(Berlin)

Just a quick post to say that I am alive and well in Warsaw. I leave for Lithuania tonight. I am taking the night bus, which will be a new experience, as there is no night train running anymore between Warsaw and Vilnius. So far I've had a pretty good time. I spent about four days in Berlin, staying with my friend Sonya. There were a few other friends from Brown there, including Agi, whom I saw in Budapest last year (her home city), and Will, a kid from my medieval latin class I'd forgotten would be in Berlin for the semester. It was really nice catching up with everyone and seeing the city. After that I went to Krakow, visited the old town, and my second day I went to Auschwitz. I was able to meet some of my professor's (Michal's) friends, who are professors at the university in Krakow, for dinner and drinks, which was really pleasant. It's always nice meeting "real" people. Hostel culture isn't all that appealing, and I haven't really made much effort to meet people. And so here I am in Warsaw, which I'm enjoying more than I expected. It's kind of like a mini-Moscow in parts.
After this up to Vilnius, Riga, Tallin, where my friend Lydia is, and then to Petersburg! I miss Russia so much. No city compares, which I'm realizing more and more. I'm trying to enjoy my travels though and not rush in getting there, seeing as I'll be there for an entire year after all.
I'll give me more detailed posts on my travels at some point, but at the moment. I'm off to wander around Warsaw more.