PRCUA: Official News Release

(Photos) In May, Narod Polski ran an announcement about a contest whereby the Polish organization "Wspolnota Polska” offered Polish American youths a chance to visit Poland for two weeks and acquaint them with the country of their roots, to learn about Polish heritage, art, culture, architecture and everyday life in Poland. The PRCUA selected 6 members at random to participate in that program. PRCUA Res. V.P. Anna Sokolowski asked them to write a essay about their trip. Below are essays submitted by winners.

The summer of 2009 was certainly the best of my life! It all started back on a sunny afternoon in May, when I found out I was going to Poland. I couldn’t believe my luck! The next weeks I spent shopping, packing, planning, and talking non-stop about my big trip. I couldn’t wait!

When it was finally time to board the plane, I could barely stand the excitement. Any nervousness I felt disappeared as we took off for Warsaw. My first view of Poland was through the airplane window. I had a sense of relief that we had finally arrived.

As I walked off the plane, I was overwhelmed by all the sites and sounds I didn’t understand. Being in another country so far from home, I knew I was beginning the adventure of a lifetime! A bus took us to Pultusk, which would be our home for most of the trip. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for any anxiety to melt away as I began to feel comfortable in my surroundings.

Over the next eleven days, I met so many wonderful people and experienced the beauty of Poland. We took a scenic gondola ride down the Narwi River and were awed by the splendor of Basilica Kolegiacka, Czestochowa, and the Opinogor Museum of Romanticism. We toured the Wieliczka Salt Mines, an amazing sight, and were moved by the tragedy of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. We played at the beach, relaxed by the bonfire at night, and made lifelong friends.

In the end, we were sad to leave. On the plane ride home, we shared memories and said goodbye to a truly extraordinary experience. I will never forget the summer of 2009.

Essay by Emily Wolffe

When I first found out that I had won a trip to Poland, I didn't believe it. I thought my parents were playing a very mean trick on me. But they weren't. Those two weeks in Poland were the best two weeks of my life!

In the airport, everyone was fairly quiet - at least, the quietest it ever was on the trip. When the plane finally set off, we were still very quiet. In Pultusk, Poland everyone was exhausted, but didn't want to sleep because it was all so new and exiting. Our hotel, Dom Polonii, was beautiful and very old with lots of history. Dom Polonii was originally a bishop's castle and over the years, it has sheltered many important figures including several Czars of Russia and Napoleon Bonaparte. It is a horseshoe-shaped building with three floors and fairly extensive grounds. We were situated on the third floor, at the base of the horseshoe. The room I was in had a beautiful view, looking out over the courtyard. One of my favorite things to do in my free time was to sit on the two-foot wide windowsill, open the window and watch the boys play Frisbee, talk to other friends staying around the horseshoe or just sit there and enjoy the breeze and the view.

While in Poland, we visited four cities, not including Pultusk. The first was Warsaw. We saw the president's home, and a basilica, which was beautiful, with exquisite stained glass windows, but it was very dark. We also went to the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising which was very interesting, with many artifacts, and it taught me many things that I didn't know about World War II.

The next day, we went to Torun. We took a tour of the city, which was very old and beautiful. It hadn't been destroyed during World War II, unlike Warsaw, which had to be almost completely rebuilt. We also sampled and made gingerbread, which is a food that the people of Torun make especially well. Unfortunately, we couldn't eat the gingerbread we made, but the gingerbread we did get to eat, in my opinion, was extremely good.

The next city we visited was Czestochowa, where we visited Jasna Gora, the abbey where the painting of the Black Madonna resides. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It was also one of the most touching, for, in the room where the Black Madonna is, the walls are covered with not only rosaries, but also splints, braces, crutches and even a heart monitor!

We continued on our journey to Krakow, where we stayed for a couple of days. On a visit to Krakow, we saw many things, including St. Mary's Basilica and the trumpeter of Krakow. Then it was time to go back to Pultusk, and then back home. Nobody slept on the 10-hour flight though. As we came from all over the place and it wasn't likely we would see each other again, so naturally we stayed up for those few hours. When we got to the airport, we were glad it took half an hour to get our bags, and cried when it was time to leave.

Those two weeks were the best in my life so far, not only because of the things I did and saw, but also because of the friends I made. Thank you to the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, the Polish American Congress, Wspolnota Polska, and of course, my parents, for making my trip possible.

This trip to Poland that I went on has been one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had in my entire life. I will remember this cultural experience for the rest of my life. I would like to thanks all the people that made this trip possible including the PACCF and the PRCUA for choosing me to go on this trip.

While we were in Poland we did many fun and exciting things including going to many different cities all across Poland. We also saw many churches and visited many museums, including the Auschwitz concentration camp museum. This trip to Poland has been truly amazing. I learned a lot about my heritage and I have also made many very close friends. The memories I’ve made in Poland will stay with me my entire life.