Saying Goodbye

Once Michal & I packed up our apartment in Kabaty, there were a few places that we knew we'd have a hard time saying goodbye to.

The first place on our list was the local bakery.  I love, love, love this place.  It had our very favorite bread - Slowianski (Slavic Bread).  Plus, the lady who helped me was (no offense) my favorite Polish person - next to Michal.  Every single time she saw me come in the store, she would immediately pull the largest (or freshest) loaf of Slowianski off the shelf and proceed to slice it for me.  She would then quiz me on the latest Polish words that I had learned.  She always taught me a new word and expected me to remember it when I came back to visit.  Her eyes would just light up as my Polish improved and she would always give me such encouragement and ignore all her other customers to make me feel special, even though I didn't speak hardly any Polish.  I am pretty sure that I forgot her name... but I really wish that the last time I stopped by her shop she would have been there so I could have given her a Polish Ksiega Mormona (Book of Mormon) and told her (in Polish) how important and how much I loved this book.  To me, she was truly an example of the Savior because of how she always strove to make me feel like nothing else in the world mattered.

Goodbye favorite Piekarnia in Poland!

The next place we said goodbye to was our apartment.  Our apartment is in the smack dab middle of this Photo.  If you can find the windows with Aluminum Foil hanging up - that was our Bedroom window (hint - it's by a balcony). The sun would come up anywhere from 4-4:30 am - and we couldn't sleep after it did.  So we decided to be a little white trash, and hang up tin foil in our windows so that we received some adequate rest.  I think that the whole time we were in this apartment, we used our balcony a whole of 2 times.  But - we LOVED our apartment.  One post I really wanted to do, but never got around to, was the ridiculous security that Poland has.  In order for us to get into our apartment we pass 1 security guard, 5 security cameras, and we had to punch in our code at TWO different locations to enter through gates to get into our apartment.  Then... (it gets better) when we put our key in the lock to our apartment, not only does it bolt it in three (that's right three) places along the side of the door, but it bolts it into the door-frame from the top AND the bottom.  That's FIVE total places that someone would have to "card" or "cut' through in order to break into our apartment.  Michal & I feel like it's a slight oxymoron to have this much security in Poland because the crime rate in Warsaw is one of the lowest crime rates in all of Europe.  But, then again, maybe that's why the crime rate is so low - because the security is so darn amazing and taken so seriously.

Good bye wonderful apartment!

We decided to stop by and say goodbye to our branch president & district presidents family (both American Embassy families) before our departure.  In honor of us leaving, we even got to do one last "jumping" picture with them.

Good bye Armstrong Family!

The only person that was home (or awake) at the Staples was Kristina.  They had all just returned from being in America and had some not-so-awesome jet lag.  Kristina was sleeping but we woke her up.  Gosh I wish I could look this amazing with NO makeup on and my hair not done and after no sleep from a super long flight across the world.  Kristina I idolize how you look, lessons please?  I miss you so much girl!  Can't wait to catch up with you...

Goodbye Kristina (and the rest of her family asleep).

I truly feel that our biggest regret in leaving Warsaw was not saying goodbye to more people.  But in all fairness, we didn't know we were actually leaving until the day we left.... and after we packed up our apartment and left - we thought we'd be coming back in a few weeks.  Crazy how much plans change.  

For all of those that we missed in Poland.  Don't worry, we love and miss you... and can't wait to catch up again.  Stay tuned, I will write a post of the things and people I will and will not miss.  But, rest assured, we love Warsaw - and love those who live there - and you will always have a special place in our heart.