Rather than taking the train from Munich to Poland, I opted to fly there instead. Unfortunately, the deboarding process was less than ideal. While I waited to deboard from 7C, men from the back of the plane charged their way forward, cutting off our row. When I realized the man sitting beside me wasn’t going to try and get out, I took matters into my own hands, asking the line-cutters if they’d let us out. I was met with a snarky response from a European dude. And they say Americans are rude…

Once I finally made it off that plane in Kraków, I headed to Das Hostel. Conveniently located within walking distance of major sites in town, the hostel is located in an older building that definitely has that European charm to it. My euphoria soon wore off once, however, when I realized the B.O. wafting through the halls of Das Hostel belonged to someone staying in my room. Thankfully, the staff there obliged when I asked for another room. What made it even better was that I had that other room all to myself (at least for my first night there), and it came with a beautiful balcony that was perfect for working on my laptop. 

Kraków is beautiful and easily walkable. I went to St. Florian’s Gate, Barbican, the Jewish Quarter, Wawel Castle, and Old Town – I would recommend them all! Food-wise, I had perogies, a Polish staple food. I did love that Polish people actually stop for pedestrians, whereas in LA, it's like they're trying to hit you. 

My good weather streak continued into Poland, with sunny skies each day I was there. Even though I enjoyed Kraków, I seem to be a bit much for the Polish people. I don’t think they’re used to upbeat, slightly neurotic Americans.

The last big city in Germany during my 2024 European adventure was Berlin. 

I began my Berlin weekend by visiting the East Side Gallery Berlin Wall. It’s a historic landmark that was later covered with artwork, some very poignant of the location and its history. The wall definitely goes a long way, so admittedly, I didn’t have the energy to see the whole thing, but I was glad I at least got to see a solid portion of it. 

I then made my way to the famous Checkpoint Charlie. This is in a much busier part of town, so keep in mind that a lot of people want a photo in front of it, so just be prepared to wait.

Of course, after a week of busy travel, I was in need of some R&R, so after Checkpoint Charlie I decided to go to a day spa. I went to one of the most popular spas in Berlin, Vabali Spa. It costs about $30 for 2 hours, plus an additional $10 for two towels and a robe (although if you have your own, this is optional). I soon discovered, however, the major difference between Americans and Germans: co-ed spas. It was like I wandered into a nudist colony, but of course, to them, it was totally normal. The good news is that there are some areas where it's women only, but as a happily married woman, I kept well-covered up in my oversized robe. While there’s a lot to love about European culture, I’m still an awkward American when it comes to spas.

To cap off my first day in Berlin, I walked along the river, only to discover a large crowd of people salsa dancing. It was incredible; I mean, these people had full-on routines going on like something out of the movies. I’ll admit, Berlin was the last place I expected salsa dancing, but it was really cool to see, and I enjoyed hanging out there for a while before heading back to my hostel.

Day Two
My second day in Berlin began with a trip to their Jewish Museum. The museum offers free entry, so I definitely recommend going there.

Since my second day in Berlin fell on a Sunday, the city was a lot more quiet, but I used the time to focus on seeing more landmarks. I walked along the well-known boulevard Unter den Linden, which is home to many historic buildings and takes you all the way to Brandenburg Gate. Not too far beside Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s Jewish memorial, which is where I ended my day.

To cap off my time in Germany, I will say I’m a fan of the small towns over the big cities, and I love that soft pretzels are a breakfast staple here. I could get used to that!