matching tracksuits

I’ve now been in Lipnica for a week, and I’m surprised at the difference between this week and the week I spent here in May 2000. There was such a hectic feel to it because there was so much I wanted to do, so many people I wanted to see, so much food I wanted to eat. And so that meant very little sleep — at no point did I ever do what I’m doing now, and that’s simply to take it easy, to think, “I could go to Quattro and see a few people, or I could just rest this evening.” At this point, seemingly all the time in the world stretches before me. I know that suddenly it will be Christmas, then suddenly time for the matura, and by then, I’ll know what I’m doing: it’ll either be time to leave for good, or be time to go back to the States for a few weeks.

This evening I read some old journal entries — from June, July, and August 1999 (i.e., my departure from Lipnica) and May 2000 (i.e., my return). It makes me feel really good to think that I did something about all that. I wanted to come back, and I did just that. I have this ever-so-small fear lurking, though, that I’m just putting off the inevitable, that eventually I’ll have to face again the same thing I did in 1999. But for now, that’s so far from my mind, so far from my reality, that it feels like I’m just writing those words because I feel like I should.

One thing I forgot to write about: Tuesday I played volleyball with the teachers and had quite a good time. I played fairly well, and it was an overall rewarding experience. Hopefully, it will be a weekly deal like it was when I was here last. Strangely, though, I played as good or better than I ever had here, and that after two volleyball-less years.

Today I had a fairly good lesson with 4A — no, a great lesson with them. It was fairly boring, I thought: just a bunch of information on the blackboard that I explained and they wrote in their notes. Yet everyone was totally quiet through most of lesson, and they were even attentive. It was such a change from 4C. I’d love to hug them all and say, “Thank you! You make my decision to come back here worth everything I gave up to do so.”

Today I went to Nowy Targ and bought two bottles of contact lens solution (for just under 100 złoty) and a new pair of shoes. I went in a couple of stores, but I ended up just buying a pair from Michał M.

I also stopped by the camera shop where I did my developing. I don’t remember the name of the bloke who works there, but the same guy was there. We chatted for a little, and I asked him about buying a tripod. Big mistake — he recommended me buying something like a Silk tripod, which costs almost 500 złoty. A little too much for a tripod I’ll probably use only a few times here. We’ll see, though.

The really big news, of course, is that today was the first day of school. I can’t say I got the warmest reception from some of the teachers.

The students’ reception more than made up for the teachers. Of course I was expecting the teachers’ apathy, but I was merely hoping for the students’ reaction. After a few words of introduction, Sojka pointed to the teachers and said, basically, “The teachers are the same as last year, with one change. Gary Scott has returned to teach here after two years in Boston,” (though he said a little more than that — I can’t remember exactly) and the whole fourth class just erupted. Cheers, whistling, and smiles. I felt good. No, I felt great.

I’ve spent the whole day in Kamil’s old room. But there’s more. Before it sounds too ridiculously reclusive, I should also point out that I’ve spent the whole day in bed. I can’t understand why, and in some ways I can’t believe I actually did, but such is the case. I woke up around five this morning; finally, unable to sleep, I got out of bed at six, read old journal entries for a hour, then went back to bed. At some point, Karol woke me up to give me the key to the house, but I just fell right back asleep. When I finally woke up again and checked my watch, it was one in the afternoon. I felt a little stupid for having slept that long, and for a moment, I still considered trying to go to Nowy Targ this afternoon, but I realized that it just wasn’t going to happen. I got up and read for a little while (Gulliver’s Travels, which I bought in Warszawa yesterday just before I left), then, feeling cold, went back to bed. I finally dragged my ass out of bed sometime around four twenty. Insane. I’m not sure why I wasn’t able to get out of bed. I was just so freaking exhausted; the thought of stirring at all made me just want to curl up into a tighter ball and go back to sleep.

So, for my arrival: I thought I’d never make it from the train to the van with all my shit. It was so heavy, especially that stupid duffle bag. Still, I made it, only to find that Janusz had come with Bronek (from the gmina) and was in fact looking for me. So I struggled for nothing — I could have easily had a bit of help.

The trip back was uneventful, and a little strange. I felt like I’d never left as soon as we were driving along. Janusz and I chatted a little, but not much. It was a little difficult because I was sitting in the front and he was sitting in the back. I knew that once we got to Quattro that we’d chat up a storm, so I didn’t worry about it, though I did feel a little stupid: he came all that way and I really didn’t talk that much. I just wanted to absorb it all, I guess.