First of all, you hate desserts?? Hahaha. Come to think of it, I don't remember eating many desserts in Poland. Mostly lots of pierogi and some potato pancake with this beef goulash on top, which Luke also had to have daily for some reason. One day I was just like, I can't do it anymore, I need a salad. That's so crazy that you gained 30 pounds!! I can eat emotionally too, or just when I'm BORED, so I rarely buy snacky foods for my apartment. I remember thinking I'd lose some weight on the trip because of all the walking involved with traveling, but I basically stayed the same as all the food and drink canceled out my walking.
I guess staying the same is way better than gaining though, so I didn't complain!
That's so awesome that you and Luke have family there and throughout Europe! All of my relatives on both sides are in the US, and mostly in California! Luke's family is all in Canada except for his immediate family and his brother's family, but no one is in Europe anymore. He doesn't speak Polish, but his dad does. Did you learn from your family as a child? I always wish I spoke Japanese - I'm half Japanese-American from my mom's side, but my grandparents didn't teach their kids how to speak Japanese.
We actually took a tour of Auschwitz while we were in Krakow. Luke's grandma didn't come, she had lost a childhood friend to that camp. Exactly as you said, it was one of the most harrowing and emotional things I've ever witnessed, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is every traveling there. We've all seen movies like Schindler's List and been exposed to the general idea, but actually being there is something else. I remember all the displays you mentioned too, I couldn't believe the things like the braids they cut off people, and another display case filled with clothing and shoes from all the women and children they immediately killed upon arrival really got to me - I had to step back into the hall. And the display cases were HUGE, not like a normal museum, but along the entire wall of the room and way deep in the back. I remember us all piling into the van afterward and not even really knowing what to feel.
Anyway, back to buns, it sounds like your dates are going well! Do you have any "next steps" in mind? I haven't gotten to neutral area dates yet, we're still in "observing each other's play time" mode. I guess I'm waiting for all signs of hostility to stop, though they've definitely improved. I think we've definitely plateaued - the first week or so of their new set up and being close during play time had Rory going completely nuts all the time, and now she's been pretty much the same for the past few weeks. I'm not sure if this means I should try something new, or still wait for her to be as neutral as he is towards her?
