I took a cool shower and made myself toast. It seemed safe to say that I was healthy enough to still go to Warsaw with my family.
My host dad and I left to pick up Ania at her house around 1 pm. (Ania is my host cousin on my dad’s side). My head started to act up in the car so I slept most of the way to Warsaw. Ania only slept a little bit which made me feel a little better for letting my host dad be the only one awake in the car.
Warsaw is such a nice city! It is a European style of New York and Philadelphia, but has no skyscrapers. We went to the Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki) which was a gift from the Russians to Poland after World War II. We went to the top terrace where you can see all of Warsaw. The building is gorgeous on the outside.
Back at the Golden Terrace Mall (Złote Tarasy), we met up with my host mom after her conference. The mall is quite large and has a wide variety of stores. Warsaw is known to have any store you desire including Louis Vuitton and Victoria Secret. I ended up buying 2 sweaters in white and navy blue to hold me over in the winter weather. The only stores Warsaw does not have are Macy’s and DSW Shoes, but their stores make up for the loss. At TK Maxx (not TJ Maxx) I bought two winter jackets. My host mom bought a pair of boots.
When I was trying on coats, I started to feel bad again. My temperature was rising and I wanted to throw up. At supper I ate chicken noodle soup and drank a cold Coca-Cola. My host mom gave me Advil and we went back to the hotel.
Ania and I roomed together in the hotel room and for hours we just talked in bed. She told me all about her friends, family, and adorable dog. It was so nice getting to know her. Talking to Ania about my life, felt like I was talking to an old friend. She and I get along so well. It is so nice to have Ania visiting Warsaw with me. I also hope we become lifelong friends.
Stephanie Raquel
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