As I sit here fighting some sort of virus and languishing somewhat lethargically between winter storms, I'm fighting the early-winter blues by sketching out my travel plans for the year. I've already gotten 8 days off approved for May, now it's just a matter of deciding how to use it. If anything gets me going, and indeed keeps me going, it's planning a trip. And then anticipating it.
So far in the forefront of my mind is Poland. I'm not sure exactly how it jumped into the bucket list, but I returned from Russia and already knew that's where I would go next. I don't remember anything I learned or saw in Russia that would make me want to go there. Maybe latest news of the theft of the sight at Auschwitz put the bug in my ear. Maybe hearing that it won't be kept up by the government much longer makes me want to see it. But there's more to Poland than just the concentration camps. Indeed, Jowita, the aid at my physical therapist's office, has listed many places I need to try to see. She introduced the idea of Gdansk (a delightful seaside village on the Baltic Sea) and encouraged me to skip Warsaw for her beloved Krakow. Right now I have an idea of flying into Gdansk, either flying or training to Warsaw and then taking the train to Krakow, where I'd spend four days and fly home from there. This is all hypothetical, except I know exact dates/flights/prices and have even scoped out hotels.
Later in the year I'll want another longer trip. Right now I'm kicking around Germany, Croatia and Peru. Believe it or not I have only been to Cologne in Germany, and my ongoing fascination with all things World War II and such really lends itself to going to Germany, probably Berlin and surrounds (including Dresden) and maybe Munich. I don't know. Croatia's on the bucket list and it'd be beautiful in the early fall.
After that, I'm thinking a quick trip to Philadelphia to see the Barnes Foundation for its collection of Impressionist art and the Rembrandt exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I've never been to Philly and would actually like to see all that it has to offer in the way of American-history.
But who knows. My bucket list has been disrupted before, it may be again.
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