Hey there! IntegrART 8 speaking!
Now that you already know us a bit better and we’re starting to settle in our workplaces, let us tell you about our experience during the adaptation weeks. It’s been intense but so fun and heart-warming we just don’t feel like strangers anymore! 😊
When we arrived to Krakow, we just couldn’t believe our luck. It is such a beautiful city, with incredible buildings and monuments around every corner and so many things to do. Of course our first days were a bit stressful and busy, going to meetings and shopping for groceries, but our apartment very quickly became a cozy place to rest and get to know each other better while sharing our impressions about what we had just experienced.
In our first meeting with the project coordinators everyone was so welcoming and everything we needed to know about how to get around the city and some formal procedures was cleared up.
Then next week we started visiting the clubs and we also went to the 27 LO high school, where Miguel is already a celebrity. First stop was Cultural Club Wola, where artist Ronda Bautista hosted a workshop about embroidery in postcards, which was really fun and a great way to start putting our hands and minds to use! Emma couldn’t wait to start working there after it 😊
Later that day we had a really cozy and pumpkin-themed dinner with some of the project’s coordinators. Both the food and the company were so tasty and fun to try! 😊
Next club we visited was Mydlniki, where we got to try on typical Cracovian costumes and danced to some folk songs. It was all so colorful and fun, definitely one of the highlights of the adaptation!
Then we had a really packed day visiting both Lokietek and 27 LO high school. At Lokietek there were many surprises awaiting for us: we cooked “lazy” pierogi, played Dixit and got to design our own card for the game! It was all so interesting and fun. And then we had a private tour around the high school (that place is huge!) and got to exchange some bits of our cultures with some students. Miguel will definitely have a good time there.
After that we went to Dworek! We couldn’t believe how big and full of life it was. From the beautiful park surrounding it to the board games sala and of course the photoshoot with Klaudia Kruupa, it was all such a lovely experience 😊
Aaand finally we got to Pzregorzaly again for our intercultural breakfast! We could savour each other’s cultures both in a literal and metaphorical way and it was such a fun way to get to know ourselves better.
Oh and I almost forgot, we were paid an unexpected visit by former volunteer Daniel at our apartment! It was also really nice to meet him since he told us a lot about the project and later helped us with some administrative stuff. So yeah, shoutout to IntegrART 7!
Of course, in our free time we all got to explore the city, get some arrangements related to living in Krakow done and meet some other people outside of the project. But there’s still so much more we want to do!
So yeah, that were our first weeks around here. The journey is only beginning but it looks like it will be legendary. So stay posted to know more about our adventures! 😎
